Blindsided: A Moo U Hockey Romance

by Victoria Denault

  “What?” I ask.

  “The ancestry site. They’ve sent me my preliminary results!”

  “They’re back already?” I ask as I walk into the front hall, and she shuts the door behind the two of us and waves the envelope in my face.

  “Yes!” Daisy is so excited she’s bouncing, and her high-pitched tone gets Caroline to wander out of the living room.

  “What’s up?” she asks, still holding her textbook and wearing her glasses.

  Daisy explains she got the DNA results back. Caroline puts down her book and grabs the envelope from her and tears it open. She reads the piece of paper inside as Daisy and I stare at her. “Congratulations, you’re forty-five percent Irish, twelve percent English, fifteen percent Scottish and—”

  “What about living relatives? Any matches?”

  Caroline hands back the paper. “You have to log in online for that info.”

  Daisy snatches the paper from her and heads to her room, and no doubt directly to her laptop to pull up the site. I walk in the other direction toward my own room but call over my shoulder, “I’m leaving in twenty minutes whether you guys are with me or not!”

  “I’ll be ready in fifteen,” Caroline calls back.

  She scurries off to her room as I walk into mine and start peeling off my clothes. My only thoughts, as much as I hate to admit it, are of Tate. I think about him all the time, which is scaring me a little. He’s not my boyfriend. In fact he’s nothing but an accidental hookup who is open to the idea of repeating the mistake, and that’s what I am to him. I have no idea how to be that person, which is probably why I am obsessing over it.

  I’ve had two boyfriends so far in my life, which isn’t bad for nineteen if you ask me. There was my high school boyfriend, Austen. We broke up three weeks after prom, and I went through the whole sobbing and eating ice cream out of the container thing like you’re supposed to when you lose your first love. But by the end of the summer, when Austen went off to school in Upstate New York, I was over him completely.

  And there was Dylan, who I dated very on and very off last year. I wouldn’t even say we broke up. We just kind of faded out of each other’s lives. I stopped calling. He stopped coming by. And then it was summer and he went back home to White Plains. He’s back this year. I saw him at the library the first week of school, and we said hi but that was it. I wasn’t broken up and neither was he.

  And I’ve gone on a bunch of dates—mostly bad ones, like the cop who told me about Clyde’s arrest—but nothing remotely serious. And nothing as remotely trivial as random hate sex. I wasn’t sure how to do something so meaningless. Was meaningless supposed to feel so…meaningful?

  Anyway, I was totally winging this but I figured ignoring him was the right thing to do, so that’s what I did the one time I have seen him in the last four days, which was in class. I made sure to sit as far away from him as possible and leave before he even got out of his seat when class was over. I didn’t want to be that needy girl who hangs around hoping he’ll stop and talk to me.

  As I get out of the shower and towel dry my hair, I hear my phone ping from where I’d plugged it in to charge on my night table. I walk over and glance at it and see it’s an email alert. “Speak of the devil,” I whisper as I drop down onto my bed and pick up the phone. It’s Tate. He got my email address when I sent him the notes from class.

  Firecracker, just wanna know if you’re going to movie night?

  I email him back. Just one word—yup—and then go about getting ready, pretending that I’m not holding my breath waiting for his response. Does he want me to go? Is he checking so he can avoid me or run into me? Why do I care so much? Ugh!

  “Maggie! You ready?” Daisy calls from the hall.

  “Just a sec!” I call back and as I slip into my shoes my phone pings again and I bite my lip in anticipation as I pick it up.

  I’m working the concession stand left of the screen before the show. Find me.

  I smile but type back, Bossy, much?

  I tuck my phone into my back pocket and leave my room. Daisy and Caroline are waiting impatiently in the hall. “Finally!”

  “Why do you look so cute?” Caroline wants to know. “It’s an outdoor movie.”

  “I look cute?” I repeat and stare down at my outfit. It’s a little chilly tonight so I put on a fuzzy gray kitten sweater and my favorite jeans, with my favorite suede booties. I did spend a little extra time on makeup and let my damp hair air dry so it waves a little…because Tate seems to like it down and wavy. Umm, I mean… I did it because I had it up all day so down is a nice change anyway.

  Caroline looks down at her own ripped jeans, hoodie and sneakers and Daisy has her hair piled up in her trademark “study bun” and she’s in a Disney sweatshirt with leggings. “You are looking pretty sexy for spending the night sitting on the grass in the dark with us.”

