Sophie
I was kind of weirded out on Tuesday when I got a text from Matt asking me to go out with him, Carmen, and Travis. But when Carmen texted me and said she wanted an excuse to see what a date with Travis would be like, I reluctantly agreed.
The things I do for that girl.
A date with Matt is the last thing I want. Going out with Zack solidified that.
Okay, so my date with Zack wasn’t great. There were a lot of awkward silences. I asked him about Tangled just for fun, and not only has he never seen it, but he said he would never watch it. Apparently, Disney movies are only for children.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I love Disney movies and I’m a grown ass adult. I’m not sure what he thought about me bringing up the movie in the first place. I changed the subject quickly so it wouldn’t ruin the evening.
After the date, Zack walked me back to my apartment. This time, he kissed me, and we made out a little. I didn’t invite him inside. He seemed disappointed, but he didn’t comment on it. We’ve texted a bit the last couple of days, so things are still okay with us.
So, it’s not the best, but I do like Zack. I think it will get better. It was out first date. We got along well on Friday night. It’s natural that things will be awkward when we first start going out.
I’m holding onto the hope that we’ll sort out the kinks. I need it to work out with Zack, or I’ll slip into Matt’s trance.
Would that be so bad? I think. I stare at the dress I picked out for the date tonight. It’s long sleeves with a decent amount of cleavage. I’ll admit I want to impress Matt.
I’m such a mess.
Of course, it would be bad if I fell for Matt. He’s a hockey guy. He’s probably going pro, like Travis, and if he does, where will he end up? I can’t follow some guy around the country every time he gets traded.
I’m not cut out for the life of a sports star’s girlfriend. It’s better if I don’t get involved now.
Carmen, on the other hand, is the exact kind of person who could handle that life. She’s basically been living it for the last four years.
There’s nothing wrong with that. To each their own. It’s just not for me.
I slide the dress on and head for the door. I’m supposed to meet Carmen, Travis, and Matt at Travis’s apartment in twenty minutes. It’s a hike across campus to get there, so I need to leave now.
I grab my purse and my coat and make my way outside, towards Travis’s apartment. I walk slowly, reluctance guiding my trip. This is a mistake. I had to see Matt in class yesterday. I don’t really want to see him today, and again in class tomorrow.
Carmen, Travis, and Matt are waiting outside when I arrive.
“Sorry, am I late?”
“No, we were just early. Let’s get going!”
“Where, exactly, are we going?”
“We figured we’d go for a walk through the art quad. They just put out those new sculptures and I want to see them.”
Of course, Carmen would think of something like that for a date. It gives her and Travis time to talk.
The problem is, it gives Matt and I plenty of time to talk, too. I was hoping for a louder date. Or maybe a movie where we wouldn’t have to talk at all.
“Sounds fun,” I lie. Carmen fixes me with a glare. I roll my eyes. She knows I’m here for her. I told her I’d come. I never said I’d have a good time.
“Cool, let’s go, then.”
Carmen and Travis lead the way. Matt must have gotten the same memo I did, because he hangs back a few seconds before following. This gives Carmen and Travis enough space to get to know each other.
They’re talking animatedly already. I’m not sure why Carmen thought Matt and I had to be here. From the looks of it, Travis would’ve said ‘yes’ to the date no matter what.
“So, did you have a good day?” Matt asks.
I swallow down a sigh. I guess we’re doing the small talk thing. I was hoping we would avoid it. My date with Zack was almost all small talk. I’m not sure how much I can take from Matt.
“I did. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my easy days because I have an internship in the morning. I only have one class, and it’s a history class I love. How about you?”
“It was okay. I have three classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We don’t often have games those days, so I loaded up my schedule.”
“Makes sense. Your next game is tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah. Are you going?”
I laugh. “No, I don’t think so. Carmen drags me to games sometimes but I think she’ll be going with a few of the wives this time.”
“It looks like she’s trying to join their ranks.”
Matt and I look at Carmen and Travis. They’re laughing and flirting with each other. I guess Carmen has made up her mind about giving Travis a chance. I’m glad to see her settle down. I think they’ll make a great couple. They could even be end game.
“Yeah, it looks like it. I don’t get why she wanted us here. They’re doing fine on their own.”
“Being in a group takes the pressure off,” Matt says.
“I guess. It’s just weird. Carmen has been hanging out with the wives for years. She knows how it goes. We’re kind of pointless.”
No one on the hockey team is actually married. They call the girlfriends the “wives” for some reason. I only know this because Carmen taught me all the hockey groupie terminology I never wanted to learn. Honestly, she might’ve just read it in a book once and decided to make it a thing here. Everyone on the team uses it, so she was successful if that’s the case.
“I don’t know. I’m glad to be out of my apartment.”
“I guess. I could be doing the econ homework, though.”
“I did it earlier. I had some free time.”
“Well, look at you. A star student.”
Matt grins, obviously not catching my sarcasm. Admittedly, I’m surprised. I thought hockey guys were usually bad students. Carmen has tutored many over the years just to help them graduate. They usually do the bare minimum.
For whatever reason, Matt seems to care about school. That’s weird.
“So, is hockey your career goal?”
