To be fair, I’ve seen a lot of boob recently. Seen but haven’t been able to touch. It’s an odd kind of torture. There’s been a lot of hugs and kisses on the cheek and flirty touches, but I don’t want to push too far too fast.
Then there was last night. Kody has been fussy the past few days because he’s teething, and Lainey was wiped from lack of sleep. I offered to stay over and take the middle-of-the-night feeding so Lainey could get more than a couple hours in a row. I was prepared to spend the night on the couch, and in hindsight that likely would have been a hell of a lot smarter.
She lay down with Kody on her chest, and I waited until they both fell asleep before I transferred him back to his crib. I figured it would only be a couple hours before he woke for a feeding, and her bed is so much more comfortable than the couch, so I stretched out beside her.
The middle-of-the-night feeding never came, though, so I didn’t relocate to the couch. Instead I woke up spooning Lainey, with my morning wood pressing into her back and one hand very close to cupping her boob. Thankfully it didn’t make things too awkward, which I’m taking as a good sign.
Regardless, the mounting sexual tension is the reason I’m on set number six of chest presses.
“What rock have you been hidin’ under the past couple o’ weeks? The only time I see you is practice or workouts.” Lance is my spotter.
“I’m a little busy these days,” I grunt through the eighth rep.
“When you gonna stop hiding yer tour guide?”
“I’m not hiding Lainey—I just don’t want to subject her to my shitstorm. And we’re kind of figuring out how we work together. The last time we went out, I got mobbed, and it freaked her out.”
“She can’t get used to it without exposure.” Lance racks the bar for me. “You can’t hide her from the world, and it doesn’t do her any good if you’re trying to protect her from the media. Rip the bandage off, Rook. Bring her to a practice—and when she’s ready, bring her and Kody to a game so she can meet the wives. She needs to know she’s not alone. Your team is your family.”
“She hates big crowds.”
“The boxes are safe. And Poppy and Sunny are like the Zen team—they’ll make her feel right at home.” He slaps me on the shoulder. “I’m hitting the sauna, and you should too, if you don’t want to be crying like yer baby later.”
He has a point. I’ve asked Lainey if she wants to come to practice pretty much every time we have one. And it would be great if she could attend before an actual game when it’s total mayhem. I decide I’ll bring it up again tonight, once Kody is in bed.
I fire off a message to see if Lainey wants to have lunch. Most of the time I’ll pick something up and bring it to the aquarium, but today I’m thinking we could try a café. Baby steps and all.
I don’t hear from her before I reach the aquarium, but that’s not all that surprising. She doesn’t respond to messages when she’s leading a tour or with the animals. I find out from Eden that she left work about an hour ago and that she was feverish, with the chills, feeling nauseous.
I try calling her again, but there’s still no response. “What about Kody?” I ask Eden.
“He’s still at day care, as far as I know. At least I hope he is. I don’t think Lainey’s in any state to take care of him right now. She really didn’t look good when she left.”
“I’m going to check on her. See what she needs.” I’m halfway across the lobby when I realize I don’t have a key, and if she’s not answering her phone, I can’t be sure she’s going to answer her door either.
I turn to find Eden dangling a key chain from her finger.
“Can I borrow those?”
“No. I thought I’d taunt you with them.” She shows me which one gets me into the building and the one for Lainey’s apartment.
I rush across the street and take the elevator to her floor. I knock first, so I don’t scare the crap out of her, but when she doesn’t answer after about thirty seconds, I use the key to let myself in. “Lainey?” I call out as I close the door and lock it behind me.
I slip the keys into my pocket; anxiety makes my heart beat faster as I walk down the hall. I peek in Kody’s room but keep going when I see it’s empty. I pass the open, unoccupied bathroom and head for Lainey’s bedroom. The comforter is turned down; there’s a bowl on the floor and a half-full glass of water on the nightstand.