I skate to where Asher has the puck on the blue line. He fakes a shot and passes the puck to me. I pull my stick back and slap the puck as hard as I can. It’s deflected off someone’s stick, changing direction and hitting the crossbar before dropping into the net.
I smile as the guys hoot and holler.
“Alright boys, bring it in.” Coach Q meets us at center ice. “Tomorrow is the season opener. These stands are going to be full of people wanting to see the same type of hockey they saw in the Frozen Four. Now obviously we aren’t the same team with guys graduating and moving on. But we still have our core, our strength, and our determination. Play smart hockey and I have no doubt that we’ll see that championship trophy again!”
The guys cheer as we come in for the ritual we do at the end of the last practice before a game. With our sticks held up with our right hand, the toes of our blades touching, I start the chant.
“Go Knights on three…one, two, three!”
“GO KNIGHTS!”
“Who are we?”
“IRISH KNIGHTS! FAUGH A BALLAGH!”
I skate to the tunnel first and turn so I can fist-bump everyone as they head to the locker room. I’m the last off the ice as I nod to the coaches and head to the locker room to shower and change. I make quick work of it, not hanging around to chat and head to Duci Pizza.
I inhale deeply as I open the door to my favorite Sicilian pizza place. I wave to Elio as I pass the kitchen window and head for my spot in the back. I don’t bother looking at the menu as I waitfor one of the waitresses to come by. I smile as Lorenzo slides into the booth across from me.
“Ciao, Shane. How have you been?” He has a thick Italian accent.
“I’m good. How have you and Elio been? Keeping busy?”
He nods. “Si, si. Pizza is popular with the college kids,” he laughs.
“I agree with you there. Yours is the best in town.”
He bows his head with a small smile. “Grazi. Can I get you something to drink while Elio makes your pizza?”
“I’m good with water, thanks.”
“Ok. I must go check on the new girl up front.” He lifts his chin towards a frazzled-looking girl trying to open the cash register. “She’s not so good under pressure but has a pretty smile.”
I laugh as he slides out and walks over to her. I can see she has a dimple and I’m reminded of Charlie’s. How they appear so rarely but the few times I did see them, I was captivated by how cute they are.
I really hope he’s okay.
I think of last weekend and how much he struggled yet was at peace when it came to looking at the stars. He said he spent his childhood looking up at them. I wonder if he did a lot of camping as a kid.
A hand waving an inch from my face has me blinking the restaurant back into view. Elio is looking down at me with a questioning look on his tan face. He sets down my personal-sized pepperoni pizza and sits where his husband had sat.
“What’s troubling our hockey star?” His accent is much easier to understand than Lorenzo’s.
“Nothing. Just…I don’t know how to go about telling someone that I care about them. We met a few weeks ago but I have a connection with him like I’ve never had with anyoneelse.” I shake my head at myself as I stare blankly at the steam coming off the pizza. “It’s crazy how much I want to help and be with him after such a short time knowing each other. But I can’t stop thinking about him even though he’s ignored me every day this week.”
“You said you want to help him? With what? Homework, sports, whatever twenty-year-olds do these days?”
I smile at him but then it falls when I think of the real reason. “He has something going on in his life that he won’t tell anyone about. He lives alone and doesn’t respond to texts or phone calls. I get this feeling that he needs someone by his side, but I don’t want to barge over to his place and demand that he talks to me.” I rub the back of my neck, giving Elio a helpless shrug.
“Hmm. It sounds like you’ve made a strong connection. Maybe he doesn’t know how to ask you or perhaps he doesn’t want to makeyoufeel like you have to be with him. He might be struggling for the right words to say without sounding desperate.” He says with a soft smile. “It’s just a thought but I almost lost the one person who understood me inside and out because I didn’t want to burden him with my internal struggle of being gay.” He looks over with a loving look to where Lorenzo is patiently working with the new girl. He has what can only be described as hearts in his eyes as he watches his husband.
“So, Ishouldgo see him, even if he hasn’t said anything, right? I don’t want it to backfire and for him to think I’m being pushy or anything like that. Damn, when did feelings become so hard?” I laugh at myself.
Elio looks back at me with a knowing smile. “You’d be surprised how much those feelings will shape your future.” He taps the tabletop twice before standing. “It was nice seeing you again Shane. Maybe next time you won’t be alone.” He winks and then pats me on the shoulder as he walks to his husband. Iwatch as he wraps Lorenzo in a hug from behind and kisses the back of his neck.
As I eat, I go back and forth on whether I should go see Charlie or wait for him to come to me. By the time I’m finished, I’ve decided that I’ve never waited for anything to come to me, I’ve always gone after what I want. And what I want is Charlie.
I can hear music through Charlie’s closed door before I even get to it. I knock as hard as I can without sounding like I’m the cops. He must be in his art room because there’s no answer after the third round of knocks.
