Chapter 5
Chapter Five
LYDIA
“Alright. Cheers to the Rosebuds.”
Glasses clink together as I knock back the shot of cinnamon vodka. It burns on the way down, but right now? I need it.
“To the Rosebuds!” Skylar and Parker echo.
It’s early afternoon, so the bar we found near the rink isn’t crowded.
Girl Power & Pints is a tribute to women’s sports.
Even though the city just got a women’s team, they have the women’s basketball team covering the walls.
A few photos of the Canadian women’s hockey team are spread out here and there, but considering how dominant the basketball team is, they take up every open wall space.
Hell, even the video games in the corner feature them. Hopefully that will be us one day.
We’re occupying a high-top table, a bowl of pretzels resting between us.
“I have to tell you, I was so happy to see both of your names when I got traded here,” Parker says, smacking her lips together.
“Me too,” Skylar says. “Even though I’m still nervous to be here.”
“At least you have someone that moved here with you,” I tell her. “I feel like that always makes the adjustment easier.”
“Okay. Skylar is dating someone. I’m not and not looking,” Parker points out. “How about you, Lydia? Are you looking for anyone?”
“No. I don’t need anything serious during the season.”
“But you told Skylar you knew our coach?” Parker asks, waggling her eyebrows at me. “How exactly did you know her?”
I can’t help but snort a laugh at her. “Parker, can I just tell you that you and I are going to be great friends?”
She smiles at me in response. “Don’t I know it.”
“Hey, don’t leave me out,” Skylar cuts in.
“We won’t. Trust me.” I smile at her.
“Back to the question at hand.” Parker steers the conversation back to where she wants it. “How do you know our coach?”
Those eyebrows of hers waggle again at me.
“Stop it.” I wave her off, spotting the server and ordering us another round. “We used to play together.”
Do I feel good about lying to her when we just met? No. But what am I supposed to say? My mind is still spinning from seeing Delaney again after all these years, and I might not be as over her as I thought.
Normally, I’m much cooler than this. Because of the chaotic lifestyle of a professional hockey player, I always favored casual relationships instead of anything more serious.
I dated in Boston. I had fun. But hockey has always been the focus in my life.
It was the same when Delaney and I were together. It wasn’t serious. It was easy because we were always together. Delaney was the first woman I ever had sex with. I knew I liked women before her, but I had never met anyone like her.
Still haven’t. There have been other men and women since, but I don’t know why I’m so bothered seeing her again.
Maybe because I never got closure? One day she was there and the next, she was gone.
“That’s it? That’s the story?” Skylar asks. “It seemed much juicier than that.”
I smile at her, sipping on my drink. “Sorry. It’s not. We used to play together. We were friends.” With benefits, but I leave that part off. I don’t need to hint at our history together. “I haven’t talked to her in…God, five years? Not since she got injured.”
“You were there for it?” Skylar winces, grabbing her fresh margarita and taking a drink. “I remember seeing it after and it was awful.”
I nod. “It was. You never want to see anyone go down like that.”
“That had to have been hard.” Parker leans back, drinking her dark beer.
“I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
“Well, hey.” Parker holds up her glass. “Cheers to our coach then and cheers to being teammates.”
“Cheers.” I smile at both of them before sipping on my own vodka tonic.
This will be my last drink if I plan on getting in a workout tomorrow.
Preseason doesn’t officially start until next week, but once it does, no more drinking for me.
I want to be in tip-top shape—mind and body—to be the best player I can be for my teammates.
For these ladies that are becoming fast friends.
“You think we’re going to kick ass this year?” Parker asks, leaning back in her chair.
I rap my knuckles on the table. “Let’s hope. The Rosebuds put together a good team.”
Skylar snickers next to me. “Can we talk about that team name? I mean, the Rosebuds? Couldn’t they have decided on something better?”
“It’s not even a full rose,” Parker points out. “It’s a bud. It hasn’t even bloomed.”
“Well, then, we’ll have to show them that we’re the best team out there,” I tell them. “Buds be damned.”
“You’re too nice,” Parker throws back at me.
I shrug, sipping my drink. “I think people here are happy that Toronto finally has a women’s team.”
“Took them long enough.” Skylar shakes her head.
“Think we’ll ever be this popular?” Parker circles a finger in front of her, indicating the bar around us.
