Page 45 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
She flashes a flustered smile that has my heart racing. She shrugs. “Dealer’s choice. Tell the bartender to surprise me.”
I smile at how cute she is experiencing this for the first time.
When the server turns to me, I catch the recognition in his eyes instantly. “Oh wow, Mr. Thompson, so thrilled you’re joining us tonight.”
I flash a polite smile. “Thanks. Could I just get a bottle of water, please? And you don’t have to call me Mr. Thompson. That’s my dad’s name.”
He laughs. “Yeah, anything you want, just let me know.” He clears his throat. “Um, maybe this is out of line to ask, but…” He hesitates for a second. “Could I record a quick video of you saying hi to my little brother Jameson? He’s your biggest fan. He broke his leg sledding last week and he’s so bummed that he can’t play on his hockey team for the next six weeks. It would make his year to hear from you.”
I’m heartened by his request. “Yeah, absolutely.”
He pulls his phone out of his pocket and aims it at me. “Okay, whenever you’re ready, Mr. Thomp—I mean, Theo.” He lets out a flustered laugh.
I grin at the camera. “Hey, Jameson. Your big brother told me about your broken leg. What a bummer. I just wanted to say hang in there. Those six weeks will fly by and you’ll be better before you know it.”
He stops recording and puts his phone away. “Thanks so much for that. That was really cool of you.”
“It was my pleasure. I hope your brother feels better soon.”
I shake his hand and he tells me his name’s Kyle.
“Thanks for being so cool about that,” he says. “I know that must be annoying, getting bothered for pics and videos and autographs.”
“It’s not. It’s honestly really great.” I think back to the last time I was approached by anyone. It was that obnoxious paparazzi guy from weeks ago who hounded me as I was leaving that bar with my teammates. Shit like that is annoying of course, but this is different. This is a kid who genuinely loves the team and the sport and for some reason thinks I’m important enough to care about.
Just thinking about that makes my chest go warm.
Kyle says he’ll be back with our drinks, and we turn back to the game. I catch Maya looking over at me.
“That was sweet, what you did,” she says with a smile.
I shrug and glance down at my lap. “It was nothing.”
She pats my arm. “Don’t downplay what you did, Theo. Obviously, it meant the world to Kyle and his brother.”
Kyle returns with our drinks. When I hand him a bunch of cash for a tip, his face lights up. He thanks me, but I tell him it’s no problem.
“You’re a real sweetheart when you want to be,” Maya teases. For a long moment, I just gawk at how absolutely gorgeous she is when she smiles. I almost forgot that I’m here because I was jealous at the thought of another man trying to woo her.
That’s still true; I still feel that way. But for this chunk of time that it’s been just Maya and me, it’s been nice. Actually, better than nice. I wouldn’t want to be here watching this game with anyone else.
Just then the crowd around us starts shouting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
I look up and see a black Wolves jersey zoom across the ice, crashing straight into Isaac. He manages to stay on his feet as the Wolves player tosses his gloves on the ground and shoves him. Isaac barely moves a foot across the ice before he takes a swing at the Wolves player, connecting with the side of his face. The impact sends the Wolves player into the nearby boards. The crowd lets out a blood-thirsty roar. Fans slap the boards, pumped to witness a fight. It’s then that I get a clear view of the other player. Del Richards, center for Nashville. A fucking asshole who is best known for starting fights over the littlest shit.
Maya winces as she watches the two of them go at it. She glances around the arena, a mystified frown on her face. “Jesus. I feel like I’m in the Colosseum and they’re cheering on the gladiators.”
“I guess this part is kinda intense,” I say as I watch another Wolves player join the fight.
I hold my breath, worried for Isaac, but thankfully I see a maroon jersey come into view and tackle the second Wolves player. When I see it’s Dylan, the worry is gone. He’s scrappy as a Tasmanian devil when it comes to fights and will be a good backup for Isaac.
Not even thirty seconds pass before players from both teams move to pull their respective teammates back. Then the refs come and put Del in the penalty box for starting the fight. Another ref gives what looks like a stern talking-to to Isaac, who’s hunched forward and huffing as he catches his breath but nods along with his scolding.
A mix of cheers and faint boo’s sounds from the crowd. I glance over at Maya, who’s sporting a dazed expression as she observes the chaotic scene, her hand resting on her chest.
I lean over to her. “You okay?”
She slow-blinks and nods. “Yeah. That was a little barbaric, watching them fight like that.”
