Chapter 260: Jo VIII—Love Me, Love Me Not
“Peter!” Josefina exclaimed. “Put that down! I’m serious!”
She could see one of his pale eyes; she could see the gleam of his white teeth as he was smiling. The rest of his face was hidden behind a slim, black video camera. She was trying to eat and here Peter was prancing out from the bedroom with the camera. She was intensely irritated.
“Come on hon,” Peter grinned. “Say something nice.”
Josefina turned her nose up and away from him and she slid a spoonful of yogurt into her mouth. “Uh uh,” she replied. “I’m trying to eat a snack.”
“Snack?” Peter exclaimed. “You’re gonna eat more than yogurt right?”
Jo slid a spoon in her mouth. “Mmm,” she said.
“Close up on those lips,” Peter said slowly. “Good one!”
She swallowed. “I’m glad you got your kicks,” Jo said. “Now put that away. I didn’t even know you had a camera.”
“Everyone has a camera,” Peter replied. “Now come on Jo, be nice. Heh I want to record this special occasion.”
Josefina sighed and put her chin on her hand. “What’s the occasion?” she asked and gestured with the spoon.
“You’re special and I realize it every morning,” Peter said.
Josefina felt her heart melt and her stomach fizz. “You what?” she asked and she squeaked it and felt horrible. She felt her cheeks burning and she dropped the yogurt spoon. The sound of the spoon hitting the table surface jolted her to reality and she shook her head. “Peter really!” she snapped.
“Does that make you mad?” Peter asked.
Jo felt herself smile. “No,” she said.
“God you’re beautiful,” Peter said. “I wish I could capture every breathing moment you’re near me.”
Jo rolled her eyes. “Now you’re just cheesy, how about that one pretty boy?”
Peter laughed but the camera stayed on. “Cheesy? Naw cheesy would be me telling you how beautiful you are and then flattering you out of your shyness and into rolling around naked for your first porno pose.”
Josefina laughed and dropped her face into her palm, “Peter that’s just dumb okay? Stop that.”
“Stop what?” Peter asked. “Flattering you?”
Jo shook her head and she could feel her large smile stretching across her face. She slid onto the table and crossed her legs, at the same time she leaned forward and batted her eyes. She was feeling high and giddy. “You don’t need to pour it on if you want me naked,” she whispered.
“Oh really?” Peter asked.
God I’m evil! Jo thought to herself. “I just want half of the proceeds when you sell the damn tape,” she said. She heard Peter’s breath catch. “And I cost extra if you want a fuck film.”
“Which one do you want?” he whispered.
Josefina laughed and hopped off the table, she stuck her tongue out at the camera. “You’re so easy!” she said. “Turn that thing off.”
Peter took the camera down and his face was blushing, his eyes soft and embarrassed. “I was just playing you know,” he said softly.
Jo cocked her head, “I know,” she replied. “You’re not planning on being late for your game today are you?”
Peter wrinkled his nose.
She felt it again though, a softness in her belly that was so new to her. She couldn’t really understand what it was about Peter that had her feeling so many things at once. She had had many lovers, one night stands, fuck buddies, before but all of them to her, were beautiful lust objects. None of them tickled a sort of motherly, sisterly instinct in her that she wanted to hold onto them and just gaze at them in adoration. Peter made her feel that way. She wanted to hold him, quietly.
Her phone squealed from within her bag and Jo jumped and grabbed it off the table, her spell broken. “Hello,” she answered.
“Josefina it’s your brother,” he said in a tight, clipped voice.
“Phil, what’s up?” Jo asked with a roll of her eyes. Her brother always used that command tone with her or any other female for that matter.
“My wife and I cannot pick up Elena from her figure skating lesson, could you get her?” He asked. “Please?”
Jo shrugged. “Sure, why can’t you do it?”
“My car is at the shop and my wife is picking me up.”
“Give me the address,” Josefina said. “I’m on my way.”
Josefina’s nose was met first with the smell of ice and chlorine. It was a recreation center and the walls were echoing all around with the sound of children laughing and squealing and the sound of whistles and barking parents.
“Oof!” Josefina gasped when she was bumped into by a small child who had run into her legs.
“Sorry!” the little girl said with a giggle and she then scurried away.
Jo shook her head and blinked back a few tears. Don’t think about it, she thought. It was probably for the best, you’ll go crazy if you think about it.
