Perfect Symmetry

I re-entered my apartment and left the phone carelessly on the counter. Viktor was still in bed, but he was sitting up now, checking his phone.

“Good morning,” I smiled at him as I snuck back under the covers. The balcony had been cold, and my legs were freezing.

“Hi,” he whispered before kissing my forehead.

I pressed my legs up against him. He was so warm. I eventually just snuggled all the way against him, since his shirtless upper half was particularly inviting. “God, you’re cold,” he murmured into my hair.

I laughed. “You’re warm.”

Viktor’s chest vibrated as he chuckled. “I’ve been told that. Was everything okay with your phone call?”

I nodded, closing my eyes and snuggling deeper into his chest. “It was just my boss. No big deal. What are your plans today?”

He sighed heavily. “Hjalmarsson’s having a barbeque and I said I would go. I would invite you, but it’ll just be a bunch of Swedish guys; mostly his family and stuff.”

I kissed his chest. “I think your bromance is adorable.”

Viktor raised his eyebrows. “Our what?”

“Bromance,” I repeated. “Your brotherly friendship love.”

He rolled his eyes and shoved me off him and instead hovered over me, his blue eyes tantalizingly raking over my body.

“I like you in my shirt,” he whispered, kissing my neck softly.

I bit my lip to stop the moan that would probably have leaked out of my mouth.

“Hmm, changing the subject, Stalberg? You seem a little sensitive about your little bromance,” I teased cheekily.

Viktor’s eyes narrowed and he pinned me onto the bed as I giggled loudly.

“Keep calling it that and I will be forced to tickle you,” he warned.

I nodded solemnly. “Got it.”

He released me, keeping his sharp eyes trained on me as he bent down to kiss my lips.

“Bromance,” I whispered with a grin.

He pounced, his long fingers tickling me wildly. I squealed, trying to get away, but his warm body was pressed close against mine, and I wasn’t really complaining.

“Viktor, I’m going to pee all over you,” I struggled to get the words out.

His fingers stopped moving and he moved in for a proper kiss. Now I couldn’t seem to get close enough to him as we languished away in my bed for another hour.
~
By ten, Viktor was leaving, and Hailey was still not home. I sent her a text to check up on her, and then kissed Viktor goodbye and told him I would call him later.

About ten minutes after he left, I got a call on my cell from Patrick.

“Hey Pat,” I answered cheerily.

“Hey!” he sounded too eager. “Let’s have breakfast. Grab some coffee for the both of us and meet me at my place?”

I frowned suspiciously, but decided not to question it.

“Sure,” I shrugged. “Be there in fifteen.”
~
When I showed up at Kaner’s apartment, the doorman smiled at me and waved me inside. I was clutching two cups of coffee from down the road, and was hoping that he liked his coffee black, because I didn’t even want to go near the milk/cream/sugar stuff.

I knocked on the door and when no one answered, I tried the doorknob and found the door to be unlocked. Shrugging carelessly, I shoved the door closed with my foot with a bang and dumped my handbag on the couch.

“Pat? Are you here?” I called out loudly, setting the coffee on his kitchen countertop and searching for some milk and sugar just in case.

Just as I found the sugar in a cabinet, I heard a small noise from behind me and I turned around to say hello to Kaner. Only, the person certainly wasn’t Kaner, unless Kaner had suddenly turned into a thin, half naked red headed woman.

“Can I help you?” I asked coolly, lifting one eyebrow curtly.

Her lip curled in irritation. “I could ask you the same thing? Who the hell are you?”

I spotted Patrick from the corner of my eye, standing in the doorway to his bedroom, mouthing the words “save me, please” with these blue, puppy dog eyes that even the strongest woman could never resist.

“I...I am his girlfriend,” I replied hastily, trying to sound convincing.

Patrick gave me a huge thumbs up from behind her. I wanted to give him two middle fingers in response, but that would be breaking character.

This girl looked pissed off. “Patrick didn’t say anything about having a girlfriend last night.”

I rolled my eyes. “And I didn’t say anything about having a boyfriend last night. Pat? Come on out here babe.”

Patrick padded into the kitchen as I commanded, coming over and planting a wet one right on my lips. I had to refrain from using the back of my hand to wipe it away. His eyes were laughing at him and I sent him a glare.

“Hey baby,” he cooed. “I hope you had fun last night.”

I stroked his face and wanted to laugh so badly.

“I did indeed. This one’s pretty,” I motioned to the girl. I then glanced at the watch on my wrist and bit my lip dramatically. “In fact, if you’ll grab the whip, I think I have enough time for a quick threesome before I head off.”

The girl was suddenly very irate. “Excuse me? What are you even saying?”

