by Melanie Ting
“Oh my God,” she cried out and wriggled hard against my cock. The friction was so incredible, I had to pause so I didn’t come right away like a horny teenager.
“Fuck, Jackie. You feel good,” I muttered. I pulled out and flipped her over. I spread her legs wider, and her shiny folds glistened invitingly.
“So pretty,” I told her. She watched me through half-open eyes. I ground my cock into her once more and then fucked her harder than ever. Her whole body was jumping with every thrust. Now I could finger her clit easily. Her little button was slippery with oil, so I frigged it hard and watched her face tense and her eyes close tight. When she came, she made these strained moans that turned me on even more. Jackie was made for sex. Her soft body, her yielding nature, and her responsive reactions made me want to fuck her nonstop.
But for now, I needed to come. I thrust in and out and felt her squeezing me in her warm sheath. One last push and then I lost myself in the rush of my own orgasm.
I opened my eyes. Jackie and I were lying half-dressed on her kitchen table. I raised my head, and she was watching me.
“Merde. Sorry. Is dinner burning or something?”
“Not yet. You passed out for a moment there.”
I smiled. Sex was the cure for so many ailments, including an overactive mind. “Okay, let’s get up then.”
As I raised myself on one elbow, Jackie put a hand on my chest. “Leo, not that I mind, because I like it, but are we always going to do it that way?”
“What way?”
“With you being all dominant.”
I laughed. “Of course not. Sex should be fun and different all the time.” I didn’t say it, but sex was like playing hockey. You had to be creative and do the right thing in the right situation. But the situation was always changing.
“So, the first time was because I was so nervous?”
“Partly.”
She smiled. “And what was the other part?”
“Because I wanted to do it like that,” I confessed. Having Jackie do exactly what I wanted was beyond mind-blowing. Seeing those stained lips around my cock, her head bobbing back and forth as I fucked her mouth was beyond hot. And tonight, fucking her from behind with her oiled ass cheeks squeezed in my hands was incredible. These were images I’d be jerking off in the shower to for weeks. Or at least, whenever the real thing wasn’t available.
“Maybe sometime, I can dominate you?” she asked.
I laughed. “No way. I like to be in control.”
“That’s not fair,” she huffed and tried to roll away. I held her down by her waist.
“Jackie, we can try your fantasies too. But my sense is that you like to relax and lose control. That’s why we fit together.”
“You’re so smart about people. It’s like you know all me and I know nothing about you.”
“It’s not a contest. Understanding people is my job, so I’d better be good at it.” I ran a finger down her tummy and tickled her pubic hair.
“Am I okay down there?” she asked.
“What?”
“Would you prefer if I got rid of my hair? Is that what you’re used to?”
Oh, this again. Jackie sure got stressed about sex. I leaned over her and kissed her on the nose. “Stop it. You’re very sexy, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you. If I didn’t have work and you didn’t have your responsibilities, what I’d really like to do is take you to a hotel for the weekend and fuck you in every way imaginable.”
Her eyes widened at that, and she put her arms around my neck. “I wish we could do that too. Sex with you is incredible.”
The oven timer dinged. Jackie disentangled herself and retrieved her panties and jeans from the floor. She wriggled into her clothes, which was almost as much fun to watch as undressing her. I went to the bathroom to get cleaned up and dressed.
By the time I emerged, dinner was on the table. Jackie was pouring glasses of red wine.
“I made a beef Bourguignon, then I realized that you’re French.”
I laughed. “It doesn’t mean I’m an expert at French cooking. Besides, that’s from France, not Quebec.”
“Well, I’m never going to be making poutine, which is the only Quebec dish I can think of.”
We sat down to eat. Everything was delicious.
“You’re a fantastic cook, Jackie. Of course, I knew that after the tuna melts, but this is on another level.”
She beamed. “Thank you. I do enjoy making a nice dinner.”
“It’s working out perfectly. I like to eat, and you like to cook.”
She pushed the biscuits and salad towards me. “I was thinking, since it’s been hard to find times to get together, maybe you’d like to make these Wednesday night dinners a regular thing?”
I hesitated. Jackie was getting pretty serious pretty fast. I had no problem being with her, and the sex was great, but she was really into scheduling. Of course, dating a single mom meant that she didn’t have the freedom to get together at the last moment. I respected that she was a good mother. But we hadn’t really discussed where we were at yet.
“Wednesdays may not always work out for me,” I hedged.
“No problem.” Jackie quickly changed the subject. “So, how’s the team doing?”
“Not much has changed yet. You can’t change a leopard’s spots right away.”
I checked my watch; I’d have to leave soon. But things were so comfortable here that I didn’t really want to leave. Especially to face my mountain of work with that lingering tension.
“Listen, can I ask you something about your kids?”
Now her eyes were wary. She was a protective mother. “Okay.”
“Has their relationship with their father changed a lot since you guys split?”
Jackie nodded. “Well, naturally. He’s not here all the time anymore. But to be honest, Brent’s worked really hard to maintain things. And when they see him, he tries to do special things.” She paused. “When he was home before, he was always working or unwinding from work, so maybe he didn’t give them his full attention. Not that I’m criticizing him, that’s the way life is.”
