Taking Shots (Assassins) (15 page)

“
So what’s up?”

No reason beating around the bush.

“
I think I messed up with Elli.” A lot of emotions went over Grace’s face: anger, surprise, concern, then the final one, worry.

“
What? What happened?”

“
She came over Sunday, and we had a great time, until we started making out and then-“

“
Unky Shea, what’s making out?” Ryan asked. Both he and Grace looked over at Ryan; he was looking up at them with his big, blue, innocent eyes.

“
Um,” Shea stuttered.

“
I’ll tell you when you’re fourteen,” Grace said, and she looked up at Shea. “Keep going, but spell the words that we don’t want young ears to hear.”

“
Okay,” he laughed, “Well, I went to put my hand up her s-h-i-r-t,” Grace nodding approvingly, “and she freaked. Ran out crying. I don’t know what to do, she won’t answer my calls, only my texts and they are like ‘I’ll call you,’ but she never does. It’s been two days, Grace. Tomorrow is opening night, and I’m freaking out! And I never freak out!”

“
Okay, so you were f-o-o-l-i-n-g around and then when you tried to c-o-p a feel, she ran out like a bat out of h-e-l-l?”

“
Yes, and she was crying.”

“
Hm, I don’t know why she would do that?”

“
I don’t either! That’s why I came to you!”

“
Jeez, calm down, let me think,” Grace pleaded as she put her chin on her hand and thought. “Has she had any kids?” Shea thought for a moment.

“
Um, no I don’t think so; she says she wants kids in the future.”

“
You don’t know?”

“
No.”

“
Okay, has she been married?”

“
I don’t know, it hasn’t come up.”

“
What the h-e-l-l do you all talk about?”

“
Whatever comes up.”

“
Don’t you think you should have the exes talk?”

“
Yeah, but it just hasn’t came up.”

“
You’re hopeless. If she won’t answer your calls, then go to her. If you’re in her face, where can she to go?”

This was a bad idea. Shea should have thought this out more instead of acting on impulse. It was close to eight and Elli still wasn’t home. Shea had called Jakob to ask Harper what Elli’s schedule was like and with his luck she should have been home by seven, since all she had was a birthday party at three, but she still wasn’t home. He was sitting in his truck because when he was sitting on the porch, Elli’s dog was barking it’s ass off and he felt bad, so he went back to his truck. He felt like he was already in hot water with Elli and he didn’t want to piss her off anymore.

Shea leaned back in his seat, moving his arm around. Jakob had slammed him into the boards earlier that day and he was feeling it now. He checked his phone seeing that it was almost 8:30, and decided to give her until nine. If she wasn’t there, he would leave the roses he had gotten for her on the doorstep and drive home. He had to get up early for practice, and he had all kinds of PR before the game tomorrow.

So he waited.

And waited and waited.

At nine, he couldn’t bring himself to leave, even when ten rolled around, he stayed where he was playing Angry Birds on his phone. He missed her a lot and if him being a little tired at practice would be the outcome of him waiting, then that’s what was going to happen.

Shea was soon becoming angrier with every minute that passed. Where the hell was she? It was close to eleven and she still wasn’t home, was she out with another guy? Did she replace him that fast? He tried to distract himself with his game, but it wasn’t working. He found himself looking up, then to the clock, back to the road, then her driveway, just in case he missed the truck driving by him. He finally spotted her truck at eleven. She pulled into the driveway and he jumped out, roses in hand.

Shea didn’t think she saw him; she was fully out the car, camera in hand, and still didn’t say anything as he walked up towards her. She looked beautiful. Her hair was up in a twist looking thing, she had on a pretty little blue dress that had yellow flowers all over it. She wore some sexy little heels and his mouth watered at the sight. Elli let out a little scream covering her heart with her hand when she turned.

“
Shea!”

“
Hey, Elli,” he answered shyly. He didn’t know why he was shy, shy wasn’t in his vocabulary, but there he was. It was disgusting , really. “These are for you,” he said quietly as he held out the roses. She looked down at them, then back at him, before taking them.

“
Thank you,” she whispered.

“
I haven’t heard from you.”

“
I told you I was really busy, you didn’t have to drive all the way out here.”

“
I wanted to see you,” he answered, looking down at her. But she wouldn’t look at him, and it was driving him crazy being this close to her and not kissing her. He took a step closer to her and she looked up at him.

“
I’m sorry I haven’t called. I’ve been so busy,” she said, looking back down at the ground.

“
Well, I’m here now.”

“
You are, how long have you been waiting?”

“
Not long,” he lied. She smiled.

“
The party I was doing ran over, and then there was traffic on I-24.” Shea nodded, still looking at the top of her head since she wouldn’t look at him. They stood there for what seemed like forever, her looking down at the roses, while he stared at the top of her head.

“
So, are you blowing me off?” he finally asked. She looked up at him quickly and then shook her head. The breath that he was holding came out in a whoosh. That was reassuring.

“
I’m just embarrassed, Shea. I don’t know where to go from here.”

He shrugged his shoulders, “Elli, I just want to see you, talk to you, be with you. I’m sorry if I did something wrong. I was caught up in the moment, I’m sorry.”

“
Don’t be sorry, Shea, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“
Then why did you run? Why haven’t I heard your voice in two days?” She shrugged her shoulders, turning to look at the house.

“
Would you like to go sit down? I gotta let my dog out.”

“
Sure.”

Shea followed Elli up the little cobblestone path to her porch. She climbed up, opening the door to let her dog out. Shea tried not to laugh when he saw the porker of a dog running on four little legs, but it was hard and soon couldn’t contain himself.

“
I know you’re not laughing at my dog,” Elli warned, Shea smiled sweetly, bending down to pet to oversized pup.

