My heart does some sort of bubbling thing, as if it’s gotten to the excellent part of a Nora Ephron movie or someone is wearing a regency tailcoat and top hat.
Florian’s shirt isn’t wet, Darcy-style, which is a relief, but the tightness of his Blizzards t-shirt is excessive.
But then the man does have lots of perfectly formed muscles that the manufacturer of the t-shirt doesn’t seem to have given sufficient consideration to.
We’re both staring.
“You’re my two o’clock,” I say finally.
“I am here for a two pm appointment, yes.”
“I’m Mateo,” I say. “The massage therapist.” My voice comes out too loud, and Florian’s eyes widen.
He nods.
Well, that’s efficient.
Who needs to say actual sentences? You can just go around nodding and grunting and save way more time.
He looks at me warily, and that’s…
Okay, that’s not great.
That’s the look of a man who does not want to lie down and get a massage.
“Come in.” I gesture to the massage table, and he draws back slightly.
Okay, he’s not my future best friend. I don’t need to go shopping for friendship bracelets.
That’s fine.
I don’t look for future best friends in my hockey clients, even though the Blizzards is a wonderful place to work. I travel with the team often, since sore muscles are something that happens both after home and away games, and they’ve been more welcoming than I ever would have imagined.
“So this is the massage room!” I say brightly when hefinally enters, as if I think if I smile enough that he will also smile.
Instead, he looks vaguely alarmed, and I suspect I look vaguely crazy.
“You’re new to the team,” I say.
He’s wearing sweats, though he has the formality of a person wearing a tuxedo.
“Yes.”
“And from Germany! That’s super cool.”
He turns his dark blue eyes on me. “You know Germany?”
“Well, no…” I don’t think the occasional World War 2 documentary counts.
“But you like Germany?”
“Um—”
He sighs. “Never mind. You are an American. Very enthusiastic.”
“Is that what they’re saying about us?”
He smiles, and I grin back, startled. I like his smile, but I’ll probably scare him away if I mention it. Maybe the best thing to do is pretend I never saw it.
