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She stepped inside his condo, and it screamedman. The place was ultra-modern and nearly void of character. All the furniture and walls were different shades of gray. She couldn’t find a pop of color anywhere. What she also noticed was the soft sound of rock music coming from his living room.
“If the music is too loud…”
She chuckled at that. “It’s fine. And I am sorry for yelling at you that day.”
“That’s totally okay. I had no idea it was that loud. I figured a building this fancy would have better soundproofing. Can I get you anything? A drink? Food?”
“I’m good, but thank you for asking.”
“How are you doing with all this?” he asked, heading for his kitchen. She followed him as he put a platter on the counter, then rummaged through his refrigerator, pulling out all sorts of cold cuts, cheeses, and pickled vegetables. He then grabbed some crackers, fruit, and nuts from various cabinets.
“I could lie to you and say that I’m doing great.”
“So then tell me the truth,” he said, glancing up at her and smiling. Those playful eyes had her fighting back her own smile.
“It’s been pretty awful. It’s amazing how one person and some bad judgment can ruin your life.”
“Bullies suck. I’ve had my own experience with them,” he said, slicing up the Asiago, white cheddar, Havarti, and another cheese Reese didn’t see the same of. “I almost quit playing hockey the year I entered Juniors. I was far away from home and that was tough enough. But a few of the guys on the team…they were jerks. They made life difficult. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to quit hockey.”
Reese leaned forward on his kitchen counter and rested her elbows on it. “Why do I get the feeling there’s more to this story?”
Grady sighed. “Yeah, his name was Justin. Justin LaChance. You never forget the names of the jerks who made life hell,” he said, arranging the cheese on the platter and moving to the prosciutto, Genoa salami, and soppressata. He folded each slice and placed it along the board next to the cheeses. “He did some horrible stuff to all the news guys, and I was no exception. I don’t drink much—I have an alcoholic uncle—and I guess they fixated on that. When we’d all hang out, he’d try to get me drunk. And when I refused, he’d punch me. All in good fun, at first. Until it left bruises. Thankfully, our team captain at the time stepped in.”
“What an ass.”
“That’s putting it mildly. He stole things too. Things that meant something to people. Then weeks later they would mysteriously reappear. He picked on the guys who couldn’t afford better equipment, made fun of people’s looks. He did other things… Anyway, I had to deal with him for one year before he was cut from the team. Turns out he’s a drug addict now. And I take no joy in that. As much as I hated him at the time, I still wanted him to have a good and fulfilling life. And I forgive him for what he did. He was probably really screwed up.”
“That’s kind of you to forgive. I’m not there yet.”
“It will come,” Grady said with a reassuring smile.
He’d moved on to arranging crackers and fruit along with olives, pickles, and what appeared to be pickled artichoke pieces. He finished the platter off with generous helpings of walnuts and pistachios. He sliced thin wedges from a baguette and put those on a separate plate.
“Are you having guests?” she asked. “I don’t want to interrupt.”
“This?” he asked, pointing to the platter.
She nodded.
“No, this is for us.”
He walked over to another cabinet and pulled out plates, napkins, and utensils.
“What can I get you to drink? We can’t snack without a beverage.”
Reese’s eyes opened wide. He’d thrown this all together in minutes, and for her, no less. She didn’t know what to say or do.
“Whatever you have.”
“Iced tea?”
“Sounds great.”
She helped him bring it all over to his small, round kitchen table. They sat and dove into the charcuterie board. She moaned when she tried the unidentified cheese on a cracker.
“What is this slice of heaven?”
“Fruilano cheese. I got it from this Italian butcher a few blocks away. Actually, I got most of this stuff there.”
