Chapter 12 #2
My heart pounded. Maybe it was the suit, but he looked really nice right now. Rough and big but expensive. I didn’t like these feelings. It felt like I hadn’t really seen him before.
He continued. “She wants to know if you want to go to the game?”
I didn’t answer, watching as he zipped up his bag. His hands were huge.
“It’s just a pre-season game.” He glanced up, catching my stare and smiled. He was almost painfully good looking when he smiled like that. And he had the most beautiful teeth. What was going on with me? I felt mute.
He tried again, “Do I have something on my face?”
I shook my head feeling suddenly, inexplicably nervous. “No.”
“So, what should I tell Krista? You want to hang out here tonight?”
“I want to go.”
Another smile that almost knocked my socks off. My stomach weirdly pitched. When had he started smiling at me like that?
“It will be good to have someone in the crowd cheering for me.”
“I think you have lots of people cheering for you.” My voice sounded tart .
He stood up and started to text. “You know what I mean. Friends.”
Was he calling me a friend? How could I respond to that? “I’ll cheer hard.”
A smile played on his lips while he looked at his phone. “She said she’ll pick you up at 6:30 PM.”
“Okay.”
“Make sure she feeds you.”
“Good luck.”
He grunted. “We will need more than luck.”
He picked up his bag and looked back at me. “You know you’re going to be helping me put all that furniture together.”
I pointed at my sling. “Sore arm.”
He laughed. “You’re not getting off that easy.”
Krista showed up with a jersey for me to wear.
It had the name Parker on the back, and Ryan’s number on the front.
Lucky for me, I could pull it over my hoodie without twisting my shoulder.
She wore the same jersey, but she wore hers over a black, skin-tight pencil skirt and a pair of black stilettos.
I was in awe of the stadium, the crowds, and the music. She led us down towards the ice. We had sideline glass seats, just off to the side of the players’ benches.
“I’m starving,” she said. “So, you need to eat with me so I don’t feel guilty.”
I looked over at her. “Why would you feel guilty for eating?”
She waved at someone, who walked towards us. “Because according to my trainer, I should only eat organic grains and no trans fats and right now I am about to order fries and a burger. And a beer.”
“Technically beer is from grains.”
“I like how you think. ”
Someone took our order, and then she sat back. “So, what did you guys do today?”
Everything distracted me. “We went to IKEA.”
“IKEA?” She sounded surprised. “So Ryan is finally getting you a bed?”
I watched as a mascot ran down the stairs. “It's not for me. I’m just helping him put his guest bedroom together.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You’re his guest.”
Suddenly the lights dimmed. Electric lights flashed over the sea of fans wearing blue jerseys. And then a voice boomed over the loudspeakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s put a loud welcome together for your team, the Vancouver Wolves.”
“They come out over there,” Krista yelled over the throbbing music.
One by one, Ryan’s team came streaming onto the ice, while the entire stadium erupted in madness.
With their helmets, shoulder pads and the speed in which they skated, it felt primal.
They reminded me of gladiators about to go to battle.
Horns blared. People screamed, whistled, and stomped their feet.
I watched as the team circled around their half of the ice.
I glimpsed Ryan’s number. He looked massive as he skated with speed and grace. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him.
“And here is your starting lineup tonight,” the announcer boomed. He listed the goalie and a couple other players. When he announced Ryan, the stadium crowd deafened us with its roars.
I looked over at Krista in amazement. Her lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear her.
“What?” I yelled.
“They love him here. So much.”
My eyes traveled around the stadium. Everyone was screaming and yelling. So many fans. So much support. All for Ryan.
The game enthralled me, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Ryan.
He became a different person on the ice.
He was fierce, fast, and intense. I gasped when he got checked into the boards so hard the plexiglass rattled.
The skates scraping on ice, sticks slapping, the puck hitting the boards and the sheer speed and size of the players on the ice felt addictive, in a heady, surreal way.
“Hooked yet?” Krista asked.
I nodded, entranced.
She laughed. “This is just a pre-season game. Wait until the playoffs.”
I bite my lip. There was no way I would be here during the playoffs. This was all temporary.
Ryan scored. The entire place went crazy, except his teammates. No one jumped on top of him. No one gave him a high-five. He looked so alone as he skated back to the bench.
I looked up at Krista who watched him with a concerned look on her face.
“Why?” I asked.
“It’s a long story.”
“He’s so nice though. How could anyone not like him?”
She gave me a sad smile. “It’s complicated.”