I stretch out my legs underneath the table. If my teammates could see me right now. They’d have the time of their lives chirping me for… lusting, no that’s not the right word. For following a girl’s every step as if I were a lovesick fool.
I could always say I am admiring the way she conducts herself. Wioletta knows how to do her job. Her wide smile and kind way is the reason for the relaxed and easygoing atmosphere in the beer garden. Whether it’s the old man in the corner across from me, or the young family at the table right in the middle, each customer’s eyes light up whenever Wioletta approaches their table. She treats them all with the same kindness and empathy. I like that. I like that a lot.
“Here you go. Enjoy your meal.” I’m startled when she places a giant plate with meat and vegetables in front of me. Before I can blink, Wioletta is gone again.
My mouth waters when the smell of the smoked dish invades my nose. I dig into my food. This is heaven on earth. Not only does the girl know how to wait tables. She also knows how to make a man happy.
“Would you like more water?” She appears out of nowhere again.
I need a moment to swallow my last bite before I can answer and use the time to admire her high cheekbones. This girl has it all. A beautiful face. A stunning figure. And a warm aura. How could I not be attracted to her? “Yes, please. You’re very attentive.”
She shrugs. “I’m just doing my job. Do you like the dish?”
“I love it. This has to be my new favorite food.”
“You can always come back for more.” She winks.
Is she flirting with me? Could it be that she’s as drawn to me as I am to her? Or does she talk to every guest like she does to me? Damn. I wish I could understand Czech right now.
Before I can tell her that my only option to visit the restaurant again will be tomorrow, she’s halfway inside the building. Only to return a minute later with a new glass of water for me.
While I devour the rest of my food, my eyes follow her every movement again. I’ve never been drawn to a woman before as I’m drawn to Wioletta. Nothing can come out of this encounter but… a little flirting never hurt no one. And who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll spend the night with me.
I’ll have to bring my A game to win her over. Wioletta doesn’t look like a puck bunny but has the door next girl vibe about her. It’s a good thing I like challenges. Especially when the reward comes in the form of soft curves and full lips against my heated skin.
I shift from right to left in my seat and adjust my erection underneath the table. Stop daydreaming, Smithy.
“Can I get you anything else?” Wioletta asks the moment I swallow the last piece of meat.
“Another water please and… do you have dessert?”
“Of course we do. Would you like to wait a little or do you want to order right away?”
“How much longer will your shift be?” Time to find out if I stand a chance.
She hesitates a second but then answers. “I’ll be off in an hour.”
“Then I’d like to order right away.” I have sixty minutes to think of how to convince her to spend more time with me.
She places a finger underneath her chin. “Okay. Let me think. We have—”
“Why don’t you surprise me?” I look deep into her eyes.
She blinks twice. “Is there anything you are allergic to or you don’t like at all?”
I shake my head. “As long as it’s sweet. I’m a goner.”
She throws her head back and laughs loud and free. My chest expands to twice its size for making her so happy.
“Here you go.” Fifteen minutes later, a plate with what looks like thin pancakes topped with whipped cream and berry jam arrives in front of me.
“Enjoy.”
And boy, I do. Fatty meat and whipped cream is not exactly what the team nutritionist has in mind when it comes to my diet, but he’ll never know about this particular indulgence. Heaven can’t be sweeter than this dish and the girl who chose it for me.
While my taste buds register explosion after explosion of buttery dough and fresh fruit, my mind reels over how I can spend more time with Wioletta.
I close my eyes to fully appreciate the last bite of my dessert. It’s not often that I’m fully sated, but my favorite waitress in the world wasn’t kidding. The portions in this restaurant are gigantic.
“Can I get you anything else?” As if she senses my thoughts, her voice fills my ears.
I slowly open my eyes and take in her sweet smile again. “Just the check, please. I’d like to pay with my credit card.”
She nods and is back in no time with the little pay thingy.
“What’s considered an appropriate tip in the Czech Republic?” I ask before she can type in the amount.
She pauses. “Uh… that’s for the customer to decide.”
“What if the guest is extremely pleased with the way the waitress treated him?”
She shrugs. “It would be a little higher.”
“Double the highest tip you have ever received.” I inch a little closer to where she stands and pretend to look at the screen.
“That’s too much.” She stands her ground and narrows her eyes.
“You deserve it.” I hold her gaze and hope my eyes communicate that I’m dead serious about it.
She frowns and crinkles her nose. Then she types something into the device. I couldn’t care less about the number. I’d rather watch her for the rest of the day.
“Sign here, please.” She hands me the receipt and a pen.
I’m sure I never signed something as slow as I’m signing this mini piece of paper right now. I also might have added two more loops to my signature. But then I’m done.
Now or never. I roll my shoulders back and sit up straight. “Wioletta. I know it sounds crazy. But… I’d really like to spend more time with you. Would you show me some of Prague?” I put on what I hope is my puppy dog eyes look and bend my neck to look right into her beautiful eyes.
“I don’t even know your name.” She bites her lip.
