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The last four years have been about honing my skills, earning the title of Captain through tireless training and proving my worth so I could get here. Back home to Toronto. I was the first one in the gym in the morning and the last one to leave the offices at night. I wasn’t a monk, but I also didn’t have a long line of hock-ups or relationship controversies. The media saw what they wanted to see when they pictured me with a woman and spun the images to their favor. A lot of my dates over the years to team events had been set up through my publicist yet had been reported as long-term hidden affairs.
The hairdryer cuts off. My eyes flicker to hers in the mirror. She’s smiling at me in a mischievous way.
“What?” I ask her, my lips turning up.
“It’s just so weird. To have you here. And watching you put on moisturizer.”
Not able to hold out for another second, I reach for her. I kiss her long and slow, nipping at her lips and making her moan. When I have her right where I want her, I pull away but don’t go far. Before she understands what I’m doing, I press our cheeks together and rub.
“Ah! What are you doing weirdo?” she squeals.
“Didn’t you want some of my moisturizer? Isn’t that what you were saying?” In a voice that sounds nothing like hers, I mimic, “Grant, you sexy beast, how do you get your skin so soft?”
“I didn’t say that!” Her hand comes to my chest with the playful intention of pushing me away, but I don’t let her. Pressing her closer so that our towels are erotically brushing, I bring both hands up to cradle her face. Her smile falters at the quick change of intensity. There’s a happy sparkle to her eyes though. Then, slowly, I begin to glide my thumbs along her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.
“Are you…are you rubbing in your moisturizer?”
“Sharing is caring.”
The hand that was lying on my chest moves down to my side. As I continue to trace the peaks and valleys of her face, she watches me. I know Lexi is a fierce protector. She puts the needs of others before her and is always looking out for her friends and family. Yet, in this moment, her shields are powering down. I swallow back the emotion that builds in my throat, overcome with gratitude for this woman. She’s letting me in, giving me a piece of herself that rarely sees the light of day.
She’s letting me take care of her.
It’s been a handful of days since we met and if I didn’t know it before, I know it now: she’s it for me.
When I’ve memorized every freckle and traced every feature, I glide my hands down her neck. Then I pull her in for a hug. I don’t know why, but a strong need to just hold her pushes me to do this. I don’t fight it, enjoying every touch we share.
She stiffens, then relaxes into the hold, squeezing me back. We stay like that until the soft ringing of a cell phone dances through the apartment. Pulling back, Lexi looks up at me.
“You have your ringer on?”
“Yeah, why?”
Shaking her head, Lexi clutches the top of her towel and moves away from me. “I just don’t think I’ve heard an actual phone ring in years. Mine is always set to vibrate. Well, except when I accidently turn that off.”
I let the phone ring, not wanting to leave the small warm cocoon Lexi and I have made in the bathroom. I like the intimacy we’re sharing. Lexi has other ideas though.
“Go grab your phone dummy. I’m going to get dressed.”
Yanking on the clean pair of shorts I’d brought in with me, I hang my towel on the hook behind the door before making my way to my phone. Grabbing it from the kitchen counter, I see that my mom called. I debate for a second about calling her back when the decision is taken out of my hands. My phone starts ringing again with “Mom” flashing across the screen.
“Hey mom.” I answer.
“Hey honey, how are things? Is training going well?”
“Everything’s great actually.” I lock on Lexi as she leaves her room, giving her a wink when she turns my way. “The team is really coming together even though training is hellish.”
“And you’re all settled?”
“For the most part. I’ve been told my apartment lacks color.”
“Oh,” she pauses. “Your apartment? Who told you that?”
“Someone special.” At my words, Lexi’s head shoots out of her room. There’s silence on the other end of the phone. I know mom is still there so I wait while she processes what I’ve just admitted.
“Someone…special. Oh my.” Her voice wavers but there’s no sadness. “It finally happened.”
“Finally?” I took some offense to that. It’s not like I was a chronic dater. And I certainly tried to keep my love life PG when talking to my parents.
