Page 67 of You Had Me at Hockey

I don’t know why this news makes me suddenly feel tired. I drag my ass back into Josh’s apartment and wait for the movers to arrive. I supervise them and direct them where to take things. It’s easy because all the boxes are clearly labeled. As they put together his bed, I start unpacking some kitchen things, finding places for his toaster and blender, glasses, dishes, cutlery, and a modest assortment of cooking utensils.

But I keep thinking about his girlfriend. Did they break up, like Lilly said? Josh doesn’t seem the type to screw around on someone, but I thought that about Kaylee’s last boyfriend too, and he was boning his admin assistant.

In some ways I feel like I’ve known Josh a long time, but this just goes to show we really don’t know each other that well.

The movers help me arrange the living room furniture. I have no idea how Josh will want it, but it makes sense to set up the big leather sectional to take advantage of the windows, and there’s also room on another wall for the TV stand and his big television.

I unpack a few decorative items and lamps. Anything I don’t know what to do with, we move into the second bedroom to leave for Josh.

Then the movers are gone and I’m alone in the apartment again.

I amble into his bedroom and sit on the king-size bed. My gaze falls onto a box labeled Bedding, so I open it and pull out sheets and a duvet. Another box holds pillows. I make up his bed, tossing a puffy black duvet over it. I put away towels in the master bathroom. Then I sigh.

A heavy sadness is dragging me down. I know I shouldn’t feel this way. It’s not as if I just discovered he’s cheating on me or someone else. And yet…I guess I’m a little jealous.

I need to talk to him, but I won’t see him again until Saturday night after the game and that’s probably not going to be a good time. Shit.

I take the subway home and as I’m about to enter my building, I pause, regarding the flower shop across the street. I turn and jog over to the entrance and push inside.

It smells amazing…it’s winter, but in here it smells green and fresh.

“Hey, Sara!” The owner of the shop, Kesha, calls out to me.

She’s about my age and since I come in here all the time, we’ve gotten to know each other and have gone out to movies and for lunch a few times.

We greet each other with a hug. “Hi! How are you?”

“Looking for flowers?” she asks with a smile.

She knows me. I love fresh flowers. Especially pink flowers.

“Actually, I want a couple of houseplants. Something hard to kill.”

“Ah.” She leads me over to a table full of succulents. “How about these? They’re really popular.”

I pick out two, then add a couple of modern concrete pots that I think will look nice with Josh’s furniture. And, because I can’t resist, a dozen pink tulips for me.

Kesha wraps them up and we chat a bit, and I invite her to join Kaylee and me for lunch on Saturday. She’s working, but if we go somewhere close to here, she can join us, so that’ll be fun.

—

The seats Josh got us are great, in the lower bowl of the arena in a corner. Kaylee and I went out for pizza before the game and now we’re in our seats, beers in hand, as the players skate onto the ice for the game to begin.

I find Josh—number twenty-five—and point him out to Kaylee.

We’ve already talked a lot about him. Kaylee arrived Thursday night. We went shopping yesterday, out for dinner, then to the theater last night. Today we had lunch with Kesha and did a little sightseeing.

My eye is caught by a woman climbing the stairs just to my left. She sees me too, smiles, and waves tentatively. It’s Lilly, who I met at Josh’s apartment building the other day. Easton Millar’s girlfriend. I wave back. I don’t blame her for accidentally informing me of Josh’s ex (I hope) girlfriend. She takes a seat a couple of rows behind us with a bunch of other young women.

“That was Lilly,” I tell Kaylee. “Who told me about Josh’s girlfriend.”

Yes, I told her about that too.

“Hmm. Pretty.” She glances around casually, as if surveying the crowd. Then she goes stiff and turns to me with big eyes.

“What?”

“Okay, don’t look now—”

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