“Yeah. Four.”
I fling the door open with a dramatic flourish and strike a pose in my new leggings and jersey. “How do I look?”
He rolls his eyes and folds the brim of his hat. But I don’t miss the twitch of his lips or the way his gaze trails to my body and rakes over my legs.
“It might be a late night if we drive all the way back.” He holds one arm open to usher me ahead of him, and I go, no longer worried about dropping my pants in front of him.
“That’s fine.”
“We could always stay at my place in the city.” The words are strained.
I stop in my tracks and turn back to him, craning my neck to look him in the eye. “Is that what you want? I don’t know what I want, other than to not face reality yet. I’d like to keep my head in the sand for at least one more day. So I’ll go wherever you go.”
His sapphire eyes drop to my lips for a moment and then drag back up. “No. I’d rather be at the ranch with everyone. Just in case.”
Just in case. Just in case there’s any news, I assume.
“You could tell the team you need a night off.”
He shakes his head and drops a warm hand on my shoulder as he turns us around. “No. It will feel good to play. Normal. Plus, the team needs me.”
I nod, because I know that feeling. Dancing until my body aches and sweat drips down my back would be a comfort right about now.
“Can I wear these out?” I ask the dressing room attendant as we draw up to the podium.
She eyes me carefully. “Sure, doll. Let me cut the tags off, and then you need to have them scanned at the checkout.”
I offer her my best reassuring smile, trying really hard not to appear like a criminal. “Of course. Thank you.” She peeks at the jersey and then glances up at Jasper, eyes widening slightly when she puts it together. “Are you Jasper Gervais?” Her silver bob swishes as her head flips between him and the jersey I’m wearing.
“Yes, ma’am.” Jasper smiles, always so gracious with his fans. Anyone who doesn’t know him wouldn’t pick up on his discomfort. The way his neck goes a little tight. The way his thumb presses into the tips of his fingers.
“My grandsons are just the biggest fans. Any chance you’d sign . . .” She glances around, trying to find something. “Oh gosh. I don’t know. Something? A Post-it note? The boys would love this for Christmas.”
I see his body soften as soon as she starts talking about her grandsons. I know Jasper volunteers with atrisk youth sports programs and has a huge soft spot for kids. “Of course. I’ll wait here. Why don’t you go grab a couple shirts in their sizes? I’ll take the tags and buy them too.”
The woman’s hands clasp up in front of her chest. “Oh, you are a sweet boy,” she gushes, looking at him with hearts in her eyes.
And I can’t even blame her. I am too.
“I’ll be right back! And I won’t tell anyone else and hold you up. But gosh, they’ll just love this. Thank you so much!”
Within minutes, she’s back with a Sharpie and two tiny little shirts, looking like the happiest woman alive. I watch Jasper’s hulking frame bend over the podium as he personalizes each shirt carefully, checking the spelling of their names so he gets it just right. Her words sweet boy bounce around in my head. Jasper has always been a sweet boy.
But god, he grew up to be a damn good man.
Moments later, all the tags are cut and Jasper walks me out into the store, seeming a little calmer than he did before.
“Just a few more things.”
He says nothing, which I usually take as his assent. So I walk ahead, veering for the makeup aisle. After seeing myself under those neon lights, I desperately need a little something to cover up the bags and general zombie look I have going on.
Concealer is my first stop. I try to pick a brand but realize I know none of them. I’ve come to Walmart for laundry detergent, not makeup. Picking one up, I assess it. If it wasn’t for the label, it would look exactly like my go-to concealer.
I turn to Jasper. “Do you think what’s inside of these is really all that different? Like, I usually pay $50 for a tube the same size. Do you think they just slap different labels on them in the same factory and then laugh at the rich people who pay more for the same shit?”
His lips twitch as he watches me closely. “I love the way your brain works, Sunny.”
“I’m serious! This is five dollars, Jas. That is a ninety percent discount!”
“Well, you can’t fault that fancy private school education.”
I snort and wag my head. “I’m testing it. This could be life changing.”
“Mm-hmm.”
He sounds like he doesn’t believe me. “Jas. Have you seen this translucent skin? The nice blue vein that runs under my right eye? Concealer is my best friend.”
“I thought I was your best friend.” The statement is so simple and yet it winds me.
I turn back to the wall of alarmingly affordable concealer and scoff. “You can both be. It’s mutually beneficial really. You don’t want to see me too often without concealer.”
“You always look good to me. Concealer, no concealer. Fancy dress, Harvey’s sweat suit. Smooth hair”—his hand waves over me with a low chuckle—“whatever this is. It doesn’t matter. You’re you.”
I swallow and try my best not to melt onto the floor into a squishy pile of mush. “That’s probably what you tell all the girls, Gervais.”
“Nah, Sunny. You’re my only girl.”
A tinny, awkward laugh filters up out of my throat as I reach for what I think will be a close-enough color match. I do the same with a soft, shimmery pink blush and a plain, blackest-black mascara.
Then I hustle out of that aisle, hoping Jasper will follow and leave that uncomfortable exchange behind.
Joke’s on me, though, because next stop is underwear, and my wish came true. Jasper followed. Right up behind me.
I stare back at the shelf full of different cuts of black underwear. “Booty short, bikini cut, or thong? Or does your rule of everything looks good on me apply here too?” I blurt out in an attempt at making this less awkward than it is in my head right now.
I fail. Things are officially not less awkward.
Jasper makes a low groaning noise and avoids eye contact. “It applies,” is his strangled reply.
When I peek back at him, I don’t miss the pink stain on his cheeks, and I laugh, all shrill and forced, really trying to salvage myself after what I just asked him out loud.
Then I swipe a pack of thongs and a matching bra, avoiding Jasper’s eyes as I head to the checkout lanes. And within minutes we’re paid up, back in in his SUV, wordlessly heading toward the city—the place neither of us really wants to be.
I watch Jasper skate out of the mouth of a massive, firebreathing bear’s head set up in the corner of the rink. He strikes an imposing image, his pads adding bulk to his already towering height.
Under the flashing lights, he glides across the ice toward his net, every movement somehow matching the beat of the Metallica song blaring from the speakers. His head is down and the crowd is wild.
The Grizzlies are coming off a bad season. A really bad season. Some players left the team, but not Jasper. He’s already got an Olympic gold under his belt, and he’s not the type to jump around chasing a championship any way he can get it. He wants to win here.