Jilted Jock - Rebecca Jenshak Page 0,63
you think a few thousand miles will deter me, then you’ve a lot to learn about me.”
“Okay.”
An hour later I left already knowing it’d be a long week, or maybe even weeks, before I could get back. I wasn’t a man that could provide her a lot of things right now, but determination I had in spades.
I needed to try and sleep on the plane if there was any chance I was going to make it through training tomorrow, but first I connected to the on-flight Wi-Fi and ordered flowers for every day for the next month. Then I sent her an email.
March 23, 12:41 a.m.
From: [email protected]
Subject: I miss you
Things I’m grateful for today:
1. Airplanes
2. Wi-Fi
3. You
4. Orgasms
5. Second chances
Finn
P.S. Can I take you out on a date next Saturday?
Finn
“What’d the doctor say?” Foster asked as he came in from practice. I’d missed today’s scrimmage to meet with the team doctor about my calf.
“He thinks two more weeks.”
“Are you coming with us to Texas this weekend or gonna stay back and feel sorry for yourself again like last weekend? I had no one to celebrate with after the game.”
“Like that’s ever stopped you from having a good time.”
He smiled. “It’s true. The only thing a guy needs to have a good time is a positive outlook. Body shots out of spilled vodka or however the saying goes.”
I stared at him a second.
“Lemonade out of lemons. You’ve never heard the expression?”
I laughed and shook my head. “I’ll see ya later.”
When I got to my truck, I plugged in my phone and called Adele.
“Hey,” she answered shyly. We’d talked every day this week, some nights for hours and yet she still sounded nervous every time.
“Hey there, gorgeous. How was your day?”
“Good. Thank you for the flowers… again.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You’re sort of ridiculous. You know that, right?”
I chuckled lightly under my breath as I drove. I cast a quick glance at the phone, wishing I could see her. “I like to think of it as endearing.”
“The people in my office are starting to give me funny looks.”
Yeah, that’s right, I’d sent them to her office instead of her apartment. Sharing the beauty of flowers… or maybe just making it known she had someone who wanted to give her those things. I wasn’t trying to lay claim or anything that caveman, but I wanted the whole office, fuck, the whole damn world to know she deserved it. All the ridiculous, all the over the top, completely frivolous gestures a man could make.
“I looked at flights this morning. I can be there Friday morning around seven, but then I’ll have to turn around and come back Saturday night so I can get back in time for therapy Sunday morning. Maybe we can have breakfast before you go to work on Friday?”
She didn’t respond.
“Or not. I’ll probably be tired so I can crash and when you get off work, we can have a proper night out.”
I checked my phone to make sure the call hadn’t ended.
“Adele? Are you still there?”
“You’re really coming this weekend?”
“Uhh, yeah. We’ve been talking about it all week. Did you make other plans?”
“No, sorry, nothing like that. I’m glad you’re coming. I’m just surprised. I saw you last weekend.”
“Yes, and it’s already been four painful days without you.”
Her light laughter filled my truck.
“Get used to it, sweetheart.”
“All I’m trying to say is, it’s not necessary. I know you’re busy in LA and I don’t expect you to fly here every weekend.”
“Good because once I’m cleared to play, it might be every other week until I can find a day to fly out.” I pulled into my driveway and hit the garage opener. “I know you and what’s his face went weeks without seeing each other, but that’s not the type of relationship I want.”
“You keep saying relationship, but Finn, we haven’t even tried dating yet. Don’t you think we’re rushing things?”
I killed the engine and sat in the silence asking myself if she was right. Was my need to push ahead at breakneck speed some unresolved wound from the fact she’d chosen Richard over me – the second woman in my life to leave me for someone else in the span of a month?
I knew, deep in my gut, that wasn’t it.
“Dating is for getting to know the other person and deciding if you like them. I already know how I feel about you and even though it was months ago and only for a short while, those nights sitting on your