Chapter 25 #2
The couple are both foodies and have eaten here before, so Eric and I let them pick our entrées: beer battered fish’n’chips and grilled shrimp skewers.
Braydan chooses a large seafood platter with a little bit of everything while Kaori orders the smoked salmon fettucini.
The waitress brings a basket of fresh seasoned biscuits, and I swear I might die at this restaurant from sheer joy.
While enjoying the biscuits, I take the time to learn more about Braydan and Kaori. At All-Star Weekend, I wasn’t able to talk much with Braydan on a personal level, and I missed meeting Kaori because their flight back to Seattle was earlier in the day.
Both Braydan and Eric were drafted in the same year to the Seadogs. They became fast friends thanks to their mutual love of outdoor activities. Anyone who’s watched a Seadogs hockey game can pick up on their synergy on the ice; the two men are always communicating and coordinating their defense.
“So how did you two meet?” I ask after the waitress delivers our lunch.
Braydan and Kaori share a flirty glance that makes me blush. I’m a sucker for a good romance, so I lean in, eager to listen as Braydan starts recounting the tale.
“We were both waiting for a table at this new fusion restaurant that was packed, and I immediately noticed her at the bar. I know love at first sight is the cheesiest thing in the world, but there was something about her that made me know she was special and I had to talk to her.”
“Probably my phone charm,” she teases, showing me the culprit dangling from her phone: a tiny golden retriever with a sunflower tucked into its collar.
“She was gorgeous, but I loved the charm, too.”
“I told him it’s a custom one based on my rescue, Himari.” She brings up pictures of her dog on her phone, each one impossibly cuter than the last. “We just started chatting over our mutual love of animals.”
“When she told me she’s a veterinarian, you could say she swept me off my feet. She’s a hero.”
Kaori blushes, curling a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I wouldn’t go that far…”
“You’ve worked miracles. You’ve helped so many people through some of the worst moments of their life.
You are a hero.” Braydan smiles and returns to the story.
“So, we ended up chatting at the bar for a while, and I completely forgot I’d been waiting for a table in the first place.
When the host called my name, I asked if she wanted to join me. ”
“I said yes. I wanted to keep talking, but I also wasn’t going to say no to trying the food a little sooner.” Kaori smiles, her face lighting up with warm fondness for the memory. “It ended up being our first of many more dates at the restaurant.”
“They’re practically regulars,” Eric chimes in with a wink.
“Did you know he was a hockey player at the time?” I ask Kaori. Seattle loves its hockey team, but the sport isn’t as ingrained in the area as the other major leagues.
“No, but he did tell me he worked in the sports industry when we first met. I wasn’t familiar enough with our local teams to know he was an athlete by name recognition.”
“Which was actually a huge deal to me. I really appreciated that I could just be myself around her until I was ready to bring those details up naturally.”
“I honestly thought he was maybe a personal trainer because of how fit he was, but some of the nastier scars made me wonder if I was dating some kind of street fighter or an undercover secret agent, and the whole ‘sports industry’ story was his cover. The gaps between dates only added to the mystery.”
Eric chuckles. “Braydan would be the worst spy. He’s too much an open book.”
Even without years of friendship to go off of, I have to agree with Eric. Braydan’s too friendly and outgoing, and his height makes him stick out in a crowd.
“It’s funny, I remember one time he showed up to a date with a serious cut on his nose, and I felt so conflicted because I thought something had happened on the way over, but I also thought he looked hot.”
I snicker. I would never want a hockey player to be injured seriously, but even I’ll admit, a little wear and tear on hockey players is attractive. I understand where Kaori’s coming from; it’s absolutely part of the appeal.
“So when did you eventually tell her?” I ask Braydan before taking another drink.
“A few months into dating. I was fresh off of being promoted to team captain that season. I wanted to get the team more involved in volunteer work in the area to build community. Since we’re the Seadogs, something involving animals made sense.
I asked Kaori if she’d be interested in helping to organize some kind of partnership with the local animal shelters she worked with and our team.
Adoption drives, free vaccine clinics, fundraising campaigns, taking comfort animals to hospitals, helping to cover medical bills for pets in need, that sort’ve thing. ”
“Braydan called me about all this while I was out with some friends. They all thought I’d just received bad news from my reaction, but it was actually because I had to reorient my whole mindset of Braydan away from ‘secret agent’ to professional athlete. Of course I agreed.”
“That’s how we started the Scoring Seadogs pledge. Every time I score a goal, I donate $5,000 to the shelter we’re partnered with.”
“Perfect timing because that season led to our first Stanley Cup,” Eric adds. “He was on fire. Nasty slapshot after slapshot.”
“I had plenty of motivation.” Braydan smiles wryly. “This guy’s pledged to donate $10,000 if he scores a goalie goal, and that’s why we always try to set him up if the other net’s empty.”
Eric laughs. “It hasn’t happened yet, but when it does…”
“Here’s hoping it happens while we’re at home. The whole place will erupt.”
I’ve never had a goalie goal myself, and I can’t imagine what it must be like to have your team not only rallying behind your effort, but also helping to make it happen.
