Lexi swirls some food with her chopsticks. “It has been quite a few years since we saw one another, and it’s different circumstances, but I do like this time around better.”
I take a sip of my red wine before setting the glass back on the table. “I’m an asshole for flirting with you. I’m not sure why you’re not running.”
“Because a retired hockey player doesn’t scare me.” This conversation doesn’t even faze her as she brings a piece of chicken to her mouth.
“The thing is, it’s okay to flirt with someone; it’s crossing the parameters of flirting when things can get a little murky,” I warn her.
She buries her chortle while she swallows her food. “Is moving your flirtation into your house not beyond the parameters already?”
My head bobs side to side. “Meh. I need the help right now, and you’re up for the challenge.”
“A few days and then I will go back to the Dizzy Duck. I’m not sure us being around one another is good for either of our blood pressures,” she explains while she picks up another piece of chicken.
I shrug. “Your loss.”
“Maybe. I do appreciate how you threw my father’s demand for the team to stay away from me out the window.”
I intervene. “As much as I want to be loyal, I also don’t give a fuck. I have other issues to deal with, in case you haven’t noticed.” I don’t frown about it, and instead smile.
“You most definitely swagger around to your own tune. But what I mean is Lori and Harry are around, and that’s where your attention lies, as it should. I’m not sure us adding underlying innuendo is the way to go.”
Neither is being lonely in the coming weeks when I don’t need to be.
I look at her with fondness, as she has strong shoulders with realistic expectations, and more importantly, she cares about how my life revolves around my kids. In the past, the women I might have had a hookup with were always well away from anyone and discreet. Now? Lexi is in close waters… yet still, I’m ignoring the lifesaver that I should probably consider using.
“You are extremely right, except tonight, they are not here,” I remind us.
Her face swings in my direction. “I’ve noticed.”
I nudge her shoulder with mine. “Relax, we can eat and have adult conversation. Other than eating with Stone, my ability to have adult discussions at dinner is limited. This is a refreshing change.”
“I ran into him this morning when I stopped by to hit the gym. He gave Stuart a hard time about cookies.”
I chuckle. “That’s always the case.”
“It’s a little insane the number of athletes, retired or not, that live in this town. I know the Spinners train here, but still. Do you miss playing?”
Nobody has asked me that in a while. “Hmm, let me think,” I pretend. “No. Which might sound strange, but I feel like everything was meant for that chapter. I always knew that I would retire young, as most athletes do, so I made those the best years possible. Not to mention that fatherhood hit me earlier than I probably would have planned. But now I have a completely different life. Do I wish Harry would be more into sports? Sure, but he has other interests. Do I get excited when Lori is dancing on ice? Yeah. Because the ice brings good memories.”
Lexi steals some of my sesame chicken, and I appreciate that we’re comfortable enough around one another to do something like that. “I would never have expected you to end up owning the Dizzy Duck Inn, but it’s a great story.” She gently swats my arm in excitement. “Actually, I have an idea that I wanted to run by you.”
“Shoot.”
“I was thinking we could hang some photos of all the athletes and sports stuff from here in Lake Spark. I could get some frames to match the feeling of the Dizzy Duck. Everyone appreciates those little touches.”
“I like it, and I’m sure our guests would love it, including the owner of The Spinners when he eats there with his wife. We have a lot of team dinners happening all the time too.”
“Perfect.” She sounds accomplished with her thought before she picks up her wine.
I grab an eggroll, but I’m eager to keep our conversation going. “Other than design, what has life looked like for you in the last few years?”
“Well, I worked on a few projects. Homes mostly, which I love, because your home is where you return to and it’s the base of your life, therefore you should make it cozy and full of personality,” she gushes.
“Heart in the home or something like that.”
She’s completely enthusiastic. “Totally. And after a few projects, I backpacked around Europe and then Costa Rica. I even went up to do a tour of Alaska. Basically, I’m not afraid to get lost somewhere in Austria because I ended up on the wrong train or ending up in unusual situations that find myself eating Chinese food on the floor in Lake Spark.” She smiles proudly before popping food into her mouth.
“Don’t worry, adventurous and self-assured were the first two things that came to my mind when you walked into my office.”
