I’ve just gotten back in bed when Serena comes back, stillholding Joey. She puts him on the bed and cocks her head, a worried expression on her face. “Would you be terribly upset if he slept with us tonight?” she asks. “It’s really cold in his room.”
What can I say to that except, “Of course not. Get in, big guy.”
Joey wiggles under the covers and nestles into the spot Serena was in just a few minutes ago. Since I’m fully dressed, there’s no reason he can’t cuddle against me, and he seems to have no qualms about getting comfortable. Serena gets in on his other side and reaches over to begin stroking Joey’s back. We’re quiet for a while but then her soft voice breaks the silence.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“It’s okay,” I whisper back.
It’s not ideal but it really is cold on the other side of the apartment where Joey’s cubby hole of a room is. I’m a horny son of a bitch, but I’m not an idiot. A child’s comfort is always going to come before my sex drive.
I can tell by Joey’s soft, even breathing, he’s already fast asleep. I turn onto my side and reach over him, resting my hand on her hip, since she’s also on her side, facing me.
“I owe you one,” I say.
“Considering you just got C-O-C-K blocked, I think we’re even.”
“I was very well taken care of with the world’s best B-L-O-W J-O-B.”
We chuckle, but even in the darkness, I can see her searching my face, as if she’s concerned I’m mad or something.
“When the storm is over, we’ll have a sleep over at my place,” I promise. “We’ll make sure there’s coverage for Joey so we can have a little alone time. I’m sure Jayne will help out if I ask her.”
She hesitates but then nods. “Okay.” She pauses. “Tell me about your roommates. Jayne is…Bodi’s girlfriend?”
I’ve talked about everyone in general terms, so I give her more details. “Yes. She’s our old coach’s daughter.”
“The one who’s in prison?”
“Yup. It was a crazy couple of months. He was embezzling from the team and got caught. Meanwhile, he’d forbidden Bodi and Jayne from seeing each other, and yes, she’s an adult. Twenty-three.”
“Wow.”
“She’s great. I think you two will get along.”
“I’d like to meet her.”
“She’s now raising her seven-year-old sister because her dad and stepmom are both in prison.”
“The stepmom was embezzling too?”
“She pretended to start an interior design business or something. It’s convoluted, but yeah. Jayne’s finishing her master’s degree in May, and she and Bodi contracted to build a house, so I told them to stay with me and save money until it’s finished. It’s a little crowded sometimes, but honestly, I’m lucky to have a great group of people in my life.”
“There’s Viktor and Simon too, right?”
“And Felix.”
She giggles. “I’m not going to remember all of them.”
“Felix is French-Canadian so you’ll remember him from his accent. Vik is Russian and though his English is getting better, there’s no mistaking the way he talks.”
“And the other guys are single?”
“Simon’s just out of a nasty divorce, so he’s not looking. Vik hooks up on the road but says he wants to avoid that here at home. And Felix is…quirky. He’s a bit of a hypochondriac, except when it comes to hockey. He complains about literally everything but always has your back if you need him.”
“They all sound like fun.”
“They are.”