  “I spent all day in a pen cleaning up goat poop,” I explain. “Sorry if I wanted to take it up a notch. Let’s go.”

  I am so eager to get to the event now I basically power walk the entire way there, going so fast that Caroline complains and Daisy makes a snarky remark about how she got her workout in for the week. We pay the entrance fee and walk into the grassy quad where everything is set up. Lots of people have beaten us here and the grass is fairly full. We pick a part toward the back, and as Caroline and Daisy start to spread out the giant blanket they brought, I volunteer to go get snacks, my treat. They’re so excited I’m paying they don’t even question it, they just start calling out what they want.

  I make my way to the stand on the left of the screen and before I even step in line, I see him. He’s smiling at a group of girls as he hands them three large bags of popcorn. I try not to feel anything when I look at him but I feel everything. It’s got to be my hormones and nothing else. I mean, I can’t actually like him.

  He takes a ten from one of the girls and his head dips as he makes changed out of the little metal box in front of him. One of his teammates is serving someone beside him and finishes up first. He waves me over and I hesitate. I can’t say I’m waiting for Tate. I don’t know what I can say.

  “Maggie right?” the teammate says. “I’m Jonah. What can I get you?”

  “I’ll handle her needs,” Tate chimes in and glances up as he hands the girls in front of him their change. “She’s a difficult customer and I’m better at handling the ornery ones than you are, Daniels.”

  Jonah looks confused but just shrugs and waves over the guy behind me. I walk up to Tate who has a cocky grin all over his face. I cross my arms and cock an eyebrow.

  “It’s cute that you just labeled me a bad customer because I can’t recall ever buying a thing from you before,” I say like I’m thinking really hard about it. “Last year you weren’t working the concession stand at the team movie night. It was that total hottie that graduated. What was his name? Mike…Danvers. Oh man he knew just the right amount of butter to put on my popcorn.”

  Jonah laughs, clearly eavesdropping. Tate frowns—hard. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep my smile from blowing up my face. And then I pretend to fan myself for added effect.

  “I’ve been told that I’m more than adequate at buttering a woman’s popcorn,” Tate says defensively. “Tell you what? If you’re not fully satisfied with the way I butter your popcorn, you can come right back and I’ll do it again. And again. I’ll do it until you’re completely satisfied.”

  Damn him. My face explodes with color. Now Jonah and the guy he was serving are both looking at us like we’re insane. I dip my head, hoping my hair blocks my beet red face from their view and make sure my tone is unbothered. “Actually, you know what? Butter is bad for you, so just give me two large plain popcorns and two packs of Reese’s Pieces. Thanks.”

  “Sometimes we need a little of the things that are bad for us. Sometimes they’re fun,” Tate replies casually. “And I know you’re a total stick in the mud, but I’m going to give you a little butter anyway. It m
ight loosen you up.”

  Oh my God I hate him, I hate that his snark, which used to make me itch with annoyance, now makes me flush with desire. What sorcery is this, Universe? I fight to remain passive and nonchalant. “Whatever, Tater Tot.”

  “Tater Tot?” Jonah repeats as a girl walks up to be served next.

  I nod. “Yeah. I grew up on the farm beside Tate’s. His childhood nickname is Tater Tot.”

  “No one but you ever called me that,” Tate replies as he scoops my popcorn and glances at Jonah. “She was mad because in fourth grade I started calling her Maggot instead of Maggie.”

  “Tater Tot is cute. I like it,” the girl in line says and she grins at Tate like he’s Bradley Cooper or some such nonsense.

  “It’s because he was about as useful and intelligent as a fried ball of grated potato,” I explain to her. And when she looks at me I give a little point toward Tate’s pants in a subtle, not so subtle way, and continue talking in a stage whisper. “Also…down there. Tater tot.”

  Jonah bursts out laughing. Tate looks like he’s been shot. I toss a ten on the table and grab my stuff and leave. “Thanks for the exceptional service, Tater Tot.”

  That did not go as planned and with every step I walk away from him back to my sister and my friends, I get more and more upset. I don’t know why I had to insult his manhood. I mean, it’s probably a good thing. It’s what Maggie who hasn’t seen him naked would do, so at least I didn’t blow my cover. Go me?

  “Why do you look like your dog died?” Caroline asks as I approach the blanket she’s sitting on with Daisy.