I smiled dangerously sweetly. “Do you have time? It won’t take a minute for me to find the handcuffs.”

Her face whitened and she scampered into the bedroom to grab her things. She left the apartment, swearing liberally, half dressed with her clothes dragging along the floor collecting dust. As soon as she was out the door, Patrick bolted to the entryway to lock and door and put the chain on.

“Damn, Jazz I owe you a million,” he swore appreciatively, giving me a warm pat on the back.

I rolled my eyes. “Is that why you called me over? To empty your apartment for you?”

Kaner smiled sheepishly. “Maybe. You did a great job, anyway.”

“Did you have to kiss me?” I growled irritably.

He laughed. “I had to sell it, babe. Didn’t you enjoy it?”

I shook my head in mock dismay. “Not too much.”

He picked up his cup of coffee and frowned.

“No sugar?” he asked.

I smiled apologetically. “Sorry! I wasn’t sure how you took coffee.”

“Two sugars and a dash of milk, for future reference,” Pat winked charmingly as he prepared his cup. He looked me up and down before giving me a sly smile. “You look good, Jazz.”

I scoffed “If this is your way of repaying me for the acting job...well, I approve.”

He chuckled good-naturedly. “Stop changing the subject. You look...you know, “just rolled out of bed” good.”

I blushed immediately, and even with my tanned skin, Patrick noticed immediately. He set down his coffee and took a few steps closer to me, his eyes twinkling.

“Did you and Tazer...” he let the words trail off.

“No,” I replied emphatically. “Why would you even think that?”

Patrick shrugged carelessly. “He called me last night and he was talking about...anyway it doesn’t matter.”

My face was red and my temper flared.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I snapped, “it doesn’t matter. You need to drop the whole Jon thing, Pat. I’m with Viktor, and you really just need to accept it. I’m tired of dancing this little dance with Jon and then feeling foolish. Viktor is really good to me, and I’m tired of having to justify my feelings to everyone. Jon has his girls, and I really couldn’t care less. So just shut up about it.”

Patrick waited a few moments, letting me breathe.

“Are you finished?” he clarified after a pause.

I nodded, my eyes full of emotional tears. “Yes.”

“Oh Jazz,” Pat sighed, pulling me in for a hug. “I’m sorry. I know you had a little crush on Jon and I just wanted something to happen for you. I’ll lay off, okay?”

The tears dripped onto his shirt and he didn’t shove me off, which was nice of him. He was pretty sensitive, really.

“Sorry,” I shook my head shamefully as I wiped my tears away. “I don’t know where all that emotion came from.”

“Probably from the bed you just shared with Stalberg,” Pat teased.

And so the rough, teasing hockey-playing Kaner re-emerged. So much for that super emotional guy from a few moments ago, it looked like he was gone.
~
The weeks past slowly, and Christmas grew nearer and nearer. Abby Sharp was throwing a big shindig on Christmas day, and my parents were coming into town for Christmas Eve. Viktor was invited to the Sharp’s place too, but I wasn’t sure what to do with him when my parents were here.

Then the whole issue with presents came up. What in the hell was I even supposed to buy him? We had only been going out for about a month, does that even require a gift? I talked to Hailey about this, but she told me that a guy like Viktor would probably get me something, so I should at least try and get him something good.

I went shopping three days before Christmas; a shitty idea, of course. The malls were packed with housewives and husbands struggling to find good gifts for their friends and spouses. I settled on an Amazon Kindle, which Viktor had been lusting after for weeks. I hoped no one else would buy him one.
~
“So what are you up to on Christmas Eve?” Viktor asked one evening as we sat in his apartment by the fire, wrapped in a blanket.

I was sitting in his lap, my head settled in the crook of his neck. It was warmer that way.

“My parents are coming into town,” I explained, “they want to have dinner and all that. What about you?”

“I was going to suggest that we have dinner,” he chuckled.

I kissed his cheek apologetically. “You know I want to, but I don’t see my parents very often these days, and it’s Christmas after all.”

“You know, there’s a solution to this that we’re not seeing,” Viktor reminded me, his hands sneaking up to cup my breasts.

My breath hitched as his fingers stroked me slowly.

“And what’s that?” I whispered breathlessly.

Viktor kissed my neck. “I could come to dinner with you.”

My eyes shot open, and I wriggled around to look him in the eyes. That wasn’t very helpful; his eyes were piercing my soul, it seemed.

“That’s a pretty big step,” I said doubtfully. “Are you sure you want that?”

His eyes were playful as he pulled me against him and smiled sexily.

“I’m pretty sure. As long as you’re okay with it,” I had a grin to match his.

Viktor lowered me onto the ground and followed me on to, his lips meeting mine halfway down.

“I’m more than okay with it,” he murmured. “Now shut up.”