She was worth the risk, and he planned on telling her.
Olivia
Olivia entered the crowded, noisy Tully’s Taps with knots in her belly. After agreeing to meet Jacob, she now regretted it. At least it gave me an excuse to leave dinner with my parents earlier than planned.
Hopes for a pleasurable celebration had flat-lined when her mother used Olivia’s success at coaching to launch an argument.
Cecilia had stated, “You should go back to school to become an educator.”
The woman wouldn’t relent!
Jacob sat at the bar, facing the entrance and waving. When she reached his side, she ordered a drink before Jacob signaled to the bartender that they were relocating to a nearby booth. She shrugged out of her coat and slid along the vinyl bench, smiling at the booth’s privacy—until trepidation fluttered in her stomach.
“So, what a game,” she said. They spoke about the game until her drink arrived. She took a leisurely sip of beer, formulating the right way to tell him how much she valued his friendship. And she was open to accepting that friendship was all he could give.
“I’ve been thinking about running a summer training program for students to polish their basketball skills, a series of affordable skills and drills sessions. Maybe scrimmages. What do you think?”
“Sounds like a great idea.” She grinned at his endearing enthusiasm.
“Would you consider coaching again? This would be a paid program. I could offer a small wage.”
“Um, I’m not sure.” On second thought, remaining friends after the season on an acquaintance level somehow felt safer. “I’d love to…but—”
“Hold on—before you say no. Olivia, I asked you here because I wanted to talk—about us.”
The meaningful murmur of his voice and the way his gaze softened made her breath catch.
“Over the past few months I’ve gotten to know you, and I’ve come to realize how much I care about you. You are aware of my reasons for avoiding dating in the workplace.”
“Jacob, it’s justifiable.” She exhaled, squelching any lingering hope. “I care for you too, but I understand.” She’d already given thought to finding a new gym—especially with Tess leaving.
“No.” He leaned in. “You see, I didn’t want to date and have to deal with the drama that seems to go along with it. But with you, it would be more than casual dating. I only want to date you. I’ve never felt this way about a woman. And honestly, I’ve never been much for commitment, but I want to move forward in all the ways a couple does. Does this make any sense?”
He fidgeted with the beer bottle.
“You want to break your rules and date me?” she squeaked, flabbergasted by his change of heart. Trying to make sense of it, she asked, “So you want me to quit going to the Athletic Club?” She felt silly for focusing on this minor detail—rather than the fact that he was exposing his feelings for her.
“No. That’s just it. I do want you there. I want you coaching with me. I want you around me as much as possible.”
She braced her shoulders while he spoke, not wanting to seem too eager and scream “Yes”. She exhaled a pent-up laugh, tears glistening. “I’d like that.”
He leaned across the table to give her a slow, deliberate kiss. “Olivia, you are so beautiful,” he murmured against her lips.
She blushed, her heart filled with joy as she dabbed at the tears.
“Are you crying?”
“Happy tears, I assure you. I’ve wanted this for a long time. I just never thought—”
“I know. I was foolish not to have committed to you sooner. Truth is, I’ve wanted this for a long time too…I just couldn’t admit it to myself.”
“I’m grateful you’re willing to give us a try. Knowing your past, I promise to be open with you and give you space when you need it.”
“I appreciate that, Olivia. I trust you, and I trust we have something real.” He clasped her hand and brought it to his lips, placing tiny kisses on her knuckles.
After their bottles were empty they walked to her apartment, holding hands and stealing thoughtful glances at one another in the crisp evening air.
“I have an early flight in the morning, and I’ll be gone until Wednesday. I’m sorry to miss the important practice before the finals next weekend.”
“I’m sorry you won’t be there too.” He pulled her close, sliding his hands up the hem of her winter coat. His hands rested on her hips. Brushing his lips against hers, he then gave her an agonizingly slow and tantalizing kiss.
She hungered for more while she savored his divine manly scent and spicy taste.
