“Oh, I love Alex Høgh Andersen as Ivar the Boneless! But I was expecting a better story if I’m honest.”
“Of course you’ve watched the show,” he smirks.
“That’s how I got the idea for your nickname, after all.”
“Fair. Anyway, it became an inside joke that soon turned into my nickname. When I signed with the Woodpeckers, one of my teammates was friends with my college roommate, so he knew about the nickname. It stuck.”
“It could be much worse.”
He laughs freely. “For sure. My teammate Sebastian is called Crabs, and it has nothing to do with the pubic lice, but many still think it does.”
“Let me guess…Sebastian fromThe Little Mermaid?”
“How did you—”
I shoot him a pointed look. “That was my favorite movie growing up, so it wasn’t hard to connect the dots.”
“Sebastian once fell asleep in the sun on our team getaway in the Bahamas. He was so damn red after. Like a lobster.”
“Poor guy, that must have hurt,” I wince.
“At least he remembers sunblock these days. But that’s enough about my team. I’m still interested in why you chose to help undocumented immigrants.”
“It was always something that interested me. My grandparents moved to the States from Croatia when my mom was just a little girl. Hearing those stories growing up, I wanted to help people trying to create a new home in our country. It’s more difficult for those who don’t have the right documents, so I decided that was something I wanted to specialize in.”
He nods his head in understanding. “Do you speak Croatian? I loved Dubrovnik when I visited theGame of Thronesset ten years ago.”
“No, my mother only knows the basics as well. Her parents wanted her to fit in, so they mostly spoke English, even at home. It’s a shame, as learning languages has always been tricky for me. Being bilingual like you could have helped.”
“Trilingual.”
”I'm sorry?”
”I'm trilingual. I speak English, Swedish, and Finnish fluently.”
I can’t stop the laugh that bubbles out of me. “Who’s bragging now?”
“Not me,” he shrugs. “I’m just telling you the facts.”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that, Viking.”
HURTS LIKE A MOTHERPUCKER
VIVIAN
Stepping onto the plane after Jasper, I close my eyes for a moment and take a nervous breath. Thank god my parents can afford to buy me tickets for business class. Hell, I could buy them myself, too. It definitely helps to have more space to freak out. I wish I had one more drink at the bar before boarding this plane.
I follow Jasper down the aisle while trying to focus on everything but his backside. The plane looks new with its sleek and modern Nordic design, a stark contrast to the busy, old JFK terminal we just came from. Business class seats are like comfy oversized armchairs, their dark blue color calming my racing thoughts.
“This is me,” Jasper says over his shoulder and stops next to row five, a smile touching his lips.Shit, did he notice me staring at his butt a moment earlier?
I check my ticket and see that I sit across the aisle from him.No freaking way!
“It looks like we’re neighbors for the next eight hours.” I motion to my window seat. “Maybe I can hold your hand over the aisle if the plane needs an emergency landing or in any other emergency that I don’t want to think about right now.”
He smiles warmly. “I’d happily volunteer for that.”
“Thanks.”
