Cry to Me

"What's the most bizarre or inappropriate interview question anyone has ever asked you?"

The two were lying together, legs entwined, bodied wrapped around one another, continuing their conversation from dinner, enjoying their post-coital bliss.

"Hmm. I once had an interviewer ask me if my concussion had any ramifications on my personal life," Sidney responded with a chuckle.

"Wow. That's bold. What would that have anything to do with your playing career?" Dulci asked, her head resting on his chest.

"I don't know. So many press people try to weasel their way into my personal life. I'm not sure why getting a boner with a concussion seems relevant to my career."

She was falling asleep. The way he was running his fingers through her hair was soothing, and his warm body pressed against hers made her feel safe and comfortable.

"Someone once asked me if I had a dark side growing up. That was interesting."

The sound of his voice jolted her from her twilight.

"Were you sleeping?" He craned his neck down to look at her.

"I wasn't trying to. You're so warm and comfortable, and your hand in my hair doesn't help," Dulci murmured nuzzling into his chest.

"Do you want me to stop?"

She shook her head no as she brought her hand to rest on his other pectoral muscle. Thinking she would be going to sleep, he used his legs to pull the throw blanket toward them enough that he could grab it without moving them too much. Once they were adequately covered, he put his hand onto hers, gently rubbing up and down. He felt a jagged grove on the top of her wrist that he examined with his fingers, wondering what the scar came from.

"That was a cat bite that needed a drain," Dulci answered his unspoken question.

“Ouch.What happened?”Even though it happened two years ago, Dulci felt her heart clench at the way his voice sounded concerned.

"It was my second day seeing appointments after graduating. The cat was very feral and the technician was terrified. I sedated it to I could do a thorough exam.After I reversed the sedative, I scruffed it while she put it’s carrier back together.It was too late at that point, he somehow craned his head and latched onto my wrist while he was half sedated, which made it worse because it wasn’t completely aware that it was already biting me."

Sidney watched as she spoke with that hand, gesturing as she told the story while her other arm was folded between them.

"I went to the local urgent care facility and got antibiotics, but the bacteria was pretty aggressive. When my wrist started oozing, I went to the ER. I had a drain in for three weeks. They eventually had to suture it open to flush it repeatedly."

"Left a pretty nasty scar." He held her wrist close to his eyes, looking closer before kissing the discolored raised skin. The sentiment made her blush.

"Guess you'll never be a bracelet model, eh?"

"Guess not," she sighed. "I usually wear my watch over it. It makes me self-conscious when people stare at it. It's not pretty," she continued.

"I've seen worse. Most hockey players have wear and tear," he said putting her arm back on his chest, holding it in place.

"I bet you have."

They fell into a comfortable silence again, watching No Strings Attached. Dulci thought the movie was fitting. Here they were, lying naked together less than an hour after having extraordinary sex. As she closed her eyes, she thought about her situation.She was developing feelings for him, and she wasn't sure if the feeling was mutual or if he wanted the keep it casual. He said he was interested, but what did that really mean? The more time she spent with him, the more she found herself daydreaming about being his girlfriend. The way he held her, kissed her, touched her, and looked at her didn't seem casual. It was a proper relationship compared to what she had with Henry. They were the definition of casual sex.

"Is this what you had with Henry?" Sidney gestured toward the television. Dulci blinked in surprise. This was the second time he seemed to be able to channel her thoughts. If her mind wasn't racing before, it was going a mile a minute then. Why did he want to know about Henry? Was Sidney comparing himself to Henry? Was he jealous? Did he think she was still having casual sex with Henry? Should she be talking about Henry to the man she could easily fall for? She started involuntarily fidgeting as she tried to weigh the pros and cons of discussing her sexual escapades with someone she potentially wanted to be with. She didn't want to scare Sidney away. Wasn't it to early to talk about past lovers and significant others?

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," he kissed the top of her head, squeezing her into a hug as an apology.Within an instant of asking, he could feel her relaxed body harden.

"No, no. It's fine. I just didn't expect him to come up as a topic you would want to discuss."

She scooted off of him and rested her head in her hand, looking at him.

"Where should I start,” she sighed before going with what felt right.

“You could say we were friends with benefits. We never dated or discussed the possibility of dating. I've know him since vet school."

"Is he a vet, too?"

"No. He was dating one of my roommates from Virginia Tech when I met him. I didn't even know he lived in Pittsburgh until I saw him at the grocery store shortly after I moved here."

"When did you start seeing him?"

"Shortly after our first run in together. He messaged me on Facebook, we met for drinks to catch up. Our reunion was at a time when we were going through serious changes in our lives. What we had was a way to comfort one another, I guess." She shrugged, figuring her explanation as the best way to describe them. She was afraid to look at him. Instead she picked at a fray in the sheets. She was being as honest as she could be, putting herself on the line.

“Were either of you seeing anyone at the time?”

“I wasn’t.I don’t believe in being romantically involved with more than one person at a time, or in that particular circumstance, being physically involved with more than one person at a time.”Dulci’s laughed nervously.Her heart was beating faster the more serious their conversation got, and she started fearing her sentences sounded like word vomit.

“I can’t speak for him,” she cleared her throating, trying desperately to get it together.

"Was he the one interested in BDSM?"

