Silk Encased Steel

Chapter Eleven

“You really don’t have to drive me to the airport; I can get a cab just like I did to get here.” JT said once again as he carried his single overnight bag to the car. He was not looking forward to leaving; 24 hours had been a bit of a tease, though if his sudden appearance hadn’t gone well it would have been a great idea. Usually, he looked forward to going home, getting back to training and practice and games. Now though, he had a feeling of regret dampening the excitement that he got every time he headed back.

She just gave him a look and opened the driver side door. While her original argument was that an hour cab ride was too expensive did sound ridiculous the minute it had passed her lips and she remembered who she was talking to; it just felt like the right thing to do.  “Get in the car JT.”

He got in dutifully after putting the bag in the back and leaned over to kiss her. He got himself settled and was for once hyper-aware of the fact that he took up a lot of space in her small car. He knew he was a big person, but big people surrounded him, he had built his life to accommodate being oversized, high ceilings and open rooms weren’t just a real estate preference for football players.  “You are going to need to get a bigger car...” He declared with a grin.

Valentina rolled her eyes as she started the car, “That massive ego of yours is getting the better of you. Who says I’m keeping you around?”

JT looked pointedly at the three cats who were lounging by one of the outbuildings on her property, she had explained they were ferals who she had started caring for, they still eyed her suspiciously when she walked too close to them but the fact that she had food usually made up for it. “You take in strays, you are so keeping me around.” He chided.

She laughed, and they drove down the road, “You are the farthest thing from a stay there is. A multimillion dollar stray... yeah... right. I am not buying some crazy oversized truck for you.”

“My comfort is important, these knees are worth millions.”

“you know when I saw that monster truck of yours I really thought you were overcompensating for something..” She muttered glancing over at him and his mock look of horror.

He was a giant man-child.

She stood by the car at the airport with him, feeling awkward, not knowing what to say to him. Thanks for stopping by seemed a bit too casual, and I’ll miss you felt too emotional, too soon and too close to the truth for her liking. JT took her by the waist and pulled her in for a hug and the awkwardness melted away, “Thanks for letting me in. And letting me crash your new years brunch.”

Val stared up at him, “There almost wasn’t enough food this year.” She whispered mockingly, he smiled and she felt that pull in her body that was becoming too familiar. His hat pulled down so not to be recognized and cause a scene just enhanced it, making his square jaw look even broader.

“So...Toronto?” He sighed when he pulled back from their kiss.

“I’ll think about it.” She added seeing his frustrated look, “I promise, I will think about it very very hard.”

He nodded understanding and not understanding all at the same time. Despite how they had met, she was a cautious person; she liked to weigh her decisions carefully. More so than he did, he wasn’t overly impulsive, but when the right impulse struck him he followed it fully.

She sat in the car for a while after he had disappeared into the airport, security was not like in the movies, and she couldn’t wait with him, walk him to the gate and have a dramatic farewell. Which was really okay with her, she wasn’t good at being the center of attention, and JT Brodie was always going to be at the center of it. She wasn’t putting him off when she said she’d think about it.