Page 113 of Zero Pucks Given
Weirdly enough, I was never worried if we were ready for such a big commitment. We were already spending every single night together, and living under the same roof made things easier.
Fortunately, he didn’t make me pay rent. Because my eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw a copy of his lease and learned how much he was paying per month.
He only smiled when I brought it up. “Not bad for someone who swings a stick for a living, huh?”
The rest of summer was a dream. Grayson spent his days relaxing by the pool while I filmed and edited my TikTok videos. We went out to eat at night, or stayed in and binge-watched episodes ofPlanet Earthon TV. One thing remained constant, whether we spent a thousand dollars on dinner or ten: we were happy to be together.
Grayson never said so, but I knew he appreciated that I didn’t care about his money.
Although I did enjoy teasing him about expensive bottles of wine.
Hockey season officially began in October, but the team began holding practices in September. First there was Rookie Camp, where the newcomers on the team were shown the ropes on the team facilities, schedules, and everything else required of a professional hockey player. Then the official Training Camp began with all of the players on the team. Since I was now living with Grayson, he didn’t have to house and mentor a rookie the way he’d done with Mason Calder.
He would never admit it, but I was fairly certain Grayson missed the kid.
By the end of September, the Surge had completed their eight preseason games and were ready for the regular season to begin. The first game was at home against the Edmonton Oilers, which was asnostalgic to me as it was for the team.
“It’s so good to see you!” my old boss said when I visited our old beer stand. He tried to give me a hug, but it turned into an awkward handshake. “I’m happy you made it out of here. I really am. But…” He looked around, then lowered his voice. “The new guys are terrible.”
“Looks like it,” I whispered. The two employees I could see were struggling to hook up a keg in the back room. “Carter is the senior guy now?”
“Unfortunately. If this whole TikTok thing doesn’t pan out…”
“You’ll be the first person I call,” I promised.
I went back downstairs to the expensive seats where me, Sharon, and Kyle were sitting. We were in the row directly behind the Surge bench. “You sure you don’t want to say hi?” I asked.
She gave a single emphatic shake of her head. “You couldn’t pay me to come anywhere near section 118.”
Kyle was focused on the players going through their warmups on the ice. He looked nervous.
Eventually, Grayson and Mason came skating over to the bench to get some water before the game started. “Hey boys,” I said in a flirty voice. “Looking for a girlfriend?”
Grayson grinned at me. “Sorry, but I’m taken.”
I gave him a serious look. “That was the correct answer.”
Mason gestured over his shoulder. “I swear, that Zamboni driver looks familiar. Do we know them?”
“He’s like a hundred feet away,” I replied. “And wearing so many layers I can’t even see any of his skin.”
“That’s the thing, I don’t think it’s ahe. I think it’s a woman.” Mason removed his helmet and ran a hand through his damp, dark hair. “I have this weird sense of déjà vu.”
“I can’t do this!” Kyle suddenly exclaimed next to us.
I whipped my head toward him. He was going to ruin this.
“Can’t do what?” Sharon asked.
“Kyle, let’s get some beer,” I said urgently.
But he was totally focused on his girlfriend now. “I can’t wait until the second period. I feel like I’m going to die if I don’t do this right fucking now.”
“Wait until the second period forwhat?”Sharon demanded. “You’re kind of freaking me out.”
Kyle dropped to one knee. “Sharon…”
That was the only word he got out. Sharon immediately shrieked so loudly that two ushers later came down to make sure everything was okay. “Yes! Yes! Shut up, you don’t need to say anything, the answer isyes!”
