by Mary Smith
“I want to host a fundraiser for the shelter. But I want people to come who have deep pockets. People who can toss out a few thousand and not blink at it. Some people like you know.” I hint around the question.
“Why don’t I just give you the money?” Uncle Oliver counters.
I sigh. “Because this isn’t a one-time fix. What about next year? Or the year after that? I was thinking this could be an annual event. But I don’t know where to start.” I shrug. “Can you help me out and give me some direction on where to begin?”
“Peggy!” Uncle Oliver bellows and she quickly strolls into the office.
“Yes.”
“Who is the woman we used to do the charity event for the Rams?”
“Charlotte City,” Peggy answers quickly.
“Call her. Have her get in contact with Janan but have all the bills sent to me. Janan needs to put on a high-end fundraiser for the shelter.” Uncle Oliver orders.
“Will do.” Peggy jots down a few notes on her tablet and leaves the room.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I growl, narrowing my eyes at him.
“No big deal.” He waves off my glare. “Anything else you need?”
“No.” I stand up. “I’ll let you get back to work. Love you.” I kiss his cheek and Daddy’s. I don’t know if I should make a move on Hamilton, since he’s still silent in his chair. I skip him and head out of the office.
As I go down to my car, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Someone is watching me. I turn to see Alex about ten feet from me.
“Hi, Janan.” He comes jogging over to me. “How are you?”
I look around. “Um... what are you doing here?”
“I saw you and I thought I’d come say hi.”
I can smell the beer on his breath. “This is the Bears complex. You can’t just walk up here.” I step back. Something doesn’t feel right.
“I just wanted to see how you were.” He smiles, but it’s not natural. It’s almost creepy.
“I’m fine and the last time we talked I told you not to come around anymore.”
“I know, but I figured you had time to calm down. I know how females are when they’re on their periods. All hormonal and shit.”
“Excuse me?” He can’t be serious. “Just go away.”
“No.” He clenches his jaw and comes closer to me. I put up my hand to stop him.
“Janan.”
We both turn to see Alden, Nathan, and Teo coming over to me.
“Janan, you okay?” Alden puts his arm around me. “Is this asshole bothering you?”
“Can someone escort him off the complex?” I ask Alden, suddenly wishing Hamilton were here.
“I got it,” Nathan replies, digging his phone out of his pocket.
“I’m going okay!” Alex yells. “I’ll see you later,” he says to me in a threatening tone.
“Not if you want to die.”
I suddenly relax as Hamilton’s voice comes up behind me.
“Whatever!” Alex glares and leaves.
I turn to the guys. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” Alden hugs me and hands me off to Hamilton.
“Look at me.” He lifts my chin up. “Are you okay?”
“He’s just... I don’t know.” I shrug. “I’m going home. I have a lot of homework, and I’m hoping the Charlotte lady calls me today.”
“Go home. I need to workout, but I’ll come by and check up on you.” He kisses me before making sure I’m secure in my car. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
CHALOTTE DID CALL me and we worked out some details. We are going to add a silent auction to help with some additional money. She told me to leave it up to her and then she’ll send over all the ideas before finalizing anything.
When I wake up the next day, I rush to Nova’s room. Between her classes and working, I’ve not talked to her. She had sent me a text and said the night with Teo was perfect.
I jump on her bed. “Wake up! I want details.”
She groans. “Go away.”
“Wake up! I want to know what happened.”
She opens her eyes. “Right now? With no coffee? Without brushing my teeth?”
“I’ll make the coffee but hurry up, we have to meet Macy for our first self-defense class.” Macy had discussed it with us before, but after what happened yesterday with Alex, I am glad she signed us all up.
Nova finally makes her way to the kitchen and I hand her a cup of coffee. “Don’t spare any details. Well, unless you had sex, then give me the abridged version.”
“We didn’t have sex.” Nova shakes her head. “Dinner went well. I didn’t drop anything on him or me. We talked about hockey, school, and our interests. Did you know Teo loves architecture?”
“Really?” Teo doesn’t seem to be the type. Then again, I don’t know a whole lot about him.
“Yes. He wanted to build buildings and homes before he was drafted.”
“Really?” I ask again.
“He also laughed at my jokes.”
I shake my head. “Please tell me you didn’t dissect the joke of why the chicken crossed the road?”
“I did and he laughed.” Nova beams. She’s always telling the most juvenile jokes.
“Okay, so the date went great, but what else happened?” I’m ready to hear the juicy stuff.
“We kissed.” She confirms.
“Eeeekk!” I clap and hug her. “Oh my God! You had your first kiss!”
It’s true Nova has never kissed or even dated. Sharon had beat down her self-esteem so bad, she never gave guys a second glance.
“I did and I think it went okay. He didn’t complain or anything.” She hangs her head.
“Oh no, what happened next?”
“Well”—she clears her throat—“He was touching me and I told him I wasn’t ready for the next step.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you telling him the truth. You should take it slow.”
“But… he hasn’t texted me back.”
“Excuse me?”
“I sent him a text yesterday to see if he wanted to go to a movie, but he never texted me back. I figured he doesn’t want to see me. Or just wanted me for one thing.”
