All My Love

Chapter Nineteen

            The bell jingled indicating someone was entering the shop so Jackie left the kitchen wiping the flour on her apron as she went. “Hi welcome to Caroline’s!” she called out with a smile situating herself behind the counter. “It’s just me Jackie,” Tuukka said with a laugh and she dropped the cheery façade. “Tuukka! How was Russia? Tell me all about it!” Jackie demanded grabbing him his favorite cupcake from the case. Tuukka laughed at how eager she was and began telling her about Sochi. “Was the best part playing for your country or winning a medal?” Jackie asked. “Neither,” he replied shaking his head. “It was getting to speak Finnish to people who could understand me,” he told her sincerely meaning it. Jackie laughed snorting a little and getting frosting up her nose. Tuukka gave her a weird look but when he saw the frosting half up her nose he couldn’t help but laugh at her with her. “So you seriously mean to tell me that you, Tuukka Rask, Mr. I-Just-Kicked-American-Ass-And-Won-Bronze, loved speaking a language more than playing the sport in the Olympics?” Jackie clarified when they had both stopped laughing. Tuukka nodded his head and stuffed the rest of his cupcake in his mouth. Jackie studied him for a moment before she sighed. “As great as this conversation has been you’re not here to tell me all about the Olympics are you?” she asked already knowing the answer. Tuukka shook his head. “Not that I don’t love talking to you Jackie because I do but I am hoping to see her,” he said looking towards the kitchen thinking she was out back. “She’s not here. Took the whole day off. I’m not sure where she is right now but she’s out with Ben if you plan on looking for her,” Jackie said. Tuukka thanked her and started to leave the shop but she called out to him before he could. “You know, I don’t know what you said but she’s bubbly lately. And nervous. Ever since she got your Sochi postcard she’s been jittery but bubbly if that makes sense,” she told him by way of explanation. Tuukka nodded, what she said made sense. While Jackie had no clue what he had written on that particular post card Tuukka had no trouble remembering. “All my love,” he muttered to himself as he walked to his car. Repeating the words he had written for Elizabeth Tuukka maneuvered through the city traffic to his apartment so he could change before meeting up with Elizabeth. If he knew anything about Elizabeth and Ben then he knew exactly where to find them.

            Kat laughed as Brad wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her down on top of him. “What was that about not wanting to sit with me?” he asked holding her close to his chest. Smiling at him and not knowing how to answer Kat just pecked his lips. “Brad, Tuukka’s going to be here any second and I highly doubt he wants to return from Sochi to this,” Kat reasoned but Brad still didn’t let her go. “He’s coming back tomorrow,” Brad said keeping his arms firmly around her but slipping his hands under his shirt she borrowed. “Are you sure?” Kat asked wanting to be positive but moving her face closer to his anyway. Instead of answering Brad closed the distance between them. Unable to pretend she didn’t like where it was going Kat smiled against his lips and deepened the kiss. She teased him grinding her hips on his making him moan in frustration. “Holy fuck,” a voice said coming from behind the couch. Kat immediately sat up making sure her shirt was pulled down as Brad had been starting to take it off. “A guy comes back from Russia and just wants to drop his suitcase off at his apartment not walk in on a live sex show. And please for the sake of the fact that I sit on that couch tell me that you haven’t actually fucked on the couch,” Tuukka said looking more at Brad than at Kat. Blushing profusely Kat bit her lip. She was torn between the urge to laugh at the horrified look on Tuukka’s face and to die of embarrassment at having him walk in on them. “I’m never sitting on the couch again,” Tuukka declared and walked to his room to put his clothes away. Kat pitched forward consumed by a fit of giggles that were muffled by Brad’s chest. “What’s so funny there Kit Kat?” Brad asked when her laughter began to subside. “Did you see his face when he realized we had sex on the couch?” she asked bursting into a new fit of laughter as she pictured his face. Brad started laughing with her and soon enough the two of them were hysterical on the couch. “Yeah yeah my face was hilarious, when you find out your roommate has been having sex on your couch you’re face will look the same,” Tuukka commented as he was walking out of the apartment. Looking up at the laughing girl on his chest Brad wondered just what it was about her that captivated him. It wasn’t as though he had given up the girls, the partying, and the drinking just to try to impress her. And that he realized was what was different about her. She didn’t care what he did as long as he didn’t get himself in trouble and go crying to her. In fact, Kat was probably the best wingman, or wingwoman rather, that he had ever had because the girls she talked to in clubs weren’t desperate or puck sluts. “Let’s go do something,” he said breaking himself out of his thoughts. “Oh yeah? Like what?” she asked teasing him as she got up and walked towards the bathroom with him following in suit. “I’m not sure, normally on a day like this I would get a team of guys together to go play pond hockey,” Brad said shrugging. “I bet my pond hockey team can beat yours,” Kat mused keeping her back to him so he couldn’t see the smirk on her face. “Please you think your ragtag team could beat my group of professional hockey players,” Brad scoffed wondering just who she would pick, it’s not like she played hockey. “Wanna bet?” she turned around to face him after turning the shower on. “You’re so on. I’ll meet you at Jerry’s Pond in North Cambridge in an hour,” Brad answered. Each mentally starting to draft a team while they were in the shower. “You suck at getting conditioner out of your hair,” Brad commented with a smile running his fingers through her blonde hair to help rinse it out. “How did I ever manage without you?” Kat asked sarcastically. “Don’t worry Kit Kat, you never have to try again,” Brad assured her in a matching tone. “Yeah whatever just be prepared to be my eternal slave when my team kicks the crap out of your team in an hour,” Kat said turning off the water and reaching for a towel. “Right back at ya,” Brad retorted wrapping a towel around his waist. The two continued to bicker and chirp until they were both dressed. “I’ll see you in an hour, prepare to have your ass kicked,” Kat called over her shoulder as she began heading for the place where she knew should find her MVPs. “Yeah yeah,” Brad said calling Adam and Dougie as he walked to his car.