Page 27 of Two Guys One Puck
“I don’t know. I don’t have time for those things.”
He blinks. “For what things?”
“Dating. Drama.”
“Why not? We aren’t in hockey twenty-four-seven.”
“I have to do everything in another language, which takes my brain time, and aside from that, I don’t want distraction. I havegoals. When I meet them, I will have time.”I don’t know why I’m explaining it to him.
He considers my words. “So you just hook up?”
I shake my head. “No. I told you, I don’t have time for drama. That creates drama.”
Seaborn stares at me like I have three heads. “You don’t get laid?”
“I’m not a virgin if that’s what you’re asking.”
He clearly feels bad about it, but that doesn’t stop his line of questioning. “Guy or girl?”
“A woman but not since I came here. Why?”
Seaborn glances at his feet. “Why me?”
“I don’t fucking know.” I admit. “It wasn’t really a choice so much as I wanted to rearrange your face and then we were kissing.”
“Fair. I guess that’s where I’m at, too.”
I’m glad we are talking about it. It’s good to know I’m not crazy—he has made me feel fucking crazy. “But with a man?”
He shakes his head, lifting his hands. “I’m as surprised as you seem to be.”
We both fall into silence.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s not a thing…right?” he asks after awhile.
“Right.” But is that really what I want? I don’t know anymore, and I don’t like not knowing. I have my life all figured out. “Where are we walking?”
“I usually walk to the park up here.”
I nod for him to continue.
He shoves his hands in his pockets and looks both ways before crossing the street. I keep pace easier now that he’s slowed down. We walk under an archway into a fully walled-off garden and are transported to another world. The city can only barely be seen behind the trees lining the walls. Inside is apath through a mass of flowers, all colors, shapes, and sizes. I’ve never seen some of them before.
“How did you know this was here?” I say in awe.
“I found it looking for places to walk.” He takes one of the winding paths, and we walk falling back into silence while the sun gets lower in the sky.
It’s one of those perfect summer days with a breeze and the temperature just right. The fragrance of the flowers adds to the spirituality of it, and I think I understand why he does this. I’m lighter with it. It’s a nice way to decompress after the stress and high activity of the day.
I don’t give him enough credit.
“I feel better.” Maybe I shouldn’t give him the satisfaction of being right, but if I’m going to figure out his ways, I need to stroke his ego a little. “Your walk idea isn’t such a bad one.”
Seaborn glances over, and for a minute, I don’t think he’s going to reply, but he says, “It’s good to work out all the lactic acid from your muscles and decompress.”
“I said you were right.”
He gets a hint of a smile. “I’m full of good ideas.”