I’m in shock. I don’t know Teo that well, but I didn’t see this coming. I thought for sure they would hit it off with no issues at all. “Maybe the text didn’t go through.” I try to reason.
“Come on, Jan, you and I both know the text went through.”
“Then fuck it. Just forget about him. If he doesn’t know what a great catch you are, then it’s his loss and another guy’s great find.” I attempt to remain upbeat, but I want to throat punch Teo right now for hurting Nova. Wait until I tell Hamilton.
“I guess you’re right. I just thought it was going good.”
“Then let’s put this behind you and move on. Like today we’re going to go kick some ass.” I pretend to crack my knuckles. “Let’s do this.”
Nova laughs at my jokes then hugs me. “Thank you for being the best cousin ever.”
“I love you too.”
MACY PICKED US up and drove to the center. There were a lot of women there and even a couple of men. I didn’t expect many people to be here. Nova, Macy, and I stand in the middle of the room as the instructor stands up on a platform a little higher than the rest of us. He takes us through several steps on how to get away from a predator. The main goal is to get away.
We broke off into small groups and a few other instructors came in to help. Hand-to-hand is a little different. First we go through the motions slowly. Then a little faster. Then a little harder. After several tries, I feel as if I have the hang of it, but Nova is struggling. I watch the instructor work one on one with her. With their help, she’s finally able to complete each motion with a hard hit.
I’m not sure if I should be feeling powerful or not, but I do. I feel as if I can handle myself a little better if I come into a situation with Alex again. Not that I
’d ever engage with Alex, but something about him is rubbing me the wrong way. It’s in his eyes. It’s almost like crazy eyes. The way Sharon use to get. However, next time… I won’t be afraid.
Chapter Ten
Hamilton
I WANTED JANAN to stay with me last night, but she decided to stay home with Nova. She told me about Teo not calling her back, and I’m going to have a long talk with him at practice. I never took him for an asshole. Alden, yes. Teo, no.
I check my phone as I head into the arena. Tonight is the season opener and Henry’s flight should be here soon. I’m excited he was able to come in for the opening game. He’s been so busy he hardly ever gets to come and see a game of mine anymore. Unless I’m in Alabama.
“Teo!” I shout seeing him about to enter the locker room. “Let’s chat.”
He sighs. “What about?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
“I guess you want to talk about Nova, then.”
“What’s the deal?”
He shrugs.
“Not an answer, man. Tell me the truth.”
“Why? So you can run back and report to your girlfriend.” He snaps at me.
“Easy, Teo.” I warn him. I might like the guy, but I’ll still black his eyes if he back talks about Janan.
“Sorry. I just—it’s hard to explain.”
“Did you not enjoy your dinner?”
“No, it was outstanding.”
“Was Nova rude or did you two not connect?”
“The opposite. We hit it off.”
“Then I don’t understand.” I cross my arms and glare down at him.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
“I don’t have much luck in the women’s department. They always seem to... backstab me.”
Teo’s voice is low and there’s a deep sadness in it. I don’t know much about Teo. He’s actually a pretty private guy. Hell, I don’t even know anything about his family either.
“Nova’s not like that at all. She has a heart of gold. Give her a chance. You’ll see.” I pat his shoulder. “Not all women are the same.”
He nods. “I’ll text her right now.”
I feel as if I have accomplished something today. Although, I hate to admit Janan is right and Nova and Teo make a cute couple. Wait, should I be thinking about such things? Probably not. Then again, I’ve never truly been in love before so this might be how men react to others in a relationship.
I just want Janan though. I need to figure out a romantic night for the two of us. I’m going to push her into losing her virginity. I said we’d go at her pace, but the other night, I wanted her so bad I was salivating. Obviously, she felt the same way. I guess her snail’s pace has definitely picked up. I’m not going to complain about it either. I want to know I’m the only man she’s been with. There’s such a turn on being her first and only.
I know it’s crazy thinking about the future when we literally just got back together, but I see a long and happy future with Janan. She’s the one I want to be with forever and always. No other woman has ever put me in a whirlwind of emotions like her. But it’s worth it.
Coach is already yelling when I walk into the locker room. Normally, I’m the first one here along with Cabel and Vance—today I’m one of the last. Coach likes to yell a lot. He’s not really a yeller outside the hockey world, but it works for him. This season is a big deal for us. Since we were dead last last season, everyone has already counted us out. All the analysts said a lot of us would be traded off, but surprisingly none of us were moved. It’s rare for a team not to trade for newer players or more established players, yet here we all are.
“Get dressed. Get on the ice.” Coach Long orders as he goes back to his office. I hold back my chuckle and quickly change for practice.
Coach and the assistants make us run several drills and almost all the plays for tonight’s game. The home opener always sets the tone for the season. And the Bears want to show the fans we’re not going finish last this season.
Practice goes faster than I thought it would. I shower, change, and haul ass over to the airport to get Henry, who is sitting on a bench outside the airport.
“Hey, what the hell? You could have waited inside,” I yell out the window at him.
