Page 36 of Slapshot
Before I can answer, she holds up her beer. “Wait. Let me guess. Happily married, your mom is a teacher and your dad coached little league every summer?”
“Wrong. Parents are divorced. My dad owns a tire store and thinks baseball is about as exciting as hockey, and he sleeps through baseball games.”
“Your dad doesn’t like hockey?” she asks, shocked as she unzips the sides of her boots and drops them to the floor.
I pull her socked feet into my lap. “Sorry to burst the ridiculous family image you had for me.”
“What about your mom?”
“She moved to Minnesota for a job when my parents split. Since then, I only see her once a year or so.”
“I’m sorry.”
“We talk on the phone every few weeks, so it isn’t like I never hear from her. I should probably reach out to her more often instead of waiting for her to call. When she first left my dad, I was so pissed at her. He wanted to try to work on things and she didn’t. Work hard and fight for what you want, that’s something my dad drummed into my head at an early age. I’m not saying it would have made a difference, but love can’t be that much different than anything else and hard work hasn’t failed me yet.”
Kaitlyn smiles. “That’s such a you response. Now, are we done with the interrogations yet?”
“Not even close. I want to know all of it.”
“Of what?”
“Your life story. Starting with what happened last Saturday outside of the Biscuit. Did I say something suave and amazing, or do you just have a thing for drunk dudes outside of bars?”
She smiles but it’s a few seconds before she says, “My ex was there.”
“At the Biscuit?”
“Mhmm. He and his new girlfriend were walking down the sidewalk toward us. I panicked. Sorry.”
“I’m not. That kiss was hot.”
She rolls her eyes. “You were so drunk I seriously doubt you could have told the difference.”
She’s absolutely wrong about that.
“Did you two end on bad terms or something?”
“Or something. He’s dating my roommate.”
“Ouch. I’m sorry he hurt you.”
“We hurt each other.” Her voice is soft, and she keeps her gaze downcast.
“I’m not sure that makes it any easier. When two guys collide hard on the ice, they usually both go down.”
She nods.
From there, I take us back to happier conversation. We talk about our classes and lots of other random shit. Little by little, I’m able to get her to open up. And to get her mostly naked. Although that is only a side goal. We’ve kept it PG-13, but it’s still been a blast hanging with her.
I like Kaitlyn. I like how tough she is, and I like that she isn’t overly trusting, and that she doesn’t share her stories with many people. It means that tonight I managed to break down some of those walls.
I can see that she’s been hurt in the past and that it’s made her jaded and untrusting. Maybe it’s a romantic notion, but I want to give some of that trust back to her. Because she deserves that and because I can’t stop thinking about her.
She sits up wearing only her black bra and leggings. “What time is it?”
I reach for my phone in my jeans pocket on the floor. “Almost two. Damn.” I yawn as if my body’s just now realized how tired I am. My early morning run is gonna be brutal.
“I need to get back.”
