Author's note:
This is the fifth chapter of six, and I remain very appreciative of the reader response to the first four chapters. Thank you for your encouragement. And as always, many thank-yous to the delightful author karaline for her editing and feedback. All characters are fictional, etc. etc.
*****
Jane awoke on the old brown couch and it took her a moment to recognize her surroundings. She was stretched out in Mike's apartment, her head on a throw pillow. Mike had draped a thick fleece comforter over her and it felt so cozy that she allowed herself to doze in half-sleep until Nessa emerged from the bedroom wearing pink Little Mermaid pajamas. She looked at Jane with a puzzled expression, then went back into the bedroom.
"Miss Jane is hurt and she's going to stay with us until she's better," Mike said, leading Nessa back out. Nessa gave Jane another drowsy glance, then wandered over to the television. So much for the storm of questions they'd expected; Saturday morning cartoons apparently took precedence.
"Breakfast?" Mike said.
Jane started to get up, then realized being bra-less under a thin blouse wasn't proper attire for the company of a five-year-old. She kept the comforter held to her collarbone modestly.
"Coffee?" she asked.
He made a face. "Terrible stuff. Ruins your sleep cycle and throws your metabolism out of whack. Addictive, too."
She groaned. "Is there a coffee shop nearby?"
"A few blocks away, sure."
"Pass me that sweater," she said, pointing to the cardigan she'd arrived in. He tossed it next to her on the couch.
"Could be slippery out there."
"For coffee, I'll risk it." Jane put the sweater on, then grabbed her crutch and hoisted herself to her feet. As she smoothed her skirt down she realized she wasn't wearing panties. "I'll need to swing by my apartment to pick up a few things."
"Sure. Nessa's going to a birthday party at eleven. I might hit the gym for a few hours. My fight's in a couple of weeks and I could use the extra time."
"You don't want to stay with her?"
"To be the only man at a party with eight moms and ten shrieking kindergartners? I can probably afford to miss that."
He moved to the kitchen and began to make steak, eggs and toast.
"Shouldn't I be doing that?"
"On a crutch? Easier for me to do it. You can sit with Nessa and enjoy Powder Puff Girls."
"POWER puff," Nessa said without looking away from the cartoon.
Jane settled in beside Nessa, splitting her attention between the TV and Mike as he moved through the kitchen. She felt things between them were going well but she couldn't afford to relax; the first day of spring was sixteen days away. Was she doing enough to earn his trust? Were there opportunities she was missing? She was sure his 'five out of ten' comment the previous night had been a joke, but wasn't there a kernel of truth in every joke?
"Make you a deal," she said.
"What?"
"We share a cab to my apartment so you can help me pack, and I'll look after Nessa all day tomorrow so you can go to the gym."
"You need help to pack?"
She didn't, really. She traveled so much on business she could have packed a bag blindfolded. But private time with Mike was at a premium, and with the clock ticking she figured she should seize every chance for more.
"Well...the luggage is hard to handle. My right wrist is sprained and I need my left one to hold the crutch."
"Luggage? How much stuff are you bringing?"
"Not more than you can carry, I promise. We can drive back in my car, and pick up a child car seat on the way."
**
"Nice place," Mike said as he stepped into her living room, "Is this hardwood flooring?"
"Yes. Easy to keep clean." Jane hung his coat and hers in the closet.
"Nice view, too." He looked out the huge, south-facing window.
"Being twenty-six floors up has some advantages. Want the grand tour?"
She guided him through her apartment - kitchen, living room, study, dining room, guest room, both bathrooms and finished in her bedroom. He sat down on the side of her bed as she rooted through her closet and started thinking about how she'd dress for the next three days - she'd need at least three child-friendly outfits for the day and something suitably naughty for each of her nights with Mike.
"This place must cost a fortune," he said, watching her as she limped through the room.
"Probably a bit too much, actually. I'm not renewing the lease when it expires in May. I want to downsize a bit, and the traffic around here is awful." She retrieved a travel bag, set it on the bed next to Mike and unzipped it.
"I don't have that problem. I suppose it's the only good thing about living in a neighborhood where no one can afford a car."
"When you win this fight you'll be living the high life."
"Hardly. The purse is one-hundred twenty grand. Seventy percent for the winner, thirty for the loser."
"Gets you a step closer to the championship, right?" She set a second bag next to the first. Mike was forced to slide further along the mattress to make room.
"I figure if I can win this fight and the next two, I can retire. I'm in it for the money, not the belt."
"That's changed. You always dreamed of the championship. The thrill of competition and all that."
"I still dream of the championship, but I have bills to pay, too. Plus I have to save for Nessa's future," he said. He continued to survey the room as they talked.
"I never pictured you the daddy type. You were always such a bad-ass," Jane said, then buried herself halfway into her deep closet.
"I still have my moments. Hey, is this the guy? The musician?"
She turned to find him holding a framed picture from her night stand.
"Oh...I haven't gotten around to putting away his pictures." She cursed herself for leaving pictures of other men around for Mike to find. She needed him in the present, not wallowing in the painful past.
"A good-looking guy. He must have been pretty special to get a place on your night table."
She walked over and took the frame, then set it face-down on top of her dresser. "He's a good man. We had some fun times, but I wasn't right for him."
"No?"
"No." She knew he wanted hear more, but going into detail about past relationships was a minefield she didn't want to traverse, not with so much riding on building trust and goodwill between them. She immersed herself in her closet again.
"Where did the two of you meet?"
Ugh. Of all the conversations she wanted to have with Mike, this wasn't one. To change the topic, she pulled a sheer, thin-strapped, royal blue nightie out of her closet, still on a hangar, and held it against her front for Mike to see.
"What do you think?"
"Mmm. Very nice. I'd love to see you in it," he said.
"Men have no imagination."
"I meant now. I'd love to see you in it now."
She caught the hungry look in his eye and felt herself flush in response. She loved having his attention - it gave her an excited quiver inside.
"I suppose that's a command?"
