Chapter 24 Cory
“Oh my God. You’ve read Love Comes in Green.”
Sitting on the edge of his desk, biceps popping in the doctor’s scrubs he occasionally wears, James huffs out an unimpressed, “No.” Then adds, “I wouldn’t read that rubbish.”
I’m struggling here. “Okay, then how—”
“I write it.”
“You’re BosSyd2001?”
“I am.” He nods. “Normally I would deny such an allegation, but since you have plagiarized my work for the purposes of seduction, I feel like I need to stake my claim.”
I almost come in my cup. “Stake your claim on me?”
“On my intellectual property,” he corrects.
“Oh. Well that’s disappointing. I was getting a bit excited thinking what you were going to do to me. A light spanking seems just.”
James huffs out a laugh, which gives me enough confidence to squish in next to him, tapping his foot with my own.
I may be imagining it, but even through my pads, I can feel the heat of his leg against mine, and I really, really wish we were both naked on top of this desk, not fully-clothed perched on its edge.
“That little speech of yours was quite something. I’m really proud of you. ”
“You are?” I beam like an absolute dork.
“I am. It’s not an easy thing to do, and something I never did. Not to my team, anyway.”
“What about your family?”
James puffs his cheeks and shifts a little closer. “Well, when I was seven I told my beautiful Mom I was going to marry Captain America, and I used to steal all of Faith’s Bieber posters. Coming out wasn’t necessary. What about you?”
“Kind of the same. I thought it would rock their world but Mom busted me making out with my Tom Wilson pic in my room, the thing she was most disappointed with was that it was Tom Wilson and not a B’s player.
” James releases a cute little … giggle, I guess you could call it, and I expect the conversation to stay on the same path, but he stops laughing suddenly and grips my hand tighter.
“Cory, every time I see, or think about you, I also think how wrong it is. But life seems to keep throwing us together, and making it feel right. I’m not quite sure what to do about that.”
“You know, Spidey once said, no man can win every battle, but no man should fall without a struggle.”
“So we can’t win, but we’re also destined to fight and–”
“Fall,” I whisper, eyes glued to Jame’s lips. For a second, as he leans in, I think he’s going to kiss me, so I let my eyes fall closed. His breath ghosts over my cheek, then his lips do too.
“I would love nothing more than to wipe this desk clean, lay you out and have my way with you.”
“Why do I feel like there’s something coming that’s not you, or me, but a but.”
His hand tightens over mine, little finger caressing my knuckles. “But. I can’t. Should circumstances be different–”
“But they’re not.”
“No. They’re not.” Pinkies linked together, we sigh in unison. “The other day at dinner, I told you that I liked you, and I meant it. Being around you makes me happy, and I want you in my life. For now, I can only offer you friendship. I’m not sure if that would be of interest to you, but–”
“It would be,” I pretty much yell in his face. “It is, I mean. It sucks, but I get it. Like you said you have responsibilities and I have school and hockey. I don’t want to be without you, so if friends is all we can have then friends it is.” For now.
Leaning into each other, fingers still twisted, we fall into a comfortable silence that lasts both too long, and not nearly long enough.
“I really do need to check that strapping.”
I raise my arm and glance to my non-existent watch, earning another precious chuckle. “Five minutes of friendship and you’re already trying to get me naked. I’m shocked and appalled … and turned on.”
When James shakes his head and pushes off from the desk, I somehow manage to swallow the pitiful cry of, don’t stop touching me, but only just. “Ha ha, smartass. Now shut up and get that gear off.”
My shoulder held up well after my first week of light training, which means I’ll be back at full strength just in time for our first practice game against Harvard next week.
We only have two or three between other New England teams, but they’re a great opportunity to wear our new away jerseys, all white with maroon bands, and to test out our new lines, new goalies, and new opponents.
One of them being Hoffman. With little-to-no warning, and undoubtedly aided by a generous Daddy’s provided donation, the asshole transferred to Harvard. It’s a true gift from the gods, in my humble opinion, but it does leave our defensive pairings with little time to restructure.
Enter James Plum.
So, I knew he used to play in goal, but I had no idea of the hockey brain lurking beneath those curls. Apparently, neither did Brady. “I came early and found this, watching that.”
The this is James working with Brody, Bailey, Dean and Robbie, the remaining defenseman. The that is the smile James sports and he drops into a near perfect butterfly.
“What the hell’s going on? Is every clock I own wrong?” We both jump at Coach’s voice, with Brady going straight on the defensive.
“Nothing! I mean, I couldn’t sleep so I came in early to use the gym.
They were already here.” Brady points to the boys crowded around the net.
“James wanted to help out, but didn’t want to bother you when you’ve got so much on.
Dean said he texted them all last night, and as suspected, he texts slower than your grandpa.
” Having shared those Grindr exchanges with James, I can say this is not always true. Wisely, I decide to keep my mouth shut.
