Page 119 of I'm Your Guy
My personal highlight reel is a work in progress, though.
Maybe it’s not too late.
FORTY-TWO
Carter
“Pardon me.” I slide between a giant man in a rainbow jersey and a woman with a rainbow-dyed buzz cut. “Excuse me.”
It’s a sea of humanity here in the stadium. I’m dodging every size and shape of human as I trot toward Tunnel F with a ticket in my hand. The game is starting right now.
I still don’t know if I made the right choice. Driving back to Colorado feels like another frantic leap of faith. I can only imagine what Macklin would say. You let your car repair bill decide your future? Who does that?
Me, I guess. Because here I am taking another chance—not on Tommaso, exactly, but on me. I’m not ready to give up on my business and my fledgling connection with Tommaso.
Not yet anyway. Not quite.
I shove my ticket toward an usher with a scanner, and the electronic gate swings open for me. Here goes nothing.
The tunnel leads me toward the roar of the crowd. I’ve never been to a hockey game, so I’m unprepared for how bright and how loud the place is when I emerge into my seating section.
And, wow, that’s a lot of rainbow garb.
On the ice below me, a chorus of men dressed in rainbow ties is finishing up the national anthem. On either side of them, hockey players are lined up, sticks in hand, facing the center of the rink.
And the home of the braaave!
The crowd stamps its feet in appreciation. I hurry down the rows of seats, counting down toward C. I almost stumble when I realize that Tommaso is one of the players on the ice, holding his helmet under his arm like a gladiator.
“Oh wow,” I mutter to myself as I arrive at Row C, which is even closer to the action than I would have guessed. In fact, I turn around and gape up at the dizzying number of seats behind me. “Holy shit.”
“It’s something, isn’t it? You must be Carter.”
I whip around and spot a small woman with big brown eyes watching me from the second seat from the end. “Uh, yup. Hi,” is my brilliant greeting.
She gives me a tentative smile. “We weren’t sure you were going to make it. I saved you the aisle seat. Just in case.”
“I wasn’t sure I was going to make it either.” I sit down and hold out a hand. “You must be Ms. DiCosta.”
We shake. “Call me Emilia. And I think those two are trying to get your attention.”
I spot Rigo and Buck across the aisle and a few seats in. They’re both holding beers and waving madly. “This is amazing!” Buck yells. “You’re my hero, Carter! Hudson Newgate’s seats!”
“Third row!” Rigo whoops. “I’m getting epically laid tonight.”
“Uh, have fun guys!” I give them a wave, my face on fire. Then I sort of slump down into my seat and take a deep breath.
“They seem exuberant,” Emilia says brightly. “Do you and your friends make it to Tommaso’s games very often? At least you’re in time for the faceoff.”
Faceoff. That’s what you call it. “This is my first game. In person,” I add quickly. “I usually watch on TV.”
“Your first game?” she asks, brown eyes warming. They’re just like Tommaso’s. Dark and calm. “So you’re a new hockey fan?”
“Well, sure.” I wrestle off my coat and wonder what to say. “I never followed sportsball until I met your son.”
“Interesting,” she says, her eyes glittering with something like wonder. “Then I’m a little sorry you missed the announcement of the starting lineup. When they introduced Hudson Newgate, the rafters shook, it was so loud.”
A smile spreads across my face. “That’s really incredible. What a moment.”
