The rest of the room was filled with quality pieces—a dresser, a couple of nightstands. No Ikea here. A potted pink Calla lily sat on one of the bedside tables. Of all the flowers for him to choose … Was that his idea or whoever cleaned his place? Whatever the source, it made her throat tighten and her heart skip back to another time.
The next room over was a bathroom with a toilet and a shower stall. On the utilitarian end of the spectrum and lacking in personal grooming products, this was obviously the guest bath. She wandered back toward the master bedroom.
Reid’s bed was king-size (of course) and the room had an en suite bathroom. As soon as she entered it, her world flashed bright. A gorgeous glass-encased shower with pretty Moroccan blue tiles took up one corner, a hot tub the other. Kennedy was a whore for a beautiful bathroom and despite having access to the Y’s facilities, she still didn’t feel 100% clean. She’d start with the shower and work up to the tub. Make a real meal of it.
She left the bathroom door open while she took a twenty-minute hot-as-she-could-stand-it shower because when she closed it, Bucky whimpered outside. If Reid returned suddenly, she assumed he’d figure out the situation and not try to get a sneak peek.
If anything, Mr. By-the-Rules wouldn’t dare.
There was something oddly affecting about his reaction to Bucky showing love with a face lick, like he wasn’t used to doggie joy. He seemed determined to make a go of this dog ownership thing, which was good because she might have a promising gig here. The only thing was to figure out a place to live. It was great to have a temporary reprieve but she’d have to come up with a solution for the next six weeks soon.
She pulled out a pair of leggings and one of Edie’s chunky sweaters, and headed out to the kitchen with Bucky following her.
Music: B-52s
Mood: Hungry
Mantra: Inhale, exhale
“How about lunch?” Bucky’s bowl was already full to the brim—Reid must have done that before she arrived. A little too much for a dog this size, so she scooped some of it back into the bag and gave her new roomie a bowl of fresh water before washing her hands and starting on her own. On her way over, she’d stopped at Aldi and picked up some sandwich supplies and a few boxes of cheap-ass Mac & Cheese, enough to tide her over for the next few days.
Chewing on her sandwich, she walked the space, opening doors and noseying about. In-unit washer-dryer—nice! The place was unnaturally clean, though, not even a hint of cut stubble in the bathroom sink. A top-of-the-line Dyson stood sentry in the closet along with plenty of earth-friendly cleaning supplies.
There was something obsessive about Reid. She imagined him cleaning like a freak after a bad game (or maybe after a good game, which might be the way he kept the endorphins flowing). People got their kicks all sorts of ways and while cleaning wasn’t one of hers, she knew it worked to appease the demons in some.
“Okay, my friend, it looks like we’re going to do that walk!”
Bucky looked up from his spot on the living room rug and raised an eyebrow as if to say “now, you’re ready?” In that moment, he looked just like Peanut. That same sense of weary acceptance of his human’s foibles.
Her heart squeezed in memory. Poor Peanut had loved hiding out in dark places, too, just like this character. She grabbed the leash, hoping to motivate him, when a text came in.
Hot Jerk: Is Bucky okay?
Aw, he couldn’t have even left town yet. This guy was in deep, which did a lot to soften those razor-sharp edges.
She took a pic of Bucky lying on the rug and sent it.
Kennedy: He’s worn out after lunch. Look at that cute face
Hot Jerk: Okay, thanks. Let me know if anything happens.
Kennedy: Sure. Break a leg!
Shit, that was for theater and probably not appropriate for hockey.
Kennedy: I meant good luck.
No response. Okay. She returned to the leash and gave it a shake. “Let’s go, Bucky!”
After a vigorous run around the park across from Reid’s apartment, where Bucky had cowered in the face of a particularly vociferous blackbird, Kennedy took a moment for her own calm. She had grabbed her yoga mat from her car, and now she rolled it out in a nice roomy spot in the living area and began her warm-up poses. This was usually the only thing that soothed her racing mind.
That, and sex. She would have to do something about that soon. She had gone a couple of months without, a long time for her. There had been a customer at the coffee shop, then a few weeks later, one of the art students she modeled for at the community college. She had no hang-ups about her body or about finding pleasure where she could. She took care of herself, never led anyone on, or made promises. Permanence was not her goal. For the last six years, she’d moved around and made friends all over the world, a network she could turn to in times of need.
Only she hadn’t maintained it properly here in Chicago as her efforts to find a place to live attested. She couldn’t leave just yet, not while Edie was going through this transition period. To be honest, it suited her. Sometimes, it was fine to take a breather, as long as she kept busy while doing it. Filling her time pushed away thoughts about the past or the future.
Music: Bon Iver
Mood: Serene
Mantra: I Am Here, I Am Now, I Am Enough
Scattering her worries to the corners of the sparse room, Kennedy focused on her body. Breathing deep, filtering out the negative. She caught Bucky’s (one) eye as he watched her from his new favorite spot on the end of the sofa.
“Want to join me, boy?”
Head flop. No, thanks.
Her phone buzzed and as she was close to the end of her practice, she checked it to find a text from Mia followed by a link. Is this you?
Her gasp on clicking it made poor Bucky jump. The lake rescue had made the news!
Just as Kennedy suspected, that woman had been filming. Even without the added wrinkle of a famous—she supposed—sports star doing the rescuing, it was an interesting enough event in itself. Two people had jumped into the lake to save a dog. She would have filmed it, too.
Kennedy: Yeah. Long story.
Her phone rang immediately. “You and Reid rescued that dog from the lake together?”
“Reid did. I just happened to be there.”
Mia wasn’t buying it. “You were in the water! In Chicago! In November! No wonder Reid was trying to track you down. There’s something almost fated about it.”
“What? That’s—that’s ridiculous.” She didn’t subscribe to the notion of fate, or not the romantic view of it, anyway. Buddhists believed that we’re in control of our ultimate fates, and while not a die-hard adherent, Kennedy subscribed to the tenets that resonated with her, particularly about human life being one of suffering. Physical work, meditation, and good behavior were the ways to achieve enlightenment.
She was usually sorely lacking in the good behavior department.
“He called last night,” Mia continued, “worried you’re some fly-by-night party girl who’s going to rob him blind. So, uh, don’t do that.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.” That Mia even entertained the idea stung, but of course they didn’t know her from a hole in the wall. “I’m a professional.” Even if she had used that amazing shower. There had to be some perks.
“I know you are. I told Reid you’re amazing with Gordie Howe.” Mia chuckled. “Having a dog might get him to lighten up.”