Chapter 10 #2
Pulled a muscle in his back before a game. I’m sure his team was more than happy to give him a break
They call him “Mr. Goalie.” He also was the first goaltender to use the butterfly technique
Me
Two goalie facts in one day? You’re spoiling me
Eric
Consider the second one on the house
I fire back another message, unable to say no to an excuse to pour myself into a conversation with Eric.
Me
How’s it going? I heard you guys were having some severe weather. Any flooding?
Eric
Currently in the low forties, so not too bad. It was raining pretty hard earlier, but it’s calmed down to a drizzle
Me
Do you mind all the constant rain?
Eric
Nah, I love it
Perfect excuse to stay in and relax
Me
Do you ever miss sunny California?
Eric
Well, the Bay Area’s not always sunny. Mornings often start with thick fog, but it would clear up by noon. Plenty of storms rolled through, too. Not nearly as many as we get up here, obviously. It’s the constant high humidity that’s really the difference
Seattle is beautiful in the summer, though. Perfect weather. Not too hot, not too cold. I would trade a summer in Seattle for a summer in the Bay Area any day
Me
They say weather’s all relative, right?
Eric
That sounds right
What about you? How’s Florida?
My smile falters. Florida’s not the problem. Eric must be keeping an eye on the Comets schedule to know I’m here.
Me
Freezing
Eric
***
I send him a top-down picture of my half-melted cookies’n’cream nestled inside of the waffle cone bowl. Not exactly a Pixstagram worthy picture, but anyone who’s an ice cream fan will be envious.
Me
Brain freezing
Eric
Ha ha very funny
Me
It’s on the warmer side out here, but it’s not too bad
Eric
Honestly I could go for ice cream right now
Me
What’s your usual?
Eric
Garlic
Me
Now I’m the one who’s confused…
Eric
Back home there’s a garlic festival every year. They make garlic ice cream
Me
wtf
Eric
Trust me! It’s surprisingly delicious
In total doubt, I look up garlic ice cream on my phone, and sure enough, Eric’s not pulling my leg.
A small town in northern California does in fact host a garlic themed festival every year, with unusual garlic based food options.
Super niche, but something about the festival sounds charming and quaint.
A new text message banner comes down from the top of my screen while I’m browsing the internet.
Eric
Vanilla mixed with something else is the actual go-to. Cookies, graham crackers, chocolate or caramel syrup
Me
Yum!
Eric
Tbh I’m pissed you planted ice cream on the beach into my head. That sounds like heaven. I’m jealous
The image of Eric sprawled out on a beach towel wearing nothing but swim trunks while licking dripping ice cream off a cone appears in my own mind. I’m kind of pissed at myself too.
Eric
I don’t miss much from home other than my folks, but I do miss going to the beach sometimes. NorCal beaches are different from SoCal ones. You can’t really swim in the ocean for long since the water’s much colder, so it’s more of a scenic experience
Me
The only time I’ve ever been to the beach is when our team’s in California or Florida
I bet the outdoor activities up in Washington are different
Eric
But no less exciting! There’s so much wilderness to explore
Our next road stretch will have us stopping in Florida, actually
Are you out with your teammates?
Me
Not anymore. I left a little while ago
Eric
They didn’t want to join you for ice cream on the beach?
I can’t help but laugh. There’s only one person I’d rather be sharing ice cream with. Explaining that to Eric, however, would be, well…
Me
Not exactly.
There’s so much loaded into those two words. By impulse, I start typing messages going through the list of reasons why my teammates aren’t crowded around me, enjoying their own ice cream, let alone hanging out in my proximity.
My captain hates me. My backup hates me. I’m socially awkward. I have no one to talk to that my mom’s gone. I can’t even talk to my own dad for long without wanting to run away.
Every time I finish a thought, I stare down at my phone and jam my thumb against the backspace. I can’t tell Eric any of this. I can’t tell anyone this, and that’s the problem.
Eric
Is everything okay?
My heart squeezes in my chest. No, it’s not. Emergency ice cream can only go so far. As much as I want to unload my problems, I can’t drop everything into Eric’s lap. We haven’t known each other for very long, and the last thing I want to do is overwhelm him.
Me
We’ll know tomorrow
I send Eric a picture of my view: my melting ice cream bowl on the edge of my table in the foreground; crystal blue waters with foamy, cresting white waves and warm sand; a few beach-goers enjoying a Saturday night as the sun sets.
Me
At least I’ve got a nice view
Eric
You’re right, it’s not bad, but idk…
Between the delicious looking ice cream and the too-good-to-be-true view, you could’ve just gotten this picture from the internet
Gonna need some proof
I roll my eyes and reposition in my chair to take a selfie with the same “too-good-to-be-true” view over my shoulder. I contemplate giving him a deadpan expression as a joke, but I settle on a small smile instead. The night could have gone infinitely better, but it’s improving.
I send the picture right after taking it, too afraid to lose Eric’s attention while I still have it by wasting time ruminating over my appearance or taking multiple and picking the best. I look well-rested and content, and that’s what matters.
My phone remains lit as I watch those three little gray dots appear and disappear over and over as Eric starts and stops typing. As time passes, I start to wonder if I should’ve taken more. Maybe I don’t look as put together as I thought.
Eric
You look like you’re having a good time
It’s important to take the chances to relax as they come
I exhale, my heart lighter.
Me
I’m treating myself. I was reading some of the book I told you about before.
Eric
How many times have you read it?
Me
Too many, but it’s my favorite for a reason. I’m almost done with it again. Bummed it’ll be over soon, but it’s always a great read
Eric
No spoilers. I actually just started the series myself
Did I read that right? How? Since when? I made sure to be vague on the details when we talked over lunch months ago. I didn’t even mention the title to him.
Me
How are you liking it so far?
Eric
I’m only three chapters into the first book. I like the main character
The main character who’s unequivocally gay and makes that fact very known early on.
Me
Well, I hope you enjoy it!
Eric
Me too. The world seems cool so far
I have no idea how to process this information. It’s giving me a brain freeze all on its own.
But maybe it’s not so unusual? Maybe it’s no different than watching a TV show or a movie which happens to have gay characters?
It’s not as if straight guys have to be inherently turned off by that fact.
Maybe Eric actually enjoys the author’s worldbuilding the same way myself and so many other fans do.
Eric
I’m gonna hop off and go read it with my cocoa
Me
Now see, hot chocolate, a warm bed, and my favorite book sounds great right now. Consider me jealous
Add in curling up beside Eric and reading the book together in bed, and it would be a perfect night in.