She Ain't You

When we got back to the apartment, Steph and Autumn resulted in their own ice cream cartons, then curling up to watch some of the Olympic events that had already started. Faith was sitting on the kitchen counter, sweet talking Skinner and telling him how much she missed him. Keirstyn took Beau to the arena, one of his last conditioning sessions until he can play and lastly, James was right on my heal every where I went.

I was trying to wipe the counters, avoiding Faith’s ass and finally pushing her off, but every once in awhile when I’d stop suddenly and James would ram into my back [get your mind out of the gutter]. After the third time it happened, I turned to him and put a hand on my waist.

“James, you’re getting on my nerves” I growled and Steph laughed from the living room.

“Is she cleaning?!” She yelled.

“Yes” James responded.

“She cleans when she’s anxious” Faith says, passing through the kitchen, still on the phone.

I sigh because I couldn’t argue against it, they knew me too well. James, grabbed the cloth and threw it in the sink. He stepped closer to me, his height allowing his head to look down at me in perfect proportion and his fingers tangling with mine. He leans in and kisses my forehead. It all seemed sweet and sentimental until he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

I was dropped on my bed, James hovering over me and placing his lips on mine. I place my hands on his chest and push him up a bit. I felt so terrible, so unhumanly and at the moment, I didn’t want to be touched.

“Sorry James, I’m just not in the mood” I say, sighing. He rolls over and lays next to me, James wraps his arm and pushed me into curling into him. I push my jeans off and curl up, next to him. But then I did something guilty, something I did before Geno and I were close enough to sleep in the same bed together, I closed my eyes and tried to imagine that Geno was there instead of James. Don’t get me wrong, James is good company but with Evgeni being furious with me, I just wanted him to hold me and let me apologise.

--

About an hour later, I woke up with all the girls in the room and they were snapping pictures of James and I with their phones. I propped myself up, raised an eye brow at them and then woke up James.

“Well we were thinking about a girls night, if James didn’t mine…” Steph says, pouting at James.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked.

“Since we ate all the ice cream, we were thinking about going to the store, buying junk food and then grabbing alcohol” Faith says, twirling around in a flowy top she had on.

“Do you mind James?” I ask him, James smiled and shakes his head. I get up and pull on my skinny jeans, put on a blouse and bent down to grab my boots. That when James grabbed my hand and tried to pull me back on the bed. I kept my balance and he kissed my cheek instead. “You’re such a cheese ball”

“You like it though” He whispers and I push him back on the bed.

“Lets go guys”

Autumn stands up and hands me a picture she took, it was of James kissing my cheek just then. I laughed and placed it on my desk, then we left for the grocery store.

--

“Hey Faith, is Jeff getting in tomorrow?” I asked, showing the I.D to the clerk at the liquor store.

“Yeah, he should be getting in, in the morning” She answers, while holding a skull bottle of gin that had to be more than a hundred bucks.

“You must be excited” I say and then pay the man. “If you want I could stay at James’”

I then hear a crash, I turn my head and Faith is standing there with glass and gin at her feet. I turn to the clerk and sigh.

“I guess we’ll take that bottle too” I say, handing him my card again and glaring at Faith.

“I’m sorry” She says blushing.

“No problem, hopefully you’ll return the favor sometime” I say and wink at her.

“But you’d do that?” Faith asks, and I stare blankly at her. “Stay at James’”

“Why not? He has nothing in his house anyway”

“Really?” She asks, laughing and taking the bag of alcohol.

“No no no, you just dropped a bottle of two hundred dollar gin, I’m not trusting you with my bag of alcohol” I say and take it from her. “And yes, he has a three thousand square feet with nothing in it”

“Talk about living the life” She says and I laugh. Then think about my job interview I had tomorrow, James was the only one who knew about it and I was thinking about telling the girls tonight.

“Lets go, the girls probably have all the food”

--

We arrived back at the condo, male free and it was just a sweet smell of alcohol and fresh baked goods. We put on a movie, although it didn’t matter because we’d end up talking anyway. I was drinking a Molson, every once in a while I’d look down to see a text from James, since I asked about me staying over tomorrow.

sounds great! I’ll pick you up and drive you to your interview too - James

“Hey no texting James!” Keirstyn says, calling me out and I blush.

“Sorry” I say sheepishly and then turn my phone off.

“So do you like him?” Faith asks and I shrug.

“He’s cool, again we’re just friends”

“But you want more” Steph states and I shake my head.

“You always want more” Autumn says and I sigh.

“Look it was like that a lot growing up, I understand that but James and I just enjoy each others company” I say and the laugh. “Plus he likes this girl”

“Who?” They all spit my way.

“He didn’t say her name, just that he liked her but she was too wrapped up in someone who didn’t appreciate her” I explain, taking a sip of my beer but they all fall silent. I look at each and every one of them and each of their expressions. Autumn puts a hand on my leg.

“That’s you honey” She says and I have to think about it before pulling a face of realization.

“Shit!” I say and cover my face. “James Neal likes me”

“That’s exactly what Autumn said about Sidney when she found out he loved her” Steph said and Autumn sigh.

“That was an interesting day”

“That was when he was under the anesthetics from the concussion right?” I asked and Autumn nodded.

“I walked in the room and he ask, ‘do you know where my future wife is, I miss her beautiful soul and don’t tell her but I’ve been trying to figure out all week how to tell her how in love with her I am’” Autumn says reminiscing to the day. “I had to tell him later that he told me that”

“Geno told me how angry he was with himself” I added and laughed.

“That beats how Beau said it to me” Keirstyn says, taking a sip of her drink.

“What happened?” I asked, and Faith giggles.

“We were having sex and he just blurted it out, it got all awkward after” Keirstyn says blushing and hiding under her hair.

“Didn’t Jon tell you during a game?” Faith asked Steph and she nods, blushing.

“I remember that, I came down to visit you and we were sitting by the ice, he turned around during a break and told her” I explain.

Imagining Jon turning around facing about hundred other people, pointing straight at Steph and yelling I love you to her.

“We got real catches” Autumn says and lays back.

“Imagine our lives if Autumn hadn’t made us sneak into the back of the Mellon Arena” Steph says and we all fall silent to think about it.

“We’d probably never got into the University here” I say and they laugh. “That reminds me actually, I have to tell you guys something”

“You’re pregnant and you can’t figure out if it’s James’ of Evgeni’s” Keirstyn spits out and I close my eyes, take a deep breath and look at her.

“No, I’m not pregnant” I say and laugh. “I have a job interview tomorrow, with a music magazine”

“No way!” Autumn says, sitting at the edge of her seat.

“That’s amazing!” Steph says and stand up to hug me.

“Do you know what magazine it’s for?” Faith asks and I shake my head.

“James is going to take me tomorrow and then I’m sleeping at his house” I say and they all grin at me. “I’m giving Faith the condo to herself”

“You may have to detox the house after, every inch of this house will have been used by Jeff and Faith” Autumn says, and I gag.