Jane had called ahead and told Viktor that she’d have to get there later. She’d completely forgotten about her doctor’s appointment. It had been on her mind yesterday until that incident at the supermarket. Now she sat there in silence with her bare back exposed to the doctor she’d been seeing for some time now.
“It looks better than the last time I saw you.” He stepped back and handed her her shirt. “Are you feeling better?”
“As a matter of fact I am.” Jane got up and slipped on her shirt. She immediately grabbed her big wool cardigan to get warm again. “I’ve been able to move my shoulder without trouble, it only hurts when I hit then spot on something.”
“That sounds good. Well, keep on using the ointment I gave you and I’ll see you again in four weeks.”
Jane thanked him and left the practice. Usually she appeared at Viktor’s place around eight in the morning. Now it was already past eleven. The good thing was that she’d avoided talking to him this way. Hopefully he’d leave the topic alone now. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore or even think about it. But Viktor had a way to lure her in and make her talk whether she wanted to or not.
After unlocking the door to his apartment, Jane stepped inside and called out to him that it was only her. He answered from the living room. It was followed by a laugh. Jane stopped and listened for a moment. It sounded like he wasn’t alone. She toed off her boots and hung up her coat before she headed towards the living room. Of course she’d been right.
“Hey,” Jane said with a smile. Both men turned towards her.
“Hey. Everything okay?” Viktor asked, looking at her curiously. She’d been honest with him and told him about the appointment, instead of saying that she had some business to attend. It was better this way.
“Nothing to worry about. It was just a routine check-up. Sorry, I wanted to tell you yesterday, but I kinda forgot.” Jane shrugged her shoulders and smiled at the two men.
“Okay.” Viktor turned towards the guy next to him. “That’s Jane. My physiotherapist, right hand, whatever you want to call it. Jane, this is Niklas Hjalmarsson. One of my teammates and a good friend.”
“Nice to meet you, Jane,” he said with a grin.
“Nice to meet you, too. Will you be here for lunch? I was just about to start on it and it’s no problem to make a bit more.”
“Thanks for asking, but I can’t I’ve got maybe fifteen minutes before I have to head out for practice.”
“Maybe some other time then.” Jane left the two of them alone and retreated to the kitchen. She could still hear them talk when she started to prepare lunch.
“Varför har du inte berätta att hon är jättesnygg och sexig?” (Why didn’t you tell me that she’s gorgeous and sexy?) Niklas looked at Viktor.
“Eftersom det är ingen av ditt företag…” (Because it’s none of your business) Viktor gave his friend a little shove, but smiled to himself. “Du skulle ha kommit hit på nolltid om jag hade sagt.” (You would have come here in no time if I had told you)
Viktor looked at him long and hard, before he said with a grin: ”Du vill behålla henne för dig själv, eller hur?” (You want to keep her to yourself, don’t you?) Viktor didn’t answer straight away, so Niklas went even further when he said: ”Du gillar henne!” (You like her!)
”Så? Vad händer om jag gör?” (So? What if I do?) Viktor sighed and leaned forward as far as he could without experiencing pain. ”Titta...” (Look...)
Ans so, after making him promise that he wouldn’t breathe a word to anyone, Viktor told Niklas what had happened the day before. And the days before that. He gave him the short version of what he’d experienced with Jane so far. He liked her alright, but not in the way Niklas made it out to be. Sure, he didn’t want Niklas to snatch her up or anything, but that didn’t mean that he liked her that way, did it? Great, now he was confusing himself.
”Well, go for it.” Those were the last words, Niklas said to him, when he got up to leave the apartment. ”Bye, Jane.” He called before he left. Viktor didn’t have a chance to say anything in return.
Jane appeared with two plates before him and handed him one of them before she sat down in the armchair. Her cheeks were a bit flushed, but before he could ask her about it, she said: ”So your friend thinks I’m gorgeous and sexy... Do you think so, too?”
”What?” A look of utter horror passed over Viktor’s face.
”Jättesnygg means gorgeous, doesn’t it?” She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She’d heard their conversation and had understood at least the bginning of it. After that they’d talked to fast for her to keep up.
”How do you –” he broke up and waved his arm around, not sure what was happening.
”I took a Swedish course after German and Italian.” She tilted her head to the side. ”And he said that you want to keep me to yourself or something like that.”
”Käre Gud,” he mumbled to himself. (Dear God!) ”Hey, why did you not tell me this before?”
”Why should I there was no point in me telling you this, since you’re perfectly capable of talking English to me.” Finally she let out a laugh. The expression on his face was too funny to keep it under control anymore. ”Relax! It’s alright. If anybody is keeping me to themselves, it’s Patrick and Abby.”
”I do think that you’re gorgeous. And sexy.”
Now he had caught her off guard. She’d thought she’d tease him a bit, because she’d heard what they’d been talking about, but she’d never thought that he’d say something like this. She felt her face flush and looked down on her plate.
”Well, that’s good to know,” she finally managed and looked up at him. He was peering at her with the hint of a smile on his lips. Good. She’d made him feel emberrassed and now it was her turn to feel that way. After all, he’d thought they’d been safe because they’d talked in Swedish. Now he knew better.
At least he’d not lied to her to get even with her. It had been the truth. He did think that she was gorgeous. The sexy part was more because of her attitude, the way she carried herself and talked than the way she looked.
Before they could get into this discussion any more, Jane raised her hed to look at the clock on the wall. ”Eat up! We have to get you to the hospital for the check-up. I completely forgot about the time.”
She put her half eaten lunch back in the kitchen and gave him a little more time to eat his. He was already dressed and only had to put on one shoe before they could go. Jane gathered everything they needed and put it in the car.