“It is. I want to go pro. Coach thinks I have a pretty good chance.”
“Then why bother with school at all?”
Matt laughs. “You can’t be a hockey player forever. I’d like to have something to fall back on.”
“Oh. That makes sense, I guess. Why economics, though?”
“I’m good with numbers and business. I figured it was something that would last, too. Economics will probably still be a thing when my hockey career is over.”
“That’s so… practical.”
“You seem surprised.”
“I’m not used to hockey players being practical.”
Matt shoots me a look. “Do you spend time with a lot of hockey players?”
“Okay, no, but… I don’t know. I guess I have this idea built up based on stories Carmen has told me. I mean, I’ve met everyone on the team pretty much through Carmen. I thought I had it all figured out. You’re proving me wrong.”
“Some of the guys care more about hockey than school. Even the ones that have no plans or prospects for going pro. I’m not one of them.”
Matt is smiling. I’m glad I didn’t hurt his feelings. Maybe, even if we can’t be together romantically, Matt and I can be friends. It seems like we get along well. Even when I’m saying things that might be offensive.
After a brief silence, Matt speaks again. “You said you have an internship. What do you do?”
“I’m helping with research. Surprisingly, I get to do actual research, not just like, fetch coffees. I’m lucky.”
“That’s great! I wanted to do an internship this semester, but with hockey, it didn’t make sense. There are too many days I might have to miss. Plus, I don’t think I have the time with all my practices and games.”
“You can always do one over the summer.”
“If I’m not drafted, I will. I’m hoping to be in conditioning and practice for a pro team over the summer.”
I envy Matt. Sure, I have goals, but none are as big as going pro in hockey. Am I doing something wrong in my life?
Before I can truly consider that question, we arrive at the art quad. The art buildings are located at the corner of campus, and they’re surrounded by grass now dotted with sculptures. Each semester, the art classes do something special in their quad. Which, technically, isn’t a quad at all, but it’s the easiest name for the grass moat.
We get to the first sculpture and stare at it. Carmen is an art person. She can tell exactly what the piece means to her. I think it looks like a person sitting in a chair. I’m not sure it has deeper meaning than that.
The next sculpture is more of the same. Carmen tells Travis about the structure and meaning while Matt and I stand back.
“It looks like a dick,” Matt whispers.
I burst out laughing. I wasn’t going to say it. I’m glad Matt did.
“It does not!” Carmen cries.
I stare at my best friend, then the statue. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be, but there are two round pieces at the bottom leading up to a long shaft. It totally looks phallic.
“Carmen, seriously.”
She looks the statue up and down then starts laughing along with us.
“Oh, my God, you’re right. It does!”
I have tears in my eyes at this point. I can’t believe the school put this out here! They usually let the art kids do whatever they want, but this seems a bit far, even for them. Then again, if Carmen couldn’t see it at first, maybe the dean didn’t, either.
We continue around the art building, stopping at each statue. After the penis, Matt and I start cracking jokes to each other about the sculptures. Carmen and Travis try to ignore us, but I catch them both grinning every once in a while.
Though it’s kind of fun, I’m still not having the best time on this date. Matt keeps trying to talk to me as we walk from sculpture to sculpture. He even mentions the weather at one point. The conversation is worse than it was with Zack!
Yet another reason I should give Zack a shot and forget Matt.
I’m tempted to pull out my phone and shoot Zack a text. I wonder what he’s up to tonight. Maybe I could meet up with him after this…
“I’m having a lot of fun with you,” Matt says.
I look up at him. All we’re doing is walking around, looking at art and making fun of it. I guess that could be considered fun, but honestly, I’m just doing it because Carmen wants me here. I wouldn’t have come otherwise.
“Me, too,” I lie. I’m not here to be mean. Besides, Carmen is within earshot. I can’t let Travis in on our little secret. He might not react well if he finds out she orchestrated this so they could go on a date.
Finally, we make it to the last sculpture. I’m about to beg off, saying I have homework, when Carmen turns to me.
“Alright, time for dinner!”
Shit. I guess that means the date isn’t over yet.
How much longer do I have to pretend to like hanging out with Matt?
8
Matt
This is going even better than I expected. I want to hug Carmen, but that would look suspicious.
She shoots me a wink after suggesting we all go to dinner. Sophie is looking at her phone, so she doesn’t notice.
I can’t believe we’re hitting it off so well. It was a bit of a rocky start, but once we bonded over the weird art, the conversation started flowing easily. We’re well on our way to a date on our own. I wish we could ditch Carmen right now.
Maybe I could suggest it. Sophie and I are getting along great. She might not be opposed to…
“Where are we going for dinner?” Sophie asks Carmen.
So much for going off on our own. That’s fine. Carmen and Travis are distracted by each other, so we’ve been able to talk. It’s basically like being alone, anyway.
“The diner?” Carmen suggests.
“Okay,” Sophie says, but she sounds kind of disappointed. She checks her phone again, which is weird. I try not to read too much into it. Sophie mentioned she had homework. That’s probably why she’s worried about time.
The diner is on the opposite side of campus, of course, but the walk isn’t too bad. Once again, Sophie and I hang back while Carmen and Travis take the lead.
