"Roman?" she asks with surprise. "I thought he had a game tonight."
She knows this because I had talked to her this morning, calling her as soon as I had woken up in Roman's guest room, all snuggled under a thick, warm comforter and with a smile on my face over how interesting my time with this man had been up to that point. I was actually sort of riding high on his gallantry in not making a move on me when we arrived at his house in the early morning hours. Not because I wasn't interested in him in that way--I totally was--but because I get the distinct impression that he's treating me a bit differently from other women. That definitely caught my attention; his elusiveness and unpredictability has me off-kilter in a very good way. Usually the men I've been with have been totally transparent and two dimensional, but Roman has piqued my interest on a variety of levels.
I had told Georgia this morning about the power outage and that Roman had brought me back to his house, securing me in a guest room. I had also told her that he had a game that night, and I just assumed I'd be back at my little garage apartment and would be seeing Georgia when she got back into town. So the fact I'm on a "date" right now is surprising to her.
"He talked me into coming to the game tonight," I tell her, not able to contain my excitement. She knows how badly I've wanted to see my dad's team in action.
"And after the game?" she asks me slyly.
"Well," I say playfully. "He's made it clear he wants me to come back to his house."
"Of course he has," she says dryly.
"No, it's not like that," I tell her quickly. "I mean...it is like that, but not like that. We've got this really heavy flirting going on, and plenty of innuendo, but I wouldn't be surprised if nothing happens tonight. You know?"
"Honey, no, I don't know," she says. "I haven't been on a date or laid in years. I'm not sure how these things work nowadays, but all I know is that sex is a fine way to spend time with someone you like, so go for it if you want."
"Georgia," I exclaim in surprise, because while she is super cool for her age and one of the most open and liberated women I know, she's also become like a surrogate mom to me over these last several months, and the one thing I never talked about with my mom was sex.
She laughs into the phone and chides me, "I'm still a very capable woman in the sack, Lexi. You don't stop having or thinking about sex after a certain age."
"I know that," I say apologetically. "It's just...we've never talked about that before."
"Well, that's because you've not been in the position since I've known you to talk about it."
That's true. I've been here seven months, but I've only casually dated a few guys, and not one of them had me interested enough to jump in the sack with them.
"If you're interested in my opinion, I'll give it to you," she offers.
"I'll keep that in mind," I say with a laugh, still not sure I want to have that conversation with her, but more because I sort of like not knowing what's going on. It's part of the adventure of being with a man like Roman, and I don't want to make a decision on what to do until I'm faced with it.
As of now, I'm enjoying flying by the seat of my pants.
"Okay," Georgia says with obvious affection in her voice. "I'll see you at the shop tomorrow."
"Sounds great," I say softly. "See you then."
She disconnects and I tap the edge of my phone against my chin reflectively. Georgia has been a godsend to me since I moved here. It was by sheer luck I answered her ad for a barista, and even better luck that she was so freaking awesome. When I moved into the apartment vacated by her son, I found a woman who was slightly grieving that her only child was gone, even though I know she was also relieved in some part because of her frustrations with him. I was lonely because my mom had died, and she was lonely because Craig had left, and we found an easy friendship that developed quickly. We spent many nights eating dinner together in her house, having discussions about life, love, death, and perseverance. Georgia is nothing like my mother, who was quiet, calm, and sedate. She was reliable and comforting. Georgia is wild, uninhibited, and effervescent. She radiates energy, and just being in her presence makes you feel good.
I've come to love her and respect her just as much, and perhaps I will have a talk with her about Roman and get her take. I've definitely never had any experience with someone like him before, so her opinion certainly can't hurt.
"Lexi?" I hear from my left, and my body tenses even at the same time a tingle of excitement runs through me.
I turn my head and see my father walking toward me down the hall, a surprised but very pleased look on his face. Walking beside him is Gray, and while she too looks surprised, I also see a tinge of suspicion on her face to find me here in the family area of the arena.
Since dinner at her house that night, I had not seen either one of them, as Gray was traveling with the team and Brian had been busy. The difference is that Brian kept in frequent contact with me by phone, calling me each day to check in or texting me. Gray had been incommunicado, except for the day after dinner when I had sent her a text--Brian had given me her cell phone number--and told her how much I had enjoyed our time together. She responded quickly that she had enjoyed it too and that we should plan on getting together again. This had heartened me and I wrote back immediately to ask when, and I heard nothing further.
I tried not to let that hurt me, reasoning that Gray was still a little gun-shy around me, and that I had nothing but time to try to develop something with her. Besides that, I was bolstered by Brian's attention and figured it would all work out in the end.
"Hey," I say with a smile as I turn to them.
"What are you doing here?" Brian asks in delight as he reaches me, immediately wrapping me up in a quick hug.
So this is a little awkward, but I put a brave face on, square my shoulders, and say, "I was invited by Roman."
"Roman?" Gray asks in disbelief.
"Yes," I say as I turn to face her, my chin tilted a little higher. "We're, um...sort of seeing each other."
"Since when?" she asks.
