He was bugging me. “You know dick about my love life. I didn’t even have a real girlfriend while I was living with you.”
“Everything is so intense with you. You probably have some plan set in stone that includes marriage and kids. You’re not even 21! Don’t you think it’s time you kicked back and acted your age?”
That was ridiculous. Everything I’d achieved was because I’d done things beyond what was expected at my age or abilities. Getting my personal life in order was another goal that would help me focus on hockey. Besides, if there was anything I’d learned in my rookie year, it was how artificial relationships got once you were in the NHL.
“Baller, do you ever worry that all the girls you meet only like you because you’re a rich NHL player? And you won’t ever meet a girl that likes you for yourself? Y’know, like Mac and Maddy—it’s real because they started dating in high school.”
“Are you talking about my new girlfriend? You haven’t even met her.”
“No, no, I mean in general.”
“Nah, I think you get a better quality girl because of the NHL stuff. Girls who wouldn’t even look at you normally. Otherwise you could ask your friends to introduce you to someone regular or average. Is that what you really want?”
“I want Kelly.” This was something I’d thought about a lot. I had always figured that I’d get a girlfriend when I got to the NHL. But the girls I’d met so far were pretty phony. Girls never seemed to get me.
I hadn’t told anyone why I’d broken up with Samantha, a girl I dated at UMaine. She had been gorgeous and nice. She seemed to understand me and all the stress I was under. Then one day I’d overheard her talking to her best friend on the phone.
“I know he’s a little boring and obsessed, but he’s going to the NHL. Nobody’s perfect, right?” Hearing those words was like a body blow. Someone you’d confided your problems to, who seemed to be concerned, was thinking the whole time how boring you were.
When I looked around the team, it was almost like there was a dividing line between the girlfriends you got before and after you made the NHL. The “before” ones were pretty, but they were loyal too—nice and dependable. They’d stuck with you through crap already and seemed happy to finally make it. The “after” ones were really gorgeous, but who knew why they were there? They could be total phonies like Samantha, and smart enough to fool you.
Kelly wasn’t like that though. I had confided to her a lot, on the phone and in person, and she always listened and sympathized. And even that night in Toronto, she couldn’t help but respond to me when I had real problems. She was so sweet. Which was why I didn’t get why she was making me do all this.
“If you want her, you’ll get her. A guy like that—” he pointed to Davidson, “can never match you. I mean you’re a fucking NHL superstar. No girl in her right mind is going to choose Joe Average instead of you. And Kelly really digs you; I can tell when I see guys together. You definitely have a connection.”
I hoped he was right. “Do you ever think about what you’ll do after hockey?”
“Yeah, maybe retire someplace warm, with lots of chicks around,” he laughed.
“No, really. It’ll be crappy not to be able to play hockey for a living.”
“What are you worried about? You just finished your rookie year, for fuck’s sake.”
I had talked to some former NHLers, and they all said the same thing: you couldn’t play hockey for fun once you retire. The younger guys are all looking to hit you and say they took out an NHL guy, and you’re too good for most of the rec leagues. Outside of old-timer games or coaching, you don’t get to play much after your career. It was pretty sad to think about giving up the thing you loved the most, forever.
Baller shook his head. “Freeze, you borrow trouble. Get your head out of your ass. We’re young, we’ve got money, and the world is our pineapple.”
“I think you mean apple.”
“Whatever. Lay down the law with Kelly. Tell her she needs to make up her mind. Women don’t really like to be in charge, they like it when a guy is the guy.”
I didn’t think that would work, but he was sort of right. I could see that Kelly wasn’t enjoying the dating game at all. She seemed miserable and stressed. That reassured me that she wasn’t a complete headcase—she hated this as much as I did. Maybe she did need a push in the right direction.
“Hey, Tiff and I are flying up to Kelowna tomorrow to stay at Mac and Maddy’s place. You and Kelly should come.”
“Okay, I’ll suggest it to her. Will it be okay with Mac?”
“Yeah, he’s got a huge place on the lake. Room for the whole team.”
This was a great idea. I wanted Kelly to know that she’d have lots of new girlfriends in Chicago, and this would be a perfect way to get to know two of them. If Tiffany even lasted past the summer, most of Baller’s relationships were short-lived. But Maddy was really nice anyway.
The second period was pretty close, but Davidson scored once and Kelly scored too. The goalie gave up a big rebound and she pounced and fired it in. It was a 3-3 tie. Afterwards I called her over to give her a few tips. She looked so cute in her gear—all glowing and amped. I had forgotten how much she loved playing.
She passed on our advice, and her team broke things wide-open, scoring four unanswered goals. I could see that she and Davidson had something going on. They were arguing on the bench and even on the ice. I figured this was better than if they were getting along well.
I thought Kelly might want to go out with her team afterwards, but she came out with us instead. We went out to some Japanese restaurant Baller recommended. Kelly was bubbly and excited after their win. Despite his bitching at the rink, Baller got along with Kelly as well as ever. I kind of envied the ease of their chatter. Once we got back together, we could relax like that too.
“I really enjoyed seeing you play,” I told her. Kelly gave 100% on the ice. “I hope it was okay that I dropped in.”
