“They couldn’t see past that big defenseman who was on him. And the game goes fast. You stop to check on things and everyone’s moved on, and you get stripped of the puck. That’s just as bad.”
Katie nudged me. “See, you’re smart.”
I was going to argue, say that it was just hockey, but I didn’t. I wasn’t math smart, but I was hockey smart. Maybe she was right that it counted for something.
The game continued to be a gong show. It was frustrating, because I should be down there, helping out. I’d been worried the team would do well without me and I might lose my place. Well, that sure as hell wasn’t the case. We’d played better than this in practice, but somehow with the game we fell apart. I could only imagine what Coach would say in the locker room after. And what practice would be like tomorrow.
The one fun part had been Cooper coming out in the second intermission to be on the kiss cam with his redhead. She looked a little shell-shocked, and I was pretty sure she’d never been to a hockey game before. I hoped she was ready for being known as Cooper’s girlfriend.
I imagined Katie sitting there, with me coming out for the kiss cam. I shot her a glance. She looked curious, but not like she was putting herself in that scene. I had work to do.
Then the third period started, and it was more of the same.
It was a relief when it was over. The Blaze lost and the crowd was quiet as they left. A few people told me the team was missing me and it would be better when I was back, but I wasn’t that good. Cooper had been great, and Fitch was fitting in well for a newbie. Petey had stopped a lot of shots, but the forwards and the rest of the D had been pretty bad.
We waited until most people left before we stood up. I didn’t want more people telling me I would save the team, or offering their advice, or asking me to sign things when I felt like we’d let our fans down.
I led Katie down to the players’ section of the arena. I got us through with my ID, and the car was in the lot, but maybe she didn’t want to hang out after that loss. “You still up for going out with the team?”
She cocked her head. “Do you guys not like to go out after a loss?”
I rolled my eyes. “We definitely need to go out to forget what happened when we get skunked like that.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Sure?”
“I know you want to see your teammates, and this is interesting.”
“It is?”
She nodded. “You’re much more confident when it comes to hockey than you are with other things.”
Katie was perfect for me. She thought I was smart when I talked about hockey, and about other stuff too. I had to find a way for her to watch me play, since I was a lot better than I’d been when she last saw me in high school. I would use anything I had to impress her.
The team doing so badly had been a downer, but she made even that better.
Chapter 15
A Sad-Eyed Puppy
Katie
I’d never been to the Top Shelf, the bar the players met at. I hadn’t been a lot of places in Toronto yet, since my budget was tight and my time limited, but thanks to Madeline meeting Josh there, I’d heard of the place. There was a sign at the door, No selfies, no autographs, or no service. That probably explained why the hockey team went there.
There was a guy checking people out at the door, but Josh was waved in. I looked around in interest. This wasn’t too far from Madeline’s, and if it was decent, maybe I’d come again when I needed a break. It was nice—not a club with loud music and dancing; not the kind of place where you expected to catch something if you used the bathroom. The drinks wouldn’t be cheap, but there were two levels, a big bar, and food service too.
Josh led the way to some tables at the back under the second floor. It provided a bit of privacy and they had reserved signs on them. All the tables around were occupied, but Josh ignored the sign and took a chair. It must be reserved for the players. I sat beside him and caught some envious glances.
A few people greeted Josh and commiserated with him about the game, but then we were left alone, and a server took our order for drinks. Josh had chosen a place in the middle of the tables. He obviously felt comfortable with his teammates and liked to be in the center of anything going on. That was vintage Josh.
Our server, a pretty brunette, cast appreciative eyes over him. I could see the question in her eyes when she checked me out. I found myself leaning a little closer to him, as if I was claiming him, glad I’d taken some effort in how I dressed and did my hair tonight. As if I needed to prove I deserved to be around Josh. What the hell, Katie? We were friends. It wasn’t anything to do with me if Josh wanted to pick someone up, like he had with Madeline. And I shouldn’t be strangling the beer glass in front of me when those thoughts pushed through.
It would be awkward getting home if he picked someone up. He’d driven us from the arena and parked in a nearby lot, but it wasn’t too long a walk to where I was living. It would be good for me. Or I could call for a ride. I wasn’t dependant on him to get home.
Transportation aside, what would I do if some puck bunny did get cozy with him? I didn’t know anyone else, so that would be uncomfortable. This had been a bad decision. I should have gone straight home from the game. But before I got myself too worked up over this hypothetical situation, his teammates walked in, distracting my anxious thoughts.
The players attracted a lot of attention: some applause, comments, waves. Fans probably came on purpose to see the team, even if they couldn’t take pictures. Would the atmosphere be different after a win? Because everyone seemed a little quiet tonight.