“Yeah.” That was true: if you were physically there all the time, maybe you weren’t mentally there. And I liked the fact that Jackie didn’t trash her ex.
It was tough to broach the subject of what was really bothering me. I sipped my wine and stared outside. There were shadowy trees visible in the evening light.
“Leo, did something happen with you and Charlotte?”
“No, it’s not that. But it’s tough to be so far away. She’s not happy about not seeing me for so long.”
“You talk to her all the time, right?”
“Yeah, we Skype or FaceTime twice a week.”
“Oh, that’s great.” Jackie continued. “I’m not sure if this is what’s bothering you, but here’s the deal with my kids. When Brent left, it made them worried, like they weren’t sure if they could rely on anything in their lives. So what’s been really important is for us to have a routine. They get more upset about Brent cancelling than if he’s not there all the time. So you have to keep your promises. Feeling like a priority is almost more important than the quantity of time.”
“Makes total sense,” I agreed.
When I took this job, I came right away because both Lucky and I agreed the situation was urgent. But I could have insisted on taking a few days off between jobs and gone to see Charlotte. Or maybe figured out a way that she could have come here for her March break. I said that she was the most important thing in my life because I loved her so much. But did I act like she was?
I could make her my priority. We could set up times to chat that would be sacrosanct. I felt better already.
I stretched. The tension in my shoulders was gone. It was like a sitcom here. My issues got solved at Jackie’s Place.
“You know, even if I can’t do every Wednesday, I could let you know ahead of time which ones will work out.”
Jackie’s b
right smile appeared again. “That would be great, Leo.”
“At least let me bring something. How about the wine?” Although the Malbec that she had chosen tonight was a great one.
“Deal,” she said. “But next time, I’m on top.”
I laughed. “We’ll see.”
16
More in Store
Jackie
“Anything else?” Marco Zennaro asked as he tucked a side table under his arm like it weighed nothing.
I peeked into the van. “No, that’s everything. Thank you so much for letting me store everything here.”
“No problemo, Jackie. Hey, did Shar tell you that I’ve got this poker buddy, Sid? He’s divorced and looking around. You guys might hit it off. Can I give him your number?”
“Actually, I have this great boyfriend right now. But thanks anyway.” My cheeks flamed as I answered. In fact, I got a total body hot flash each time I mentioned Leo.
Sharon returned from the house and smacked her brother on the shoulder. “Don’t pimp out my best friend to your poker buddies. She’s too good for them.”
I closed the van doors.
Marco stood there, table balanced on his hip. “You two want to stay for a drink or something? Gina’s supposed to drop by later.”
Sharon kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, but we need to get back. We left Hannah and Kayla alone, and Jackie’s been sweating bullets the whole time.”
“I haven’t been sweating,” I protested. After another discussion with Brent, we agreed that Hannah could begin babysitting. So the two girls were in charge of themselves and Tristan while Sharon and I drove to Coquitlam to drop off my stash of extra furniture before our first open house.
Sharon nodded. “Yeah, checking your phone every thirty seconds and calling her twice in an hour shows what an ice-cold bitch you are.”
It was easy for her; Kayla had been staying by herself for a year—a fact that Hannah recited regularly. We thanked Marco again and got into the van.
“How come he has so much space?” I wondered as I pulled out through the iron gates of his driveway. Sharon’s brother was a single guy with a 5000-square foot home.
“He bought this place because it’s got a triple lot. But he’s never gotten around to developing it.” Sharon replied.
“When is he going to marry Gina?” I asked. They’d been going out ever since I’d met Sharon, which was over ten years ago.
“Fucked if I know. I think it’s because she’s too nice. At some point, you have to tell your boyfriend to shit or get off the pot. She’s never done that.” Her voice trailed off. “Listen, kiddo. I heard what you said about Leo. Did you guys have the talk yet?”
“The talk? What is that?”
“You know, the relationship talk. Like if you’re boyfriend and girlfriend.”
I shook my head. “We don’t need to have a talk. We’re having, er, relations.” My blush returned. Incredible, fireworks-igniting relations that made my body tingle when I remembered the feel of his tongue on me.
Sharon’s sigh filled the car. “Why me, Lord? Okay, welcome to dating in the twenty-first century. People hook up and it means nothing.”
“Of course it’s a relationship. He’s going to be coming over for dinner every Wednesday night. At least when he’s not busy.” That rationale sounded ridiculous even before the last word came out of my mouth.
“So he gets food and a fuck. Sex does not mean commitment. I hate to have to bust the balloon you’ve been floating around in ever since you got laid, but you need to take things slow.”
“We are taking things slow. He’s really busy, and I don’t have that much free time.” Otherwise we’d be following Leo’s suggestion of a dirty weekend. That would be heavenly.
“Jackie, you’re not. You only know two states: being alone and being married. You’re cooking dinner for Leo, you’re finding a nanny for him, and you’d be redecorating his place if you hadn’t done that already. A wife does all that shit. You’re not his wife.”