If I could face-palm myself right now I would. I’m so stupid. “I’m Julian. Nice to meet you.” I stand up and stretch out my hand for her to take. Now Wioletta is the one who has to bend her neck to find my gaze.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Julian. But…”
“You don’t have time.” My shoulders slump.
“No. Yes. I mean. I do have time.” A blush spreads over her cheeks.
“Then please take pity on a poor American tourist who has no idea where to go. Be my tour guide for today.” I hold her gaze while I wait for an answer. Please, say yes.
“I’m not even from Prague.” She bites her lip again.
“No? Where are you from then?” I won’t give up that easily.
“I’m from Poland.”
“But you have been living here a while?”
Wioletta nods. Her eyes are still glued to mine. She just needs a little more convincing.
“What do you need me to do to say yes? Fall on my knees? I’d do it.” I place a hand over my heart.
She shakes her head with an amused expression on her face. If I have to make a fool of myself to persuade her I’m worth a shot, I’d do it for the rest of the day.
It takes her no more than ten seconds to answer. But seconds feel like hours while I wait for her decision. “I need five minutes to change.”
“I’ll just wait here.” If I wouldn’t look like a complete moron, I’d pull a full-on goal celebration right in this beer garden. Instead, I plop back in my seat and release my breath. Our time together is not over. It might just have begun.
Five minutes later, we’re on our way to what is Wioletta’s favorite spot in Prague. I don’t care where we’re going as long as she’s beside me. In fact, I don’t pay attention to my surroundings at all.
“Watch out.” She warns me a split second before I crash right into a light post.
I blush. “Thank you.”
“Are you all right?” Wioletta places her hand on my arm.
“More than all right.” I stare into her eyes and study the yellow specks around her irises.
“Hey, are you still with me?” She waves a hand in front of my face.
“Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” I give her a sheepish smile.
She shakes her head. “Be careful or you’ll end up with a concussion.”
“As long as you’re my nurse, I won’t mind.” And concussions don’t scare me anymore. I’ve had my fair share of them. But now is not the time to tell her what I do for a living. This girl has no idea that I’m a pro athlete. She made time for me because she wants to get to know the real me. Not the famous hockey player.
Wioletta blinks twice, then walks on to wherever we’re headed.
“How come you live in Prague?” I rush after her.
“I came here to work.” She turns to the right and we enter a park with giant trees and circles of flowers in the middle.
“This your favorite place?”
She nods and chews on her lip. “I know it isn’t fancy. There are a ton of spots that are more… impressive in this city. But I like nature and the trees remind me of Poland.” She stares down at her flats for a moment. Wioletta’s tall for a woman and reaches my chin even without heels.
“It’s beautiful. I love to be outside too. Did you come to live here alone?”
Wioletta sits down on a wooden bench and motions for me to take the place next to her. “Yeah. My family lives in Poland. The unemployment rate is high there and young people don’t find work easily.”
I sit down so close to her our knees are about to touch any second. She doesn’t seem to mind and remains where she is. “Did you always want to be a waitress?”
She sighs. “No. I…” This time her smile is sad.
“If you don’t want to talk about it—”
“I was young and foolish. A model agent in Poland discovered me. She told my mom there would be more jobs in Prague and that I should come to live with her. In the beginning, it worked out well and I earned some money. But then she retired, and her son took over…” Her face hardens.
“Did he do anything to you?” I clench my fist.
Wioletta chews on her lip. “He wanted to. But I wouldn’t let him. And then there were no jobs for me anymore.” She shrugs. “Like I said. I was young and foolish. My mom still thinks I earn the money I send her from modeling jobs.”
“I don’t think you’re young and foolish. I think you’re strong and beautiful.” I place my hand over hers and squeeze it. Her skin is silky soft underneath my calloused fingers and my heart beats faster from the contact. I have it bad for this girl.
“Thank you for saying that.”
“I mean it. You’re stunning, Wioletta. I’m sure you could get other modeling jobs. Have you applied to other agencies?”
She shrugs. “There are many beautiful girls in Prague.”
“But you’re special.” At least you are to me. “I know it’s sounds crazy but… I really like you.”
“You don’t even know me,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Then tell me something I should know about you.” My hand still covers hers, and I trail my thumb in a slow circle over her skin.
“I don’t know. I’m not that interesting.” She follows my little circles but doesn’t pull her hand away. Wioletta isn’t making this easy for me. Maybe I’m crazy. But I like it.
I rub my chin with my other hand. “What’s one thing from your childhood you miss?”
Her face lights up. “My pony.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Your pony. Like… an actual horse?”
She nods and her smile reaches her eyes this time. “I named him Beauty. You know like in the book Black Beauty? He was overweight and lazy. But he was perfect for me.”
I squeeze her hand again. “So, you like horses?”
“I love them. It’s crazy I never had any lessons and Beauty preferred to eat rather than carry me around, but… a girl can dream, right?” Her eyes shine and her face glows. In this moment I want to buy her every single fucking horse on Earth. Or one every day to make her happy. If she were mine, I’d make sure to make her eyes glow with happiness every morning.
“Do you like horses?”
