by Kat Obie
“Okay. Do you want anything else?”
“Coffee.”
Scotty just laughed. They both knew how she loved to drink caffeinated products, especially coffee. “I should have known. But didn’t you have enough with your first cup?”
“Not even close.”
“Okay.”
Alice rushed towards the gym. She quickly tested the chemicals for the pool and opened everything up. It was a quiet start to the open swim, so Alice sat at one of the two desks. The first person to walk into the pool area was Scotty. He immediately said, “I feel bad for your heart sometimes,” as he handed her an iced coffee.
Alice rolled her eyes and said, “I’m not that bad.”
He kissed her forehead. “You are addicted to caffeine. Like totally addicted, babe. Also, they didn’t have the nova lox. So I got a sandwich for you instead. I hope it’s okay.”
“Thanks. I’m sure it will be fine.” She sat down and invited Scotty to sit with her. “You’re the best. Thanks for coming today and for the food. You could just have easily texted me the news.”
“But then I wouldn’t have gotten to see you. Besides, you are now on your second latte in the span of an hour; it seems like you needed a supplier.”
“It’s not a full need. More of a pure desire for the second latte.”
“Babe, I saw your face. It was your moment of bliss. Okay, not pure bliss in the sense of how you get in the bedroom but that momentary passing kind.” Scotty babbled. He almost never babbled. She was the one who would do that. Something was up and she wanted to know what was on his mind. He was self-assured as ever and he would deny it. He asked, “What?” when he noticed her staring at him.
“Something seems off. You sure everything is okay?”
“It’s nothing,” said Scotty, trying to brush her off.
She wasn’t surprised by that response. She cocked an eyebrow as if to tell him that she wasn’t convinced.
“I’m just a little nervous about the game tomorrow. That’s all. I will settle down by the time the puck drops. The best thing will be me getting out there, but I will do my little secret ritual of getting a haircut. I’ll be fine. The Sharks won’t know what hit them. Literally.”
That surprised Alice. He was never nervous. He carried himself like he owned the ice. But after six and a half weeks away, he would be a bit rusty and it might take him a few games to be back to normal. He would be fine.
First, she said, “As long as you don’t try to take on Jumbo, you will be fine. I know you will rock it out there. You always do. But why the haircut?”
Scotty pushed a hand through his shaggy hair. It had gotten long in the past few weeks. “Old superstition. If I got nervous before a big game, I would get cleaned up beforehand. Worked like a charm for me. Plus, mom always liked how it got me cleaned up.”
Alice laughed. It was such a simple superstition, but Scotty never seemed to have them. He usually used his hockey IQ and studied the game more. She was the superstitious one in the relationship. The haircut sounded no different from how she would apply makeup before a big presentation at professional conferences.
“Wait a minute,” she said. “You didn’t get cleaned up before that first game against the Flyers. You weren’t nervous about the game? Or trying to win me over?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t nervous at all that game. I knew I could impress you. Besides, I didn’t have that much rust to shake off. It was an easier matchup,” said Scotty with a sly smile. “I want this return to be just as easy.”
“Well, I have faith in you. You will get rid of the rust and kick some ass.” If she wasn’t working at the moment, she would totally have hugged him to reassure him, but she felt like it would be crossing a line.
Then Scotty looked at her and asked, “Are you sure you can’t get off work and fly out for one of the games?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Especially since the day you play the Titans, I have to testify in court and I have to meet with the prosecutor tomorrow.”
“Oh, right. Sorry I won’t be there. I wanted to be,” Scotty said super apologetically. The look on his face said it all. She would never ask him to give up a game for that, especially after sitting out so long.
Alice smiled and said, “It’s okay. I will let you know if I need anything. While I can’t go west, I do promise to be at the game on Saturday. I seriously can’t wait to see you back in action.”
“Sounds good,” Scotty said with a forced smile. Then he changed the conversation. “You really should eat.”
She groaned. “I’m not going to starve to death.”
“Yeah, ‘cause I won’t let you,” Scotty said with a laugh as he pushed her sandwiched her way. “Eat.”
“Fine,” she said with an exaggerated eye roll. She unwrapped the sandwich to see one of her other favorite orders: a BBQ chicken sandwich. Scotty knew her so well and nailed the impromptu order. She took a couple bites. Scotty also pulled out a sandwich for himself.
Then a swimmer came in. She quickly put the sandwich down on the wrapper and took her place on the lifeguard stand. She could feel Scotty’s disapproving eyes on her, but she kept her eyes focused on the pool straight ahead. She said somewhat defensively, “What? I will eat more later.”
“You better. I need to head out.”
Alice could tell by the tone of his voice that he was disappointed in her not even trying to eat more. “Okay. Have a good trip! Also, thanks for everything. I’m going to miss you this week. I love you.”
“Je t’aime.” As he got closer to the door, he turned her way and shouted, “Eat your food.”
Alice shook her head, but she responded the only way she knew how. “Go play hockey!” The way Scotty’s face lit up was priceless.
