Eleven (Devina)

On the morning of my birthday we ordered a large spread from room service. The previous night we drank around the world, taking a drink at each country represented in Epcot’s World Showcase. Somewhere in our drunkeness, I ended up in my bra and underwear. So here we were, eating breakfast half-naked.

Josh would not stop smiling at me. Goosebumps had erupted on my arms and legs, but I dismissed it as a consequence of a lack of clothes. Unfortunately I couldn’t do the same for the butterflies in my stomach.

I didn’t know what my feelings toward Josh were. It was complicated and I didn’t want to think about them. This situation would all end anyway.

Since the kiss on the roof, I had resorted to acting in the moment. This resulted in many kisses, a couple heavy makeout sessions, and sitting at breakfast in my underwear.

Why not? I was married to my career and didn’t have room for a relationship. Might as well take advantage of a fake one. I ignored the consequences of my selfish actions.

“I had fun last night,” Josh suddenly pulled me to the present moment with him.

I smirked.

“Me too. I don’t remember the last time I drank so much. Probably when I graduated training,” I replied.

“You hold your liquor well.”

“I’m German.”

Josh nodded his head slowly.

“True.”

I shoved a bite of pancake into my mouth.

“I’m excited,” Josh said, smiling again. He had to quit that.

“Why?” I asked after swallowing.

“It’s your birthday.”

He kept smiling, his tone suggesting he was up to something. I didn’t miss it.

“Whatever you’re planning won’t happen so forget about it.”

Josh just shrugged.

“I’m not really planning anything. Being here with you yesterday and today is enough. I’m just excited to give you your present,” he said.

I nearly choked. I ignored his first two sentences, partially because of their content but mostly because of his third.

“Present? No,” I said simply and sternly.

Josh looked shocked but quickly recovered.

“Too bad,” he said.

I rolled my eyes.

“Well get it over with,” I grumbled.

Josh jumped up way too excitedly. He rushed over to his duffle and pulled out a thin, rectangular package covered in orange- and white-striped wrapping paper. How did he get this without me seeing?

The thought made me eye the package warily. I voiced my concern.

“I have my ways,” he replied.

Wrong answer.

He put the package next to me on the table and I directed my wary eye toward him instead.

“Okay! I ordered it and had it shipped here. Then Holden helped me get it into our room while we were in the park,” he admitted.

My worry deflated. I should have realized Holden would help him. It didn’t stop me from muttering under my breath in German.

Josh sat back down and I started to open my present. The wrapping paper revealed a plain white box.

That’s helpful.

So I lifted the lid of the box and set it aside. I pushed back the tissue paper to uncover what appeared to be a sport jersey. It was hunter green with yellow, black, and white stripes on the end of its sleeves and on its’ v-neck. At the point of the v-neck was a logo that had the letters “NFL.”

I took it into my hands and looked at it curiously. It was unlike any football club jersey I had ever seen. And I had no idea what “NFL” meant. I looked at Josh in confusion.

“It’s a Green Bay Packers jersey,” he said, as if that explained everything.

“I don’t understand,” I said bluntly as I raised the jersey to inspect it.

The number was 88. Well that was the year I was born, but it would have made more sense to pick 13.

“They are an American football team,” Josh’s disembodied voice replied.

I put the jersey down and looked at him again. He seemed to hope I would figure it out on my own, but I wasn’t getting it.

“I don’t know anything about American football, Josh,” I said as non-offensively as I could.

He chuckled.

“I know that. Turn it around, dork,” he instructed.

I raised an eyebrow and flipped the jersey over.

Now I understood.

Finley.

I felt a smile grow on my face.

“It’s my code name.”

“Yeah. There is a player named Jermichael Finley on that team. He’s a tight end. That’s his autograph.”

And there was a signature in silver Sharpie beside the stitched letters. I flipped the jersey over again and pulled it on. I put the box on the table and walked over to the full-length mirror to evaluate myself. It had a feminine cut to it.

“And this is a winning club?” I asked as I turned to see “Finley” on the back.

“Well in American football, it’s a franchise that forms a team rather than a club. The Green Bay Packers have won the national championship more times than any other team. They currently have six wins and two losses this season,” Josh replied.

I smirked smugly to myself. They sounded like a team I could get behind.

“Very good.” I turned back to him. “And what is a Packer?”

Without hesitation Josh replied, “The founder worked for what was called the Indian Packing Company so the team was named the Packers.”

“Interesting. And impressive trivia knowledge.”

Josh tried and failed to suppress a pleased smile.

“Thanks.”

I smiled back at him and walked over to the table. Gracefully, I sat down on his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. Without preface, I leaned in and kissed him sweetly. His arms snaked around my waist and pulled me closer to him. He tasted like the strawberries he had been eating.

I pulled away and rested my forehead against his, sighing.

“Thank you, Joshua,” I said softly.

Josh ran a hand over my hair and rested his palm on my jaw.

“You’re welcome, Devina,” he answered.

He lightly pressed his lips to mine again. Okay, I couldn’t deny he was a good kisser. No, he was a great kisser. I could get used to this. He made a great case for himself in the debate of whether or not to give in to my small but growing feelings.

I sighed sadly and slid down from his lap. I didn’t say much as we got ready to go out for the day. I had told myself not even twenty minutes ago that I wasn’t going to think about my feelings. But I realized I was wrong.