She tried to get rid of her deer-in-headlights expression, but it was no easy feat. She was hoping he'd forgotten about it. She nodded as she tried to find her breath.

"Have you talked to him recently?"

Dulci could tell he felt a tinge of jealousy by the way he lost eye contact as he asked. She nudged him over so she could lay her head onto his chest, where she hoped she'd wake up the next morning.

"No. I recently starting someone and I hope it works out." She closed her eyes, one because she was exhausted, and two because she hoped they were seeing each other exclusively, but was afraid to ask.

"Good," he whispered into her hair as she kissed her head.

Dulci smiled against his chest as she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

----

"Dulci! Earth to Dulci!"

She was having a late dinner with Savannah two days after Sidney left for his road trip, but couldn't focus on reality to save her life.

"What's going on up there?" Savannah laughed, pointing towards Dulci's head.

"I'm a fucking mess," Dulci huffed, hands fisting her hair, shaking her head.

"Obviously! What's up? Maybe I can help."

"I like him, really like him." Dulci looked at Savannah, waiting for jokes to start, but nothing happened.

"Yeah, and?"

"What if the feeling isn't mutual? What if I'm just a piece of ass?"

“Why would you think that?If he was just fucking you, he’d leave after he was finished.He’s always stayed over, right?”

“Yes, apart from the first time we slept together, but I had to go to work, so I guess that doesn’t count,” Dulci reasoned, more so to herself then to Savannah.

“Then why are you doubting he wants you?”

“He’s in Toronto right now and I can’t help but worry that he’s at a bar, chatting up some girl, ready to take her to bed.Don’t judge,” Dulci warned her friend.

Savannah had known Dulci for two years, and had never known Dulci to be uptight about anything.It was clear that she more than liked Sidney.

“He’s probably worried about the same thing here.”

“That’s absurd.I don’t have thousands of guys waiting for me to be available.”

"Let me get this straight. Do you really think the guy who is sought out by ninety-eight percent of women in Pittsburgh, spends his free time with you, trusts you with the care of his dog, let's you cry on his shoulder, buys you flowers just to cheer you up, and has hot sex with you as often as his and your schedules will allow, doesn't like you romantically?" Savannah rattled off, counting on her fingers.

"He asked me about my relationship with Henry.What if I’m his Henry?”

"Maybe he was just trying to get to know you better. Better yet, maybe he was trying to feeling your answers out to see if you were looking to be in a legitimate relationship with him. From everything you've told me, he's been into you even while he was with that shitty friend of yours."

"That's another thing. What about Carly?”Dulci rolled her eyes at herself.It was just another obstacle she wasn’t sure how to handle when it came to her and Sidney.

“What about her?” Savannah scuffed.

“She's supposed to be my best friend and I'm totally into her ex boyfriend. I feel awful," Dulci sighed, forehead resting against her hand.

"Yeah, the boyfriend that she messed around on, dumped while she was pregnant with his child, which she aborted without him knowing, might I add. As far as I'm concerned, she's a terrible girlfriend and a horrible friend, especially since she used you as her pawn to lie to him. He deserves someone honest like you, who went out of her comfort zone to talk about her ex-fling even thought she didn’t want to, just because he asked. She even told you that you should date, if I remember correctly?"

"Not in so many words. She said we'd be a better match because she wanted something he couldn't give her while I’d be more accommodating with my busy work schedule. That's not her blessing to date him, if that's even what he and I are doing," Dulci huffed, internally plagued with her different thoughts and emotions.

“Speaking of honesty, do you think I should’ve told him about Carly and the pregnancy and abortion?”

“You could have, but you were trying to protect your long time friend, and it wasn’t really your place to share that information with him, regardless of how hot he is shirtless,” Savannah thought out loud, trying to figure out the situation if she was in it.

“What about mine?”Dulci knew telling Sidney would be touchy, and she told herself for a long time that she would never tell a future boyfriend, but she felt like she wanted to tell him everything about her, including her baggage.At first Savannah wasn’t catching onto Dulci’s hints, but when she did, she was honest and matter-of-fact.

“Absolutely not.If he asks if you’ve been pregnant down the road, you can answer however you want.What happened in the past is just that, the past.”

Dulci nodded.Savannah was right.Telling him would be death to their short relationship.

"Christ. I've never been this girl. I've never cared about labels or exclusivity. What's happening to me?"She was driving herself insane.

"Aww.Just talk to him. Feel him out. Trust me. He was asking about Henry for a good reason."

"Savannah, if he's into me, why hasn't he called? He's been gone for two days and I've heard nothing from him, not even a measly text! Oh my god. Listen to me." Dulci laughed at herself and her desperation.If she didn’t laugh, she’d cry.

"He must've gotten a lot better with the sex," Savannah teased as the two started eating their entrees.

“You have not idea,” Dulci sighed as she smiled brightly, thinking about the last night they were together and the more than satisfying quickly in the shower before he left for the road trip.

A couple hours later, after a much needed girl talk, Dulci walked into her house. She'd forgotten her phone on her bathroom vanity before she left to meet Savannah, and hoped Sidney had attempted to contact her while she was gone. Hitting the home button, she smiled with relief as she saw he tried to call and text. Changing quickly, she settled into bed for an early morning before opening his text message.

Away games suck when you have a beautiful girl waiting for you at home. I miss you.

Notes