Page 68 of You Had Me at Hockey

“As soon as you say that you know I have to look.”

“I know, but just be casual.”

“What?”

“Lilly is sitting with Layla Young.”

“Shut up!” I resist letting my head whip around to stare at the Victoria’s Secret model.

“I am not kidding.”

“Wow. Okay, then.”

“Here’s tonight’s New York Bears starting lineup,” the announcer bellows. “Brought to you by Nationwide Credit Union. Staaaaarting at center…number ten, Jaaaaaay Bobak!”

The crowd cheers and we clap along with them. I take a surreptitious glance over my shoulder, finding Lilly and…holy shit, Layla Young.

“Ooooon left wing…number eleven…Eaaaaaston Millaaaaar!” After a pause, “On right wing…number twelve, Braaaaandon Smiiiith!”

I recognize these names. I’m getting to know some of the players from watching on TV and Josh talks about them too.

“Oooon defense…number twenty-four, Naaaaate Karmeinski…aaaand number twenty-five, Joooosh Hellller!”

Kaylee and I grin at each other and clap harder for Josh.

He announces the goalie, Colton Gunnerson, and then we rise to our feet for the national anthem. Tonight’s game is against San Jose. When that’s done and my eardrums are vibrating from the noise of the crowd cheering, we take our seats as the players move into their positions at the face-off circle at center ice.

“This is so exciting!” Kaylee says.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen him play live.” I can’t stop smiling. I feel like bouncing in my seat.

The game is super fast and it’s harder to follow than on TV, for me anyway. I also don’t have the benefit of announcers telling me what’s going on, so there are moments when both Kaylee and I are mystified by a penalty or the whistle being blown, but whatever, we’re having fun.

It’s a crazy close game. First the Bears score, then San Jose. Then the Bears, then San Jose again. At the end of the third period it’s tied three–all and we’re going into overtime.

“This is exciting and all,” Kaylee says. “But I hope it ends soon.”

I shoot her a mock horrified glance. “What? Don’t you want the Bears to win?”

“Of course I do,” she says quickly. “But I want them to do it fast. I want to go meet these hockey dudes!”

I laugh.

If I thought the pace of the game was fast in regular time, in three-on-three overtime, it’s crazy. It seems like Josh is out there a lot. In fact, it seemed like he played a lot in the whole game. He must be exhausted.

Kaylee gets her wish, but not the way we wanted—San Jose scores two minutes into the overtime period.

The animated energy in the building deflates immediately. People get up and start leaving. Kaylee and I turn to each other and pout.

“Ah well.” I shrug.

I mostly feel bad for Josh. He played so much tonight, and so hard. I feel like the Bears deserved to win, but that’s not always how it goes.

Josh told me where to meet him after the game, so we follow the herd of people leaving and hang out at the exit onto Sixth Avenue as the arena empties out.

I pull out my phone to check what people are saying on Twitter about the game and read the comments to Kaylee as we wait. Finally, Josh shows up, along with a couple of other guys.

Next to me, Kaylee mutters, “Holy shit.”

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