She looked up suddenly remembering he was there. "Sorry, you didn't need to know that."
He leaned across the table and touched her for the first time. Eleven years. How tired he was of that number, but it was dogging him. It was their legacy. "Amanda, Mandy, there is nothing you can't tell me. It's been, well a long time, that we haven't talked. But, I'm still your friend. I will never judge you for what has happened." He'd never judged her, despite all their shared secrets.
She avoided his gaze as she worked through that statement. He leaned closer. "I want to be part of your support system." With that, he withdrew. "Excuse me." He had to give her a minute to get her footing back under her. She might appear calm, but his sudden appearance had to have thrown her for a loop. It was fucking with his head.
In the bathroom he took a leak and then washed his hands. He stood looking in the mirror for a long time. He looked older than he remembered. He never had time to really look at himself lately. He didn't look bad, he hadn't aged that much. He attributed that to keeping himself in good shape, eating well and drinking lots of water. In short, playing hockey had been a fountain of youth. Not that he was old, but he was old in the hockey world. He wasn't going to play forever. Luckily, he had a lot of money in the bank for his early retirement, because he had no other useful skills in the world that anyone would pay him for.
Okay, time to head back to the table. Finish the meal without confessing anything. Enjoy her company, take her home. Move on to the second part of his plan.
****
After Kip's question, her little confessional about Eric, and then his quiet words about being part of her support system, the rest of the evening was relaxed and fun. They chatted about their lives. He regaled her with stories from various players he'd known, and places he'd seen. She told him about teaching and raising Colton.
He insisted on getting Colton a dessert before they went. Then he dropped her off at home at 8:15. She opened her door in the lock and then turned to him.
He surprised her by grabbing her elbows and pulling her close to him. He bent down and brushed his lips against hers. Just a soft, barely there brush. She could smell the dinner mint on his breath. She could smell his cologne. She could feel his heat so very close to hers, even through their jackets.