“It’s a nice day.” He strolls over to my truck and tosses his overnight bag into the back before climbing in. “How’s it going, brother?”
“All right,” I answer, heading toward my house. “How was the flight?”
Henry nods. “No turbulence.”
“That’s a good thing.” My brother isn’t the biggest fan of flying but does it when needed.
“So, am I finally going to meet Janan?”
I grin. I’ve texted Henry about the whole situation and kept him up to date about it. “Tonight.” I inform him.
“Great. Now, what stories should I tell her?” He hums.
“Asshole.” I let out a groan.
JANAN: I AM going to the game tonight and thanks for talking to Teo. They’re going out tonight after the game.
Me: Are you going to be in Oliver’s box?
Janan: Aren’t I always? Your brother is more than welcome to sit up there with us. I’ll even pick him up so he doesn’t have to go so early.
Me: I’ll let him know.
The locker room is quiet, which is normal before a game. We tend to get in the zone before hitting the ice. I believe it’s the only time Alden is quiet—ever! As we go out toward the ice for warm-ups, I’m the last out of the room. I like following my team out. Cabel is always in front of me. I think as the oldest member of the team he’s as big of a leader as I am. Hell, even I look up to him. I know he only has a few more seasons left in him, but he’s a staple in the league.
The crowd is loud, and it fuels my already pumping adrenaline. As I shoot the puck around with my teammates, I know Janan is up in the box. I can’t explain how I know because I can’t see her, but I can feel her.
Fuck, am I going to be this emotional all the time?
I try to push it out of my mind the best I can and focus on my job. I love my job and I’m great at it. I want to show everyone this is our season. Sure, coming from last place to win the championship is rare—extremely rare—but anything is possible.
I head to the tunnel with the others and take a couple of deep breaths as Coach Long goes into his pre-game speech. The man can motivate anyone. After listening to him, I feel as if I can take on the world.
When I’m back out on the ice, I let my mind wander to Janan for a brief second before I glide to center ice and glare down the captain of the other team as the referee is about to drop the puck.
Now... it’s all about hockey.
Each shift is harder than the next but my line of Remington and Kyson are tight. They’re known as the dynamic duo. Kyson holds the record for most assists in a season and Remington with the most goals. They seem to read each other very well. Keaton and Walker are our defensemen.
The third period begins with us down by one, but it’s not over yet. We can come back and win this. I’m trying to keep the guys’ spirits up, and they’re doing the same for me. We’ve got this.
Coach changes up the lines and it’s me, Vance, and Zerrick. I really like Vance. He’s young and determined. Zerrick is the same way. As we skate toward the opponent’s goal, Vance hollers out for Zerrick to pass the puck. When he does, Vance quickly shoots it to me and makes a beeline for the net. I know him well enough he wants to score. I dodge one defender and then shoot toward Vance. The puck lands on his tape and he easily taps it in.
Tied game!
“We got this!” I yell over the crowd and loud music, giving the guys hockey hugs.
The period continues on and each Bear player is working harder with each shift, including me. With less than a minute left Vance, Zerrick, and I jump the boards again and I quickly gain control of the puck. I weave through the traffic around me as the crowd counts down the last seconds
of the clock. I am able to get the puck to Zerrick who gets it to Vance. Once he settles down the puck, he gives it a hard slap, letting it sail easily over the left shoulder of the goalie.
We win!
Vance leaps into my arms with a huge smile on his face. The kid is extremely talented but usually holds in his enthusiasm. Apparently, not tonight as the entire Bears bench rushes us all in celebration. The jubilation carries on through the tunnel, into the locker room, and as we shower and change. I had to do several interviews, which all end up being the same after a while. However, as the captain I am the face of the team. It’s still weird to me, but at times like this I enjoy it.
I walk out with Alden, Teo, Nathan, and Vance. Normally, I leave on my own, but today I feel different. I leave myself closed off to the team because at times mixing business and friendships blurs the lines of hockey. No one is guaranteed a life-long team. Trades, injuries, and such cause friends to be foes and vice versa. Now that I have Janan in my life and forever, my perspectives have changed.
So quickly?
Isn’t there an old saying, love changes everything... or something along those lines.
Standing by my truck is my brother, Nova, and my Janan. I can’t help the flutters from my heart, but I hold back the cheesy grin I want to spread across my face.
“Great game, guys.” Janan slow claps. “Especially you, Alden. I think you’re becoming my favorite.” She deliberately gives me an exaggerated wink.
“All the ladies come to Alden.” He holds his arms out wide and as Janan makes a move toward him, I grip her arm.
“No.” I shake my head. Alden and Janan both laugh uncontrollably, along with the others. I pull her toward me, keeping her back to my chest, wrapping my arms around her. She slightly pushes back against my crotch and I bite back the moan vibrating my vocal chords.
“It was a great game, guys.” Nova’s soft voice congratulates us. I glance over and I see Teo is holding her hand. It’s sweet to see them together.
Shit, at this rate I’ll be watching girly Lifetime movies and crying.
“Has anyone seen my wife?” Vance questions, looking around.