She found the ice rink, weaved through a maze of half pint sprightly girls chittering and bickering around lockers and benches, some of them sipping water. She saw Elena immediately; the girl was sprouting like a weed and in a strikingly different color scheme than all the other girls. She peered across the and watched Elena, her attention rigid on her coach, as the girl skated backwards into a spin. Jo half smiled and then she looked for a spot on the bleachers.
She recognized the boy sitting there. He was leaning forward on his knees, crouched on the bleachers, his ashy hair twirled and spiked in a humorous fashion. She smiled and approached him, amazed that he didn’t seem to notice her coming. She sat down next to him, watched the boy and watched how hopelessly transfixed he was on her niece. She could imagine him with a goofy smile plucking at a flower, she loves me, she loves me not….
“Hey kid,” Jo said, “You’re too young for that sort of mooning, cut it out.”
The boy looked at her. “I’m not mooning,” he said, but he was blushing.
Jo lifted her eyebrows, “Oh yeah? You can tell me, come on how does she make you feel.”
The boy grinned and cringed as if he were being yelled at. Squinting at her he said through his teeth, “Kinda bubbly,” he said.
“Bubbly?” Jo said, kids are cute, she thought. “Yup, you’re too young for bubbly.”
The boy rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter anyway; she thinks I’m too young too.”
Josefina thought of Elena’s serious eyes, and the mathematical brain she carried. “Everyone is probably too young for her.” She said, “Girls think every boy is immature and too young.”
The boy sniffed. “What do girls like? Come on, you’re a grown up girl, give me a secret password or something.”
Jo resisted the urge to laugh. “Password? Come on kid…”
“Call me Fred,” the boy said.
“Okay, Come on Freddy,” Jo replied. “Girls don’t work on passwords, and they only break your heart.”
Freddy smiled. “A little heartbreak never killed anyone,” he replied.
“Romeo and Juliet,” Josefina said, “Ring a bell with you yet?”
Freddy giggled. “Sure hehehe the chick was thirteen and in the movie we saw at school you could see her…”
“Alright,” Jo said, “Just your reaction right now says you’re too young. How old are ya anyway?”
“Twelve,” Freddy said. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
Josefina closed her eyes and smiled, remembering twelve candles on a birthday cake, the last time she was clean, the last year. “Yes you are,” Jo said. “Enjoy it while you can Freddy.”
“Aw,” Freddy said. “Grown ups always say… Hi Dad.”
“Hi dad?” Jo frowned and she opened her eyes. The second she saw him she recognized him, and she was struck with the realization that even though he was Peter’s teammate she had never met him in person before. He was extremely odd looking, and somehow attractive.
“Hey, Fred,” Patrick Roy said, “Don’t be bothering pretty ladies you’re…”
“Too young?” Freddy finished. “Yeah, Dad I know and you’re already flirting!”
Jo smiled
and felt her cheeks redden as she saw
“I’m gonna tell mom,” Fred said.
Patrick ruffled his son’s already ruffled hair. “Where you here the entire time? I’ve been looking all over for you, I’m running late now, eh?”
“Sorry dad,” Fred said in a dull voice.
“What were you doing here,” Patrick asked and then he looked up at the ice. At that point Elena was on her bottom, crawling up off the ice from a fall. White chips of ice were falling off her haunches. “Oh I see,” he said. “Jonathan would not be please yes?”
“Eh I was bored,” Freddy said peevishly, “She’s my friend.”
Patrick laughed. “Keep practicing that one.” Jo smiled politely when he looked at her and immediately she could sense that he was checking her out. She wasn’t so much annoyed as she felt somewhat bad for Mimi. With a wife like her why would he want to check out other women. “We meet finally yes?”
“Sure,” Josefina said and she held out her hand, “Peter talks about you a lot.”
Patrick gripped her hand lightly and let it go. “Really?”
“Yup,” Jo said and she winked Fred, “I’m just here to pick up my niece.”
Patrick nodded and looked back at the ice. “Jonathan is convinced it’s love, perhaps it is. Peter I think is convinced of the same.”
“Ewwwww,” Fred exclaimed and the boy stood up and grabbed his bag. “Meet you at the car dad. See ya!” The boy declared and he walked briskly away.
Josefina felt herself prickle all over. “I doubt it,” she said, feeling uncomfortable.
“It is only what I see,” Patrick replied. “Take care my dear, and take care of your niece, she seems as rare as you are.” He stood up and flashed her a dimpled grin before walking away with an odd, almost waddled gait.
Josefina frowned and looked back at the ice, waved lightly at Elena who was waving at her. She fanned her damp throat with her hand and thought to herself, “No, why would he love me? He couldn’t.”
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