Chapter 8

The next day, Conner awoke early and made his way to Taylor’s kitchen to make breakfast. He checked the time and made note of his training schedule so that he wouldn’t be late. The night before was by far the best sex of his life. He had never experienced anything like it and he was unsure what to make of it. Taylor had confessed that she was a virgin, which came as a surprise. The fact that she allowed him to be the first man to make love to her was a different feeling. She was an amazing woman in every way and he was beginning to feel things he never had before.

As he tried to find something to cook, he heard her coming into the room.

“Hi,” she said, wrapped in a plush pink robe. She was smiling up at him and the light in her eyes told him that she was satisfied. He was suddenly aroused at the thought, but he knew now was not the time for that.

“Hi,” he said. “I thought I’d make you some eggs before leaving.”

“That’s so cute,” she said. “I love eggs.”

He laughed as she made her way across the room and opened the fridge. She pulled out some orange juice and began to drink.

“So, how are you feeling this morning?” he asked

“A bit sore,” she replied, “but I know what to do.”

“Great” he replied. “I have training in an hour so I’m gonna take off soon.”

“That’s fine,” she said.

She walked over to him and reached up to kiss him.

“Thank you for last night,” she whispered.

He wanted to pull her towards him and take her right there in the kitchen but he had to leave and he didn’t need the coach benching him for arriving late.

“You should come to one of my games,” he said. “I think you would love it.”

Taylor looked at him thoughtfully.

“I think I will come to one of your games,” she said. “I could be another superfan.”

“Oh dear,” he replied. “Just don’t try to kill me when you realize I’m not the man you thought I was.”

“Oh, you know I can’t make that promise,” she joked.

He laughed and watched her walk away. He finished making breakfast and took a portion for himself. He went to her room and collected his clothes, which he hastily dragged on before going outside. The last thing he needed was for a neighbor to see him leaving her house at this time of the morning. When he got home, he ate in a rush and then went to his training center.

“Where have you been?” Stanley asked when he arrived.

“What do you mean?” Conner replied with a question. 

“I tried to call you all night,” Stanley replied. “I wanted to introduce you to a friend of mine.”

“Oh, I went to the community potluck last night,” he said. “It was good.”

“Wait, you?” Stanley was surprised. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I met a girl,” he replied. “She’s actually my neighbor.”

“Oh, my,” Stanley responded. “What’s so special about her?”

“She’s pretty awesome,” he replied. “She’s a neurosurgeon.”

“Dude, what’s going on?” Stanley asked. “The last time I checked, you were out here horning around.”

“I don’t know what it is. We haven’t really talked about it, you know,” he answered.

The only thing he knew was that they had spent an amazing night together. She had chosen him to be her first and he thought that must mean something. It wasn’t something he could just ignore and although he wasn’t interested in anything long-term, he wanted to see what could happen between Taylor and him.

“So, you guys just had sex?” Stanley asked.

“Heat of the moment,” he said. “You know how that goes.”

“Dude, it’s never good to sleep with your neighbors” he advised. “It’s like dating a co-worker. When shit goes wrong, you still have to see them every day.”

“Aren’t you the one who told me to stop chasing all these girls and find someone I could have a meaningful relationship with?” Conner asked. “I mean if I was to find someone, it would have to be this girl.”

“Does she want to have a relationship with you?” Stanley asked.

“Of course, she does,” he replied. “She’s a good girl, man. She doesn’t sleep around for sex’s sake. She wants more.”

“And you think you can give her what she wants?” Stanley asked. “I thought you were the one who wasn’t in for anything long-term.”

Once again, the thought crossed his mind. He wanted her, but he knew it wasn’t something he wanted long-term. He always felt that relationships were tiring and required too much, and he didn’t relish the idea of settling for one woman all his life. If she wanted that, he couldn’t give it to her, but he didn’t want to not have her. It was like an unsolvable riddle; he wanted her but he didn’t want her if she wanted him to commit in that way.

“I think we could arrange something,” He said. “I mean we’re good together and I’m thinking of getting someone steady until the day this whole thing with the management blows over.”

“I bet that’s exactly what she wants,” Stanley teased. “Women love to be placeholders.”

Conner didn’t like the sound of it, but he didn’t know what else to say. He couldn’t promise Taylor anything and he didn’t want to do it and then break his promise to her.

“Have you ever felt this way about anyone before?” Stanley asked.

Conner thought about his past, about the woman who broke him, and he tried to shy away from the painful memory. He didn’t think he had ever felt this way about anyone. In fact, he had loved Yolanda, but he had never felt loved by her. She was the one who persuaded him to do law because it would look good for her to have a lawyer as her husband. When he began loving it and spending too much time away from her, she tried to sabotage his career. He had been broken when he learned of her betrayal.

“I don’t think so,” he replied. “I don’t think it’s a big deal really, we can have fun.”

“Oh, well just be careful not to mess around with her and break her heart,” Stanley warned.

“I won’t, and I don’t think it’s that serious,” he responded. “You know me.”

Stanley walked away, leaving Conner to think about what was really happening. As he trained, he couldn’t take his mind off Taylor. Her body, her laugh and the way she tried to make him seem like a normal person. While people had avoided him at the potluck, she had stuck by him and refused to let him feel like an outsider in his own community. She was widely loved by everyone and he felt a bit jealous, but he couldn’t deny that she was lovable and that was something he couldn’t get used to. Her charm disarmed him, and he didn’t know how to react. He would have to figure things out before anything happened. If she wanted more, he would end things but if she didn’t, then they could develop an arrangement to suit them both.