8. Jax
CHAPTER EIGHT
JAX
Ijump over the boards just as the arena’s PA announcer states, “One minute remaining in the period.”
“Shit.” I skate over and forecheck my opponent to try to get the puck.
We struggle, but eventually I win out and manage to pass it to Saint, one of our centers.
“Let’s go boys, one more!” I yell as I race to keep up with our center, Sevrin “Saint” St. Clair, who’s flying down the ice to get into St. Louis’s zone.
We’re tied 1-1, and with this being our first road game of the regular season, it’s imperative to set the tone and get a win.
We get into their zone, and Saint leaves the puck for our defenseman, Liam Sullivan, to take a shot.
He blasts it, but it goes wide to the right of their goaltender.
Saint is there, but the St. Louis defense is on top of him.
I skate along the boards closer to Saint and bang my stick.
“Over here.” I make my presence known, and he manages to stick handle the puck through their defensemen’s legs so I can swoop in and get it.
I skate back with the puck and instead of passing it, I shoot it before closing in on their goaltender.
He makes a quick save off his left pad, but I’m right there for the rebound.
I lift the puck off my stick so it gets the height I need to go over his shoulder and bang into the back of the net.
I see the red goal light behind the net flash, and the linesman is right at the goal, pointing directly at the net.
“Fuck yes!” I pump my arms in the air and am immediately mobbed by my teammates.
“That’s how we fucking do it, Jax!” Saint yells while patting me on the head. I skate over to our bench and glove tap the rest of the guys before entering to sit down.
The final seconds run out, and the horn blares to signify the end of the game. We exit our bench and walk through the tunnel to our dressing room, where the celebration continues until our head coach, Peter Donovan, comes in to give us his post-game speech.
“Well done, fellas. You played like a cohesive unit, and it will only get better from here on out. Morrow,” he turns and looks at me. “Way to lift us up and secure our first win on the road. Keep bringing that tenacity to the net.”
He turns and points to Kai Beaulieu, one of our left wingers.
“Beau, great job at setting the tone for us with that banger of a goal in the first period. You lit a fire under everyone’s ass that helped our D keep the puck out of the zone.
” Coach turns toward some of our defensemen.
“Well done guys for keeping their snipers at bay, and Joey,” Coach points directly at Joey Gowans, who was in goal tonight, and smiles.
“You stopped twenty-seven shots on goal. You were a brick-fucking-wall and we need that wall up all season long!”
We all clap and holler. Lincoln Slade, one of our right wingers, gives Joey a noogie in celebration. Coach tries to yell over our commotion to get us to quiet down, and eventually, we listen.
“You guys deserve a night off to celebrate, so enjoy yourselves tonight, but make smart decisions! Curfew is extended to midnight, but remember, we’re leaving early in the morning.
Eight o’clock bus load to the airport. Anyone who doesn’t show up for roll call tomorrow will be fined and will have to find their own way home. Have a good evening, boys!”
Last season, on some road trips, our coach started implementing leaving for home the next day instead of right after a game, especially if we don’t have back-to-back games.
It might cost the team more money for an extra night stay, but it allows the players to decompress after games and get some sleep, which results in better play.
Even though Coach extended our curfew, that only leaves us a couple of hours. I take off my wet gear and head to the showers.
“Where we going tonight, Jax?” Bishop asks me as we walk into the shower room.
“Not sure, but it requires consuming food.” It’s been hours since our pre-game meal and I’m famished.
“That’s obvious. I mean afterwards.”
Before I get a chance to answer, Cruz Felnachek, one of our defensemen, chimes in.
“Rookie over here has never been to a titty bar. I think we need to pop his cherry tonight.” He points to Tallis Deacon, our rookie defenseman.
Tallis covers his eyes while some other guys cheer.
Bishop looks over at me, and I shake my head before submersing myself under the shower faucet.
“Hey Jax, you going to come with us?” Lucas Rathborne asks, another rookie on the team this year.
