Page 10 of You Had Me at Hockey

I need to focus. “Okay, here’s my first hockey question.”

“I’m ready.”

A smile tugs at my lips. “Why do hockey players spit so much?”

His mouth opens, then closes. “I did not expect that.”

I laugh again.

“It’s because…uh…mucus builds up. It does for anyone who works out at a high intensity, especially in the cold. You gotta either swallow it or spit it out.”

“Gross.”

A smile tugs his mouth. “Yeah, it is.”

“Have you ever spit on someone by accident?”

“Oh yeah. And I’ve been nailed, too.”

“Oh.”Okay, mind out of the gutter.

“Also, we drink water or Gatorade, but you don’t want to drink too much because it weighs you down, so you swish it in your mouth and spit it out.”

“Also gross. I am not offended, however. Maybe more impressed.” This handsome, well-dressed man sitting across from me doesnotlook like someone who drops loogies.

He chuckles. “I admit, it’s not the nicest habit. There’s also the smelling salts ritual.”

“Smelling salts.” I lean forward, fascinated. “Seriously? Like what the Victorians used to revive a woman who’d fainted?”

“Yep. I honestly don’t know the scientific explanation, but lots of players do it because they think it improves their performance.”

“Not you?”

“Nah. I tried it. Damn, it hurts—my eyes wouldn’t stop watering. I’m not sure if it’s just a gimmick or really works, but hey, we all have our rituals.”

“And it’s legal.”

Another laugh. “Yeah, it’s legal.”

“You mentioned rituals. Do you have any strange rituals?”

His face tightens, but he keeps his tone casual. “I do have a game-day routine I like to stick to.”

“No crazy superstitions?”

“Sure. I always grow a beard in the playoffs.”

I study his face with the neatly-trimmed facial hair. “That’s what I expected you to look like! A big, long beard and no teeth.”

He taps his index finger to his front teeth. “These are all mine.”

“What other superstitions do you have?”

“You can’t touch the Stanley Cup unless you win it.”

I nod. “Okay. Any more personal ones?”

“I’m pretty picky about how I tape my stick. Everyone does it differently. I have to do it the same way every time, heel to toe, black tape, and I have my own way of shaping the knob.”

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