How I Feel

Avery parked her car in one of the visitor labeled parking spots at Jamie's building before heading up the elevator to his floor. It had taken her five minutes to change but then another five staring at herself in the mirror and debating whether to wash off all the makeup on her face. She settled for trading her contacts for her glasses instead.

She'd be lying if she said Jamie wasn't attractive. When Stella first told her she was dating Jordie, she had of course looked him up online, which led her to Jamie, and his shirtless ALS ice bucket challenge from the previous summer, with his stupid hair and equally stupid smile.

There might have been a dream she had woken from that night that left her wanting.

Jamie had easily been the best looking guy in a tux at the wedding. It was the first thing she noticed as she took her turn walking down the aisle. The fit across his shoulders, his perfectly styled dark hair, and the genuine, happy smile he wore for his brother. When she watched him interact with Alex, it only made him more attractive.

At least until Stella had ruined the moment and busted her checking him out which she quickly denied of course.

She knocked at the door and stepped back. She heard the lock click and the door open, revealing Jamie, still in his suit pants, jacket and tie removed, and the top two buttons of the dress shirt undone. Avery felt her breath catch at the sight but recovered quickly.

Jamie pushed a hand through his hair with a sheepish smile. "It seems that your suggestion to bribe him with ice cream was all I needed to do. He's asleep in my bed."

"Oh," she replied in surprise. "That worked?"

Jamie nodded. "I think he was more tired than anything. He's usually so easy to get along with when I keep him."

"You've babysat before?"

"Yeah; Alex is a cool kid. And I like helping out so Jordie and Stella can have some time to themselves. It's hard enough to do during the season without a kid."

"That's nice of you."

He shrugged. "We're family."

"Well I guess I'll go then since you have it handled."

"Or you could stay," Jamie blurted out. He wasn't ready for Avery to leave. Not when she had just shown up on his doorstep with her previously upswept hair now cascading in curls around her shoulders, her smoky eye makeup still intact, wearing yoga pants and a Stars tank top that had probably been a gift from Stella.

"I have beer," he quickly continued. "You drove all the way over here; it's the least I can do."

She nodded and Jamie stepped back to let her pass. His eyes were drawn to her hips but snapped quickly to her face when she turned to face him. "Holy shit it's like the arctic in here!" She exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around herself. "What is it, like twenty below zero in here?"

"Hang on," he said, disappearing down the hall. Avery ventured further inside until she found the kitchen. Pulling open the fridge, she found the beer and pulled one out, popping off the top and taking a long pull from the bottle.

Jamie found it hard not to have his mouth fall open and his tongue roll out when he found Avery in his kitchen several minutes later. Her head was tipped back, eyes closed, and her chest was thrust forward as she drank. He licked his lips before clearing his throat. Her eyes opened and met his.

"I found the beer," she smiled, tipping her bottle towards him.

"I found you a sweatshirt," he replied, walking towards her and handing it to her. She set her beer down and pulled it over her head.

"It smells like you," she said as she lifted her beer to her lips again.

Jamie swallowed and grabbed his own beer from the fridge. "Is it bad? I probably need to wash it."

"It's not bad; it smells like your cologne." She finished off the bottle and went to get another one. "I like it." She opened her second bottle as Jamie drained his first and got another. "You changed," she noted.

"I, uh, wanted to get out of the monkey suit. I gotta take it back in the morning."

"Is everything you own branded in your teams name and colors?" She gestured at his shirt and then the sweatshirt she wore.

"Free clothes are the best clothes."

"I'm sure the team appreciates their captain decked out in team gear also."

"True. And I wanted to match your comfort level. Wasn't fair if you got to be comfortable and I was in a tux."

"You looked good in a tux."

Jamie paused as he lifted his beer to his lips and Avery blushed. She turned away from him and quickly drained the bottle.

He crossed the kitchen to stand directly behind her. "You were the hottest woman there today. If you had shown up here in that dress I would've ripped it off you," he said lowly.

Avery shivered at his words and Jamie took another step forward, placing his palms flat on the counter, trapping Avery between his arms. He ducked his head close to her ear.

"You look pretty damn good like this too though."

She set her beer down and turned to look up at him. "You look good enough to eat."

"That good, eh?" He smirked.

"Like you don't know that."

"I think Segs is ten times better looking than me."

"Tyler Seguin has nothing on you. But Stella is definitely prettier than me."

"I don't think so. Those glasses are really working for me."

She blushed under his stare. "You have a girlfriend."

He scowled. "I've been seeing a girl, but she is not my girlfriend. She blew Segs in a bathroom. Definitely not girlfriend material."

"And yet you're still sleeping with her."

"It's easy, no commitment sex. So what?"

"You sound like every other athlete I've ever met."

He stepped back from her. "What just happened?"

"Nothing, exactly as it should be. Excuse me," she said as she moved around him, gathering her purse. "If you need anything with Alex, you should call Stella."

"Avery, wait," Jamie called after her as she hurried towards his front door. He placed a hand on the door to keep her from opening it. "I don't understand."

"I don't date jocks and I don't do one night stands. I shouldn't have come here, and I definitely should not have drank a beer and a half with only wedding cake in my stomach. I need to go, Jamie."

"You need to eat something. I can't let you drive."

"I am perfectly fine to drive."

"Bullshit. You just looked me over in my kitchen like I was a fine dining experience."

"Well you probably are!" She hissed at him. "Have you seen you? Have you seen me? This would never work and I'm not interested in being a notch in anyone's belt."

"Who said anything about being a notch?"

"I'm not an idiot. I know exactly what a night with someone like you means."

"That's an assumption based on people that aren't me. You don't even know me."

"And you don't know me."

"But I'd like to. How long are you here for?"

"The foreseeable future. Come Monday we work for the same employer."

"You're working for the Stars?"

She nodded. "Doing analytics."

"You're moving here? But Stella didn't say anything..."

"She doesn't know yet. She was busy finalizing everything with the wedding and I just accepted the offer. I know she has Jordie now but I missed my sister, and Alex too, so moving here seemed like a great idea. It probably still is, except it means I have to see you and relive this night in my head over and over."

"It's not been all bad."

"Worse."

"I was just about to eat something when you got here. Will you please stay? At least to eat something; then you can go if you still want to."

She sighed but stepped around him. "I'll still want to leave."