“I wish you weren’t leaving tomorrow,” he said against her lips.
She placed her hands on his jaw, stoking his sparse beard. “We have tonight.”
“So tempting.”
They spoke between passion-filled kisses.
“But it’s late, and you have to get up early. I’m calling it a night.” He released her hips.
Nodding, a part of her appreciated he didn’t want to rush anything.
“Fly safe. I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll text you tomorrow.” She opened the lobby door and stepped inside, lingering on the threshold.
He leaned in to give her one last scorching kiss, like kindling for her burning desire.
Chapter Seventeen
Olivia
“You look like a tomato,” Tess said, exiting the yoga studio.
“Only two days in the islands did a number on me. Boy, the sun is strong there.” Olivia adjusted her bra strap where her sunburn hurt the worst.
“Yeah, boohoo, tough job—which happens to include layovers in the Caribbean.” Tess made fists and pretended to rub tears away.
“Somebody’s gotta do it. Only next time, I’ll reapply more often.” She lifted her gym bag and held it by the handles; using the shoulder strap wasn’t possible. “Are you ready for your big adventure tomorrow? I still can’t believe you’re leaving.”
Tess nodded, a faraway look in her eye. “Yeah, I told everyone in my yoga class I’m finished teaching here for a while.”
“They are losing a great instructor. Hopefully you’ll come back soon.”
Tess drifted along the corridor, distancing herself physically and emotionally from the studio.
Not wanting her friend to worry, Olivia teased, “And you’re all packed—your one bag?”
Tess swirled around. “I have four bags! And Kyle said whatever I wanted to bring, he’d make it fit.”
She lifted her brows with wide-eyed fascination. “Wow, sounds like he’s in love.”
Tess shrugged. “We’ll see how living in a tiny space for days on end shakes out. I may be back sooner than you think.”
“Maybe. You seem different this time…really happy.”
“Yeah? I really care about him.” Tess said, heartfelt, but then she didn’t talk more about it. “So how’s Piper doing?”
“Sorry I couldn’t hang out yesterday, especially since you’re leaving tomorrow. Anyway, she’s doing great. We met her in Boston for an early dinner to celebrate her birthday. I can’t believe she’s twenty. We ate at a Mexican restaurant. My parents were civil, and Piper seemed overjoyed to see us.”
“Your mom can be difficult, but at least you have a family who wishes to be together. She wants what she thinks is best for you. Stay your course. Nature has a way of working things out.” Tess gave Olivia’s hand a squeeze, mindful not to hug her sunburn.
“What am I going to do without you?” Olivia jutted out her bottom lip.
“We can FaceTime, sista,” Tess said with attitude. “Now I better get home. I promised my roommate I’d have my room cleaned and the fridge emptied out by tomorrow morning. I’ll definitely be at the game though.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Olivia followed the hallway toward the weight room. Jacob had texted earlier that he’d be lifting before the team practice tonight.
She hadn’t se
en him for the six days since he’d made his feelings known. Talking on the phone had nothing on touching him or looking into his smoldering chocolate eyes. Anticipation built as she neared the weight room, setting butterflies aflutter in her tummy. She smoothed her ponytail and adjusted her fitness top. A little trimmer and feeling sexy, she strutted into the room.
Sounds of clanking metal filled her ears as bodybuilders lifted circular weights onto horizontal poles. Several men and woman occupied the machinery. Jacob sat at one of the lower-body-workout machines, strengthening his long, toned legs.
As he finished a set he spotted her. She smiled and mini-waved as she waltzed toward him.
“Wow, it’s good to see you!” he said when she came close enough to not be overheard.
In midstep, it occurred to her that he hadn’t said anything about how they should behave around the club now that they were dating. She questioned her plan to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him. As she hesitated, unsure about how to proceed, her steps faltered, and she teetered. She attempted to save herself from falling with a sideways shuffle, but then she tripped over a two-inch-high circular weight someone had carelessly left on the floor.
