Though truthfully, I may have put a little extra energy into the checking drills, needing some kind of physical outlet for my internalized aggression.
But when the whistle blew and we were all dismissed, nobody-not a teammate or coach-had noticed anything off about me. Or if they did, like I expected Coach Davidson had, they didn’t say anything.
It was only after I’d showered and changed that I figured the jig was up, when Nyberg came over to clap me on the back.
Dude, you coming to Schmidt’s for video games and beer ?
Or not.
Uh, I don’t think so, I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket to check the time. It was just past five, and while I still had nearly two hours before I was expected at Lia’s, there was no way I could keep up this emotional facade for more than a few more minutes. I already have plans.
He raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Plans ? Today ?
Yeah, I’m heading to Lia’s later.
Wait- His eyes bugged out. -seriously ? You’ve got a date planned for Valentine’s Day ?
Valentine’s Day. Shit. I really hoped Lia wasn’t expecting tonight to be about a ridiculous holiday, because I really didn’t need that kind of expectation on top of everything else right now.
I shook my head vehemently with denial. No, I gritted out. No, you’ve got it wrong. We’re just ordering pizza and watching a movie or two. There’s nothing special about it.
The last Valentine’s Day I actually cared to celebrate had been years ago, with someone I liked nothing more than to forget these days. But it had been about flowers and chocolate, with reservations at a fancy steakhouse for dinner. Tonight was the complete opposite of that. It was chill. Casual. Not romantic at all.
Does she know that ? Nyberg asked, looking as though he didn’t believe a word I said.
And while I had no way of confirming that she did, in fact, know tonight had nothing to do with Valentine’s Day ; I really, truly, hoped she did.
At five minutes to seven, I pressed the buzzer to Lia’s apartment and heard her voice crackle over the speaker moments later.
Hello ?
It’s me.
Come on up, she said, and the door to her building’s lobby beeped open.
Stepping inside, I was just about to let the door close behind me when I saw a delivery man, pizza in hand, looking to follow me inside.
Any chance that pizza is for Lia ? I asked, holding the door open for him.
I’ve got two actually, but yeah, one’s for Lia in apartment 406, he replied, glancing down at the receipt as the both of us headed to the elevators, stepping onto the open one waiting. You the boyfriend ?
Something like that, I replied, not wanting to complicate things as I fished a ten and a five out of my wallet. Here, keep the change and I’ll save you the trouble of door-to-door delivery.
Sounds good to me, man, the guy replied, handing over the larger of the two pizzas as the elevator stopped at the fourth floor. Have a good night.
You too, I said, stepping out and heading down the hallway to Lia’s apartment.
Knocking on the door, I waited a few moments for Lia to pull it open, only to be both surprised and relieved to see her in a pair of sweatpants, her hair up in a bun, and her glasses perched on her nose. To me, that meant she didn’t see tonight as a Valentine’s Day date, and I was grateful.
Hey, I said, shrugging off my jacket as I handed over the pizza. I hope you don’t mind, I intercepted the pizza guy on the way up.
You didn’t have to do that, she replied, a warm kindness shining in her eyes, but thank you.
No problem.
So, she started, closing the door and leading me into the living room, I’ve got Netflix pulled up on the TV and I promise, this apartment- Putting the pizza down on the coffee table, she spread her arms out wide, gesturing to the space around us, -is a completely hockey free zone tonight.
An appreciative smile pulled at my lips. Thanks, I said as I walked around the back of the couch, my eyes scanning the room. I hadn’t been to her apartment other than to pick her up, and other than a few cute trinkets filling the open space, the thing I was most surprised to see was her desk. Which, besides the two screens and the keyboard, was covered entirely with pens, papers, and small sticky notes-all of which I assumed contained information pertaining to her defense. Nodding over to the mess as I took a seat, I asked, Did you get much work done today ?
Because even though it was a weekend, I knew how determined she was to formulate the best findings she could for her presentation.
A bit, yeah, she admitted, though I should tell you to pretend that part of the apartment isn’t here. It’s a bit of a minefield to most people.
I shrugged. I think it shows that you’re serious about your work, and clearly passionate enough to jot down any idea that could help you get to where you need to be.
Interesting way of looking at it. Her lips curved into a smile as she popped open the pizza box and motioned for me to grab a slice. Picking up the remote, she said, Tell me to stop when you see something you like.
If I was in higher spirits, I might’ve turned to her and made a suggestive comment-alluding to liking her quite a bit-but I stayed quiet. Taking a bite out of my slice, I sat back, my eyes scanning the screen, yet barely registering the movies.
Until The Mighty Ducks popped up on the end of a row of family film recommendations.
That was the first hockey movie my parents ever showed me, I said, unable to stop the admission as it came spilling out.
Lia’s hand froze on the remote as she glanced back and forth between me and the screen a couple of times, a quizzical look on her face. Mighty Ducks ?
I nodded, casting my eyes down to my lap. Yeah. They put me in a playground league when I was four, and since I was small for my age, I couldn’t really hold my balance all that well. And though I don’t remember it, my parents love telling others about how I supposedly wanted to quit at the end of that first year, since I wasn’t all that good. Until they showed me The Mighty Ducks, and then I apparently stopped at nothing to be the best in my hometown.
Peeking over her way when she stayed silent, I saw her expression soften as she tucked her legs up underneath her and turned to face me. Her gaze strong yet understanding as she reached out a hand to rest on my knee. Derrick, did you want to talk about it ? she asked softly. I know I might not be the best person to talk things through with, but I can be a soundboard if you want to vent. I can listen.
I know. I know, I said, running a hand through my hair before dropping my head to rest against the back of the couch. And I’m sorry I kind of shut down the last time you tried. I just don’t think I’d really come to terms with it yet. I mean, I still haven’t. I sighed. How can I when my life could be uprooted completely in less than ten days ? And I can’t do anything. All I can do is wait, staring the trade deadline in the face, and wait for the front office to make a decision.