They scare the living shit out of me. “Uh… I’ve never been horseback riding. But I’d try it with you.” Maybe I can watch while you ride.
We sit in silence while my hand remains on hers. Now and then I draw a little circle on the back of her fingers. Time stands still and runs way too fast at the same time. The wind plays with the loose strands of Wioletta’s hair. I wish it was me twirling that golden blonde curl.
I wish we had all the time in the world to get to know each other. But my time in Europe is limited so I better make sure to find out as much about her as possible. “What—”
“Let me ask something. We’ve talked enough about me.” Wioletta lowers her eyes.
“You can ask me anything you want.” I lean back against the bench. It’s only fair she gets to ask some questions too.
“Have you come to Prague alone?” Her gaze finds mine again.
“No, I’m here with some… friends.” I’m not ready to tell her I’m a hockey player. It’s important that she wants to be with me because I’m… me. And not because I earn a shitload of money playing the sport I love. I see some of my teammates more often than my folks, so it isn’t even a lie. Speaking of which. My gaze falls to my watch. Shit. I thought we had at least an hour left. Time is my enemy today. If I don’t want to miss team dinner, I need to hurry back to the hotel.
“Wioletta.” I take her other hand in mine. “I really would like to get to know you better. But I have to meet my friends now.”
“I see.” She disentangles her fingers from mine. Damn. That’s not what I want.
“If I didn’t have an important… appointment with them. I’d stay the entire evening and night here with you.”
“I’m not that kind of girl. I—”
“No. No, that’s not what I meant, I mean… I… you’re stunning. But I don’t expect you to jump right into bed with me.”
She chuckles. “You’re cute.”
I laugh out loud. If she knew that I slam opponents into boards for a living, she wouldn’t call me cute.
“Are you working tomorrow?”
She nods. But her eyes remain on her hands.
“When?”
“My shift begins at four,” she says without looking up.
“Can we meet here at noon?” That would give me enough time to come here after morning skate.
She bites her lip. “I would like that. But—”
“No buts. Yes or no?”
She chews so hard on her lower lip I’m afraid she’ll draw blood any second. “Okay.” She finally meets my eyes again.
I could kiss her. But it’s too soon. “You’re making me very happy.” I’m a hundred percent sure now that she wants to meet me. Julian. Not the pro athlete. She deserves to know why our time is limited. “So, here’s the thing. I’m in Prague with my hockey team. We have team dinner tonight and a game tomorrow night. That’s why I have to leave now.” I take her hands in mine. “We have a training session in the morning, but I can meet you here around noon. I won’t have a lot of time. But every little second I have, I want to spend with you.”
“You’re a hockey player.” Both her eyebrows shoot up.
“I am. Is there something wrong with that?”
She squeezes my hands. “Yes. No. I mean… good for you. I saw the billboards. Tomorrow there’s a big game in the arena here, right?”
“Are you a hockey fan?”
She shakes her head. “My brothers go to games all the time. But I don’t watch sports.”
I smile. “Let’s talk about your brothers, tomorrow. I really need to hurry now. See you at noon.” I bend down and give her a quick kiss on the cheek before she can change her mind.
&
nbsp; Wioletta isn’t a fangirl. And she wanted to see me again before she knew what I do for a living. To say I walk back to the hotel on clouds would be the understatement of the century.
As much as I dreaded this trip before it began, now I wish it would never end.
Chapter 3
Wioletta
* * *
A glance at my watch confirms it’s ten past twelve. I’m so stupid. Of course he wouldn’t show up. Why would he? Julian’s a star. What would such a guy want with the poor girl from Poland who struggles to pay her rent?
I plop down on my favorite bench and hug my knees to my chest. It was all just a beautiful dream. How foolish of me to think a man like Julian took a fancy to me. I Googled him last night and used way more of my data limit than I should have. He makes millions. Women throw themselves at his feet. What would he want with foolish Wioletta from Poland?
Julian’s a famous hockey player. Whereas I’m… I don’t know what I am anymore. My family relies on me sending money back home. My brothers work as well. But they depend on whatever construction work they can get. And in between jobs they have to live off what they made on the last one.
I work as a waitress because I don’t have a choice. And because I believed my first agent’s lies about how after a few model gigs, I would never have to work again.
I wish things were different. But—
Julian kneels down in front of me and takes my hands in his. “I’m so sorry.”
My breathing speeds up when he squeezes and fondles them with his long fingers. I’ve always had a thing for man hands. And his are close to what I consider perfection. Strong. Calloused. And yet capable of the softest touch.
I shiver when I recall the way his thumb rubbed little circles on my skin yesterday. If only I could experience his caress one more time, I’d be the happiest woman on earth.
“I fell asleep after the morning skate. And…” He takes a minute to catch his breath. Then he abandons his spot on the ground and sits down on the seat next to me. But instead of keeping his distance, his giant arms hug me close. “I’m so sorry.”
“You’re here now.” I lean my head against his shoulder and give in to the urge to caress his beard with one finger. The hair is surprisingly soft underneath my touch.
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