Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“I play hockey,” he says, and I start to make a list of why I don’t like him.
“Yes,” I say louder than normal because I’m nervous and that is also number one on my list. “You play hockey, and I don’t really get hockey.” I use my hands. “It’s just something that I don’t ever …” Then I stop and look at him. “Did I say anything that made you think I wanted to date you?”
“No,” he says, shaking his head, and I at least breathe a sigh of relief that I wasn’t that transparent. “I mean, you got me dinner, and you gave me a key chain.”
“Um, yeah, because we were celebrating a big step,” I tell him. “I mean, the key chain was something that I saw and figured it would be a nice thing to do.” I shake my head. “You know, for a friend.”
“I’m a recovering addict, and I have to focus on me. I don’t have time for a relationship,” he says and then looks down at his bare feet. “God, this is the most awkward conversation I think I’ve ever had.”
“I mean, if it makes you feel better, I had an even more awkward conversation about an hour ago.” I smile at him, and he smiles back.
“Okay, well, now that we got that out of the way,” he says, and I put my hand up.
“Viktor, I think you are a great person.” It feels like a breakup, but we weren’t even together. “I don’t know what happened with everything that went down in LA, and I think them tossing you aside and looking for a trade was a crappy thing to happen. I think you got dealt a shitty hand and then you decided that shitty was what you deserved. That key chain was just a little reminder to let you know I don’t agree. I think you deserve more.”
“You sound like my therapist,” he tells me. “And my sponsor.”
“Well, I don’t know how to be a therapist,” I answer, “but I know how to be a listener, and I know how to be a friend. A friend.”
“Okay, I get it,” he finally says. “Now, come see my room.” He turns to walk down the hallway, and I follow him. I stop at the doorway, not stepping inside. “Come in.”
“And just to be clear, I will see your room with all my clothes on.” I wink at him, and he groans and puts his hands over his face, and I laugh. “Okay, that was the last time. It was just too good to pass up.”
Walking in the room, I see the huge king-size bed in the middle of the room with a dark brown leather headboard, cream-colored covers, and matching light brown throw pillows. The nightstands are also a dark brown almost chocolate color with side lamps. Above his bed hangs a sun with a mirror in the middle.
“I saw it in the showroom and just bought everything,” he says, and I laugh. “The sun was just like tomorrow is another day kind of thing.”
“That is exactly what I was thinking,” I tell him, smiling at him. “It’s perfect.”
“I hope so because I moved out of the loft,” he says, and I look over at him shocked.
“But you have no furniture,” I tell him.
“I have a bed,” he tells me. “A fridge, a stove, and a television in the movie room. What else do I need?”
“You have a point there,” I tell him and then look at him. “I should get going.”
“Is being in this room with me too much for you?” he jokes with me, and I like it. “I know how tempting I can be.”
“Yeah, that must be it,” I tell him, walking to my bag. “But truth be told, I have a date tonight.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Really,” I repeat after him. He really doesn’t need to know that’s a lie. I am going out for dinner, but it’s with Zara and Evan.
“If only you said that first, then we wouldn’t have had that awkward conversation.” He laughs and then walks to the counter and hands me a key to the apartment. I try to keep my poker face intact and my emotions hidden.
“But then how else would I know that you found me hot?” I joke with him to keep my disappointment buried. I just want to hurry and get the hell out of here. “I promise not to defile your home while you’re gone.”
“Please try to refrain from smelling my shirts,” he jokes, and I walk to the door.
“I will try my hardest,” I tell him, forcing a smile on my face and then walking out the door. I close it behind me so he doesn’t make it even more fucking awkward by coming out and watching me. I almost run to the elevator, and when it finally closes, I let out a huge sigh as the disappointment shows on my face. I keep my head down the whole way home, not even sure why I’m so disappointed by what he said. He was being honest and I wasn’t even that interested in him. Lies. Fine I was interested in him, and I liked him and.. And nothing, I tell myself, it was time for me to get Viktor out of my head once and for all.