Page 40 of King of Hearts
“Let’s definitely do dinner so I can tell him about the time you pashed an orange when we were teenagers to make sure you could kiss properly.” She burst out laughing, shoving me sideways.
“Oh, piss off. Maybe I should tell Andy – oh come on, that was a bullshit call!” She threw her hands in the air as if the umpires on the other side of the country could hear her. “Dumb arses.”
“I think I should watch more games with you, Marls. This is great entertainment.”
“Your man’s team is getting their tails handed to them. Maybe you should focus more on that.” She snapped frustratedly. God her emotions rode the wave of this team’s success.
“He isn’t my man. I don’t know what we are. But whatever it is, I like it and so does Barbs.”
She laughed before grabbing the bowl of chips away from me. “Give me these, I need carbs to combat this depression.”
Andy:Pack your swimmers tonight. Can’t wait to see you.
Waking to a message like that was my new favourite way to start my morning. My heart fluttered and I did a full body stretch before flipping onto my stomach and replying.
Arna:Sounds intriguing. I usually swim naked but I’ll find something.
Andy:Even better ;) I’ll send Serg over at 6.
I was smiling like a maniac as I showered and got ready for the day. Hearing Paul rustling around in the kitchen, I braced myself for a conversation before I’d even had a coffee.
“Morning, babes.”
“Paul, cut that shit out.” I said, flicking the kettle on to boil.
“Fine, sorry. Oh, I made you a coffee already when I heard you get out of the shower.” He said, pointing to the mug sitting on the counter. It was these little things which reminded me why I was still here. If he would take a little friendly advice on boundaries, he really would make things much more amenable around here.
“Thanks, Paul. Appreciate it.” I grabbed a muesli bar and sat at the table.
“What are you up to today? Want to have lunch?” I gave him a side eye because while he was nice there was no way we were ever having lunch again. The one time I accepted his offer, he took it as confirmation of us dating and changed his Facebook status to ‘in a relationship’ and tagged me.
“I’m going to get my nails done. Thanks anyway. I’m heading out tonight too.” I knew I didn’t need to tell him, however, I generally did as a courtesy.
“With the Talons’ captain again? He better be treating you well or –”
“Or what?” I interjected, my brows raised in challenge. Paul didn’t reply, instead taking a bite of his toast and shrugging.
“His name is Andy and he is the captain of the Hearts, not the Talons. Thanks for the coffee. There is some leftover pasta in the fridge if you get hungry later.” I said, raising my mug before standing to finish getting ready.
“Arna,” Paul said, his voice a little quieter than normal.
“Yeah?” I raised a brow, assessing him as he looked up towards the roof as if he was pondering his next words.
“How do you know if…” He paused before shaking his head and continuing. “How will I know when…” Again, he stopped, unable to verbalise whatever he was thinking.
“Paul,” I said patiently, his eyes lifting to mine. “What’s up?” He seemed nervous. More awkward than I was used to seeing.
“How do I know if someone isinterestedin me?” He reached for his headphones, untwisting the cord like he did before he played. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling because while sometimes I wanted to choke him, right now he was a little bit cute.
“Have you been speaking to someone?” I asked, pointing towards his computer. When I first moved in, the only two things he told me were that he didn’t want a roommate who would host parties, and he communicated with most people via his gaming consoles as he found social interactions uncomfortable. Feeling this would suit me perfectly, I moved in the next day. His inability to randomly meet new people due to how much he despised small talk, meant he could only have met someone at work or online, and given he worked from home most days, it was an educated guess to assume he was referring to someone online.
He shrugged, “Sort of. I don’t even know her name other thanVenomHuntress23.”
“How often does she message you?” I asked, suddenly very interested in who this person was and why my question made him blush so much.
“Most days. But how do I know if she – or what if – oh, forget it.” He averted his gaze and dismissed me with his hand, evidently done with the conversation.
I turned away not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable but before I walked into my room, I paused and spoke to the back of his head as he turned his computer on.