She carried her gym bag in one hand and held the other out to break her fall. The weight and forward motion of the gym bag shifted her torso. When she hit the ground she crunched hard on her hand, jamming her fingers painfully and setting her sunburned arm ablaze with agony.
Jacob swung his leg over the bench, jumping forward to catch her. Though at her side in a moment, he was too late. The breath was knocked out of her when she fell. On the floor she managed to sniff shallowly through her nose. The fingers under her body were twisted oddly. The image of a nasty break brought bile to the slope of her throat. She managed to hold in a cry, but her high-pitched hum could be heard throughout the room. A crowd had gathered by the time she sat up.
“I’m okay.” The pitch of her voice was raspy, and her lower lip trembled. The gym bag at her elbow, she cradled her hand against her chest.
“Let me see your hand,” Jacob said.
She swallowed and shook her head. The slightest movement magnified her suffering.
“Olivia, let me see.”
Turning her head to the left and focusing on anything but her hand, she revealed the throbbing fingers for inspection.
“Oh, man!”
She looked up at the sound of a stranger’s voice.
“Those look broken,” said one of the other onlookers with a grimace.
“Oh, yeah, better get her to the hospital.”
Jacob held up a hand to stop the commentary. “It’s under control, thanks.”
The weightlifters returned to their business.
“Honey, look at me.”
She jutted her chin skywards, lowering her eyes only enough to see him. Feeling queasy already, she didn’t trust herself to look at a twisted version of her fingers.
“I need to take you to the emergency room. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“No, just my ego,” she mumbled.
Jacob grabbed her uninjured hand and helped her to her feet. “Let’s find you some ice and get you out of here.” He retrieved her bag and placed a hand on her back for emotional support.
Cursing her bad luck, she held back unshed tears. Her much-anticipated reunion with her long-awaited boyfriend had not gone as planned. In fact, it was completely ruined.
So much for a romantic night ahead. I’ll likely be on pain-killers.
Olivia grumbled, “We need to make this fast. Practice starts in a few hours.”
She followed him across the chilly parking lot, the sun on her face promising warmer days were on the way. When he opened the passenger door to a sporty black SUV she stopped, swiveling her head around. “Where’s your Porsche?”
“I traded it in.”
“Why? I thought you loved that car!”
“Get in.”
She wiggled in sideways, securing the ice bag over her fingers. He shut the door and rounded the rear bumper. He hopped in, started the vehicle, and leaned over to pull a plastic bag from the glove compartment. He placed the bag in the cup holder. “For you,” he said, glancing into the rearview mirror.
“What for?”
“I don’t want you to puke in my new car.” He backed out of the space.
She laughed out loud at his not-so-subtle gesture. He focused on the road ahead, but his lips twitched with amusement. “You’re mean. And don’t make me laugh—it hurts!”
He pulled into traffic.
“So what’s with the new ride?”
“Time for a change.” He shrugged, grinning and sending her a sideways glance.
“Okay.” Mr. Aloof doesn’t want to elaborate. “Well, I like it.”
This time the hospital’s emergency room parking lot was completely full, forcing them to park across the street in an overflow lot. They checked in, same as last time, and sat in the waiting room.
“Jacob, I’m sorry.”
“About what?”
She scanned the packed waiting area. “I’m sorry I’m klutzy, for one thing.” She rolled her eyes, but then focused on him. “After being gone…I really wanted to have a nice evening with you, and now I’ve ruined it.”
“Hey, I’m here with you. Accidents happen. Never apologize for that.” He lifted her injured hand, removed the ice, and placed a gentle kiss on her wrist, away from the bruised and swollen flesh.
His tender kiss and kind words reached a place deep in her heart. Calmer, she snuck a peek at her fingers. They were bent but not pointing in odd directions. He’s remarkably good to me in these situations. She leaned forward and kissed him. “Thank you.”
