Page 23 of Right Man, Right Time
“Wow,” I say under my breath. Not sure I’ve ever had a woman talk to me like this before.
“So if you don’t mind, please tell me how many times you masturbate.”
I pull on the back of my neck. “Probably same as you.”
“Ooo, healthy. Good to know. Now that we have that out of the way, I’d like you to convince me why I should agree to this farce.”
“Honestly, I have no idea,” I say as I lean back in her desk chair and kick my feet up on the foot of her bed. “The more I think about it, the more I know it’s ridiculous, but fuck . . .” I shake my head lightly. “There are some events I’m going to, and it would feel so fucking great to show up with a girlfriend.”
“I understand that feeling. I experienced it last night when I shoved my lips onto yours. It felt great to kiss another man in front of my ex. It’s like silently laughing in their face.”
“That’s how I imagined it would be.” I take a bite of my sandwich, chew, and swallow. “I know it would be asking a lot, but I could help you out as well. I’m not sure if your ex and that Candace girl will be at anything you’re attending with the holidays coming up, but if I don’t have a game and I’m in town, I can go with you. I can also offer you help on your assignment.”
“Which I’ll probably need,” she says. “Sucks that you’re out of town a lot coming up because there are some events I could use you at.”
“And I have some too. Plus, if I told my friends I’m dating you, then they won’t harass me over my personal life, which they’ve tended to do a lot since Sarah and I broke up.” I stare down at my sandwich. “I feel like I need to sweeten the deal for you.”
“I could enjoy a little sweetening.”
I twist my lips to the side, thinking about what I can offer her. I have lots of fucking money, but that would be borderline prostitution, and I’m not into that. I have a nice car, a home gym . . .
Hmm, maybe that would be of interest.
“Do you need to borrow a car? You can always borrow mine when I’m out of town.”
“I have a car, but thanks.”
“Yeah, figured. I have a home gym, not sure if—”
“Tell me more about that,” she says, setting her sandwich down and wiping her fingers with a napkin.
“Uh, I have a gym in my apartment with practically brand-new equipment. I don’t use it as often as I want, but just enough to warrant the money I spent on it. I mainly work out at the arena.”
“What kind of equipment?”
“Everything,” I say.
“Even cardio?”
“I need to keep my legs in shape to ensure I keep up late in the third period. Yeah, there’s cardio.”
“And you would give me access to your apartment so I could use the gym? You don’t think that’s weird or anything?”
“I have nothing to hide,” I say. “My cabin up in Banff feels more like home than my apartment here in Vancouver.”
“You have a cabin in Banff?” she asks. “Like in the mountains?”
“Yup.” I smirk at the awe in her eyes. “Not so bad knowing a thirty-one-year-old now, is it? Bet your little pipsqueak friends don’t have a cabin in Banff, do they?”
“I don’t even think they pay their own phone bill.”
That makes me chuckle. “Anyway, the gym is yours if you want to use it. Tack that on with helping out on that assignment and going to any event I’m present for, and that’s what I can offer.”
“And what would you require from me?”
“Being available when I need you.”
“For . . .”