“Decorating his place was my job,” I protested. She couldn’t know about the new curtains and the fern in a striped pot. “Besides, I’m finally happy after all that time being miserable. Why are you saying all this?”
“Because I don’t want to see you get hurt. I’m not saying don’t enjoy yourself; I’m only saying slow the fuck down. Besides you weren’t miserable before, you were painting and enjoying life.”
“Ugh, I’m one of those women, aren’t I? The crazed let’s-look-at-china-patterns-after-the-first-date women you see in the movies. I’m being a complete idiot.”
But Leo made me feel like I was alive and desirable after all the time I’d felt discarded and worthless. He was so amazing. Not only the sex, but he was so smart and perceptive. Wait, did that mean he could see how much I was into him? Maybe it was already too late.
Sharon saw the change in expression on my face. “Fuck. I can see you’re getting all upset. Look, let’s talk about something else. What’s with all the furniture we took over to Marco’s place? Didn’t you do all that clutter-cleaning shit before the real estate agents came in?”
“I did. This is all the stuff I’ve been buying for the project I’m doing with Fiona in the fall. Whenever I’m at a garage sale or thrift shop, I pick up bargains that I can refurbish.”
“You go, girl! Hey, have you given any more thought to doing a house flip with me? There’s a guy I know who has a nice house to rent. It’s only a block from us, and he’s picky about who he rents to. If I recommend you, you’ll be in.”
I scrunched up my nose. “I’m still not sure about leaving West Van. After everything I’ve done to keep their lives stable, should I be making them change schools and their friends?”
“Tristan’ll have new friends in no time. Hannah would have Kayla. It’s her last year of elementary. Once they’re in high school, moving gets way more tricky.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve thought about all this, but it’s tough for me to make up my mind.” Maintaining the status quo was easier than making a big change. But still, dating had been a big leap, and look how well that had turned out. “Besides, our house may not even sell for ages.”
“Your house is a realtor’s wet dream—it’s going to sell after the agent’s open. Did you go with Carole?”
“Yes.” I didn’t go into all the details of the battle royale that ensued when I insisted on Carole over Brent’s agent.
“Good for you. Did you end up telling Brent to fuck off on the art issue?”
“No, but I had a brainstorm. It was all the colour he didn’t like. I took my existing paintings, put lines of painter’s tape over them, and then painted the whole thing with raw titanium and yellow ochre. Then I pulled away the tape, popped them into plain wood frames, and voila… tasteful, refined art! Brent didn’t say boo.”
It was a small victory for Team Jackie, but a victory was a victory.
17
Called Out
Leo
Lepper walked into my office. His visits were a regular thing, but his play on the ice hadn’t changed at all. If I hadn’t watched video of him earlier in the season, I would have been shocked that he was drafted at all. But since I knew how good he could be, he presented an interesting challenge. Mainly we shot the breezes when he came in. We’d talked about his junior hockey experiences, his dad passing away young, and his first season with the Vice.
“Coach, I thought about why I got into hockey, like you said.”
“And what did you come up with?”
“To be honest, it was mostly about my dad. He was a huge hockey fan and really proud of my hockey playing. So he was a big influence on me.”
If that were true, it was bad news for Lepper. Players who were externally driven often struggled to push to new levels. My philosophy was not to motivate players, but help them motivate themselves.
“You miss him a lot.”
Lepper’s gaze dropped to the floor. “He was a great guy. You know, it�
��s so stupid, but when I see the Millionaires doing those father trips, I can imagine my dad there. He would be in the middle of everything, having the best time.” Lepper’s lower lip trembled. I gave him time to work through his emotions. We were comfortable enough with each other that silences were okay.
I switched the topic. “Hey, I finally got the answer to the question you asked me in our first meeting.”
“What was that?”
“About Coach Panner. Amanda told me he’s going to be taking up a scouting position this fall.”
Lepper’s expression was solemn. “So, he’s not coaching anymore?”
“He’s good with the new position. He’ll start out part-time because he needs some time to rehab, and he’s moving back to Ontario.”
The player’s forehead creased, and his sigh was almost audible. “Then, that’s good, right?”
“Right. Listen, correct me if I’m wrong, but I sense that you feel responsible for Bob’s heart attack.”
Lepper’s eyes widened. “Of course, I was. He was yelling at me when it happened. I didn’t cover my man in our zone. And then I gave him crap when he called me out.”
“Rico, stop. Bob is a grown man who makes his own choices. In all the times I’ve seen him, he never blamed you. Nobody does. His lifestyle meant something had to give. He was working way too hard and not looking after himself. Now he can make changes and come back one hundred percent.”
Lepper didn’t look convinced, but I was sure this was the breakthrough we’d been searching for. If he could shed his guilt around Bob’s heart attack, he could clear his mind and play better. I was no psychiatrist, but it was clear that he harboured some issues around his dad’s sudden death as well.
“You know, most players can benefit from talking to a psychologist or therapist,” I suggested.
“What the hell? There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m not nuts, if that’s what you think.”
I raised my hands. “Slow down. Your life is incredibly pressured. You want to play your best to reach the next level. So you need to clear your mind to focus on your game. Working with a sport psychologist can help in so many ways.”