He slid his arm around her, pulling her close, and wove the hair at the end of her ponytail around his fingers. “So, beautiful, tell me about work.” Careful not to touch her sunburn, he teased, “Nice tan, by the way. You were working, right?”
She nestled against him, relaxing best as she could. “Laying over in the Caribbean is a perk. On this trip I flew in the evenings, leaving my days free to lay by the pool. But dealing with drunk passengers on vacation has its challenges. I flew with a mean lead flight attendant, which means she makes final decisions on things that come up. Anyway, a drunk girl and her friends were leaving. This poor girl could hardly stand up. Somehow her friends managed to get her on the plane. But as the boarding process continued and the aircraft heated up from the packed passengers and blazing tarmac, the girl started moaning.”
“Planes still have those puke bags in the seats, right?”
“You’re becoming obsessed.”
“Sorry—continue.”
“Okay, the lead flight attendant muscled her way to the midsection where the girlfriends sat and interrogated them.”
“Let me guess—a bachelorette group.”
She nodded at the obvious choice. “She was the maid of honor. Anyway, the lead flight attendant wanted to toss her off the plane, but I convinced her not to. Can you imagine leaving an intoxicated woman alone at a Caribbean airport? By the grace of god, she agreed to let her stay.”
“So she wasn’t so mean after all.”
“Oh, she was! She made me take full responsibility for the girl.” Olivia shuddered.
“What happened?”
“After take-off, I gave her strong coffee.” She scrunched her face. “She puked it up in the galley while waiting for the lavatory.”
Jacob chuckled. “I knew it.”
“Yeah, I figured you’d get a kick out of that story.”
After two hours had passed, Olivia urged Jacob to leave her. “You need to get to practice. They need your coaching to win the finals tomorrow. I’ll be fine. I’ll call Tess to give me a ride.”
He stuck around while she made the call. As she hung up, her name was called. “All right, you can go,” she said to him.
“I want to hear what the doctor says first.”
They followed the nurse carrying a tablet into a
curtained area. A familiar face greeted her. “Hi, I’m Tina. I’ll be taking care of you until the doctor comes by.” The woman eyed the two of them.
“Hi, Tina. We met before, when I came in for a concussion a couple of months ago.”
“Right. I remember.” She tugged on latex gloves. “What brings you in today?”
“I fell, and I broke my fall with my fingers.”
“Let me have a look.” The nurse held her by the wrist and turned her hand to view the bent fingers from all directions.
Olivia sucked air through her teeth and squeezed her eyes closed.
“Can you move this one?”
Olivia opened her eyes, peeling her lips back at the sight of her blackened fingers. “No.”
“How about this one?” Tina pointed to another digit.
“No.”
“Looks like you have two broken fingers.” The nurse turned, removing her gloves.
Jacob leaned forward and kissed Olivia’s brow. “I’m sorry, babe.”
“It’s my own fault.”
Tina kept her back to them while she typed at the computer mounted on a wheel-around stand.
“You should get going. Tess will pick me up.”
He sighed but didn’t budge.
“Please, don’t worry. I want you to go,” she pleaded. “If they lose the finals tomorrow, I will never forgive myself for keeping you here.”
“Sir?” Tina spoke with authority. “I’m going to need you to step outside so I can further examine my patient. I need to make sure her fall didn’t result in other hidden injuries.”
“That’s your cue,” Olivia said.
“Okay. But I’ll have my phone in my pocket. Text me the moment you leave.” He bent, kissing her briefly despite the nurse’s intruding presence.
He moved past the curtain, and Tina drew it closed. “Is he your boyfriend, honey?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, we have paperwork to fill out. I’ll have the doctor come see you soon.”
Jacob
Jacob marveled at Olivia’s insistence on showing up at the final game with bandaged fingers, as well as her refusal to take the brain-fogging pain killers. He knew the over-the-counter medicine did little to control the throbbing pain.
Defying Gravity (Landing in Love Book 1) Page 13
