Page 46 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
I tug a hand through my hair, just now realizing how fast my heart was beating. “I guess you’re right.”
“Do fights break out often?”
“Sometimes we can go a few games with no fights. And sometimes we have a game where three fights break out. It just depends on the mood of the players, the vibe of the crowd, if the refs’ calls are fair or not.”
She twists her head to look at me. “You sound so chill. Like fighting is as mundane as going grocery shopping.”
“In hockey, it kind of is. And other times it can be a chaotic blood bath. It just depends on the day.”
She’s smiling like she’s amused and mystified all at once. “You talk like it’s no big deal.”
“It’s different when you’re in the fight. Adrenaline is pumping through you and you’re not really thinking about how it looks, mostly just, ‘how do I make it out of this intact while kicking the other guy’s ass as much as possible.’”
She bursts out laughing.
“But yeah, watching it from the stands is stressful, I see that now,” I admit.
She sips her drink and watches a few minutes of the game before turning to me. “Is this hard, being here and watching your team when you can’t play?”
“Yeah, it’s a little weird. But it’s good that I’m here. I’m learning that I can go through something difficult and make it out okay.”
She smiles like she’s comforted to hear my answer. The first period ends and I get up to use the restroom. On my way out and back to my seat, I hear someone call my name.
“Theo Thompson? No way!”
I spin around and see Rod Lukasik, a sports reporter from the local city paper. I aim a practiced smile at him as he walks up to me, his signature palm-sized notepad in hand and a ballpoint pen tucked behind his ear.
“How the hell are ya?” he asks with a laugh.
“Good, you?”
“My editor got sick with food poisoning, and I got his club lounge seat, so I’m doing pretty damn good.” He flashes a tooth grin and pats his belly. “Hell of a nice break from the press box. The food here is…” He kisses the tips of his fingers. “My poor waistline though. Bye-bye, six-pack I never had.”
His shiny bald head falls back as he cackles.
“The food is pretty tasty, that’s for sure,” I say.
Rod straightens back up and grabs his phone from his pocket. “Say, you wouldn’t mind if I got a quote from you for the story I’m writing tonight, would you?”
I hesitate. I’m supposed to be keeping a low profile after being kicked off the team. No one explicitly told me that I couldn’t come to Bashers games as a spectator, but I could imagine how that could rub my agent and the entire Bashers coaching staff the wrong way if they found out I was here.
That’s what happens when you let your jealousy get the better of you.
Yeah, the whole reason I’m at the arena tonight is because I didn’t want Maya to be alone with Xander. But what’s done is done. I’m here now. And I don’t miss that pointed look in Rod’s eyes. I know it when I see it—it’s the look of a reporter who’s angling for some juicy gossip to publish in their article. Something that’s sure to make the rounds on social media. And seeing as I’ve been the subject of my fair share of sports and social media gossip, maybe I should take this as an opportunity to show them I’m not that irresponsible douchebag anymore. I’m a different person now. A better one.
I smile at him. “Ask away.”
Rod is practically giddy as he presses “record” on his phone. He narrows his gaze at me. “So, Theo. How’s it feel to be back at the arena where you’ve played most of your career as a spectator now that you’ve been kicked off your team for your playboy ways?”
I don’t miss that gleam in his eyes. He’d love for me to go off on him or to lose my cool so he’ll have some viral-worthy sound bite.
That’s not gonna happen though.
I keep my smile in place. “It feels amazing honestly. It’s thrilling to be on this side of things as a fan.
Rod’s fuzzy brows crash together and his smile drops. “Oh…But I imagine it’s gotta feel a bit like a knife to the heart, right? I mean, that’s your team. You played for them for years and then one day out of the blue they dropped you.”
I shake my head. “I respect the decision that my coaches and the team’s leadership made. They know best. And no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I’ll always be a Bashers fan to the core.”
