Page 5 of Full Body Check

It’s a handwritten note, meant for me. Written to me. By his own hand.

Nicole,

I’d apologize for this perhaps being too forward, but that’s the direction I know best — forward. Especially when I see something I want, and I. Want. You. To meet you, spend some time with the beauty I’ve been thinking about for days. Can’t stop thinking about. You managed to escape me once, but it won’t happen again. Not tonight. Tonight, go straight home after the game. I’ll pick you up by eleven.

Until then,

Brewer Hayes

Forward? He’s being too hard on himself; except, not near hard enough. I mean, all he did was track down her name, and apparently her address, where he’s stated, you know, versus asking, that he’s going to pick her/me up. Not if I accept, not an invitation… basically, just a courtesy copy of his agenda.

I can see how some might consider it a bit forward.

And I should probably be freaking out right about now, maybe even looking into a “safe place” to hide out at, or how to file a restraining order and/or pre-active missing person’s report, yet I’m far from doing any of those. Oh, my heart’s threatening to bust out of my chest, whole body’s trembling, and large beads ofsweat, while sitting in an ice hockey arena, are trickling down the back of my neck, but none of it’s from fear… all of it from exhilarated anticipation.

“Okay, now we can leave,” Nikki squeals, telling me, with her bouncing and huge smile, that she’s finally recovered from her case of the grumps. “We’re going to have to work hard and fast to get you Brewer-fucking-Hayes-is-coming-to-pick-me-up ready, because I knowyour cat-lady-ass hasn’t been keeping up on maintenance. Just out of curiosity, and to best strategize my plan of attack, tell me, which is longer, the hair on your legs or your chach? Oh, and don’t worry, I have a sexy bra and thong set you can have, since I also know you didn’t pack any of that or own any.” She stops blasting my business, to everyone around us, long enough to take in some air, stand, and yank on my arm. “Somebody superglue your ass to that seat? Get up, we’ve gotta go! You don’t want him thinking he’s fucking a hippie grandma, do you?”

“For God’s sake, Nikki, could you maybe not speculate as to the length of my pubes loud enough for the whole arena to hear?” I hiss, yanking her arm, harder, forcing her to sit back down. “Just, just say nothing else, calm down, and wait here for a sec, okay? Can you do that? I need to run to the bathroom.”

“What? No! You can piss when we get home.” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

“Can’t hold it, sorry,” I call over my shoulder, already out of my seat and on my way — away from her. “I’ll be right back.”

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