“You’re very easy on the eyes.” She buried her face into his chest.
“You’re pretty easy on the eyes too, you know. Especially in that white lingerie my sister had on you.” He felt her shake in his arms, her short breaths against his skin told him she was laughing. “Do you think you could wear that again sometime?”
“I don’t think so. That is meant for someone else to purchase for their wedding night.”
“Oh. Too bad. I know Aleks would love to see it again too.”
He was laying the ground work. She probably thought this was going to be a one-time thing. But he had other plans.
She nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck. “Why do you work out so hard if you can’t compete?”
“I still compete, but now it’s just for fun. I’m not going to let them ruin my life. Training is my favorite thing to do, and if I have to endure a headache every once in a while, I’ll suffer.”
“It wasn’t always for fun?”
“I was a Junior Elite Champion. I was training to get on the Canadian National Team so I could compete at the World Championship.”
“Wow.”
“Six months into my training for the qualifying event, I started to get the headaches. I tried for months to work through them, but in the end it was too risky. What if the day of the gold medal event I got a migraine? I decided it was better to stop than to get that far and have to forfeit.” He rubbed his chin along the top of her head. “Not to mention the strain it would have put on my health.”
“I had no idea. Neither Carrie or Amie ever said anything.”
“I’m sure you ladies don’t talk about me that often and besides, they both know it’s a bit of a sore spot. I don’t talk about it with many people.”
“Thank you.” She hugged him closer. “Thank you for trusting me.”
He knew she meant it. And unlike others, she didn’t feel sorry for him. It was like she knew how it felt to give up something you love. Something that was the reason why you got out of bed in the morning.
“This sounds like a silly question considering what we just did, but what do you do for a living? When you’re not training that is.”
“I am a high school gym teacher.”
“Really? That’s great.”
“It allows me to stay active and also gives me a lot of down time to train. Having to deal with hormonal teenagers isn’t the best thing about the job, but they can be amusing.” When they’re not li
ttle assholes.
“You’re molding the future. That’s important.”
“Are you always this positive?” He liked it.
“I wasn’t always. It’s something new.”
“Meds?”
She hit him on the arm. “I am not on meds! I’ve just figured out what I’m supposed to do in the world and I’m going after it.”
“So you woke up one morning and realized your life’s purpose?”
“Sort of. It was a long time coming but, yes. I woke up one morning and decided that I wasn’t going to let life pass me by. So I hit the road.”
“Where did you go?”
“I traveled Europe, the States, India and Australia. I’m originally from Toronto, but I’ve moved across the country, working my way west from Vancouver. My favorite place was California. I stayed at the Niyama Ashram. That’s when I made the decision to go after what I wanted.”
She couldn't have given him a better opening. “What are you going after exactly?” It was the perfect opportunity for her to ask him to help her on her journey. All she had to do was take it.