“
Of course not,” he lied, running his big hand down the dog’s back. The dog had a goofy look on its face as he licked Shea’s hand. “How you doing, bud?” The dog let out a little bark and took off for the field by the house. He watched the dog for a moment and then looked up to where Elli was sitting on the steps. He gave her a small smile as he went and sat next to her. He tried to give her space, but he missed her so much, so he sat right beside her, his knee touching hers.

“
It’s late, Shea. I know you have practice in the morning,” she said as she watched her dog, not looking at him.

“
I don’t care. Like I said, I wanted to see you.”

“
You’re gonna be hurtin’ in the morning,” she mumbled just as the dog came barreling up the stairs to sit between her legs.

“
I know, but you’re worth it.” She looked over at him surprised. Had no one ever told her that? Why was it every time he said something nice to her, she looked at him like he was from a different planet?

“
Okay,” she said, kissing the dog’s head.

“
You still haven’t told me your dog’s name,” he pointed out; she looked back up at him.

“
Adler.”

Shea just stared at her. Adler was his last name. Did she name the dog after him?

“
Adler?”

“
Yup,” she said nonchalantly as she kissed Adler’s head. She looked back over at him. “I’m gonna show you something. I think it will explain some of why I ran out the other day.” She reached into the sweater she had put on after going inside and pulled out a photo. She looked at him nervously before handing it to him. He took the photo from her, and looked at it.

It was a younger picture of her, maybe eighteen or nineteen, doing some kind of silly pose; she had the same eyes, the same smile, the same hair, her cheeks were hallowed in a little, and her face wasn’t as round as it was now, but the only real big difference was that in the picture she was skin and bones. She didn’t have the round ass she had, or the curves, or the breasts. She was literally skin and bones.

“
How old were you? Eighteen?”

“
Seventeen.”

He smiled; “You’re a baby in this picture.” She smiled nervously.

“
I was super skinny.”

“
Yes, you were.”

“
I’m not now.”

It was like a light bulb went on in his head.

She was nervous about her body.

Her perfect, beautiful, mouth-watering body.

Was she crazy!?

“
Baby, this picture is what, ten years old?”

“
I know, but you like girls that size and I’m not that size anymore, bigger in fact.” Okay, she was pissing him off. He didn’t date damn skin and bones, yes he would admit to the Barbie dolls, but he did like meat on his women.

“
Honey, I haven’t dated anyone this size in a while. When I was younger I did. But now they have meat on their bones.” She shook her head.

“
Shea, I have never seen you with a girl my size or even my look. That’s why you wanting to date me is so confusing. I’m nothing that you would want-”

“
How do you know what I want?” He said cutting her off, she just looked at him, surprised by his tone, probably, but she was pissing him off. She had just met him, how was she going to judge him by the women that he put on his arm. “I dated those women as an easy way out. If I had some super model on my arm, people bowed down to me. Not only was I hot on the ice, but I had me a hot piece of meat on my arm.”

Shea knew he had said the wrong thing when he saw the look on her face. It was a mix of hurt, anger, and just plain embarrassment.

“
And again, why would you want to date me? I’m not a super model, nor am I a size two, with fake tits.” She said standing up, “I am an overweight photographer with a forty pound dog that loves hockey and lives forty five minutes from town. What makes me worthy of being on your arm?”

“
Elli, I’m sorry, what I said came out wrong. I haven’t been with a model in a long time. Ever since we won the cup, my priorities have changed. I know you think I’m some kind of playboy, but I’m not, at least not anymore.” He stood up, too, taking a step closer to her, but she stepped back.

“
I never said you were; I just said that I’m not your type.”

“
But you are. Baby, please, listen to me.” He took her hands, kissing each palm before looking down into her eyes. “We get along so well, don’t we?”

“
I guess.”

“
Come on, you know we do.”

“
We do,” she said with a small smile, “But if you’re not attracted to me-”

“
Baby, I like that you aren’t a size two. Your curves drive me crazy, can’t you see that? Couldn’t you feel it on Sunday?” he said with a wink that made her smile “I wanted you so bad, I couldn’t see straight. I don’t want a Barbie doll, I want you, and if I have to prove to you that you are what I want, I will, but I’m just asking, begging really, to just give me a chance. Don’t write me off, yet.”

“
Shea, I just don’t see this working. You’re gorgeous, while I’m mediocre.”

“
You are far from mediocre, Elli, far from it. You are gorgeous, beautiful, amazing. Just give me a chance and anytime you feel that you’re not worthy just ask me baby, because I want to make you feel beautiful, always.”

Shea had her swooning, but didn’t she tell herself not to fall for his sweet words? But then again, he seemed so real, so compassionate, the way he was looking at her made her feel like she was the only girl, the only one that had him in knots. Could she completely trust him?

“
I don’t know. I’m just so scared.”

“
Of what?”

Elli felt the tears burning her eyes; she felt her heart beating in her throat. “The rejection, I guess.”

“
Oh, baby, come on.”

“
No, really, like, what if you see me naked and you’re disgusted, I don’t know what I would do,” she said with a shake of her head. He cupped her face, kissing the side of her mouth. He leaned back, a small crooked grin on his face.

“
Here’s what we’ll do, when you’re ready, we’ll go forth on the adventure of getting naked, but right now, I’m fine with a kiss here and there, as long as I don’t have to endure two days of not talking to you.”

“
Shea, be realistic, you love sex.”

“
Oh, hell yeah, I do, but I will wait until you’re ready because these two damn days have sucked,” he said with a laugh, “and I don’t want to rush this. I’ve always jumped right into bed with women, and then it’s over in no time. I don’t want that with you.”