Page 14 of Out Of Time

She wondered what Max would do for Halloween. He didn’t have a game that night, so he might be in town. She couldn’t be sure; with the way he was always flying from one city to the next. If hewasin town, she knew one thing for certain, she wanted to see him.

Ripping a piece of paper from the spiral notepad on her coffee table, she wrote him a note inviting him to the party. It was a fifty-fifty chance Max would say yes, but so was everything else in life, so why would she let that stop her now? The glass was right in front of her, why not take a chance at making it half full?

It had come on faster than ever—the strobing lights, the little orbs falling from the sky—and within six minutes of the last period, Max had let in three goals, causing his team to lose against Seattle.

His career would be over if he didn't get help.

But what if it wasn’t fixable?

What if yesterday's game was his last?

What if his final memory as an Anaheim Condor was him skating to the locker room after he lost them the game?

Max thought of Jack Brown and how he should have had the start. He knew it, the whole team knew it, but Max still made the choice to skate out onto that ice, with his vision straining, his heart racing, and uncertainty heavy in his chest.

He was thankful the Condors had Brown to count on in front of the net these days. It was one of the only things he found solace in lately when it came to hockey, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn't bitter. That washisnet, and he was certain he was watching it slip away as it became someone else's spot in the starting lineup.

He grabbed his bag from the trunk of his Jeep, and the second he opened the door to his house the lemony-scented cleaner Remi often used when she mopped filled his nose, awakening his senses and causing the loss last night in Seattle to seem like a distant memory. His heart raced at the thought of her being here only hours ago. She had just been here walking barefoot on his floors. Her toes with little bits of sand between them from the beach, her hair a tangled mess of beachy waves, her petite frame that took up so much space with the confidence that surrounded her, and that damn dimple. The one on her left cheek that he saw more often than the one on her right.

Everything about her did him in.

Made him breathe a bit deeper. Made him smile a little wider, even if he was smiling alone. The thought of Remi, the smell of lemon cleaner, and the traces she left behind without even realizing it made him crave something deeper; a connection, a spark, a life shared, a messy bed, a fridge full of leftovers from late-night meals left unfinished. He wanted to fall asleep with sand between his toes, and wake to his sheets filled with the memories of long walks on the beach with someone who listened and cared. Someone who stuck around long enough for him to figure out how to get all the words that lived on the tip of his tongue to finally jump from his lips.

He thought of the glass bottle of lemonade they shared at the beach; her lips pressed against it. Running a finger over his own lips, he let himself wonder for a split second what it might be like to share a kiss with Remi.

Rolling his suitcase to the laundry room, he clicked on every light as he went, just as he did every night when he got home. Grabbing a bottle of water from the empty fridge, he sat down at the bar with his tattoo kit. Sitting next to the bowl of fruit was a handwritten note. Opening the folded piece of paper, his eyes darted to the bottom of the note where he saw her name,Remi. His heart began to hammer in his chest at the sight of her handwriting. Her delicate letters, the way she made the M in Max a little bigger than the rest of the letter…

Max, Hi. I know you don't have a game on Halloween because it’s public information. I promise I’m not creepy. I also noticed your team is playing at home November 1st. This leads me to assume that you are free on Halloween. I don’t know how you feel about costumes, candy, and cheap beer, but I got invited to a party, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and enjoy some spooky festivities. No pressure. I promise I won't be offended if you say no. Think about it. But don't OVERTHINK about it!

-Remi

PS: If you do come, you have to bring a bottle.

A party.

A costume party.

With Remi.

No. Absolutely not.

He could hardly make eye contact in everyday clothes with this woman, he couldn't imagine trying to keep a conversationgoing in a scarecrow costume, or whatever it was people dressed up as these days.

He sat the note next to the bowl of fresh fruit and began to cover the marble countertop in plastic wrap. He was exhausted from the travel, the game, and the loss.

Filling the plastic cap with black ink, he looked over to read the note again before switching on the tattoo gun. No, absolutely not. No Halloween parties, no costumes.

The buzz of the needle felt louder than normal, and for a split second, he let himself consider not doing it. Not dipping the needle into the ink. Not pressing it against his bare flesh. He wondered what would happen if he didn’t do it, if he didn’t add another tally mark to his long list of losses. What if he just accepted it and moved on?

Superstition won. Bringing the tattoo gun to his side, he eternalized this loss on his ribs in one quick motion, tattooing a line next to the last like he had every other loss that came before it.

He looked down at the note again, he couldn’t stop staring at it. Her dainty handwriting, so convincing.

Just go Max, just say yes. Take a chance, wear the costume, and accept that this beautiful woman wants you around, and wants you in her life.

He cleaned up the tattoo gun mess, packing the equipment away before making his way to his room where he slipped into his navy cotton pajama bottoms before heading back to the couch. He settled in, trying to ignore the invite on the island countertop.

Turning off the TV in defeat, he got up to get the note and entered her number into his phone just so he had it, just in case… for emergency purposes. Because there was no way he was going to a Halloween party. No way in hell.

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