Page 29 of Shape Of My Heart
Chapter8
He didn’t haveas much to drink last night. Just one can of beer. It was the least amount he’d had inmonths.
Josh wanted another, and his usual bottle of wine and rum, but he miraculously found the strength toresist.
He’d distracted his mind with some old recordings of the last three years’ worth of games. He used to do this a lot, that way he could help with game strategies. He’d look at how the game played out: who did what, what worked, what didn’t. It was something he was reallygoodat.
Josh had always planned to coach one day, but that would be when he was too old to play. Carl Ferguson, who played for the Centaurs, was the oldest player in the football world. He was in his mid-forties and would be forty-six next year. There was no talk of his retirement. He was one of their best players, too valuabletolose.
Josh hoped to be like that. So he was good for another couple of years. The question was what he was going to do with those years, and itstartednow.
To make sure he got enough sleep he went to bed at a reasonable time and set his alarm for five. Again, that was something he hadn’t done in such a long time he forgot what it felt like to wake up at that hour. Josh felt surprisingly alert, like traces of his old self was peeking through the guarded wall of grief thatsuppressedhim.
He showered and got ready, dressing in a hooded jacket and running trousers. While he waited for the Disney princess he did some sit-ups and crunches. He also thought he’d take a walk on the beach, too, when she finished with him. He didn’t know what she had planned for today yet, but he wanted to do that. The beach soothed him. It was one of the perks of living soclose.
Amy was still annoyed at him by the time she left yesterday; Josh couldn’t worry about that. He was thinking about what he needed to do to sorthimselfout.
He sat by the French windows in his room, waiting for her to come. Just before six he heard the front door open, then some shuffling around. He then heard her coming up the stairs praying. He wondered if that was it, maybe she was a former nun. It would explain the uptightness and the prudish attitudetowardssex.
Maybe she left the convent and was trying her hand at something new so she needed the money to get herfootin.
She took caution in opening the door and came inside holding a large can of whipped cream. When she saw his empty bed her face fell and she lookedpanicked.
She was wearing a cute little top today. Super girlie with its candy colors and ruffles. He liked her hair too. It was up in a loose bun on top of her head. Her hair off her face made her look even younger and drew attention to the sharp definition in her high, exoticcheekbones.
“I’m here, Kansas, and if that cream isn’t for me to use on you get ridofit.”
Her head whipped up at the sound of his voice and she looked truly shocked to see him, but happy at the same time. “You’reawake?”
“Well spotted,princess.”
She smiled at him and he felt that warmthagain.
He stood up, put his hood up and made his way past her. “You coming?” he asked, because she still looked sosurprised.
“Yeah.”
They did some more interview preparation because the rep was coming today, then they talked about the appearances and photo shoots she’d booked him in even though he said he didn’t want to do it. She advised that doing things like that was good because it created good press and had the added benefit of turning the media attention away from his family. He liked that she was so sensitive and protective. Josh absolutely didn’t want to answer any questions about how he was feeling or how the incidentaffectedhim.
When the rep and Zelda arrived he was in much better shape. In body and mind. He didn’t know the rep, but Zelda looked quite impressed with him. All dealings he’d had with her, over the last few months in particular, had been terrible and they’d ended up arguing. It was good that she could see that he was trying. By the time the rep finished and they were done, she looked satisfied with his comments andatease.
Amydidtoo.
“What now?” he asked Amy once they’d left. She’d just walked into the office and taken her seat aroundthedesk.
“I get back to work. Lots of emails to respond to and people tocallback.”
He wondered what everyone wanted but guessed he’d find out soon. She seemed to be quite good at this and he wondered again what her formerjobwas.
“What did you do before coming here to workforme?”
The question threw her and she looked surprised by it. She straightened up and pulled in abreath.
“I was a PA for the editor in chief at Style Magazine inNewYork.”
Fashion. That explained a lot. He was used to Allegra and Cindy who always looked great, but there was a certain class about Amy that made him want to look and appreciate the efforts she made. Like the top she wore today. It looked beautiful but she’d given it more class by adding a small hummingbird broach near her right shoulder. The bird had blue gems encrusted on its puregoldbody.
The attention diverted his focus towards the intricacy of the broach and away from the slight hint of cleavage she displayed. If it was either Allegra or Cindy, then there would be no end to the amount of breast they showed. Not that he complained. It was just a distinction henoticed.
