Sequel: Dash of Reality ›
Full Life Circle
Eleven
The team gets eliminated after round two. It was a fight to the death that resulted in a game seven. Jon came home from Colorado the same night they lost and he didn’t even bother to say hello or anything. He went straight to bed. It kind of bothered me because I had waited up for him, to make sure he was okay and he didn’t bother to even say thank you or anything. I know he felt bad that he couldn’t do anything else to help his team this season. But he was Captain Clutch in round one. Not everyone is good every game, sometimes they are just average and that’s what he was for the series.
The team played well overall, but it wasn’t enough to edge the Aves. They tried so hard though. I wish it would’ve turned out differently. Obviously there’s nothing to do about it now, but it is still hard to do anything for him now.
It’s only midnight now, so I think to take him a bottle of Gatorade. I go upstairs to his bedroom which is across from mine and knock. I don’t hear anything, but hear the shower running instead. I figure that’s a good sign and let myself in so I can put it on his nightstand.
However, when I walk in, Jon is coming out of his bathroom in just a towel. He isn’t wet or anything, just in a towel like he was ready to hop in but hadn’t gotten there yet. He must have forgotten his shower things in his bag.
He sees me and abruptly stops walking to wherever he was headed.
“Hey,” is all he can say.
“Hey, sorry. I heard the shower running and thought it would be okay if I came in to put this on your nightstand. I’m really sorry about the loss and didn’t think this would help that much, but I figured you would be thirsty at some point. I’m really sorry for barging in.” I try to avoid looking at him because that would make me want to look at his body which would lead to me seeing his happy trail. If I saw that, I might freak out into fan-girl mode and want to jump his bones. I haven’t been with anyone in a very long time so it has been even more difficult to be around this fine male specimen every time he’s home which is about to be a hell of a lot more often.
“No, it’s fine, really. Thank you. I appreciate it and everything else you have done during the playoffs to make it easier on me. I really appreciate it and I feel that I should take you to dinner or give you the night off or something. I haven’t made it exactly easy on you, Em.” He started to call me Em back in March, after we broke that barrier between just employer-employee to become more like normal friends.
“It’s really not a problem. I don’t mind doing all of it. You will be doing a lot for me come fall when I start at UIC. It’s the least I can do to start being more helpful now.” He smiles and nods. He then heads for his gym bag that was on an ottoman nearest his closet which is far away from the bathroom. I have no idea whose idea that was, but he doesn’t seem to mind much. And who am I to think different. Not like it’s my room or anything.
“Hey Em, can I just say something? It’s a super honest thing and I don’t think I’ve been this honest in a long time.” He sounds kind of nervous from what I can pick up from his voice alone.
“Yeah, whatever you need to.” I am nervous to hear what he is going to say. I definitely couldn’t anticipate what he was going to say.
“It’s only been four months since my wife died. Yet I’m starting to feel something for you. I don’t know if you feel anything like I do, but I want you to know that I’m not ready to act on it. I don’t want to move too fast after her death, she meant a lot to me, but I can’t seem to get you off my mind. So if you feel the same way, I would like to set a date for us at the end of this summer to go on a real, legitimate date. If you find someone before then, fine, but if we are both single, I would love to go out with you. Sorry to throw this at you, but I won’t have the courage to do it again any other time.”
“Jon, I think that’s a wonderful idea. I wouldn’t want you to move too fast either. But I feel like that would be realistic. It’s a great idea.”
“Good, I’m glad I said something. Thank you again for the Gatorade,” he smiles at me and heads back to the bathroom. I place it on his nightstand and retreat to my room where I have happy dreams.
The team played well overall, but it wasn’t enough to edge the Aves. They tried so hard though. I wish it would’ve turned out differently. Obviously there’s nothing to do about it now, but it is still hard to do anything for him now.
It’s only midnight now, so I think to take him a bottle of Gatorade. I go upstairs to his bedroom which is across from mine and knock. I don’t hear anything, but hear the shower running instead. I figure that’s a good sign and let myself in so I can put it on his nightstand.
However, when I walk in, Jon is coming out of his bathroom in just a towel. He isn’t wet or anything, just in a towel like he was ready to hop in but hadn’t gotten there yet. He must have forgotten his shower things in his bag.
He sees me and abruptly stops walking to wherever he was headed.
“Hey,” is all he can say.
“Hey, sorry. I heard the shower running and thought it would be okay if I came in to put this on your nightstand. I’m really sorry about the loss and didn’t think this would help that much, but I figured you would be thirsty at some point. I’m really sorry for barging in.” I try to avoid looking at him because that would make me want to look at his body which would lead to me seeing his happy trail. If I saw that, I might freak out into fan-girl mode and want to jump his bones. I haven’t been with anyone in a very long time so it has been even more difficult to be around this fine male specimen every time he’s home which is about to be a hell of a lot more often.
“No, it’s fine, really. Thank you. I appreciate it and everything else you have done during the playoffs to make it easier on me. I really appreciate it and I feel that I should take you to dinner or give you the night off or something. I haven’t made it exactly easy on you, Em.” He started to call me Em back in March, after we broke that barrier between just employer-employee to become more like normal friends.
“It’s really not a problem. I don’t mind doing all of it. You will be doing a lot for me come fall when I start at UIC. It’s the least I can do to start being more helpful now.” He smiles and nods. He then heads for his gym bag that was on an ottoman nearest his closet which is far away from the bathroom. I have no idea whose idea that was, but he doesn’t seem to mind much. And who am I to think different. Not like it’s my room or anything.
“Hey Em, can I just say something? It’s a super honest thing and I don’t think I’ve been this honest in a long time.” He sounds kind of nervous from what I can pick up from his voice alone.
“Yeah, whatever you need to.” I am nervous to hear what he is going to say. I definitely couldn’t anticipate what he was going to say.
“It’s only been four months since my wife died. Yet I’m starting to feel something for you. I don’t know if you feel anything like I do, but I want you to know that I’m not ready to act on it. I don’t want to move too fast after her death, she meant a lot to me, but I can’t seem to get you off my mind. So if you feel the same way, I would like to set a date for us at the end of this summer to go on a real, legitimate date. If you find someone before then, fine, but if we are both single, I would love to go out with you. Sorry to throw this at you, but I won’t have the courage to do it again any other time.”
“Jon, I think that’s a wonderful idea. I wouldn’t want you to move too fast either. But I feel like that would be realistic. It’s a great idea.”
“Good, I’m glad I said something. Thank you again for the Gatorade,” he smiles at me and heads back to the bathroom. I place it on his nightstand and retreat to my room where I have happy dreams.
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