Page 84 of Forbidden Puck
Brunch
Ella
Ryan couldn't have picked a better brunch spot. The atmosphere was warm and relaxing even though the place was crowded. We got our table right away, and Ryan looked at me across the table and smiled.I noticed the gap in his teeth that wasn't there last night.
“Hey! You're not wearing your implant!” I said excitedly.
“I left it out for you. You said the missing tooth was kinda cute, didn't you?”
“I sure did.”
“Still think it's cute?” He simpered, showing off his smile in all its imperfect glory. “Or should I pop the implant back in?”
“Leave it just the way it is.”
He chuckled. “You're strange. I think I look like a hobo without it.”
“No, you look like a hockeyplayer.”
“I thought you didn't like hockey players?”
“But I like you, and you're a hockey player, so leave the tooth out just for me, okay?”
He nodded, looking pleased. “Sure thing, Ella.”
Our food came—Ryan was right, this place was delicious, and it was really a perfect date. We made each other laugh and shared all the intimate stories and secrets that are reserved for the people you truly care about and trust.
Brunch was so lovely, in fact, Inearlyforgot the fact that I was leaving soon, or that Ryan had to cut into our last day together to attend some mysterious team meeting at the rink. But alas, those two things hung over us like a cloud on a sunny day.
Soon, our food was gone and Ryan paid the bill, and then we were back in his car riding towards the rink again. The cabin was eerily silent, and I knew that Ryan was nervous and had no idea what to expect.
“Will Lance be there?” I asked him.
“I don't know. Maybe.”
“For real, Ryan, what did Shea tell you over the phone?”
“The GM has a trade lined up. Looks like I'm going to Vancouver.”
I gasped—I'd started to buy into the fairy tale that Ryan and I could maybe make something work. Boston to New York wasn't a terrible trip by any means. But,
“Vancouver?” I repeated, aghast.
That was different. That was a much longer flight. That fairy tale, that unlikely picture of 'us' as destined lovers started fading in my mind. Ryan might have meant it when he said he liked me, but how could we ever expect to survive a distance like that, when we barely knew each other?
“Yep. Vancouver.” Ryan took his eyes off the road long enough to give me an ironic smile. “Last night he was saying Winnipeg, because it's the coldest city in the league. But Vancouver … that's the furthest hockey city from New York.”
“Lance … Ihateyou … I'll never forgive you for this …”
“Well, just for the record, I'm not tradedjustyet. Who knows, if they wait long enough, the deal might go sour and I could end up somewhere else. Hopefully some place closer to the east coast.”
“What's the hold up?”
“Shea's trying to get everyone together before the trade goes down. Me, Lance, the GM, and him. He says he wants to talk the problem over first and see if cooler heads could prevail.”
“Yeah?” I asked, with a sudden injection of pure hopein my voice.
But Ryan shook his head. “It's a nice thought, but I wouldn't count on it. I like you and I'm not backing down, no matter what.”
