“She wasn’t my true love,” he speaks to me as we get out of the truck and sl
owly walk down the sidewalk. “I thought she might have been, but she wasn’t. Do you really want to know this now?”
“Oh, come on. You know about me. I’m simply asking, but if it’s that bad, we can talk about something else if you want?” I push him a bit.
“No, it’s fine. She was?” He pauses and chuckles. “She actually was a teacher. She also coached a little girl’s hockey team. She ended up running off with her male best friend. They happened to be in love with one another, but denied it. And now, they’re together.”
“Well, that sounds like a really shitty romance novel. I’m sorry it went down like that. Is that why you left Indiana?”
“No, my trade was a happy change of events that didn’t have anything to do with them.”
“At least there’s an upside from that. You’re now the captain of your own team, have a massive contract, and you’re in Liberty, Maine. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t want to be here?” I roll my eyes. “Now, I’d like to ask you a big question. Don’t worry; I’m not proposing marriage to you.” I giggle louder than I mean to.
“What kind of big question?”
“In my line of work, guys always want me to play out some game or fantasy, but we both know you’re different, so I’m wondering what is your fantasy?”
He automatically grins. He always seems to be smiling. He has to be the happiest man in the world. “Are you going to answer the same question as well?”
“Sure, why not? Let’s hear yours first.”
He is quiet for a second and I think he won’t tell me. “I’ve always wanted to have sex in the locker room and it’s yet to happen.”
“Wait, like the Eagles locker room? You haven’t had sex there yet?” I figured he had.
“I’ve never had sex in any locker room, and of course, the Eagles locker room. It can’t just be any one. Plus, it’s a really nice locker room.”
“I’m surprised, but that’s not terribly bad at all.” I thought it would be something seriously kinky.
“Well, that’s mine. What’s yours, Jade?”
“Mine sucks, Valo, and it’s really silly,” I stammer a bit.
“I don’t think ‘Jade’s fantasy is silly’ is a legit sentence. C’mon. What is it?”
“All right.” I take his shoulders and turn him to the downtown skyline. “You see that? The Liberty Hotel?” Valo nods. “I did a private party up there when I first started. Some rich guy with a really small dick. Anyway, he was in the penthouse and it’s stunning up there. It’s all white and gold trim. They have this large canopy bed, like from the Victorian era.” I trail off for a moment and Valo turns back to me. “I want to have a guy take me up there. I’d love to be all wined and dined and…I don’t know. I just want to have sex in a nice place with someone who cares.”
It sounds silly once I say it out loud. I pretend when I have my nails done, and I could do the same when I would be in the penthouse of the hotel room.
“I’m going to tell you what you’ve told me. You’re a nice girl, Jade, and you’re going to have that happen.”
“Hate to break it to you, Valo, I’m not that nice girl. Guys like that,” I point to the building. “Don’t take girls like me home to meet the parents, to company parties, or marry me. I’m their fuck buddy, or mistress, or whatever they want me to be. I don’t get the good guy. Are you ready to eat?”
“There’s a good guy standing right in front of you. C’mon.”
Chapter Eight
Valo
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out. We’ve just ordered an extra large pizza. Jade gives me a look that says it is too much pizza, but I plan on making her take it home with her. I open a text from Gus. It’s a picture of a spotless living room. Another comes in of a spotless kitchen. He sends me a few more, and it clicks that it’s our condo.
“Um, Jade?” I glance up at her. “Did you clean my house?”
“Yep. It was nasty and I was bored.”
“You cleaned the house and still left the cash I gave you? It wouldn’t have been nearly enough for what you did, but still.” I shake my head in disbelief.
“I told you I was bored. Plus, you let me do my laundry there and take a shower, and I had something to eat. I think it evens out in the end.”