Chapter 13

Billie took the apartment keys, then with a shake of her head she reached into the locker, grabbing out Jay’s dirty clothes and stuffing them into the gym bag folded at the bottom of the locker.

“May as well catch up on his laundry while I’m here.” She muttered, hating to come across all ‘mom’, but unable to stop herself doing it.

Nick just grinned, waiting while she zipped the bag, then he took it from her and slung it over his shoulder, his hand again sliding easily onto her back to direct her movement.

“C’mon.” He said softly. “Pretty sure Coach won’t need me, but I should check.”

“Y’know, I can get a cab to Jay’s place.” Billie said as they headed toward the field, but Nick shook his head.

“Nope. I’ll drive you.” His eyes twinkled as he grinned at her. “Bet I can out-stubborn you.”

“I doubt that.” Billie smiled. “But okay - thanks for the ride.”

He bit back any comment he might make about repayment in kind, just nodding as they got to the field. After a quick word with Coach, verifying that he wasn’t needed, he came back to Billie’s side.

“Let’s go, then.” He turned away from the field, heading in a different direction as he went for the staff car park.

Billie waved to Coach and the players, who yelled goodbyes as they left, but Mike was watching Nick darkly, knowing the guy was married but also knowing him well enough to see his intentions toward the woman currently following him.

“Fuckin’ prick.” He muttered to nobody in particular. Maybe he’d take a trip out and visit Jay later.

Nick led Billie to a car which was pretty much what she’d expected of him - black and sleek, crouched in the parking lot like a half-tame beast. He dropped Jay’s bag into the trunk then frowned in confusion.

“Uh, where’s your stuff, Billie?”

“In here.” She hefted the oversized purse on her shoulder. “I was in a hurry to get here - just threw in a clean shirt and underwear.”

“Oh. Okay. Did you want me to stop somewhere so you can buy anything?”

“No, s’fine. Jay told me his apartment is near a decent mall - I’ll take a run out later. Right now I just need to shower.” She replied as Nick opened the car door and helped her in, closing the door before he murmured a response.

“I can work with the shower.” He mumbled to himself, trying to hide the smirk since he was trying to be all supportive and friendly right now.

Traffic was light, and Jay’s apartment wasn’t far away, so the trip didn’t even take ten minutes, Nick pulling into the adjacent parking lot and stopping the car.

“This is us.” He opened his door, but before he could get around the hood to do his gentlemanly act Billie was out of the car and standing looking up at the building.

He led her into the building, knowing Jay’s apartment number and so heading for the elevator and punching the button for Jay’s floor. When they reached the apartment Billie unlocked the door then turned to face Nick with a smile.

“Thanks, Nick. For the ride and for the……friendliness. I’ll maybe see you around.”

He blinked in surprise. That wasn’t quite how he’d seen this going. But, ever the optimist, and more than willing to bide his time - hell, wasn’t as though he was pushed for female company, his darling wife was waiting at home after all, and she was always available for a fuck if there wasn’t a better offer - he just smiled, reaching past her to drop Jay’s bag on the floor.

“You’re welcome, Billie. Here….” He handed her his business card. “That’s my cell number - gimme a call and I’ll take you out for that coffee. Probably see you at the hospital, too.”

Not that he’d intended spending much time there, but Billie’s gentle refusal of what hadn’t yet been suggested only piqued his interest. The chase was, after all, most of the fun for him. Once he caught - and bedded - his prey, the game was pretty well over. So he just relished the challenge as a sweetener to the inevitable victory. For now, he reached out and hugged her gently, Billie rubbing her hands on his back before they stepped apart again.

“I’ll see ya.” He winked, and left her there at the apartment door.

Billie watched him for a moment, then she stepped into the apartment and closed the door, almost immediately hit by the odour of stale pizza. Wrinkling her nose distastefully, she headed deeper into the apartment, leaving Jay’s bag where it lay for now.

An hour later, the apartment no longer smelled like the morning-after in a pizza restaurant, with the windows opened wide and the far more appealing smell of fresh coffee scenting the air. Billie had filled the washing machine - one thing she’d insisted on was that Jay should find somewhere he didn’t need to go use a communal laundry. Something about that scenario had always bugged her for some reason - no doubt down to her country-girl mentality - and he’d grudgingly acquiesced to her demand, though pointed out reasonably that he was a professional athlete - not a fresh-faced little girl leaving home. Billie had smiled, nodded……..and insisted.

While the first load of laundry swished around in the machine, she took a long, leisurely shower, letting the water ease her tension. Part of that tension, obviously, was due to Jay’s injury and the whole worry over that, but there was also a healthy dollop of stress over the sudden meeting with Jon, and her attempts to dissuade him from ruining his marriage over something that happened so long ago.

The crazy thing was, she loved him. Not in the way his wife did, certainly - Dorothea had the right to him, earned over a couple of decades of faithfulness and support - but Billie loved him for the son he’d given her. Loved him for the man he’d been when he was with her, and the man he’d become over the years. Loved him for his philanthropy……and, sure, hated him at times for ripping her guts out with his lyrics. Damn if loving that man didn’t complicate her life, but since the day he’d ridden away she’d been able to deal with it, knowing she’d never see him again, or if she did - when she had - he’d be up on stage, unreachable rockstar, and she’d be down in the crowd, just one more adoring face among thousands. She’d been to a few of the band’s concerts over the years, and when she’d seen him perform Dry County - she always thought of it as ‘her’ song - she’d been moved to tears every time, remembering that night so long ago when he’d penned the song, sitting half-naked on her couch.

Shaking off the flood of memories as she toweled herself dry, Billie went through to Jay’s bedroom and found her bag, pulling on the clean underwear and shirt, not bothering with jeans just yet as she went to fill a mug with the coffee which was now ready. She sipped at the strong brew as she emptied the laundry into the dryer, then she went to the bedroom again, stripping off the sheets so she could remake the bed for herself. Once all those horribly motherly things were done, his apartment clean and his bed freshly made, she pulled on her jeans and grabbed her purse. Looked like she’d be here a few days, so it probably made sense to go get some fresh clothes. And perhaps something pretty, if the handsome and attentive Nick was going to take her out somewhere.