"Since last night," I say with a level stare at her. "I mentioned to you at dinner on Saturday I had a date planned."
"You had a date during the ice storm?" she challenges, and for the life of me I can't figure out why she's clearly bent out of shape about this.
"Yes, we did," I tell her without elaborating on the fact I spent the night at his house. Something tells me she would not even bother to try to understand the circumstances.
"Well, I'm just glad you get to see your first game," Brian says enthusiastically, either completely oblivious to the tension Gray just created or choosing to divert us from it. "But you have to come sit in the owner's box with us."
I expect Gray to lodge an objection to this, as she was clearly against any type of participation within the family business before the DNA results came in, but she surprises me when she looks at me with a moment of calculation and says, "Yes...that would be a great idea."
Brian looks more than pleased with Gray's agreement and says, "Splendid. Maybe we can all go out for a drink with each other, but I'll leave Gray to make the arrangements. I'm going to step into the locker room just a moment to wish the team good luck."
And with that, Brian gives me a quick squeeze to my shoulder and moves down the hallway and away from us.
Turning to Gray, I tell her, "I appreciate the offer to sit in the box, but I can't do drinks. I have plans with Roman after."
Gray studies me a moment, her green eyes appraising me thoroughly. Finally, she takes my arm and leads me a few feet away from the doorway of the family lounge. When she releases me, she leans in to me and says, "Lexi...I don't think it's a good idea for you to get mixed up with Roman Sykora."
"Why not?" I ask, my head tilted to the side, although my stomach starts to tighten over the flat tone of her words.
"Well, he's a troublemaker," she says bluntly. "He's got a bad reputation and you don't want to get mixed up with someone like him
."
The disdain in her voice for Roman is heavy and it surprises me. I know he has a reputation, and hell, it's part of the reason I'm attracted to him. But I just assumed that no matter what Roman has done in the past, he'd still have full support from the management. He is, after all, a phenomenal first-line player and a tremendous asset to the team. But the dislike she has for him goes beyond mere frustration over his antics. It's a clear dislike of him as a person.
I clear my throat and ask her, "I'm curious, Gray. Are you warning me off as a sister or as the general manager of this team?"
"What's the difference?" she asks, leaning back from me in surprise.
"Well, the first means you have concern for me as a family member, and the second means it's just business," I explain to her. "I'm trying to figure out your motive when deciding what to do with your suggestion."
Gray blinks at me in surprise and her face actually flushes red. She steps toward me and says softly, "As the general manager, it's none of my business who my players date. Their personal life isn't my concern as long as it doesn't embarrass this team. And yes...Roman has done some things that have not necessarily been reflective of this organization's core values. But again, whom he chooses to share his personal time with is not my business. I'm telling you this as someone who likes you--"
"You like me?" I blurt out in surprise.
Gray's face softens. "Yes, Lexi, I like you. I'm obviously still a little guarded, but I think we're off to a good start. So my warning about Roman comes from the perspective of someone who believes that very soon she'll be given the proof you are my sister."
Even as it hits me in a very disappointing way that she's warning me off from a man I very much like, and that I'll have to give credence to her advice on this, I'm also equally warmed and encouraged by the direction from which she is coming.
From the place of a sister.
And that is something I cannot ignore, not when the entire reason I moved to this area was to reach out to my new family and develop something with them.
Still, I have to be absolutely clear about what she's saying, so I ask, "Are you saying that you absolutely don't want me to see him?"
Gray shifts on her feet, appears slightly uncomfortable, but she looks me directly in the eye when she says, "I would never tell you what to do, Lexi. I'm just saying I have sincere hesitations in your seeing him. I don't think he's good enough for you, and frankly, from what I know about him, he's not dating material. He's sort of a player, and not even a nice one at that. I don't want to see you get hurt."
My heart plummets and my stomach tightens. I know some of these things about Roman, merely because I read the same news as everyone else. But that is not what I've seen in my personal experience with him.
Not at all.
Gray adds one other thing that causes my stomach to twist into a painful knot. "And while I'm speaking mostly from a personal concern for you, I want to remind you...once you step into the Brannon family and are held out to the world as such, you will have certain obligations to consider."
"Obligations?" I whisper with no small amount of dread, as her words sound ominous to me.
"You'll represent the Brannon name," she says softly but firmly. "Anything you do represents this family and our dynasty. If you get involved with Roman, and he drags you into something scandalous, which he's bound to do, it will reflect on the Brannons. Not to mention, if Roman continues on his current path, I may be forced to release him from the team. Do you really want to be tied up in that?"
Before I can respond, Gray's eyes move past me to someone over my shoulder, and I turn to see Roman walking my way. He's wearing his hockey gear, even his skates, although they have guards on them. If I thought he towered over me before, he looks absolutely gigantic as he lumbers our way. His eyes move from me to Gray, and harden slightly when they land on her.
Gray murmurs softly behind me so I know Roman can't hear as he approaches. "I'll send someone down in a bit to bring you up to the box."
Without even turning to look at her, I sense she's retreated in the opposite direction and Roman's eyes come back to me. When he gets within a few feet of me, he actually growls and it's loud enough I'm sure it carried down the hall to Gray. "What did she want?"