“Nope,” I tell him while lathering my body with soap. “I don’t do strip clubs.”
Cruz scoffs. “What, you too good for them or something?”
I shrug. “Why would I pay to see a girl naked when I can get it for free?” I give him a cocky grin while the other guys laugh and tell Cruz I’m insinuating that he has to pay for it even though he is married.
I keep my tone light and joking, but it pisses me off when I see some of the married players with kids agree to go to the strip club.
While it’s none of my business what they do in or out of their marriage, I have a very hard time saying hello to their significant others knowing what I see on the road.
I don’t want to know about it, and I sure as hell don’t want to see it.
I finish showering, get dressed and meet Bishop outside the locker room. He has gathered Harry and two other guys to join us, and we decide to head out for dinner.
With dinner taking longer than expected, we’re only left with one hour before curfew is up. Bishop and the other guys decide to go back to the hotel while Harry and I end up hitting a bar to grab a drink and to see if we can find some beautiful females to come back to the hotel with us.
The bar is slammed with a live band playing popular hits that gets people out on the dance floor. I pay for our beers and turn around to face the dance floor so I can people watch.
“Incoming, three o’clock,” Harry alerts, and I turn my head to see two pretty ladies staring at us.
I give them a flirtatious smile, encouraging them to come over.
In the past, I always made the first move and look where that got me.
Now I prefer they make the first move. Not only does it show their confidence, but I also find it sexy as hell.
I take a pull of my beer and let my gaze wander over the dance floor. I watch a woman with a crown and a sash that says “bride” in glitter letters doing the chicken dance, and I chuckle. “There’s a guaranteed good time right there,” I tell Harry with a nod over to the bride and her crew.
Harry follows my glance and grins. “I bet they would be a lot of fun back at the hotel.”
The bachelorette crew consists of five women and the bride. With the way they’re dancing and going crazy to the music, it’s safe to assume that they’ve consumed many cocktails. They’re loud and rambunctious, oblivious to everyone else around them.
“I bet you’re right,” I agree in appreciation while I continue watching them.
One in particular keeps catching my eye.
She has her back to me, but she has long, brown hair and is wearing a white tank top with light wash blue jeans that hug her very nice ass, which she’s currently shaking to the music.
She’s holding a drink in her right hand while her arms are raised in the air as she sings to the music with her friends.
As much as I would love to bring them all back to the hotel, they would be too loud and would get us into too much trouble with our coaches.
“Hey guys.” Our attention is diverted back to the two women from earlier who make the bold move to come up to us.
“Evening, ladies. You’re both looking lovely.” Harry flashes them his megawatt smile that makes him a fan favorite with our female fans.
“Thanks, you look mighty fine yourself,” one of them says and rakes her eyes down his body. With her staking her claim on Harry, I turn my attention to her friend, who’s giving me a coy smile.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Jasmine,” she answers, and tilts her head. “Why do you look so familiar to me?”
“Maybe it’s because you see me in your dreams every night.”
She giggles and pushes against my shoulder. “You wish I did, but seriously, do you work around here?”
A loud commotion comes from the dance floor, and I briefly glance over. “I don’t even live here.”
“Where do you live?”
I watch some members of the bachelorette party cheer on the girl I was admiring.
She’s doing the robot and looks absolutely ridiculous.
I smile at how funny she is and am about to answer Jasmine when the words die in my throat as the beautiful brunette turns around.
My mouth drops open in complete shock as my brain processes that this woman looks a lot like Kiley O’Shea.
I squint harder and blink rapidly.
That can’t be Kiley… she’s back in Chicago.
Isn’t she?
But when the woman throws back her head and I get a better view of her face, there’s no denying that it’s Kiley.
“Hey, you okay, handsome?” Jasmine’s voice draws me out of my trance, and I give my head a shake.
“Sorry, yeah. I live in Chicago.”
“Oh, I love Chicago.”