Page 43 of Love of the Game
“I did.” And I’d meant it.
That smile didn’t leave Jon’s face until close to midnight.
As the seconds counted down to midnight, he took myhand and that smile shifted to something far more serious, and I found myself staring into his dark eyes. We didn’t say anything when the count passed ten—just watched each other as the time from one year ticked to another. We moved toward each other right before everyone screamedone, then we kissed. Not as passionately as we might before sex, but intently, as if each of us was memorizing how our bodies, how our lips molded together in that moment. Cheers went up all around us, along with bells and horns. People threw confetti and, as we separated, bits of colored paper fell around us, clinging to our hair and clothes. That joyful smile was back as others jostled Jon and wished him a happy New Year. I was pulled into more hugs than I could count, including one by Red Dog.
“You be good to him, you hear?”
“I— I will be.” That was the only answer I had, because it was the truth. I’d be as good as I could be to Jon.
Red Dog nodded, and he moved on. The pool queens enveloped me next.
Eventually, Jon and I ended up together against the back wall, by the pool tables, and he slumped against me. “That was fantastic. Just look at everyone!” He gestured out at the bar where so many people were gathered. Feathers, leather, rainbows, glitter, and confetti. It was a sight to behold. Lorelei was excitedly talking to an older man while clutching his hands.
“Hey, did Lorelei get engaged?” I asked.
“I think so?” Jon pulled me off the wall. “Let’s go find out.”
We worked our way through the crowd, and indeed, Lorelei had gotten engaged to an older gentleman named Stephen, and she was just gushing. We congratulated the lucky couple.
“Maybe,” she said, “Next year, it’ll be you two.”
My heart tumbled in my chest, and Jon got that look again that stole away his smile. “Maybe,” he said. Then the joy returned and he grinned at me. “Maybe?”
I took his hand and kissed his knuckles. “We’ll see.”
There was so much time between now and then. So many seconds, as they say. I had no idea what would happen, and it might be tough, given the way hockey was, but if we could stay together, we could stay together.
Maybe.
The coupleof days after the first of January had been beautiful, with pale winter skies and the brilliant snow-covered hills contrasting against the browns and grays of the leafless trees and the dark greens of the pines. On the day before Jon’s birthday, the roads were dry and the early morning sunlight shown through another clear day. No repeat of blizzard conditions in the forecast, which was good, because we had an away game.
The trip to Cincinnati was uneventful. We walked into their arena and came out with a win. A nice four to two in regulation. Coach Macintosh held us back a little was people were filing out of the arena to the bus.
“You,” he said, pointing to Jon. “If you’re going to go for those fancy passes through traffic up ice, please make sure the guy you’re passing to is actually expecting the puck.”
Jon shrugged unapologetically. “Riley needs to have better situational awareness in the game. Not everything is about hitting the guy in front of him.”
Coach rolled his eyes. “Yes. But you know what he’s like. Do a pass like that when Alfie or this kid isout, okay?”
Jon nodded. That pass and Riley’s fumbling of it had let Cincinnati tie the game at two each. It’d been my goal that had put us up in the end, and an empty-netter sealed the deal.
Coach clapped me on the back “You keep playing like you do. I swear, any of these guys could throw a pass to you near the net, and you’d put it in.”
“I still have room to improve, Coach. But I’ll keep it up.”
“Do that.” He nodded, then waved toward the exit.
We glanced at each other, then headed to the bus. Jon went first, then abruptly stopped when everyone on the bus yelled, “Happy Birthday!”
“Oh my God,” Jon said.
I peeked around him, and there were tinsel streamers everywhere, and banners that saidhappy 30th birthday! along with ones that readover the hill.
Jon rotated to me, his eyes wide.
Mine were pretty damn wide, too. “I didn’t do this.” I hadn’t. The vibe I was going for was romantic. And this? It wasn’t that. This was teammates talking shit.
“I believe you,” he said. “I’m gonna kill Mac.”