22
Scott
The trip to San Jose was uneventful. It was just long, but it felt good to be in the lineup. The only downside was that Lager wasn’t allowed to play in the game against San Jose thanks to that reckless high-stick. So the Sound would only have two of their top three guys for one more game. At least it was only a single game suspension.
The morning practice was uneventful. He wasn’t allowed to do much since Doc was concerned about him being stiff after the plane ride out.
While he traveled, he reached out to Joey. Joey was a pal from juniors who was based in San Jose as a coach at one of the local universities. He asked him about a good place to get a haircut. Fortunately, he was able to get slotted into an appointment almost immediately after practice.
The barber was a big hockey fan and had no problem making time for Scotty, although the guy couldn’t stop talking. Scotty didn’t say much and just let the guy carry on a conversation.
Scotty had to give it to the guy. He did an awesome job with the hair, but his hockey takes were basic. In the end, it still had some length up top where it could swoop to the left but was short along the sides. In some ways, it reminded him of Lundqvist’s hairstyle.
As he walked back to the hotel, he sent a selfie to Alice so she could be one of the first people to see the new haircut. Almost immediately, she texted back: Pantydropper.
That made him laugh so hard he couldn’t let it slide. He dialed her number. “Pantydropper, you say?”
“Oh, you are. You were gorgeous before but, damn, that looks super sexy on you.”
“So you like it?” he said, knowing that she did. He hoped to get one of her classic maybes and hear her get all shy.
“Dude. I love you no matter what. But yes, you are looking really good. I promise I won’t ever question your superstitions again,” she said quickly. He loved to hear how much she liked it.
He decided to take it up a notch. “Mmm. So if I was there, what would you be doing right now?”
He hoped to take her down the familiar path of their sensual calls, but she responded in a flat tone. “Still at work, so drooling from afar. Would, at most, ask you to bring me some coffee so I could see you.”
“Boo. That’s not how yo
u are supposed to play the game,” teased Scotty. That was his Alice: a little too literal and she wouldn’t do any sexy talk while at work. In some ways, he was amazed she’d let him hang out while she was at work and even gotten on the swing with him.
“Oh really? What should I be saying, then?” she asked somewhat inquisitively, showing off her naivety.
As Scotty got back to the hotel, he had to dodge Crestie in the hallway. He wanted to make Alice fluster and blush. It was why he’d called her. “It should be something like, ‘I would undress you, caress you, and tease your body with my touch.’”
“You expect me to say something like that when I’m at work?” asked Alice with a laugh.
“Yes. It’s not like I said anything naughty. Not like how I would totally lay you down on the bed, flick my tongue across your clit, tease it for a second, and then come back for more of your sweet, sweet pussy,” he said with his full sexy voice as he flopped back onto the bed. It was all the things he dreamt of doing to her.
Alice was silent. He looked at his phone to see if she was still there. She hadn’t hung up, but he’d gotten her to the point where she was shocked and probably blushing. Scotty laughed and asked, “Too much?”
“Maybe,” said a quiet Alice.
“Maybe, my ass,” said Scotty. “So, do I need to stop?”
“For now. After work, we can get carried away. Hell, I will give you my best response, although I suck compared to you.”
“Are you sure?” asked Scotty. He knew deep down there wasn’t any real likelihood that Alice would continue.
“Yes. For now.”
“Fine. But you are no fun.”
“And you’re incorrigible.”
“You keep telling me that, but I think you like it when I talk dirty to you. Even if you are at work.”
She laughed and said, “What if I do?”
“I could keep doing it,” he said with a smile in his voice.
“Don’t you dare!”
“So, should I get off the phone?” Scotty asked. He hoped that he wouldn’t be told to get off the phone, but she would want to get back to work. Hell, he should be napping before the game.
“Nah. I can talk a little bit longer. Feeling better about tonight?” asked Alice.
“Oh yeah. I wish I could have played against Philly and have you there for my return. At least this time, my knee isn’t super stiff from the flight. Only thing left to do is get my pre-game nap.”
Alice yawned. “I’m totally jealous that you are expected to take a nap as part of your work day.”
Scott smiled; she hated when she had to be at work at 7am. She would just do it, but her admitting that she was tired was pretty rare. “Jealous, you say?”
“Yeah. I could use a nap.”
All this talk about sleep made him miss her lying beside him. “What’s your Friday like?”
“Friday?” Alice said, clearly thrown off guard. He loved how her voice would go up high on the last syllable when she was thrown. He didn’t manage to do it very often. He could surprise her with a gift, but it wasn’t the same.
“You know that day that’s the end of a traditional work week. Also the morning that I get back from the road trip.” He knew that he was teasing her.
Unsurprisingly, she threw it right back at him. “Right. Friday. If I recall, it ends with a y too.”
“Yeah, so . . . I was hoping to hear how I will get to sleep with you.”
“It should be a lazy morning. I won’t have work until late. Although, I will be on kid duty when you get home.”
“Kid duty?” That was surprising. While he loved envisioning Alice with his child, she didn’t spend that much time around kids. When she did, it was always amazing and he was sure that he would have remembered if Alice had mentioned it.
“Earlier today, Bridge asked if I could watch Klaus on Thursday night. Something about a research project for school. I didn’t ask too many questions.”