“I’m starving,” I say.
Sophie looks up at me, startled. We’ve only been silent for a couple minutes, but it’s like she forgot I was here.
“Yeah, me too. I haven’t been to the diner yet this semester. I’ve missed it.”
“I wish I could say that. I go way too often.”
Sophie laughs. “That’s how I feel about the student union. Carmen and I go there three times a week.”
“I don’t blame you. The nachos are amazing.”
Her eyes widen. “The nachos are my favorite! No one ever agrees with me. Carmen claims the pasta place is better, but I’m a nacho girl through and through.”
“Okay, but the question is, what meat do you get?”
“Chicken, obviously.”
“Phew. We can still be friends.”
“Carmen is a beef girl, I should warn you.”
“Oh, no. Why? Doesn’t she know chicken is the only good meat there?”
Sophie shrugs. “I’ve tried to bring her to the good side, but she doesn’t listen. Thankfully, she doesn’t get nachos often, so I don’t have to witness the travesty.”
“Let me guess, she’s a taco girl, too.”
“How’d you know?”
“She seems like she would be a taco girl.”
Carmen turns around, laughing. “You know I can hear you, right?”
“I was hoping you could,” Sophie says. “Matt agrees with me on the chicken thing.”
“Travis, tell me you’re on my side.”
Travis looks sheepish. “I like the chicken. Sorry, Carmen.”
“You all suck.”
We make it to the diner without offending Carmen further, though Sophie and I do giggle about it the rest of the walk. Another point for us. We’re killing it with getting along.
The diner is packed when we arrive, but the waitress manages to find a booth for the four of us. Carmen and Travis get in first, then Sophie sits next to Carmen and I sit next to Travis. I get to look at Sophie’s beautiful face while we eat dinner? I consider that another win.
We order our drinks and our food quickly. Since most of us our regulars, we know exactly what we want. Even though Sophie hasn’t been in a while, she still orders without looking at the menu. A cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake. If it wasn’t hockey season, I would’ve ordered a shake, too.
“So, are you excited for tomorrow’s game?” Sophie asks.
“Yeah. UMass is a rival, so it’s always fun playing against them. The Minutemen don’t stand a chance against the Goats.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize the game was so close. That must be nice. Not as much travelling.”
“Most of our games are in the northeast. I kind of wish we traveled more, honestly. I like seeing new places. We played a tournament in California once. That was awesome.”
“I’ve been to San Diego,” Sophie says. “I liked it, but it was too hot for me. I prefer the weather here, for sure.”
“Tomorrow’s game should be an easy one,” Travis says. “The Minutemen suck this year. It’s Saturday’s game we need to worry about.”
“Is the team on Saturday good?”
I nod. “The Goats are first in our division. The Huskies are second.”
“Well, I hope you beat them.”
“Thanks,” I say. “You could come to the game.”
Sophie laughs again. “I’m sorry, but that’s not gonna happen.”
“Yeah, Matt, good luck convincing her,” Carmen says. “I’ve brought her kicking and screaming a few times, but she usually reads a book or d
oes homework the whole time.”
Sophie shrugs. “Sorry, hockey isn’t my thing. Sports aren’t really my thing, honestly.”
“That’s fine. What is your thing?”
“I have much quieter hobbies. Reading nerdy books. Watching movies. That kind of thing.”
“I like movies,” I say.
Carmen chokes back a laugh. Okay, so it wasn’t my smoothest line, but it’s true. I go to like a movie a week, even when I have hockey.
“Cool,” Sophie says. “I don’t think we could be friends if you didn’t. That’s something Carmen and I agree with.”
“I like movies, too,” Travis says. I elbow him in the side. He’s only saying that to make fun of me. I get it, I sounded like a loser. At least I didn’t totally crash and burn.
I open my mouth to suggest Sophie and I go see a movie together on Sunday, but our food arrives, killing the moment. I’ll ask her later. Things are going so well now, I know she’ll say yes.
“Thank God,” Travis says. He takes a huge bite of his burger. Carmen stares at him with a smile on her face. The two of them would be great together. I hope this double date is the nudge we all needed. Carmen and Travis can be an official couple. Sophie and I can give dating a chance.
I can’t believe I was ever hesitant about this date. Carmen was right. This was the best idea.
I meet her eyes and smile, hoping she understands that I’m thanking her. She smiles then returns her gaze to Travis.
“How is your food?” I ask Sophie. “Is it as good as you remembered?”
She nods, her mouth filled with a bite of burger. “Delicious. I have to be careful or I might become addicted again. I can’t afford to eat here often.”
“Yeah, it’s a struggle. I’d probably be rich if I stopped eating out all the time.”
“That was my New Year’s Resolution. To not eat out often. I’m clearly doing well so far.”
“It’s hard to eat at home with so much good food on campus.”
“Exactly. Plus, I feel like I’m never in my apartment. At least not Monday through Friday. I do cook on weekends. Sometimes.”
“It’s true, she does,” Carmen says. “I get to reap the rewards.”
Cocky Puck: A College Sports Romance (Hockey Hearthrobs) Page 5
