Oddly, my stomach flutters when he touches my face. I guess I’m nervous that he’s seeing the inside of my new apartment for the first time. I’ve been here less than a year, but he’s been out of town a lot for football.
“No,” I awkwardly back away from his hand. “It’s just sauce.”
If he’s confused by my reaction, he quickly shrugs it off and enters my apartment, filling the small space with his massive body and formidable presence.
Rush is wearing an official Nighthawks black t-shirt with the team logo in the center, dark wash jeans, and a pair of his favorite black combat boots. If I didn’t know him to be the calm, gentle giant that he is, I’d be scared shitless of all tattooed, six feet five inches of him.
“You’ve got some sort of weird emotional attachment to those boots if you ask me. Take ‘em off,” I demand. “You know the rules. They’re the same in every apartment. I’m anal about keeping the floors clean and God knows what the treads of your boots have stepped on.”
“My boots are clean, but whatever you say, hard ass.”
I give him a quick squeeze around the waist.
“I hope you’re hungry,” I tell him. “You smell good. What are you wearing?”
He smells extra divine tonight. Must be the perks of being able to afford such expensive cologne and aftershave.
“Soap and water.”
“Aww, you took a shower just for me?”
“Funny.”
He tosses a plastic shopping bag hard toward my chest that I catch like the volleyball queen that I still am.
“What’s this?”
“Look inside.”
I scream once I pull it out.
“Oh my God!”
It’s an official throwback Saint Stevenson football jersey with his autograph on the back.
“You like?”
“I love it! You know he was my favorite player of all time.”
“I thought I was your favorite.”
“After you, of course,” I say as I slide the jersey on top of my clothes. “Ooh, it’s so roomy.”
I pose like a model in front of the simple tall mirror affixed on the wall next to my door.
“It was the jersey he wore the last time he won the division. I couldn’t get you a Super Bowl one because he auctions those for charity.”
“He actually wore this?” I pull at the material and sniff it. “I think an actual tear of joy just fell from my eye.”
“It’s your congratulations gift for becoming an official Nighthawk. Welcome to the team.”
Rush takes a moment to look around my small one-bedroom apartment.
“So this is your famous new bachelorette pad?”
“Yep.”
I spread my arms wide and slowly twirl.
