Turbulence

Sitting at my kitchen table, I sipped on my coffee. Waiting for Jonathan to finish practice was harder than usual in light of the kiss. It had felt so natural; thoughts of us together continuously ran through my mind. We had been friends for so long, the idea of any type of relationship, other than friendship, was one that had never occurred to me. Now that the option was on the table, it was all I could think about.

“Hey,” a solemn voice came from the doorway. The brunette made his way over to me and kissed my forehead. “How was your morning?”

“Oh, you know, just been thinking.”

He nodded and shot me a grin. “What about?”

“The kiss,” I admitted, deciding there was no reason to beat around the bush.

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

It was my turn to nod. “I don’t know about you, but for me, it kind of felt right.”

“It did, didn’t it,” he responded, thoughtfully, taking my hand.

“So, now what?” I needed to know what he was thinking. I knew what I wanted, but still had some concerns.

“Well, you already know how I feel about you.” He caressed my hand as he continued. “So, I guess the next best thing would be to find out how you feel about me.”

“How I feel about you?” I was taken off guard. I hadn’t really thought about how I felt about him. “I’m not sure. I mean, you are one of my best friends and I love you like a friend.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“No, no, that’s not all,” I asserted. “Lately, I’ve been more focused on us moving forward, rather than thinking about how I feel.”

“Does that mean you don’t feel the same way?”

“It doesn’t. When we kissed, I felt something, something great. You’re great, really. You are so good with Cameron, and so kind to everyone. You’ve been there for me through thick and thin. I don’t know if I could have made it through everything without your help. It meant a lot to me that you cared so much, and I care for you, too.”

Staring into my eyes, he smiled. “So, can I take you out?”

Biting my bottom lip, I pretended to think about my response. “You can.”

Cradling my face, he pulled me into a kiss.

“Wait,” I exclaimed, pulling away. “What about Patrick?”

“What does Patrick have to do with this?”

“In case the kiss erased your memory, I use to date the man, and I happen to have his child.”

“And?”

“It’s going to be awkward in the locker room when he finds out. And when he comes to visit Cameron, things are going to be uncomfortable.”

“Alright, then let’s not tell him.”

“Jonathan,” I said, sternly. “This is important.”

“I know,” he mumbled. “Maybe we just don’t tell him.”

“And what? Keep this a secret forever?”

“Well, no, I don’t want that.”

“Neither do I.”

Jonathan stood up and started pacing between the kitchen and dining room. “Maybe we can keep a secret for a little while, you know. Figure things out before we tell people. That will give us a chance to be a couple without any pressure, and then when we are ready we can tell people about us.”

“You don’t mind people not knowing?”

He shrugged, without giving it much thought. “Not really. I still get to be with you whether people know or not.”

“Okay, so we keep it a secret. What happens when Patrick finds out? He’s going to be so pissed off.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“Yeah, ‘cause that boy doesn’t hold a grudge.”

“How about this?” He said, sitting back down and taking my hands. “We take this one step at a time. What ever happens, we will deal with it. Kaner is going to be pissed, yes, but would you expect a different reaction from a man if the mother of his son started dating his best friend?”

“I guess not,” I chuckled. “You are being so level-headed about this.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.”

“I wish you had said something sooner,” I told him. “Maybe then Patrick wouldn’t be an issue.”

“Maybe so, but I have a feeling that man would weasel his way into it.”

“Well, for now, let’s forget about him, and tell me where you are taking me for our first date.”