Running Game(22)

“Will do, sir,” he said, before turning to Maisey. “Madam, it was nice to meet you.”

“You too,” she said, her voice pensive and quiet.

“Bye Harlan, have a nice day. Say hello to Joy and kiss the kids for me, okay?”

“You got it, Jesse,” he said, hugging me and giving Maisey a nod before walking out.

I turned back to her and began to stand up, reaching for the crutches.

“You don’t look like you’re in too much pain,” she said.

“Don’t I?” I said, feigning a quick wince.

“Not at all,” she said.

“Well, I am. In case you forgot, I was hit by a damn car. Besides, it’ll be much more comfortable if we work here, don’t you think?”

“We have the most modern, comfortable facility at Steadman Hawkins,” she said, standing in front of me with her hands on her hips, as she watched me struggle with the crutches.

“Yes, but does it have this view?” I said, gesturing towards the balcony.

She turned and blinked when she saw the mountains looming large in the distance, the city of Denver sprawled below us.

“No, it doesn’t,” she admitted. “This is a beautiful place, Jesse. You’ve done well for yourself, haven’t you?”

“Better in some ways than in others… I also have a place in the country out near Ft. Collins, actually. If that appeals to you more, we could go there.”

“No, this is fine,” she said, turning back to me. “I guess we can work here for a few days. You still have to go to Steadman for aquatic therapy.”

“I have a hot tub out on the balcony and there’s a pool downstairs,” I replied, smiling at her. The sun was streaming in through the windows behind her, light glowing through her curls that created a shimmering effect. It was mesmerizing. Her black hair hadn’t greyed a bit, she didn’t seem to have one wrinkle on her face, and her body was curvy but tight and toned. I raked my eyes down her body, drinking in her beauty slowly. She stood watching me, her arms crossed across her chest.

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” she asked.

“I try to. Why don’t you sit down?” I said, gesturing to the wrap-around white leather sectional in the middle of the living room. “Let’s talk a bit and catch up. Can I get you something to drink? Beer? Wine?”

“It’s ten o’clock in the morning,” she replied.

“Mimosa then?” I asked. “Bloody Mary?”

She laughed and shook her head.

“Water,” she said.

I fumbled my way over to the kitchen and she stood watching with amusement.

“What?”

“You’re getting around a little better with those than you were the other day,” she said.

“Well, it’s not like I’m getting much help from you,” I said, sliding a bottle of water across the black quartz kitchen island between us.

“My job is to teach you how to be self-sufficient, as well as heal. Your job is to do things for yourself. Why would I do your job for you?” she quipped. For a moment, I even detected the traces of a smile. Maybe she was warming up to me after all.

“What’s the Children’s Heartlink Foundation?” she asked as she opened the bottle of water and took a long drink off of it. My cock began throbbing in my shorts as I watched her lips wrap around the neck of the bottle.

“What?” I asked, shaking the thought from my head.

“The man who was here, he mentioned the Children’s Heartlink Foundation,” Maisey replied.

“It’s a charity I started,” I said, completely distracted by her lips.

“A charity for kids?” she asked.

“Yeah, kids with heart problems. Do you remember my sister, Nina?”

“Yes, I do. How is she?” she asked.

“I guess you didn’t hear… She passed away during my sophomore year at Colorado State.”

Her eyes widened, and she looked at me with such sadness, I felt the urge to comfort her.

“I didn’t know, Jesse, I’m so sorry,” she said.

“Thank you,” I replied, Nina’s face rushing front and center in my mind. I missed her so much every day. “I always wonder what she’d be like now, you know? She was such a great kid.”

“She was, I remember. But… How did she…” she started to gently ask.

“She had a heart condition. We didn’t know until it was too late…”

“I’m so sorry, Jesse, that sounds awful.”

“It was. It was sudden. There was nothing that could be done.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said again, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at me. That was the last thing I wanted - to see Maisey cry. She was so perfect, so fucking beautiful, I never wanted her to be sad, ever.