Baller shook his head slightly when I said that. But I remembered how pissed she was when she saw me at the golf tournament.
She gave me a crooked smile. “We probably wouldn’t have won if you didn’t come.”
“Oh, you mean those goaltender tips?”
“Yeah, that too.” And then she laughed, and I laughed along with her. It was great to see Kelly acting normal. But Baller was right. When I drove her home that night, we made out in the car. I kissed her, on the face, and then on the lips. The way she responded to me, I couldn’t help but feel how much emotion there was between us. When we were together like this, I was sure she loved me and I couldn’t figure out why she didn’t just admit it.
I held her face in my hands. “Kelly, I love you. I really want you to make up your mind—so we can be together. I’ll have to ramp up the training in August, and I’d like to spend time relaxing with you first.” I kissed her again. Well, not just relaxing. I had plans for my first 48 hours with Kelly that didn’t involve any relaxation at all.
She looked up at me, her eyes wide and unreadable.
“I think I have made up my mind, but I want to sleep on it. Why don’t you come over for dinner tomorrow?”
25
Last Night
James
* * *
On the way over to Kelly’s for dinner, I had a flash of worry. What if Davidson was there again, and she was going to make her decision? Once I got there, I was relieved to see there was only dinner for two people. She said that April had gone away for the weekend.
Kelly was wearing a yellow sundress that I really liked, and she looked so pretty. I handed her the flowers and wine I had brought. She thanked me and went to the kitchen to get a vase.
Her hair was up in a ponytail, and I kissed her on the back of the neck. “Smells delicious. And the food smells good too.”
She turned around and wrapped her arms around me. Her kiss was hard and urgent—almost like she was trying to communicate something. When I opened my eyes, she was
watching me.
“What is it?” I asked her. She shook her head and turned back to the stove.
Kelly motioned with her head. “Can you open the wine for me? The opener is in the drawer.”
I pulled open the cutlery drawer, and it was a complete mess. I finally found the opener, uncorked the wine, and poured glasses for both of us. To my surprise, she took a huge swig and kept drinking the whole time she was finishing up the dinner. We took the dishes out and went to eat in the living room.
The dinner was really good. She had made some kind of stew dish that tasted Middle Eastern. There was a green salad and flatbread too.
“This is a great meal,” I told her. “I don’t know why you say you’re not a good cook.”
“I’m not. I got the main dish from April’s catering friend. All I did was heat it up.” She made a face and drank some more wine, and I was getting a little concerned. What was wrong with her?
We ate in silence for a minute, and then everything burst out of Kelly.
“You need a girlfriend who is a good cook. Who is good at the things women are supposed to be good at. Like cooking, cleaning, flirting, and getting dressed up. Like doing things for her man, loving to do anything for her man.”
“What are you talking about, Kelly?”
She looked at me, her forehead creased. “I’m talking about what you need, and what I don’t have.”
“I don’t care about that stuff. I want you. I don’t want anyone else.”
“The more I see about your life, the more I think I don’t fit into it. It took hours and a team of people to make me into the kind of girl you can take to the NHL awards. I can’t be the person supporting you and taking care of you—like your mom wants. I can’t be what you need, and I won’t ever be.”
I was taken aback at her words. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. You’re beautiful all the time, but that doesn’t even matter. I want you—the way you help me is by listening and understanding everything. It’s what’s inside you that I care about. It’s easy enough to get a housekeeper, why do you even worry about that stuff?”
“I want to support you, Jimmy, but I’m worried that I can’t do it. You believe I can solve your problems magically by us being together, but they’re bigger than that. That night in Toronto was kind of scary. I think you need real help.”
I shook my head. I’d always been a worrier, and it was no big deal. Talking to Kelly and having sex with her were all I needed to relax. “You’re blowing this out of proportion. Anyone who achieves big things has to suffer through some tension and stress.”
“But that’s another thing—I can’t picture myself with you in Chicago. There’s nothing for me to do there. You’re too much—too famous and too rich. When I’m with you, I’m overwhelmed. You’re always sweeping me along like a tidal wave. I end up doing whatever you want, and there’s no me left.”
“Kelly, you can do what you want. You can volunteer. You can coach girls’ hockey. You can take classes. I know it’ll be harder for you, but what’s the alternative? You stay here and sit at a reception desk while stupid jerks come on to you? To me, that’s the bigger waste. You were meant for better things.”
She kept shaking her head, but she didn’t say anything else. I put the plates aside and pulled her close to me.
“Why are you throwing up all these barriers? I love you, Kelly. You’re the one I want in my life, in my corner. It’s not up to you to say what kind of girl I need. I know what I want and she’s right here.”
Kelly leaned her head against my chest, but she didn’t say a word.
Then a thought struck me. “It’s not him, is it? You can’t be choosing him over me!” That seemed impossible. I was better than him in every way. And I knew Kelly. Throughout everything that had happened this summer, I was certain she was going to choose me. We were so connected, we always had been, and we always would be. That was why I came back and why I went through all this stupid crap.
“Ground rules,” she whispered, barely able to get the words out.