I tense, torn between the need to defend Gray and her advice to me, and at the same time, hating that she gave me that advice. It puts me in a terrible position.
But one thing I won't do to Roman is lie to him. "She was warning me away from you."
"I'll just bet she was," he grits out, his eyes flashing with fury. "I'm sure she went over all my bad qualities, right?"
"It was nothing I didn't already know before I met you," I tell him softly, and he visibly relaxes at that.
Smiling at me, he puts his hands on my shoulders and says, "Good. I don't want to have to get in a pissing contest with my boss over whether or not I can see you."
"I don't want that either," I say sadly, and Roman tenses again over the hidden meaning in that statement.
"That sounds ominous" he observes cautiously.
With a sigh, I tell him, "Roman...I moved here to Raleigh to try to connect with my new family. And Gray's been so reserved with me. This is the first time she's given me any indication she might be able to care for me one day, and...well..."
"You can't pass up the opportunity," he says with resignation.
"I can't threaten to tear the very fragile foundation we have going on right now," I say apologetically. "I'm really sorry."
A mask of disappointment hardens his face, although I am relieved to see understanding as well. His hands drop from my shoulders. "I'm sorry too."
We stand there, awkwardly silent and not really sure where this leaves us. I think we may have just broken up without ever really getting started, but then Roman says, "I have to get back into the locker room. Do you want me to take you home after the game?"
I shake my head. "Brian said something about us going out for a drink after. I'm sure he'll take me there, but can I drop by your house sometime when it's convenient for you the next few days and pick up my stuff?"
His lips tip upward in a sad but gracious acceptance of what's just occurred. "Sure. Just text me and we'll work out something."
"Okay," I say, suddenly feeling oppressed by a heavy, bitter weight of unfairness settling upon me. I shouldn't have to choose, and yet I'm doing just that. I shouldn't have to give up a man I'm so very interested in, just to gain a foothold with a sister I'm also interested in developing a relationship with.
It shouldn't have to be one or the other, not when both could be very good for me.
"Take care, Lexi," Roman says in a low voice, and before I can question my decision to cut him out, he turns away and heads back toward the locker room.
Chapter 13
Brian
I drag my forefinger across the wheel on the top of my mouse, causing the article I'm reading online to scroll down. It's my last newspaper today--I read five a day online for general knowledge purposes--and I mentally calculate my next task, which is to review Gray's trade report. She asked me last week to review her potential trade options for the team, with the deadline approaching next month. It's not something she truly needs me to do, as she knows the talent pool far better than I ever could, but she asked me all the same.
I suspect it's because she knows that once I stepped down as general manager of this team, my duties to keep me busy during the day were greatly reduced. Don't get me wrong, as the owner and CEO of this organization, I have plenty to do on any given day. I work ten-plus hours a day keeping my business in the black and looking after my subsidiary interests. But she knows as well as I do that most of this well-oiled machine runs itself, and that I have a bevy of heavy-hitting executives who handle the details, giving me the perfect amount of information to let me rubber-stamp decisions.
Finishing up the article, I close out my browser and stare at the screensaver, which is a picture of Gray when she received
her Olympic silver medal. One of the proudest moments of my life, and although there have been other moments since, and I'm sure more in the future, this one holds a special fondness for me because it's where Gray finally committed to a life of hockey. While now it's done from behind a desk, her experience from her years playing goalie have made her infinitely better at what she does.
My daughter Gray. My one and only for so long.
And now I have Lexi.
With a sigh, I consider calling Lexi to see how she's doing, but when I talked to her last night, it seemed like she needed some space. This worries me, as she's gone from a woman who was beyond excited to get to know her new family to a woman who has become guarded and reserved lately. I have no clue what happened, but I do pinpoint it to the game last week she attended in the box with Gray and me. From the moment she entered, she seemed distracted, and while she watched the action on the ice intently, I didn't get any sense that she was truly excited to be there. That was very strange.
At the end of the game, Gray and I invited her out for a drink, but she declined, stating that she hadn't slept well the night before and wanted to get home. I offered to take her and she accepted, but was unusually quiet during the trip. At the time I reasoned it was as she said--she was just exhausted--but in the past week, she's continued to be restrained and withdrawn. I've invited her to lunch twice, dinner once, and she's declined all three, stating she needed to work extra shifts at The Grind because they were short on help. I didn't question this, but I did wonder why she didn't perhaps invite me to come there and see her.
When I questioned Gray a few days ago about it, she brushed off my worry, stating that she was sure Lexi was busy. I also asked Gray if she'd reached out to Lexi herself, and she admitted she had invited Lexi out to lunch one day and had also gotten the same speech about needing to work extra shifts, but she just didn't seem concerned about it.
So I'm trying not to be.
Perhaps it's just she's nervous because we are expecting the results of the DNA test any day, and maybe she has a sliver of doubt as to what will be revealed. While I don't doubt for one second she's my daughter, perhaps she's just trying to remain a bit detached from us on the very slim chance her mother wasn't being truthful with her.