Wins that had me feeling on top of the world, especially when I’d been chosen as one of the players to take part in the shootout on Friday after the regulation and overtime periods had ended in a tie. Gliding strategically toward the net, I’d aimed to the left but had flipped my shot at the open five-hole at the last second, and grinned as it sailed across the line for a goal. That luck had continued into Saturday when my slapshot had echoed off the post at the end of the third period before ricocheting into the net behind New Jersey’s goalie.
I was showing the fans, and more importantly, the team management, that I knew this game. That I could win. That I could, hopefully, help in a run towards the Stanley Cup in the coming months.
They just had to keep me around long enough for that to happen.
Another perk of having played well was that it’d given Lia and I something to talk about as we kept our conversation going.
No problem. Glad you got home safe
I hadn’t jumped in right away asking for a date, but had instead played it cool, not wanting to overwhelm her. Especially figuring it was still strange to her that we’d bumped into each other again in the first place. I knew it was for me.
My plan seemed to work okay though, considering she sent along another text a few hours later to wish me good luck before the game.
Good luck tonight. My friends and I might tune in during our monthly game night
Sounds like an exciting Friday night, Red. I’d suggest a competitive round of Monopoly
Didn’t want to sever any friendships, so we went with Clue and Scrabble much safer options. And congrats on the win ! Nice shot at the end there
I’d only seen her text later that night, after the excitement had wound down a few notches and I was ready to crash.
I can definitely see you sweeping the board in Scrabble. And thanks, maybe it was because you were watching
And seeing as my message had been delivered late, it wasn’t surprising that I only received a reply the next morning.
Hopefully you can still make a showing tonight then, because I won’t be able to catch the game tonight
I will, don’t worry. Though if you’re free tomorrow, I could probably give you a give play-by-play over lunch
Game day prep had kept me busy for the majority of the morning, but when I finally got a chance to check my messages, a grin slipped onto my lips.
I can do lunch
Pick you up at noon ?
See you then
Somehow, through a stroke of luck, I found an open parking spot right around the corner from the four-story brick apartment building Lia had texted me the address to. On the edge of Cambridge, she lived close enough to the university without being surrounded by the throngs of student housing, though the streets were still bustling as I stepped out into the cold.
However, I barely reached the front doors before Lia spotted me through the glass doors of the foyer and met me on the sidewalk.
Hey, she greeted, a wide smile on her pink-stained lips. With her hair down and curled softly, she looked gorgeous. Like a bright firecracker on a bleak night. And though her jacket concealed most of her outfit, the jeans and knee-high boots she wore did wonders for her legs.
Hey, I echoed, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Pulling back, I noticed her grin had softened and a red tint began to color her skin. I would’ve come up to meet you.
She waved me off. Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ve was ready early, so I figured it was better to wait down here than pace the apartment. Besides- She laughed. -my place is a bit of a mess.
I’m sure it’s not that bad.
It’s not dirty or anything, I keep it clean, she said, correcting herself quickly. But since I’ve been working on my final defense in spurts over the weekend, there are papers everywhere that I didn’t have the time to try and organize.
You like working amongst the chaos ?
I prefer to call it organized chaos.
Nothing wrong with that, I said, leading her back to where I’d parked. But I will say, if you need any help, I do know quite a bit about a good defense.
Not exactly the same thing, she mused.
I shrugged, though it was apparent I was teasing as I said, Same word. It’s just about the perspective.
She shook her head, and as we approached the truck, I lengthened my strides to get there first, making sure to open the passenger door for her.
Thanks. Though she lifted a brow and turned to face me as she hopped into the seat. Did you upgrade sometime in the last two days ?
Oh, no, the SUV on Thursday was Nyberg’s. This baby’s all mine.
A small noise of understanding came from her lips as she settled into the seat, and once I closed the door, I jogged around the front to slide in next to her.
So, she began as I buckled myself in and started the car, are you going to tell me where we’re going ?
It’s actually a surprise, I replied before gesturing to her knee-high boots. And while I love those boots, they may get in the way where we’re headed.
Her gaze flitted to her boots before rising back to meet mine, curiosity flooding her features. Why ?
You’ll see, I said, not giving anything else away.
The suspicion never completely faded as I drove through town, but she let it drop. Instead, she asked more about how my game had gone last night, wanting more while the radio soft background noise. Though when I pulled into a small parking lot fifteen minutes later and killed the engine, her eyes gleamed with amusement.
A bowling alley ?
What ? I asked innocently. I never said this would be a five-star lunch.
Not to say I hadn’t considered taking her out for an upscale meal, but I’d squashed that idea pretty fast once I realized I wanted today to be about having fun. To be chill. Besides, hanging out in an extravagant restaurant wasn’t exactly my scene, and from what I knew about Lia so far, it wasn’t hers either.