Page 102 of The Puckable Playbook

Zaiah

“One more step.”

Under the blindfold shielding her eyes, Lenore smiles. Her arms wander out aimlessly, a giggle falling from her lips.

“Okay, I lied.” I can barely keep the excitement out of my voice. “It’s more than one step. I only said what I’ve heard others say.”

“What others say when they blindfold their girlfriends and walk them out of their dorms?”

She always has a way of saying things that puts a grin on my face.Focus on the good things,my mindset coach had said.Feed the great. Starve the bad.I’ve only met with him once so far, but I already feel better.

When I listed out the positive things in my life, Lenore was at the top. The past few months would’ve been a disaster without her. Aimless and miserable. The best decision I ever had was asking if I could be her roommate, a fact I’m going to make sure she knows over the next couple of days.

She squeezes my hand, prompting me to talk. “There’s going to be a step up in two, one…” Her foot moves up, searching. “Bring it down.”

It lands on the first step, and I help guide her up the stairs of the Swaggin’ Wagon. When it jostles back and forth, I assume she knows exactly where we are. Her head tilts, like she’s trying to figure out what surprise this could be. She’s been in my parents’ RV before, but we haven’t done this.

She makes it up the rest of the steps without being prompted, and then I pull her into the small foyer, pushing her blindfold up. She peers around, gaze narrowed. “Okay, what’s up?”

“My dad drove The Wagon here for me. I told him I wanted to take you someplace special, just the two of us.”

“Really?”

I nod.

“You can drive this thing?”

Shrugging, I play it off, but internally, my nerves rear up. Dad offered to set us up at our destination, but that wouldn’t be very romantic, would it? “I got this.”

“I’m loving the confidence.”

“Then wait for what I have in store, Len. I’m about to blow your mind.”

I lead her to the front of the RV, and she situates herself in the passenger seat. “It’s so scary up here,” she squeals peeking over the hood.

I laugh, but I’m having the same thoughts. Dad took me to an abandoned parking lot nearby where I practiced. He gave me the good ol’ James thumbs up, so I must be good. He wouldn’t let his baby into my hands if he didn’t think I was ready, that’s for sure.

I start her up. She sounds like an angry dragon beneath us, vibrating with the need to take off. I ease off the curb, but instead of backing up like my father does, I take her around the whole campus to avoid reversing this hunk of steel.

“So, where are we going?”

“Someplace fun. Know that my dad is super jealous.”

“Oh Lord, that could be good or…plain weird.”

“It’s good. I promise.”

We get to the light at the end of campus, and I pull the rig out onto the road nice and steady. Len claps her hands and high-fives me. The next big test is maneuvering her onto the highway, which also goes as smooth as butter.

“You’re good at this. You better tell your dad you’ll be driving next time.”

I chuckle, still white-knuckling the wheel. “That would break his heart.”

The upscale RV resort we’re going to is about an hour down the highway, so we settle in. Len tells me she turned in the article she’s written about me. Or the team. Actually, I have no idea what it’s about because she doesn’t want me to read it until it comes out. That date draws nearer, so she’s buzzing. Afterward, we talk about my parents and her dad, who we saw last week in a much smoother meeting. No comments whatsoever about my hockey career, and to be truthful, I’m sorry I ever mentioned that to Lenore. I’m desperate.

Correction. I was desperate.

Everything is an opportunity. Everything is a stepping-stone.

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