Page 85 of Hard Hitter
TWENTY-FIVE
SUNDAY, MARCH 27TH
Standings: 3th Place
9 Regular Season Games Remaining
Back at home in Brooklyn in the wee hours of the next morning, O’Doul’s bed felt uncommonly empty. Which was ridiculous, because for years nobody but him had slept in it anyway. They’d won the game, which made him happy. But there was nobody to talk to. For years he’d looked at his married teammates and wondered how they balanced it all. Some guys made it sound like trying to keep a wife and kids happy was another full-time job.
He got it now, though. Having someone to come home to suddenly made sense. The stats lighting up his Katt Phone predicted a 91 percent chance of making the play-offs, and he had nobody to celebrate with.
In spite of his brooding, he slept well and woke up feeling optimistic. It helped that he was busy as hell. They had a play-off spot to clinch, so he rose early and went to the optional morning skate.
Naturally, the next thing on his schedule was a massage with Ari.
“Good morning,” he said, entering the treatment room with as much of a smile as he could muster. He’d promised her once already to keep things professional in the treatment room. And he’d told her that she was the only one who was allowed to touch him.
That was all still true.
“Hi there,” she said, patting his arm as he relaxed onto the table. “I sure enjoyed watching you skate last night.”
“I enjoyed it, too,” he said truthfully. See? He could do this. He could be Ari’s friend and make small talk.
She began to work her magic on his muscles. “How’s your hip today? Any new soreness?”
“Feeling pretty flexible, actually. I had some pain by the end of the game last night, but on balance it’s less than it was ten days ago.”
“Awesome,” she said, and he felt her smile even with his eyes closed. “Was it okay with you that Crikey took the fight?”
“Yeah.” He’d admit it to Ari, but maybe nobody else. “He and I are gonna train together some more. We both need to stay injury free. We’ll work something out.”
“I know you will,” she whispered, and the sound of her breathy voice brought goose bumps to his chest. He’d wondered if it would sting to see her today and to have her hands on his body. It did a little. But it would sting more not to see her at all.
Life had had fewer ups and downs when he had been happy to be a loner.
“Turn over for me?” she asked. “I’m done with your hip.”
“Already?” How odd that he hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t so long ago when the idea of her touching the injury at all made him tense. These days he forgot to worry at all. He rolled, and she adjusted the towel.
He let his mind drift as she worked over his hamstrings. Trevi’s wisdom about the difference between women and men floated past his consciousness. “Let me ask you aquestion,” he said, almost slurring the words because he was so relaxed.
“Anything.”
“When you need to buy something, do you take a long time thinking it over?”
“Hmm. It depends what it is, and how much it costs.”
“Say I needed to buy a coffeemaker.” Her sweet hands moved to his lower back and he sank a little further onto the table.
“They all just push hot water through grounds, right?” she said, running a hand up his lats. “No point in dragging that out.”
“Fucking Trevi,” he chuckled into the face cradle.
“What’s that? Am I hurting you?”
Only my heart. “No. That feels great.”
***
