“Yeah, he wasn’t there by accident.”
She frowned in confusion and I told her the whole story, starting with Freddie’s weird stare, realizing it now made sense, so maybe she wasn’t as weird and intense as I’d thought.
“I can’t believe he kept that photo.”
“I know. What do you think I should do? I can’t keep this forever.” I held my arm up to the screen.
She grinned. “That’s pretty funny, you know.”
She was right, it was. If I hadn’t been in shock at the time, I’d have probably laughed.
“You know, Em, the universe has ways of making things happen when we need them to. It took you ages to stop talking about him, but maybe then wasn’t the right time for you. It’s been a year since Vegas and you’ve had all these months to spend on your own, get yourself away from Richard, and gain the confidence to stand on your own two feet. Maybe now is the right time. I say go for it.”
“You think?”
“Totally. Don’t think about it, just have fun. Don’t take it too seriously and see where it goes. You said the sex was hot, right?”
I nodded, grinning. “The hottest. Like, once in a lifetime.”
“Then make it twice in a lifetime and enjoy it. And if it’s not how you remember it, walk away. No biggie.”
This is why I loved her; she just made everything so simple. It either worked or it didn’t. And from the way my body had lit up in his presence without me even realizing it was him, I had no doubt the sex would still be as hot.
“Yeah, you’re right. Okay, I’ll text him tomorrow.”
“Do it, and let me know what happens.” She stood up. “Oh, did he tell you what his name was?”
“Oh, yes. It’s Drew. And get this, he plays for the New York Rangers.”
Her eyes widened before she gave a loud snort. “A professional athlete? No wonder he had so much stamina.”
“I know, right?”
“Yeah, you’ll have some fun for sure.” She grinned as I grimaced. “What?”
“A professional athlete? Come on, you know what they’re like. He’s probably just after another hook-up.”
She looked at me through the screen, contemplating. “You’re worried he’s going to be like Jupe?”
Jupiter, my big brother, was a baseball player in the major leagues, and not exactly the poster child for professionalism. Since he’d turned pro, there was hardly a week when he wasn’t in the gossip pages. He was undoubtedly one of my favorite people, but he was a man whore to put it bluntly. And having been out with him on more than one occasion, I was fully aware of the escapades of pro-athletes and their hordes of female fans, even when he tried to shield me from it.
I shrugged. “I dunno. I mean, we did meet in Vegas.”
“Emerson Reeves!” She opened her eyes in horror. “You can’t judge him for that when you did the same thing. And if you go off what you’ve learned this morning, he seems really cut up about losing your number. I can’t imagine Jupe ever giving a shit like that.”
She had a point. Jupe had a revolving door of women - he’d just find another one.
“Yeah, maybe.”
“I say just go and have fun. You deserve it. Every date you’ve been on the last few months you’ve said has been shit, but youalready know you have fun with this guy. Enjoy it for what it is, and if it becomes more, then that’s a nice little bonus, right?”
“Yes.”
“And don’t forget the universe.”
I laughed. “No, I won’t.”
I watched her trying to pick up her board under one arm, wobbling slightly. “Okay, I gotta go. Love you, bye.”
