Page 20 of Behind the Bench

He stops and contemplates my question for a bit too long. I’m starting to wonder if they actually were separated at birth or something. After far too many seconds pondering this, he finally answers, “No, I don’t think so. My parents claim I’m an only child but I do feel lost some days. Like I have a connection that’s missing in my life.”

My god. They are twins.

I shake my head. “Well, Hunter, I have a feeling you won’t be feeling so lost after you meet my best friend, Sadie. I think she’s your missing piece. Did you need me for something? I’m about two minutes away from turning full blown hangry and nobody wants to be around for that.”

He picks up the pace next to me and asks, “Well, I was hoping maybe you’d want to get lunch together? Grayson is a total dick and I want to avoid the arena kitchen area at all costs if possible. If I have to hear him bitch about another unsuccessful date, I might need a lobotomy.”

I walk with Hunter to his car and help him open his trunk. Would you believe me if I told you there were two more yoga mats in his trunk? “I’d love to get lunch with you. I get a saladand coffee from Gold Coast most days, but today I don’t think that’ll be enough. Any ideas?”

He puts his boombox—this guy is seriously carrying around a boombox like John Cusack inSay Anything. I can’t even handle it—in his trunk, and drops his yoga mats down after. He turns to me as he’s closing his trunk. “Well, there’s this new Mexican place that just opened up downtown that I’ve been dying to try.”

“Tacos!” I say, just a tad too enthusiastically. Who am I kidding? There’s no such thing as being too excited for tacos. “I’m so in. You want to drive together? We can take my car or yours. It doesn't matter to me.”

Hunter walks to his driver’s door and smirks. “Ellie, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t drive you to our first lunch date?”

I smile. “No gentleman at all, Hunter. Let’s go.”

We order a flight of tacos each. That’s right. They sell flights of tacos. This is the greatest thing to happen to me since moving here.

I’m about halfway through my flight when I notice Hunter looking down at his phone. He doesn’t look happy. I’m not sure what that look is, but I’ve never been good about minding my own business.

“What’s staring back at you on that phone? Did Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfield break up? No, wait, don’t answer that. If you say yes, I’ll need tequila and it’s only lunchtime. So maybe wait until the end of the day if that’s what’s got your face lookin’ like that.”

Hunter drops his phone and gives me a peculiar look. “Who?”

Shaking my head, I pick up my pulled pork taco and take a bite. I moan. It may have been a little inappropriate but this taco isthatgood. This taco is making me feel better than any man has in a very long time.

Sigh. Don’t go there, Ellie. It’s too depressing to think about.

I look back at Hunter who is still staring at me with his curious eyes. “Sorry, never mind. But seriously, what’s up? You were staring at that screen with this weird look on your face.” I gesture to my own and try to mimic the look he had. “Everything okay?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know. After I landed this job, my girlfriend—well, I guess I should say my ex-girlfriend—gave me an ultimatum. It was either take this job and lose her, or stay where I was, completely unfulfilled in a job that was sucking the life out of me, and keep her.”

I take a sip of my water and give him a minute to sort out his thoughts. I feel like he has more to say so I stay quiet.

“Well, as you can see, I took this job and lost her. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows before that anyway. It was a long time coming and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I just saw she’s already dating someone new. A coworker we spent a bunch of time with, and I can’t help but wonder if something was going on there the entire time. I don’t know. Just feels really shitty.”

He seems to be done talking, so I tread carefully when I give him what little advice I can about a failed relationship.

“Hunter, you can’t go there. It’s just going to eat you alive. The fact of the matter is you’re here now, and you’re clearly better off without someone like that in your life. If she couldn’t see how unhappy you were in your last job, she clearly didn’t know you well. If shedidsee how unhappy you were and she didn’t care, well…that’s toxic. Whether she was seeing that guy while still with you or not, it’s over. My dad always tells me, ‘You can’t keep looking back. Keep moving forward.’ I have a feeling good things are going to come for you, Hunter. She’s not worth it.”

He nods once, seeming to let my words sink in, then takes a bite of his taco and moans.

I snort and ask, “Is that the pulled pork?”

“Yes, oh my god. It’s almost as good as sex. I mean…not all sex.”

And now I’m choking on my water.

“Shit, Ellie. I didn’t mean to go there. Let’s forget I said ‘sex’ in front of you. Back to what you were saying. You’re right. I need to just focus on the here and now. Thanks. I think I’ll block her on my socials. Out of sight, out of mind, and all that, right?”

I’m attempting to wipe up the water I regurgitated all over myself but give up. I’m going to need a new shirt. “Right.”

He swallows the food he’s chewing then asks me a question I’m less than prepared for, “What’s going on in your dating life, Ellie? Got a lucky man waiting for you at home?”

Thank god I’m not taking a drink of water again or I think I would’ve spit it out in his face. “No, no. No time for that. I’m only the second ever female coach in the NHL. That’s about all the pressure and commitment I can handle right now. I like being alone.”

Hunter laughs. “Yeah, I get that. But don’t get so wrapped up in it that you forget there’s more out there. This job could be even better if you have someone you can come home to after a long day. Especially on long days you have to interact with Grayson. You deserve a teammate outside of work too, Ellie.”

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