“That’ll be nice.” Scott wondered if he would get to see her interact with the 3-year-old or if he would miss it.
“Did you really ask about Friday to find out if we can sleep together?”
“Yup.” He looked over to the empty spot on the bed beside him where she would normally be. He said with longing, “I miss having you beside me.”
“I miss you too. I should let you get to your nap.” At least Alice didn’t point out how she never napped with him.
“Alright. Je t’aime. Call me after the game.”
“Je t’aime.”
He loved hearing her tell him that she loved him in French. He couldn’t hear it enough.
Scotty sunk into the bed and felt so comfortable. He was happy. He also had so much to look forward to: the game tonight, the Titans, and getting back home to Alice.
Alice
Alice dreaded the day. It was the first of her court dates, and she was a bundle of nerves.
The building was huge, and she wasn’t sure where she needed to go. Fortunately, a person who was familiar with the court, likely a lawyer, took pity on her and directed her to the 22nd floor.
Once there, she was told to wait in a lobby. At first, Alice was the only one there. She had her headphones on and was trying to read a book on her new iPad in the hopes of staying calm. But it wasn’t working. She also had her teddy bears in her purse and would rub a paw or ear for comfort by slipping her hand into the purse. She couldn't focus on her book no matter what and kept looking at her phone. All of a sudden, she saw a text from Scotty.
S: Good luck today. Sorry I’m not with you.
A: Thanks. What are you doing awake?
S: Checking in on my girl. What’s going on?
A: Just waiting for the prosecutor
S: That’s no fun.
A: Yeah
Just texting with Scotty made her relax. He was the one person who could make her relax when her anxiety was high. As each person occupied the waiting area, she got more uncomfortable. It seemed like most people there were seedy, so anything to temper her nerves was a good thing.
The police officer who was also the receptionist at the waiting room asked Alice to go into the next set of doors since Alice’s prosecutor hadn’t shown up. It was already two hours after the time listed on the subpoena. She was glad to get away from the waiting room.
When she walked into the next waiting area, she saw a deputy at a desk and several lawyers all talking around the table. She was still nervous, but maybe she would get answers. She handed her subpoena to the deputy. The deputy went to check the status and returned and immediately asked, “Didn’t anyone call?”
“No. They didn’t.” Alice had waited for such a call the day before since she had been warned it could be delayed.
“It’s been continued. The bailiff signed this. Take it to the cashier’s office so we can at least reimburse you for parking. The new date is here.”
Alice was livid but masked her anger. She couldn’t believe it. She’d wasted so much time and energy for nothing. They hadn’t had the courtesy to let her know that she didn’t need to come in. She made her way to the cashier and got the reimbursement.
Alice: Wasted my fucking time. Got to let off some steam and do some pick up
Alice’s mobile went off. She saw the photo of her and Scotty on the swing. She smiled and she instantly felt happier. “Hey, you.”
“Hey. You okay?”
“Pissed but okay.”
Scotty chuckled and said, “I would be too.”
“You seemed tired. I should let you sleep,” Alice said, trying to be considerate.
“I wouldn’t have called if I wanted to sleep.” She heard the sheets rustle around, so she imagined Scotty lying in bed. That made her feel more comfortable, especially thinking of him half naked. “So, you’re going to play some pick up?”
“Yeah. I figured between the ice and just shooting the puck, I’ll be calmer and/or exhausted.”
“Want any company for that?” asked a curious
Scotty. Alice didn’t hear any more movement from the bed, so she didn’t think he was getting out of bed.
“Aren't you in LA?” asked an incredulous Alice. Scotty felt guilty about not attending court, but there was no chance he would be allowed to miss another game, especially after missing six and a half weeks due to his knee injury. They had less than a week before the end of the regular season, and the Sound didn’t have their position fully locked in. They needed their best player. Alice could see Scotty trying to make it work, even if it meant a cross-country flight.
Scotty gave a full throttle laugh rather than the chuckle she normally elicited from him. Hearing his laughter just helped her relax. “Sorry, I didn’t mean with me, babe. Coach said no to trying to spend half the day with you and flying back before the game. But Corey isn’t on the trip. He said he is starting to feel better. I bet he would let you go to his house to play.”
The two of them talked a little bit about what she should do on the ice. After he seemed to be done with the on ice talk, she said, “Fine. Any other advice?”
“Call Corey.”
“Fine.”
Alice did as Scotty asked and talked to Corey. In the end, she headed over to his place to play. He was happy to have someone to play with. He took it easy on her, but that didn’t stop him from trash talking the entire time. He was the team chirper.
Scott
It was late. He just wanted to sleep. The game against the Titans had ended up being brutal. He had several fresh bruises all over. The Sharks game was downright easy in comparison, and he wasn’t expecting the rough game against the Titans.
He was pissed off. Between the puck bunny rumors and not being there for Alice at court, he just wanted to snuggle up with his girl.
When he opened the door, he was greeted by both Chloe and Backup. He tried to keep quiet as he rubbed both the pups’ ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that there were kid shoes next to Alice’s shoes. That reminded him that Alice was taking care of Klaus that night.
