She knew it was a one-time thing.
I rarely make the exception to sleep with anyone twice, and it may make me an asshole, but that’s how I’ve lived my life. Up until now, anyway.
“Oh.” Her huge pink lips form a pout. Lips I found so alluring and addictive that night we were together. But I see nothing that enticing about them now. Not even a quick glance down to her huge rack protruding from her chest, which still threatens to escape her bodysuit as she leans over the barrier, enthralls me. Again, not something I usually have an issue with. But being here with Jade makes me feel different from how I normally do.
When I’m with a girl, I’m usually on autopilot, I barely need to think. We just get to it and that’s that. I rarely get to be myself. So being at the rink with Jade is a refreshing change for me and my usual repertoire. And I like it. I like spending time with her.
Maybe it’s because she’s a long-standing friend, someone I have a history with. And I love and respect her family. It definitely feels different with her. I like doing normal shit.
“I’m up for it now, JJ, if you are? We can go out back somewhere. I’ll make it good, just how you like it.”
I’ve no doubt that she would, but I don’t like the way she keeps calling me JJ. Only my friends call me that. Glancing at Janey now, I feel fucking bad in a way, because any guy would be falling over himself to be with a stunning woman like her. But I ain’t feeling anything inside, or outside, for that matter. My dick feels null and void.
“I can’t. I gotta go,” I say, thumbing behind me.
“Maybe later?” she calls. But it falls on absent ears as I push off with my skates and glide toward Jade, pretending I didn’t hear her.
Jade is over near the far side of the ice now, she’s almost reached the barrier.
As she holds her hands out for the rail, she turns and leans back as her eyes dart straight over to me. I reach her in no time at all.
“Sorry about that,” I say, skidding to a halt as some ice flicks up in my wake.
“You’re bound to get puck bunnied wherever you go,” she says nonchalantly, even adding a shrug for effect, like it means absolutely nothing for me to get propositioned right in front of her eyes. “I’m sure it’s all part of the biz.”
Puck bunnied?
I don’t like the way she says it, even though her tone is perfectly neutral and her words are more or less true. It doesn’t sit well with me, and for some reason or other, makes me feel weird.
“I know her from the circuit,” I say, and I know it sounds lame, but I feel the need to explain.
Jade’s face forms a translucent smile, one that doesn’t quite reach her beautiful, deep eyes. “She definitely looks like a buddy kinda girl.” She doesn’t even sound sarcastic, though I’m sure it’s exactly what she would expect from someone like me.
“She’s always hooking up with the players. I’m nothin’ special,” I feel the need to add.
Her eyelashes blink a little more irregular than normal, like a tiny flutter of a butterfly’s wings, enough for me to notice, anyway. “What makes you think you’re not special?”
I try to throw that one off with a joke because I’m feeling that tightness in my chest again. “A special kinda crazy, maybe.” I chuckle. “You wanna do some laps?”
Avoidance is key here.
I watch her teeth grip her bottom lip while she contemplates. Fuck. I hope I haven’t messed up my time with her. My plans for today involved fun, not a confrontation with a girl I had sex with in the very apartment where Jade prepared my breakfast this morning.
It seems tainted somehow. Everything suddenly does.
I don’t know what to make of any of these erratic thoughts running rampant in my brain. And it somehow feels like I’m helpless to stop them.
“I’m happy to amuse myself… if you want to go with her.” She nods over to the other side of the rink towards Janey, who’s still hanging around the edge. I guffaw at that proposition, trying not to laugh. Not that I find it funny. But skating off to find Janey, which I don’t want to do, isn’t high on my agenda. “I don’t want that,” I say, with a firm shake of my head. “Not even for a second.”
“It’s okay, Jay…”
I hold up a hand to stop her. “Look, she and I hooked up months ago,” I sigh. “I haven’t seen her since. And I want to enjoy this day with you. That’s all I’m interested in.”
Her eyes look anywhere but at me, she seems to falter somehow, but I don’t know why. Why does she care about Janey?
“I have to get going soon anyway to The Arboretum.”
“Ah, your shoot,” I say. “Do you have a ride home later?”