“Fuck yes,” I tell her. “We’ll be more popular in no time. At least we have better colors.”
“Really. Pink and green go better together than orange and black.” Parker laughs.
“You know, I was nervous when I got traded,” Skylar confesses. “But being out tonight makes it much better.”
“You were?” I ask, grabbing a pretzel from the bowl the waiter brought out to us earlier.
She nods. “Making friends is hard for me. I get shy around big groups of new people.”
“You were fine around us,” Parker tells her.
“Because it was only you two.”
I clap my hand over hers that rests on the table. “Well, you’ve got us on your side.”
“Thanks. We’ll need to make these nights a regular thing now that we’re all in town.”
“I agree,” Parker interjects. “I could use some girlfriends here.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket. Pulling it out, an email pops up on my phone.
From my dad’s secretary.
Dear Miss Bishop,
I will pass along your message when Mr. Bishop arrives back in the office. He is out of the office and does not wish to be bothered unless for important reasons.
Regards,
Miss Brennan
I huff a laugh, shaking my head.
“Everything okay?” Skylar asks, licking the rim of her glass before sipping on her margarita.
“It’s fine. Just an email from my dad’s secretary.”
“Not a good one, from the sound of it,” Parker notes, flagging down the bartender to order another beer. “You want another drink?”
“I’m good.” I shake my head. “I don’t talk to him much.”
More like I can’t get him to talk to me, but I don’t need to get into that right now. I think the last time I talked to him was when I left the national team. I was still living in San Diego then, and had managed to get a few minutes with him at his office.
Have I heard from him since? A few responses to texts every now and then, but nothing big.
“Sorry. That sucks,” Parker states, oh so eloquently.
“It’s okay. I have my mom and an amazing stepdad that more than make up for him.”
I just wish I could shake the feelings that he always seems to stir up inside me. I’ve wanted for nothing in my life. I have a great family. I love my mom and Derek. So why? Why does he keep making me feel like I’m missing something?
“I could use another shot,” I tell them. Even though I said I wouldn’t have one, I need one.
“My kinda girl.” Parker winks at me before hopping off her chair and running over toward the bar.
“Do you think we’re going to have to keep her in check?” Skylar laughs.
I chuckle to myself, grabbing the glass of water on the table and taking a gulp. “Probably. But she’ll be fun.”
“As long as she doesn’t do it before a game.” Skylar points a pink-tipped fingernail at me.
“Ooh.” I grab her hand and look at her manicure. Half are green with roses painted on them and the others are pink. “This is a great manicure.”
“Okay, you’re going to have to come with me to my place. It’s the perfect pampering after a hard game.”
“Done.”
“What’s done?” Parker returns, holding six shots in her hands with ease. No wonder she’s such a good goalie. With skills like that? She can stop anything.
“She’s taking me to her nail place.”
“Something for you two then.” Parker passes out the shots and we down them quickly.
The rest of the afternoon goes by in a blur of more drinks, shared appetizers, and sharing hockey stories from the teams we came from.
“Listen. If we keep going, tomorrow is not going to be pleasant. And I want to get another training session in before we start practice,” Parker says.
“Okay, okay,” Skylar agrees. “Probably wouldn’t look good to have three of the Rosebuds’ newest players too drunk to get home.”
“Hey.” I point a finger at her as we walk to the bar to settle our tab. “I live close by. You’re welcome to crash at my place anytime.”
Skylar grins at me. After hanging out with her and Parker all afternoon, I know these two are going to be like sisters to me.
It makes me eager to get started. To get to know more of the women on the team.
Making friends is something I’ve never struggled with.
When I started travel hockey, I loved meeting people from all different parts of the country.
All three of us head outside together, exchanging phone numbers and starting a group chat.
“See you Monday?” I ask.
“See you then,” Skylar says.
“Can’t wait.” Parker is grinning back at me.
I hug each of them goodbye and head off into the cool Toronto evening. Leaves are starting to change as they rustle in the breeze.
I’m still getting used to the area, but it’s nice the bar is within walking distance of the rink and home. My new favorite part about the city? Getting to detour to walk along the waterfront.
The city is bustling. I love it here. It has the same energy as Boston. Every person I’ve met has been nothing but kind.
Even though I have to figure out how to play for Delaney without thinking about what we used to have, I push that thought from my head.
That’s a problem for future Lydia.