No. This could not be. I felt a whirling rage inside me that Kelly could be so blind to everything we had between us. I pushed her away from me and got up. I walked to the door and searched blindly for my keys and wallet. Then I looked back at Kelly. She was huddled on the couch, her arms tightly wrapped around her knees. She was watching me, and her expression was lost and sad.
I took a breath and tried to calm down. I went back and sat beside her, close but not touching.
“I can’t go. I don’t want to leave you like this.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s my own fault. I’m so sorry to hurt you, really.”
I opened and closed my mouth twice, before I could figure out what to say. “I thought you loved me, Kelly. You’ve never said it, but it was something I was sure about. Was I wrong?”
She took my hand in both of hers and caressed it. “I do love you. I’m sorry I’ve never told you at a time when it could mean something happy. If it could be the two of us—alone somewhere—we could be happy, I’m sure of that. There’s just so much other stuff.”
I shook my head. I wanted to be angry at her, but I couldn’t. I had no idea what was going on in her head, but everything felt wrong. Again I felt that desperation at the idea of ending things this way.
“Can it be just the two of us? Tonight? Kelly, let me stay and have one more night with you.”
It took her so long to reply. She must have been thinking about what could happen if I stayed. Finally she nodded, put her arms around me.
“Nothing will change though,” she said, and I nodded. Then she kissed me.
Usually when we kissed, I closed my eyes and tried to feel it all inside, feel the connections and the sensations. But now I kept looking at her, trying to memorize all her features and every detail of her. The way her dark brown hair flipped back from her beautiful face, her straight eyebrows, her long lashes. I loved the few freckles she had, almost like a tiny imperfection on her skin, the little mole on her cheek, her full, flushed mouth, and her perfect teeth. I wanted to remember every detail and keep it inside me.
I picked her up and took her to her bedroom. Her body felt so light in my arms as she laid her head against me. We got inside, and I put her down and shut the door. She stood in the centre of the room, and I went up behind her. I pulled the sweater off her shoulders and then untied the top of her halter. Her dress fell down to her waist, and I kissed her bare back, starting from her neck and moving down her spine. Kelly’s skin was warm and slightly scented, something new this time, a sweet vanilla smell. She was going to change—going to keep on changing—but I wouldn’t ever know. When I got to the small of her back, I knelt down and laid my head against the dip where her hips began. I loved that part of her—loved watching her walk away naked and seeing that dip.
Kelly turned around and my head was against her hipbones, and she reached down and stroked my hair. Maybe she was feeling sorry for me, but I was happy. I was with Kelly now, and I was going to stop worrying and enjoy everything. Just like she had always told me to.
I reached behind and unzipped her dress, and it fell to the floor. She stood before me, wearing only a pair of lacy bikini panties, yellow like her dress. I ran my hands down her sides, feeling her like Braille. I kissed her stomach, and I reached up to cup her tits. She was so quiet, I didn’t know if she was even enjoying this. My breath was hot over the thin lace covering her, and I bit at her through the fabric.
She finally spoke, “Oh yes, Jimmy.”
It was funny, but she was the only one who still called me that, my name from hockey camp and from when I was a kid. I had been a teenager when I met her, and maybe I had never caught up.
I lifted her gently and laid her on the bed. I undressed quickly and came over to her on the bed. Now she was looking over me as if she wanted to memorize everything.
“You’re so beautiful,” Kelly said.
I laughed. It was a funny th
ing to say to a guy.
I pulled off her panties, and we started to make out in this very intense way, kissing hard and running our hands all over each other’s bodies. I was already excited, and when I spread her legs, she said not a word and let me enter her the way I liked it, no protection, skin to skin. I got the feeling that she would let me do anything tonight, say yes to anything because she couldn’t say yes to what I really wanted.
At first we did it missionary, fast and rocking. I could see her face, her lips moving but no sound coming out.
“Feels so good,” she said, her breathing fast and loud.
I held her by the hips and flipped her, so she was on top. We moved smoothly, because we already knew each other’s bodies so well. I loved it this way, and Kelly knew it. She started squeezing and lifting, just like I wanted her to. Her tits were right over me, so I reached up to hold on for the ride. She kept changing up the pace, and then when she heard me start to groan, she went really fast. I opened my eyes and looked at her. Her hair was flying. She was biting her lip, and her eyes were closed, and I could tell she was feeling it. I pushed up my hips and made one final, hard thrust into her.
As I came inside her, I had a weird thought. I wanted to get her pregnant. Suddenly I wished that my sperm weren’t totally wasted, that the little guys were swimming upstream and accomplishing their mission in life.
And a few minutes later, when we were lying together, holding each other tightly, I told her what I was thinking. “Our kids would be awesome you know. They would go straight to the NHL.”
Kelly laughed. “Unless they got my shooting skills.”
“We should have kids, Kelly. We were meant to be together.” That sounded so desperate, but it popped out.
“Oh, stop it. Be in the now for once.”
“You never want to think ahead,” I answered.
“That’s so untrue.” She looked so sad that I felt terrible for ruining the mood.
“I’m sorry, baby.”
Hockey Is My Boyfriend: Part Three Page 15