Hand slipping beneath his cap to scratch his head, Coach nods. “Well I’ll be. Look at that footwork.”
“I know!” I add a little too enthusiastically. “He’s bloody brilliant.”
“A smile wouldn’t hurt, though. Do I look that grumpy?” he adds, right as James pinches the bridge of his nose, the antics of the easily distracted boys starting to grate.
Normally he looks, and sounds, a hundred times more pissed, but I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole. Poor Brady, though, is in the unenviable position of not only being an employee, but an almost son-in-law. “‘Course not. Coach. You always seem … ah, not grumpy.”
Somehow Coach seems placated by this, and minutes pass by with grunts and hums of approval as our only communication. It’s me who breaks the silence, nudging Brady’s foot when he fails to respond the first time. “Brades, did James ever say why he quit?”
“What? Oh, yeah, nah he’s never told me. What about you, Coach?”
“Something about his family,” he replies, focus never shifting from the ice where James just gloved a stinging one-timer.
“Not exactly sure what. Shame though. If he can move like that after all these years, imagine what he’d be like fully fit and in his prime.
” I’m fairly certain my imaging that would lead to me breaking the all-time, non-stop jerking off record, so I try very hard not to.
That becomes more difficult when James, tired of his protege’s shenanigans, calls it quits and skates our way, cheeks flushed red, and a determined glint in his eye. “Any one of you could have stepped in to help me out, you know.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Coach huffs. “It’s not often I get gifted with someone who’s as good with his hands.
” While I erupt into the loudest coughing fit ever coughed, Brady slaps my back and Coach continues, eyeing me suspiciously.
“What was I saying? Yes, who’s so gifted in so many ways.
Physiotherapy, car washing, hockey skills.
What’s next James? You going to whip us up a six course meal? ”
“You’re too generous, and I can assure you that’s where the talent stops.
” It’s said with a pointed look towards me.
One in which I raise my brows too, hoping to convey, I didn’t say anything, with my eyes.
“I hope you don’t mind me working with the boys.
I’m not trying to usurp you. Just wanted to give them a goalie’s perspective of screening. ”
“And how did they go? Think any of it sunk in?”
“Yeah.” He nods, taking the water bottle he’d rested on the boards, squirting it directly into his mouth, swallowing, then licking off a drip beading on his bottom lips.
Not that I’m noticing. “In the first twenty minutes I’d say most of it did.
After that, well, let’s say my deaf cat Cleo would have picked more up.
That didn’t help.” He points to the opposite side of the rink where, what the fuck?
My sister and her bestie Chloe, who—unlike Cherry—is a student here, are watching on.
“Isn’t that your sister?” Brady asks, adding. “How did you not see her?” I can hardly say my eye balls were otherwise engaged, but they were.
“I haven’t put my contacts in yet.” Everyone here knows I wouldn’t even see them if that was true, and I don’t hang around for them to tell me that.
Instead I break into a sprint and do a lap around the boards.
“What are you doing here? The womb, home, O’Reilly’s?
Must you infiltrate every area of my life? ”
“Settle Gretel. Chloe’s sister plays the women’s team, remember? We came to see her but I thought I’d pop in and say hi to my favorite bro.” Cherry leans around me to scan the ice. “Is Sam here?” I slap my palm onto the crown of her head and twist it to face me.
“Not yet, but he will be. Shame you’ll be gone. Goodbye.”
“But I just—”
“Goodbye, Cherry.”
“Hi, Cherry.” I do the worst possible thing I could do, look at James while in my sister’s presence. He’s back on the ice, leaning against the gate looking like every one of my God damn dreams. “We haven’t officially met. I’m James, James Plum.”
“Of course you are.” Flashing a nauseating smile, she steps around me and skips to stand beside him. “I didn’t know you played. You look very dashing all kitted out. Doesn’t he, Cory?”
My eyes fall closed. “I hate you. Please shut up.”
To my surprise, James doesn’t run, or skate, for the hill, but laughs and blushes and it’s way too adorable. “Mind if I steal your brother for a minute? I need to tape his shoulder before he starts.”
“You need to take his shirt off to do that, right?”
Shoot me now.
“I do. But there’s nothing to concern yourself with. I’m somewhat of a professional.”
“At clothes removal?”
“That, and physiotherapy.”
“So clothes removal, and rubbing your oiled hands all over—”
“What the hell is going on here?” Inserting myself between them, I squeal like a very man-like banshee. “Are you flirting with him, or just trying to embarrass me?”
Cherry ducks around me again and shoots a wink at James. “Well it started as embarrassing you. The flirting was organic, ‘cause I get it, bro. I get it.”
“Oh my God.” Refusing to even look at her, or Chloe who is laughing like a hyena, I stomp away. “James, if I don’t die on the way, I’ll meet you in the treatment room. Cherry, Chloe. Go to hell.”
“Love you too, little buddy. Don’t forget to use the step if you can’t reach the table.”