“I’m proud so many of my teammates have volunteered to participate over the seasons by pledging. I hope it’s helped.”
“He’s being humble,” Kaori says while reaching over to pat his hand. “It’s helped tremendously.”
Hockey and a good cause, a perfect pair.
Braydan’s living the dream: playing for a team he loves and believes in alongside his best friend, all the while having a spouse as compassionate and supportive as Kaori.
He’s the gold standard for leadership, and it’s no surprise his teammates speak so highly of him.
Over a round of coffee and a chocolate lava cake for dessert, the questions shift to me and my connection to Eric.
“So I hear you and Eric have been texting pen pals?” Kaori asks with a sly smile. “You must’ve really hit it off at All-Star Weekend.”
I meet Eric’s eyes across the table. “Yeah, we did.”
“Has it been strange being around each other more in person?”
“Not really,” Eric and I say at the same time, causing Kaori to giggle.
“I told you,” Braydan tells her with a grin, “they had an instant goalie connection from the start. Could hardly pry them apart at the All-Star Weekend.”
More than just a goalie connection, I thought. I feel so tethered to Eric, more and more drawn to him with every new discovery. When I glance over to Eric, his eyes meet mine, and it dawns on me how our lunch has all the makings of a double date—even if that’s not accurate.
I wring my hands on the table and take a deep breath. “Honestly… Eric’s been an incredible friend these past few months. I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t invited me to come out. Eric’s like a knight in shining armor.”
“Well I’m really glad he did, James,” Kaori says, pulling me in for a half-hug on our side of the booth.
“That’s just the kind of man Eric is,” Braydan adds. “You couldn’t wish for a better friend.”
Eric waves us off. “C’mon, you three are going to make me choke up, jeez.”
“Warm sentimentality, in my based-on-a-classic-heartfelt-rom-com themed restaurant?” Braydan jokes, and we all share a laugh. “Okay, fine. We’ll get back to our regularly scheduled teasing starting… now.”
On cue, Kaori asks, “So are you planning on whisking James away to the wilderness sometime soon, Eric?”
“As I’ve been saying,” Eric deadpans, “James wants me to take him.”
“I’ve never done it,” I blush, cringing from how that sounds, “I mean, camping, that is.”
Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that.
Without missing a beat, Braydan says, “I’m convinced Eric’s going to go off the grid one summer, and we’ll have to go on a grand adventure to go find him.”
“I would never just suddenly disappear. I always give heads up when I’m leaving and when I’ll be back. I’ve seen enough horror movies set in the woods.”
Kaori pivots to Eric. “Where else besides the wilderness are you taking him?”
“I’m planning a few other activities…”
“You two should go on a boat tour! Seeing Seattle from the water at night is a must-do activity. You’d love it, James. The way the lights of the city glitter on the water is stunning. Feels like you’re inside a fairytale.”
As our lunch wraps up, Kaori slips out of the booth to go to the bathroom, and Eric grabs the check before Braydan can stop him.
“You bought last time. It’s my turn.”
Braydan rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t protest. Eric goes to pay at the counter, leaving me with Braydan.
“That’s a blatant lie. He bought last time too.”
I smile half-heartedly.
Braydan takes a sip from his drink and then asks, “For real though, are you having a good time so far?”
“I am. It’s been nice to see more of the area guided by someone so familiar.”
“Yeah, Eric’s genuinely happy to live here.”
Braydan folds his hands across the table and leans closer.
“All teasing and jokes aside, I just wanted to say that ever since All-Star Weekend, Eric’s been much happier thanks to you. Not that he wasn’t before, but it’s different. Whenever we traveled during the season, I swear his head was in his phone all the time to text you. I’m glad Eric has you.”
The image of Eric excited to text me after a game crosses my mind, causing me to flush. Every time we talked over the phone, some part of me always worried the interest was one-sided. “I’m glad to have him too.”
He smiles. “He’s never done something like this before, inviting another player to come spend the summer with him.”
When Kaori returns, she wraps an arm around her husband and leans against him. “You should come over with Eric to our house sometime. You could meet Himari. She’s a sweetheart. Demands constant belly rubs.”
“I’d love to.”
Braydan and Kaori have been nothing but warm and welcoming, treating me as if I’m a long-time friend rather than a newcomer to their circle.
“Great! Maybe after your trip? Make sure to take plenty of pictures of you two.”
I spot Eric on his way to join us again to head out, and I can’t shake the double-date feelings again. In a perfect world, that’s what our dynamic as a group could be: two couples who go out to eat, who make plans, who talk and share about trips.
Even if Eric and I aren’t together as a couple, I can still enjoy the gift he’s given me: feeling wanted and welcomed as a friend. A sense of community I’ve never shared in my adult life, especially with other people in the hockey world.
As Eric drives us back home after a long day in the city, I close my eyes and lean against the window while low music plays on the radio. I’m comfortable, relaxed, excited for tomorrow and the start of our trip.
My thoughts drift back to the words Braydan said to me when we were alone—how Eric’s never invited someone to his home for the summer. He seemed to emphasize it, now that I think about it.
Maybe there is something special about Eric’s gesture. Maybe it means more than just a goaltender looking out for a fellow goaltender.
Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking.