Robyn noticed me first. “Your sister’s here,” he said to Zelda. Then he turned to me and said, “What’s up, little one?”
My sister’s tribe of misfits loved to call me Little One because I was so petite. Another way in which my sister and I were complete opposites. Zelda was tall, nearly 5-feet 10-inches and voluptuous. When the two of us stood together, we looked like Bert and Ernie.
Zelda hopped down from the small stage and joined me in the audience.
“Hey, Tay.” She smiled. “What’s going on?”
I know my sister truly wanted me to be more involved in her life but her life was so far out of my comfort zone, it was difficult. And she knew how much I changed after everything that happened with Austin. I became much more reserved and guarded. And those two words were not in my sister’s vocabulary. She was a risk-taker, sometimes to her detriment, and she had a crazy zest for life that I sometimes envied. It was like we were two polar extremes and somewhere in the middle was normalcy.
“I have a favor to ask,” I said. I rarely asked my sister for anything so this seemed to really pique her curiosity.
She raised a pierced eyebrow. “What kind of favor?”
“Are you busy Saturday night?”
She shook her head slowly and stared at me like she was trying to gauge where I was going with the line of questions.
“We’re still in rehearsals so the theater is dark. No shows this weekend.”
I swallowed. I was suddenly nervous to ask her because I knew what some of the inevitable questions would be.
“Spit it out,” Zelda prodded.
“I have two tickets to the hockey game Saturday night and I wondered if you’d go with me.”
Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth was agape. “You want to go to a hockey game?”
I gave her a slow nod.
“But why? You’re Miss I-Hate-Athletes and I-Despise-Sports. Why in the world would you ever want to go to a hockey game? And with me, of all people?”
“Forget it,” I bit back. I tried to turn to leave but Zelda caught my elbow.
“Do you want to tell me what this is all about first?” she asked. I could see the concern in her eyes. We may have been complete opposites in every way but we were still sisters and cared deeply about each other. She knew every sordid detail about what happened with Austin and I knew it was probably shocking for her to hear me say I wanted to see a hockey game.
“One of the Firestorm players invited me to the game,” I admitted.
“Wow, this is huge.” She actually sat down in one of the seats in the front row.
I sat down with her.
“You actually talked to a guy besides Kyle?” she asked.
I nodded.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You actually talked to a hockey player long enough for him to invite you to a game?”
“Yes.”
“You talked to an athlete? A professional hockey player?” She seemed to be in a state of shock.
I nodded again.
She shook her head as if she couldn’t believe it. “Wow,” she repeated. “Just wow.”
She looked into my eyes and her expression was serious. “Are you sure you want to go down this road?”
“No,” I admitted.
“But you’re going to do it anyway? You’re actually going to throw caution to the wind and take a risk? Even after everything that happened with Austin.”
“I guess so.” I hadn’t really thought about it like that. She made it sound ominous.
“I’m very proud of you,” she said to my surprise. “I know this is a big step.”
I wasn’t sure it was such a wonderful thing to have my crazy big sister proud of me but I took it as a compliment. “So does that mean you’ll go with me?”
She frowned. “Of course. I’m dying to see what kind of guy it takes to finally get you out of that dark black hole you’ve been living in since high school.”
I stood. “Don’t get your hopes up too high. I just met him a few days ago and we’ve only gone out once. It’s still very new.”
She gave me the once-over like she was inspecting me. “But you did let him kiss you.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it letting, he just kind of did it.”
“Ooh, a take-charge kind of guy,” she moaned. “I like him already. I’ll bet he’ll be dynamite in bed.”
I could feel my cheeks getting hot with embarrassment. My sister and I had such different ideas when it came to dating and men that we never discussed sex. My sister was the definition of easy and I had been with only one guy in my life: Austin.
I tried to change the subject. “The game starts at eight. Do you want to meet at the box office?”
She nodded. “That’ll work. I can go straight there from rehearsal.”
“Thank you, Zelda. This means a lot to me.”
“That’s what sisters are for,” she said as she hopped from her seat. “See you Saturday.”
Five
Kian
I took a long sip of my pint and scanned the crowd at O’Sullivan’s. The place was packed for a Thursday but it was also Firestorm Fan Appreciation Night and a few of the guys agreed to make an appearance in exchange for all the beer we could drink.
Runt was already on his fourth beer and we’d only been there an hour.
“Slow down,” I said as he downed half of his pint in one big gulp. “Haven’t you ever heard of pacing yourself?”
He gave me the stink eye. “Moderation is overrated.”
“Don’t forget we have an early practice tomorrow,” I reminded him.
“Yes, mother,” he replied. “And while you’re at it, do you also want to give me a lecture on how many girls I’m allowed to screw tonight?”
“You’re free to screw as many puck bunnies as you can handle.”
“I’m glad you approve.” He downed the rest of the pint in another big gulp. He pointed to the glass. “I’m ready for another. You want one?”
I shook my head. I still had most of my first pint left.
“Lightweight,” he taunted as he headed toward the bar.
The last time I’d been at a bar I met Taylor. It had only been a few days ago but it seemed like I’d known her a lot longer. Maybe it’s because she was all I could think about.
I had texted her an invite to our game on Saturday but I hadn’t heard anything back and that concerned me. Maybe she had decided I wasn’t worth her time or her pie-faced friend Kyle had bad-mouthed me enough that she decided not to see me again. I already hated that prick.
I took another swig of beer and saw a cute little red head with big tits and a killer ass in my line of sight.
Shawna.
She was one of the regulars at O’Sullivan’s and what the franchise owners referred to as a super fan. She was one of the moderators of the Firestorm Facebook Fan Page and the marketing department adored her. They put her in charge of a street team, whatever the hell that is, but the marketing gals made it sound important.
Shawna also loved to fuck and she loved to fuck Firestorm players. When a guy used the term hockey whore, I’m sure Shawna was one of the first girls that came to mind.
She was wearing a hot pink little number that left very little to the imagination. Not that I hadn’t already seen everything she had to offer—more than a few times.
“Hey, Kian,” Shawna purred as she slinked up to me. “You’re looking especially hot tonight.”
I was wearing my favorite jeans that were well worn but the girls really seemed to like the way they fit. Shawna made a point of eyeing my dick then licking her lips in such a way that suggested a blow job would be a definite possibility.
And Shawna knew what she was doing when it came to giving head.
“I don’t see Runt anywhere,” she commented as she scanned the bar.
“He was just getting a beer,” I replied but when I glanced over at the bar, he was nowhere to be seen.
“Too bad,” she said. “Krystal
was looking for him.”
Krystal was another hockey whore who had incredible assets and knew how to use them.
“So,” Shawna said as she closed the distance between us. “Do you want to come back to my place tonight?”
I put my hands in my pockets in an effort to tame the erection that was beginning to build. Shawn was definitely hot and a great lay and I hadn’t gotten a piece in a while. I was definitely tempted.
But something stopped me.
An image of Taylor flashed through my mind. It was her looking up at me with her big brown eyes and giving me her beautiful beaming smile.
“Not tonight,” I heard myself say and I thought my dick was going to scream in protest.
Shawna’s eyes went wide. “What?” she stammered as if she hadn’t heard me correctly.
“I said not tonight,” I repeated even though I knew damn well she heard me the first time.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Shawna’s face was getting red with anger.
“It means go find someone else’s dick to suck tonight,” I snapped.
Her mouth popped opened in horror and I knew I had gone too far. Not that what I said wasn’t true but I could have been a little nicer in the way I said it.
I had a bad habit of being too blunt. It had a lot to do with my shitty upbringing but I knew that wasn’t an excuse. Sometimes, I was just an asshole.
“I shouldn’t have said that.” If only I had a way to grab words and shove them back into my mouth. An invention like that would have saved me a lot of heartache through the years.
“You’re a prick,” she spat. That wasn’t the first time a woman had called me one of the various terms for that part of the male anatomy.
“You’re right,” I agreed.
“I can’t believe you don’t want this.” She made a point of sticking her ample chest in my face.
If it was a week ago, I would have been all over it.
But not now.
Not after meeting Taylor Thompson. The girl had already managed to turn my entire world upside down.
I decided it might be in my best interest and in the best interest of the team to try and take a more gentlemanly approach with Shawna.
“Shawna, it’s not you. You’ve got it all, babe. I’m just really tired. The coach has been riding my ass all week and we’ve got an early practice in the morning.”
That seemed to appease her because she gave me a sly little grin. “Okay, you’re forgiven.” She leaned up and gave me a kiss that felt too wet and sloppy. I didn’t remember Shawna being a bad kisser but I was suddenly comparing her kiss to the amazing, electricity inducing kisses I got from Taylor.
She laid a hand on my chest and eyed me seductively. “I’ll take a rain check,” she whispered then laid another wet one on my lips.
“Okay,” I said even though I was suddenly turned off by the thought of being with her.
Nothing about Shawna felt right. The way she looked at me with her lifeless pale blue eyes. The way she made my skin crawl when she placed her hand on my chest. The slight taste of cigarette that dwelled on her lips and the vague cigarette smell that lingered on her clothes made me want to gag.
I just wanted her to go away.
She reminded me how much I wanted to see and touch and taste Taylor again.
“Maybe we can get together after the game Saturday,” she offered.
“Maybe,” I lied in an effort to speed up her departure. The only person I wanted to be with after the game on Saturday was Taylor.
The only problem was that I wasn’t sure if Taylor wanted to be with me. Hell, I wasn’t even sure she was coming to the game and I was too much of a pussy to text her to find out. As it stood, there was still a chance she would be there Saturday night. I wasn’t ready to give up the long shot with a possible refusal.
“See ya later,” Shawna said as she gave my ass a little smack.
I don’t know why it irritated me but it did. Plenty of girls had smacked my ass before and it never fazed me. I guess I just wasn’t in the mood to be Kian Kavanagh, Hockey Star.
I wanted to be just Kian.
And I think that’s one of the many things I liked about Taylor. She didn’t want to be with me just because I played hockey and was somewhat of a celebrity. Hell, she didn’t even like hockey. She seemed to want to know the real me and that was a first.
Runt finally made his way back with a fresh pint in hand.
“Where were you?” I asked.
He smirked. “Getting a beer.”
I raised an eyebrow. “It doesn’t take that long to get a beer, especially when you don’t even have to pay.”
“I ran into Krystal. She gave me a blow job in the men’s room.”
“Seriously, dude? Couldn’t you at least take her back to your place? Or the very least, the back of your car?”
He flipped me off. “You can’t tell me you’ve never gotten head in the men’s room.”
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t.”
“Then you have no idea what you’re missing.”
“Whatever. I think I’m gonna get going.”
Runt looked around the bar. “Shawna was looking for you.”
“She found me.”
He looked puzzled. “Where is she? Isn’t she going home with you?”
“Nah, not tonight.”
“Are you sick?” He grabbed his belly. “That pizza didn’t sit well on my stomach either.”
“I’m not sick. I’m just not in the mood.”
I hadn’t told him about getting together with Taylor. I didn’t think he’d understand. We were both from the same neighborhood and had similar backgrounds. I knew the first thing he’d say was that I had no business going after a rich college girl and he was probably right.
I just didn’t want to hear it.
“Since when is Kian Kavanagh not in the mood to get laid? This has to be a first.”
“It’s no biggie.” I assured him. “Really.”
His eyes narrowed and it looked like he was thinking. “Something else is going on. It’s not like to you turn down a good lay.”
“I’m tired and I just want to go home and get some sleep. Is that okay with you?” My voice sounded a lot angrier than I expected.
“Alright, dude. Chill. Go home and get some sleep. You obviously need it.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”
He gave me a broad smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
***
I was lying awake in bed thinking about Taylor and wondering if I’d actually ever see her again. Was I just deluding myself into believing someone like Taylor, a beautiful rich college girl, who was destined to be a psychologist, would ever want someone like me, a poor kid from a bad neighborhood and a fucked up family, who barely finished high school. She belonged with a dude, who was going to be a doctor or lawyer, someone who could give her a fancy house in the suburbs and 2.5 kids as smart and beautiful as her.
She didn’t need some fucking minor league hockey player, with a fucked up family who was probably carrying fucked up genes. And I’d never actually even been inside a house in the suburbs, so what did I know about owning one?
No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that Taylor was too good for me and that she deserved so much better than me, I just couldn’t let go of the thought of being with her. I knew it was completely crazy but I couldn’t get past the feeling that the two of us belonged together. That we fit together. That we were destined to be together.
So I sacked up and grabbed my cell phone. I needed to know one way or another if she was going to be at the game Saturday.
I texted her: Did you get my invitation to the game Saturday?
Then I waited. I realized a little too late that it was already after ten on a school night and she might have already been in bed.
Then I felt like an asshole.
When it only took a few seconds for her to tex
t me back, I exhaled a small sigh of relief. If she was going to blow me off, she probably wouldn’t have bothered to respond.
Taylor: Yes. I just needed to find someone to go with me.
Shit. I hope she didn’t ask pie-face along.
Me: Did you find someone?
Taylor: Yes, my sister. She likes hockey as much as I do.
I gave a small fist pump in the air. She was going to be at my game and her date was her sister, not another guy. That was great news in so many ways.
Me: I want to treat you to dinner afterwards.
Taylor: Okay, just make sure you pick someplace with plenty of meat. I don’t want you to starve.
That made me smile.
Me: See you Saturday.
I lay awake in my bed for the longest time thinking about seeing Taylor again. Saturday night couldn’t come fast enough.
Six
Taylor
I stood at the ticket window of the newly built arena waiting for my sister. This was the inaugural season for the Firestorm and the tickets for every game were sold out. The owners of the franchise took a lot of heat from the media for bringing a minor league team to such a small city but the residents embraced the team so quickly and thoroughly, it was like hockey mania swept through the sleepy Northern Arizona college town.
I don’t know why I was surprised she was late. Zelda was always late. I guess I was a little upset because she knew this was important to me.
The crowd was starting to flow into the arena, so I glanced at my watch. There were still ten minutes before the game started and I had to assume, much like a movie has coming attractions before the movie you’ve actually paid to see starts, the hockey game would have some kind of pre-game rituals before the actual game started.
I had never been to a professional hockey game before so I had no point of reference. My exposure to hockey was going to see all of Austin’s high school games. I never cared about sports and didn’t particularly care about hockey but I cared enough about Austin to support him when he played.
Fire on Ice (Fire on Ice Series) Page 5
