“Guy stuff, you know, stuff about how hot you were, how he wanted to get to know you better, spend more time with you, etc.”
“And that got you jealous?”
“Of course it fucking did! I don’t want fucking Oliver Lee ‘getting to know you better!’ Not while I’m around!”
“You don’t own me, Parker, you do know that, right?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Of course I know that, Charlotte, but…” I didn’t keep going.
“And if I want to ‘get to know’ Oliver Lee that’s none of your business, right?”
I didn’t say anything, looking down, and then conceding. “No,” I said quietly, “you’re right, it’s none of my business.”
She smiled. “Well, I’m glad we got that cleared up.”
“Cleared up?”
“That you don’t own me, despite what we’ve done together.” She sat up. “However, you’ll probably be happy to know that I have zero intention of getting to know Oliver Lee on any level beyond helping him out in an official capacity.” She looked around, as if seeing if anyone else was around. “And just between you and me, that’s no fun for me either.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Look, Lance,” she said, getting serious again. “I shouldn’t have been so harsh on you these last few days. I was just really bothered to find out you only broke this rule of yours because you thought Oliver Lee was somehow going to sweep me off my feet. I wanted to think I meant more to you than that.”
I sat up in bed. “You do, Charlotte, you do! Lee just made me realize what I wasn’t ready to admit, and I went about it all wrong, is all.”
“I know, and I’ve had some time to think about it too.”
“And you let me flounder around these last few days instead of talking to me about it? Come on!”
Charlotte held up her hands. “Don’t let me stop you from apologizing more, though. I kinda liked that part.”
Now it was my turn to smile. “No, no, I think I was finished.”
“But you have so much to apologize for!”
“I hate you.”
She cocked her head at me. “I give it a 6.5 out of 10, Lance Parker. I just can’t see you hating me. Loving me, maybe, but hating? Nah.”
I leaned back against the pillow. “And such a fine line between the two.”
Charlotte looked around and checked the time on the clock. “Was there anything else? I do actually have some other things to do.” I looked at her and she patted me on the arm. “Relax, Lance Parker, nothing to do with your best friend Oliver.”
“Yeah, there was something else, actually.”
“Give it to me fast, man, this isn’t a sewing circle.”
I laughed out loud. “What?” Charlotte asked.
“I’m just trying to imagine you in a sewing circle. I imagine you’d have them working at double efficiency inside of an hour.”
“I’m not that bad, am I?”
“I’m going to go ahead and stop talking now while I’m slightly ahead on this conversation.”
“Hmph. Well, if you’re quite finished then I can leave you alone to do whatever it is you do in here when I’m not brightening your day.” She paused and then must have realized what she’d said. “And if it involves anything dirty…don’t tell me about it.” Her eyes flicked downward to where my crotch was under the sheets.
“All the time, Charlotte, all the time.”
“You are the worst.”
“I know. I’m incorrigible.”
“At least you’re self aware. So many men these days aren’t.”
“Self-awareness is one of my best qualities,” I said, clasping my hands behind my head.
“And modesty is definitely not one of them,” Charlotte added quickly. “What else did you have for me?”
“This isn’t easy to say.”
She must have understood the gravity of the situation in my tone, because the smile on her face vanished. “What is it? You can tell me, of course.” She put her hand back on my arm, squeezing me reassuringly.
“I’m not sure if I should try and come back and play again this year.”
CHAPTER 16 - CHARLOTTE
“I’m not sure if I should try and come back and play again this year.”
That was the last thing I expected Lance to say. This didn’t make any sense. “You’ve clearly thought this through,” I said, stalling for time while I tried to understand what me meant. “Tell me more, walk me through it.”
Lance hesitated again. “It does no one, least of all me, good if I rush myself back and then get injured again. Maybe staying in New England isn’t for me, maybe this is Oliver’s team now, maybe I should try and find another team somewhere else that could use my services.”
The silence hung in the air for a few seconds before I broke it. “Do you really believe that?”
“I’m starting to, just a little bit. This season hasn’t been easy. It’s been torture sitting in this room or in the meetings or on the sidelines, not getting to play but seeing all the preparation the other guys are going through. I just don’t want to watch anymore.”
“So how does benching yourself for the season change that?”