Chapter 4 - Curvy Lady

 

It was early in the afternoon when Emma’s doorbell rang and she chuckled to herself before heading to answer it, finding the mammoth hockey player standing outside her door with an easy smile on his face. “You must be TJ,” she murmured while holding open the door, ushering him in, with the wave of a hand.

 

“I’d prefer Trent if ya’d be so kind.” The voice that went with the body over a foot taller than her own, was softer than she’d expected, and with a surprising touch of wariness she wouldn’t have expected.

 

Still, Emma nodded, resting a hand on his elbow for a moment before answering back, “Trent it is then. Glad to finally meet you. The team had sent me over your stats and bio, but it’s always good to get to know the person outside the uniform.” Especially when they’re as good looking as he is, she mused to herself.

 

Trent ducked his head a bit, giving her a smile so shy that Emma briefly wondered if she was looking into the mirror before he told her, “I’m just your regular, run of the mill hockey player, trying to see how far I can make it before I prove my parents right and end up back on the farm.” Emma didn’t miss the trace of venom in his voice, and again was struck by the similarities to her own life, the overwhelming desire to prove the people who were supposed to be supporting you wrong because they didn’t believe in you.

 

Giving him a knowing smile and leaning into the fridge, Emma grabbed him a bottle of water and chucked it his way. After noting that he caught it with his left hand, she told him matter-of-factly, “If my family had their way, I’d be married already to some country club yutz, raising babies and otherwise being the good little housewife. They kinda missed the memo that isn’t me.”

 

And finally, the smile Emma received back from Trent was sincere, a fact she could tell by the crinkling near his big brown eyes. Returning the smile in force and indicating he could settle down in one of the chairs near her kitchen table, Emma waited until he did so before she did likewise, asking him, “So what brings you to Blue Springs, Trent Jarrett? Why here? Why this team?” and after another moment she added, “Not recording this, it’s for my own knowledge, but if it’s alright with you I may pull it out if your story looks like one I can make a good article of.”

 

Once more Trent ducked his head a bit, repeating his earlier statement of, “I’m just a regular hockey player. Nothin’ special here.” But he did pause, taking a slow drink of the water and tilting his head back while doing so – giving Emma a tantalizing tease of his neck before he continued – “I came here because it’s close to home. About a four-hour drive. Figured maybe, just maybe, if the family knew I was succeeding, they’d have the justification to come and watch and see for themselves that I could make it at this.”

 

Nodding a bit, Emma opened up a bit to this kindred spirit, telling him, “I went with the exact opposite thought process – I wanted as far away from home as possible – I was afraid that if I did fail, it would be too easy to crawl back home with my tail between my legs.” Seeing those dark eyes grow a bit wary again, Emma changed the subject, changing tactics, “So I see you’re a year younger than me, and already done with school, and I know I finished a year early. Same situation for you?”

 

“Yes ma’am.” Trent answered immediately, with the same trace of wariness that had been present in the beginning. “My final year of high school, at the magnet school I was in, was also my freshman year of college. I still have eligibility to play college hockey, but with my degree in hand, I didn’t much see a point of sticking around. So here I am.”

 

“And you were the Captain your final year there? That’s got to be quite the statement to your leadership abilities for someone so young to be given so much responsibility.”

 

And this time, Emma was pleased to see she’d hit the right note, pleased to see the eyes crinkle again, before that shy little head duck again appeared. “My coaches and teammates seemed to think so. It was an honor to be nominated and then voted that way, as you said, as someone so young.”

 

Giving him an almost devious little grin, Emma finally went for the tease. “And yet you drive an American Muscle Car. What happened to Mr. Responsible?”

 

Laughing – finally! – Trent matched her grin with one of his own, telling her, “That was a bit of a fuck you to the old man. He’d found a nice truck for me at a local dealership. And it was a nice truck, and I liked it, but it was expected. And I saw that beauty out there and decided since it was my money, I would buy her instead.”

 

“Her?” Emma inquired with the same wide grin, eyes dancing in Trent’s direction, even as his face took on a pretty shade of red.

 

“She’s too smooth, too feisty, to be a guy. Plus,” and he paused while his eyes danced, “she has a great set of curves.”

 

Busting out laughing, it took Emma several minutes to control herself before telling him, “I can see you’re going to keep me on my toes, Trent. Anything else fun or exciting you want to blow my mind with?”

 

Reaching across the table so that his hand was near hers but not on it, he answered with a laugh and a grin, “I had a tongue piercing for a few months. Till the old man got wind of it, and threatened to rip it out of my tongue if I wanted to keep living under his roof. So, I let it close up.”

 

Tilting her head thoughtfully, Emma tried to visualize the shaggy haired gentle giant in front of her with a tongue piercing and just couldn’t see it. The act as rebellion, for sure, but not the act itself. Stretching her hand so her fingers just barely ghosted over the top of his, Emma gave Trent a bit of a shy smile. “Somehow, I see you and I getting along well. I think we’re too much alike not to.”

 

And though she was surprised when he shifted his hand away, Emma found it didn’t bother her, because the shy smile remained on his face the entire time.

 

There was something comforting about this man, maybe comfortable enough to consider getting closer to him.