Page 33 of Snowballed

Noah doesn’t even answer Helen, but she’s undeterred. She yanks on his sleeve until his jacket comes half-off. He swears and tries to get his jacket back, but instead Helen pulls it off completely and totters away, swinging it over her head.

“No good deed goes unpunished,” mutters Noah. While I should be sympathetic, I’m busy being transfixed by the gap of skin revealed at the unbuttoned bottom of his shirt. Is that a happy trail?

Noah notices where I’m looking and swiftly buttons and tucks in his shirt.

“Show’s over,” he says. We’re now at Helen’s place. Noah manages to retrieve his jacket and get Helen safely in her apartment without being further molested. In no time, we’re back in the car and on the road.

“I’m surprised you didn’t jump at the chance for a sleepover,” I say.

“I prefer my partners to be fully conscious.”

I swallow and try to ignore the sudden spark in my lower body. Fully conscious sex with Noah would be both scary and amazing. I can hear Rocky’s words:he’s someone who knows his way around the female body.

“Besides, as ‘the hottest guy in the world’ or whatever you called me, I can afford to be choosy,” he adds.

“I said, ‘the hottest guy I’ve met in real life.’ But as you’ve pointed out, I haven’t been to many places.”

“Still, it’s good to know that you’ve been busy fantasizing about me. You hide your passion so well.” Smirk isn’t adequate to describe the expression on Noah’s face. It’s like two smirks had a baby who then won a smirking contest.

“I would never date someone like you,” I say.

“What am I like?” he asks.

“Conceited. A player. Arrogant. Shallow.” I stop, wondering if I’ve gone too far. Even a guy as confident as Noah might be hurt by a list of his flaws.

Noah laughs scornfully. “You have no clue who I really am.”

11

Zoe

“And why exactly are we watching the men’s preseason game?” Rocky asks as we make our way into the arena. Tonight the men’s team is playing against McGill.

“It’s my only chance to see my brother play.” Which is true. During the regular season, the men’s and women’s hockey teams alternate playing at home. I’ll be on the road for the rest of Derek’s home games.

“It’s also your only chance to see Noah Goodwin play,” Rocky says.

“Would you stop with your theories that I like Noah? He’s conceited and grouchy.”

“They say that hate is the closest thing to love.”

“No woman could love Noah more than he loves himself,” I say with a sigh. He’s a closed book, and everyone assumes that because I live with him, I know him. They also assume I have a crush on him, which is just embarrassing.

We settle into our seats. They’re crappy ones, way up high in the stands, but they were all I could get. People are excited about the men’s team this year.

“If you hate him so much, why do you spend so much time thinking about him?” Rocky asks.

“I have to understand him so I can get him to stay.”

Rocky turns to me. “What are you talking about?”

“If he doesn’t stay, my mom will insist on selling the farm. So I’m trying to make sure he’s happy.”

She laughs. “There was a movie like this set in Quebec. The whole town tried to seduce a doctor into staying by spying on him and finding out his secret desires.”

“I’m not seducing Noah.” It’s about saving the farm—not having sex with Noah. Besides, based on the way he acted with Helen, sex is not his weakness.

Rocky makes a rude and skeptical noise. “Well, what have you found out about him so far?”

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