Room for Rent

Lauren was just coming back into her apartment from her shift at the hospital when she heard her laptop ringing. Despite being dead tired, she nearly sprinted and dived onto her couch to answer the call. She was trying to calm her breathing when suddenly he was on her screen. It was just like all the times she had Facetimed with him before, almost as if the world stopped and it was just the two of them together. He smiled a big toothy smile at her but even she noticed how tired he looked. The beginning of the season had been really tough on them and as captain, Jamie was taking things really personally. They were on the tail end of their first road trip of the season and it seemed like Lady Luck had begun to shine down upon the Stars. The boys had been on fire; defeating the Lightning, Panthers, and Flyers over a span of 5 days.
“Hey Jamie! Great game tonight.”
“Hey Lo. Thanks. Did you manage to catch any of it?”
“I caught some of the second intermission report when I was checking Mr. Robinson’s I.V. after my dinner break. Pierre said you and Tyler were playing really well. I think he has a bit of a crush on your bromance but whatever...” Lauren said with a slight smile.
“Ha ha. Very funny. Well at least you saw something. How was work?”
Lauren sighed, removed her glasses, and pinched the bridge of her nose. She loved her job, she really did but her mentor was shirking a lot his responsibilities and she was having to pick up the slack so that he wouldn’t throw her under the bus.
“It was fine Jame. Whatever is going on with Dr. Hale and I will pass. I just have to buck up and get through it.”
Jamie felt awful for her. As psyched as he was about the win streak, all he wanted was to be there with her to console her and tell Lauren that it would get better.
“I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do. Other than being a complete dickhead, he isn’t doing anything else right? Nothing creepy?”
“Jamie,” Lauren said with a shocked laugh.
“What?! I just gotta make sure that you’re safe at work and that no one is threatening my girl while I’m away.”
Lauren pretended not to notice and let it go without any comment. Since their awkward run-in after Jamie’s shower, they had been texting and snapchatting non-stop. Lauren was becoming a part of the team and whenever they went out, Jamie was right by her side making sure she was happy. And for the first time in several years, Lauren was happy. In fact, she wasn’t sure the last time she had been so happy. Even though they were not dating and she wasn’t even sure he felt anything for her, she was just content being his friend.
“Hang on a sec Jame”
Lauren turned her laptop towards the wall while she began to strip out of her scrubs and get ready for bed.
“Okay talk to me.”
“Ummm….Lauren, I’m looking at your wall.”
Lauren’s face popped onto the screen and smiled.
“Yeah and I’m getting ready for bed so talk to me and be content looking at the wall.”
Jamie rolled his eyes and began to tell her all about the trip so far. He was in the middle of the funniest part of a story regarding a prank Sharp had played on Segs when he could hear Lauren cracking up. God...making her laugh was the best feeling in the world. There was the sound of feet running and suddenly she was back on the screen. This time however, she was without her scrub top and just in a sports bra. Lauren pulled her toothbrush from her mouth before talking to him.
“Shut up! I can’t believe Sharpy did that! How did Tyler respond??”
Jamie wanted to answer her right away but his mind was completely derailed by Lauren’s physique. From the first time he saw her in the game room, he was taken aback by her beauty but this was completely different.
“Jamie...Jame?”
Jamie cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair.
“Ahem...yeah sorry about that just lost my train of thought. Listen it’s late here and I gotta go to bed. We have an early travel day tomorrow.”
Lauren was confused by the sudden change in conversation but agreed to let him go.
“Hey only three more sleeps before I get to see you again!”
“Yeah...I can’t wait to see you in person,” said Jamie. He truly meant it. He had known girls in the past and Facetiming with them on the road was purely for phone sex. Yet, Facetiming with Lauren with different. It made him want to return to Dallas as soon as he could.
“Goodnight Jame,” Lauren said. She kissed her palm and held it flat out but away from the screen. On the other side of the country, Jamie held out his fingers and touched the center of her palm on his computer screen.
“G’night Lo. Sleep tight.”
Just as quickly as she had come onto his screen, she was gone. For the first time in his career, Jamie really hated being on the road. Turning off his laptop and putting it away, he heard Tyler roll over in the bed next to him.
“Your girl, huh?”
“Shut up man.”
“Hey no judgements Chubbs. She’s hot. But uh you may want to go take a cold shower because I know you get hard from that romantic bullshit.”
“Whatever man. I didn’t even know you were awake.”
“And what? If you knew then you wouldn’t have been so soft? Sorry man but I don’t believe you. You are so far gone over her. Lauren and Jamie sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
Jamie threw a pillow across the room, which Tyler caught with ease.
“Just go to bed asshole.”
“Yes captain. Right away sir,” said Tyler as he rolled back over with a smirk.
Jamie did head for the shower and as he stood under the water letting it cascade down his sore and tired body, all he could think about was Lauren. He palmed himself a quick release, grunting her name as came and then turned on the cold water before getting out and heading for bed.
As he closed his eyes, he replayed her words in his head.
“Just three more sleeps…” he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

Notes

FOUR MONTHS IN THE MAKING AND HERE IT IS!!!
I'm so so sorry about the wait. Literally, when a writer goes AWOL that is the hardest thing for me to deal with as a reader and then I went ahead and did the same thing to all of you! Student teaching kicked my ass this semester but now it's summer and I'm back in action. Leave me some love in the comments and let me know what you want to see for our two lovebirds. I'm thinking a confession is coming soon and maybe not the one you think....