These Pucking Boys

1. June

I’m grading the last English test when I glance at the clock and panic. Shit. It’s already past four on a Thursday. The Titans game starts at seven. Thanks to LA traffic, if I don’t hurry, I won’t make it to the arena in time.

Hastily, I collect all my things and, in true me fashion, I bump the desk and send the pile of already graded tests cascading to the floor, spreading everywhere.

“Fork my life!” I drop to my knees to pick them up.

“Tssk. What kind of language is that, coming from a sixth-grade teacher?”

I lift my gaze and find Katrina, my work bestie, leaning against the classroom doorframe and sporting a smug grin.

“I said fork. Stop judging and help me, please. I’m late.”

“That you are. Hence why I stopped by.” She walks over in her five-inch heels with a grace I don’t have. She’s five-foot-nothing and claims she needs the added height. I think she’s insane. As I collect the papers, my hands are shaking, and Katrina notices with her hawk eyes. “What’s wrong with you? It’s just an off-season hockey game. Big deal if you miss the beginning.”

I sigh, meeting her gaze. “It is a big deal. I’m proposing to Bill on the Jumbotron tonight.”

Her brown eyes widen. “What? Where’s that coming from?”

“From a deal I made with him in high school. During our senior year, we got into an argument about feminism.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

I ignore Katrina’s comment. She isn’t Bill’s biggest fan, even though she’s friendly with him. I don’t blame her. Bill is an acquired taste, and most people dislike him immensely until they get to know him better. He’s abrasive, but he can also be kind. And he’s supportive of my dream of becoming a screenwriter. Most of my family thinks I’m delusional.

“Anyway, he said that if I truly believed in feminism, then when the time came, I should be the one to propose to him.”

Katrina grimaces. “I can’t believe you agreed to that. You’re the most romantic person I know. I thought for sure you’d want to be swept off your feet.”

“I do... I mean, I did, but Bill has a point. Expecting the guy to propose goes against my belief that men and women should have equal roles in society. Why should we wait for the guy to decide when to get married?”

“What does your bestie think about that?”

“Oh, I didn’t tell Danika about my plan.”

Katrina quirks an eyebrow. “Why not?”

I sigh. “She’d probably convince me it was a bad idea. Besides, she’s also close to Bill, and they work together. I didn’t want her to accidentally spill the beans.”

Katrina collects more papers from the floor and sets them on my battered desk. “Call me old-fashioned, but I’d never have proposed to my husband. He knew from the start that if he wanted to put a ring on my finger, he had to earn it.”

My chest feels tight. I’d have loved it if Bill had forgotten about our agreement and proposed already. But every time I hinted about us taking the next step, he looked at me and pointedly said that the ball was in my court.

After dating Bill for nearly nine years and living with him for two, I decided to bite the bullet and propose during the game tonight. Bill is a major Titans fan, and I figured asking him to marry me during the game would be super romantic. Booking the Jumbotron wasn’t cheap, but Bill’s worth it.

Thanks to Katrina’s help, all my papers are back on my desk. I put them in the top drawer and lock it. “I’d better hurry, or I won’t have time to change.”

“Yeah, you need to look stunning tonight if you’re going to show your face on the Jumbotron.”

I tilt my head, squinting. “Are you saying I don’t look good?”

She arches an eyebrow. “Do you want an honest answer?”

I shake my head, laughing. “Nope.”

Katrina isn’t trying to be mean. We just spent the whole day at school dealing with students. No middle-school teacher looks good at the end of the day.

I grab my purse and head for the door but stop when my phone rings. It’s Bill. “Hey, babe.”

“Are you home yet?” he asks in a curt tone. He must be stressed about something at the office.

“No. I’m about to leave work. Why?”

“Can you pick up my dry cleaning? I need my lucky suit for tomorrow.”

Shit. “I don’t know if I have time. I’m already running late.”

“June, come on. You know I won’t get off work for another hour. And it was already a big deal for me to leave an hour early. I’m a lawyer. I don’t have your easy, breezy work hours.”

I sigh. “All right. I’ll stop by the dry cleaner.”

“Thanks, babe. You’re the best.”

“I love you,” I say, but he’s already ended the call.

Katrina is watching me with a stern expression. “Did you seriously agree to run an errand for your lazy boyfriend when you’re already late?”

“It’s Bill’s lucky suit—he needs it for court tomorrow. It’s an important case.”

She rolls her eyes. “If he expects you to propose, then you should expect him to pick up his own dry cleaning.”

“I don’t mind,” I lie. I do mind, but I don’t want anything to go wrong tonight. If I told Bill I couldn’t pick up his dry cleaning, he’d be in a foul mood at the game. I don’t want to propose to him when he’s aggravated over something minor. “I’d better go.”

“Good luck tonight. I’ll tune in to the game to watch your proposal.”

Her comment makes me queasy. I knew all along that the game would be on TV, but I’ve been trying to ignore that detail. I’m more nervous than ever as I rush out of the classroom, hoping traffic won’t be too terrible.

It’s LA, June. Not even all the mighty gods combined could fix the damn traffic in this town.