  “Tate was working the concession,” I mumble and add in my head and I think I totally screwed up any chances at a booty call tonight.

  “Ah. The arch nemesis with the killer smirk and to-die-for body,” Caroline says, taking one of the popcorns from me as soon as I plop down between them on the blanket. “Yes. What a hardship. Your mortal enemy is total eye candy.”

  “What did he do?” Daisy wants to know, but before I can figure out a half-baked lie to tell because I can’t say, “he made innuendos about the double orgasms he gave me,” she turns to Caroline. “Yeah. He’s superficially attractive but he isn’t exactly a great person. He used to call Maggie Maggot in grade school and me Doody instead of Daisy. Which everyone bought into and it sucked.”

  “The horror.” Caroline doesn’t seem to be taking it seriously, but Daisy is right. It did actually make us leave school crying more than a few times. And the universe is clearly drilling that into my brain since it’s the second time in ten minutes that awful memory has come up. “Maybe he’s changed.”

  “Not according to Alisha Knowles. He’s just gotten worse,” Daisy says and my spine stiffens.

  “Who the hell is Alisha Knowles?” I ask as Daisy steals a piece of popcorn and looks down into the bag and frowns. I pull one of the packs of Reese’s Pieces out of my pocket and she grins. We always mix them into popcorn.

  “Alisha was in my Farm to Table class last year. Nice girl but a little…unfocused. She really came to college just to party,” Daisy says and rips open the candy package and dumps it into the popcorn. “She hooked up with Tate last year at the Halloween party the hockey team had at their house.”

  “The one where he was dressed up in that Eeyore costume and still managed to look hot?” Caroline says smiling. I’d like to say I hadn’t noticed, but you couldn’t not notice. I remember being annoyed he looked hot.

  “Yeah. Well Alisha says that they hooked up that night, and he took her out a few times after that but then suddenly ghosted her.” Daisy takes the popcorn from me and gives it a shake so the candy disperses. “Like he was supposed to meet her at a fancy restaurant. He planned it. And then he didn’t show up and when she saw him the next day, he pretended he didn’t know who she was. For real. Like ‘Do I know you?’”

  “Brutal,” I whisper because it is. And it makes me very disappointed in him.

  “Maggie, please say you got drinks too,” Caroline says, changing the subject.

  “I forgot drinks,” I mutter and sigh. “You go get them.”

  Caroline groans. Daisy pops up. “I’ll do it. But I didn’t bring my wallet so lend me some cash.”

  I sigh and stand up. “I’ll be right back. Getting drinks is easier than giving you my wallet.”

  “Hurry back,” Daisy calls but then someone calls her name and she turns her head and waves at them, forgetting me completely.

  I purposely stand in line for the stand Tate isn’t at, the one on the other side of the screen. I make it all the way to the front of the line before he notices me. I pretend I don’t see him looking at me while I order from another guy on the team. I order three cans of Coke, and as the hockey player digs them out of the cooler behind him, I think of Daisy’s story. Would that be my fate too if Tate and I were actually dating? Is he really a guy who does that? I have no reason to not believe this Alisha girl’s story. Does it even matter? I will never end up like Alisha because I can’t date Tate…but do I want to keep getting naked with a guy who does that to girls?

  He hands me the Cokes and I pay and turn and leave. The urge to look at Tate one last time is overwhelming so I glance over my shoulder. Turns out he’s been staring at me and as our eyes connect, he jumps the counter and starts toward me.

  I keep walking like I didn’t notice but the fact is my gait slows so that he can catch up with me quicker. “I have a tater tot sized penis? Really Maggie?”

  I shrug. “You were picking on me in front of your buddy.”

  “By saying you needed butter? So you go straight for the tiny penis lie?” Tate counters still walking along beside me. The place is now packed with people, so we’re moving around them and stepping over them as we go. As soon as we get a couple more feet, Daisy and Caroline will be in sight—and vice versa—so I stop walking.

  “It was a joke,” I say simply.

  “Not a joke, a lie,” Tate replies. “Jokes are funny and I know you know my penis is no laughing matter.”

  My cheeks heat. “Neither is your ego. Besides, what are you going to do about it? Ghost me?”

  “What?” Tate blinks and shakes his head in confusion. “I would never ghost you. But if you can’t remember much about my penis, maybe you need me to remind you why it’s no laughing matter.”

  “No. I mean. I don’t know what I need, to be honest with you,” I confess, my eyes darting up to the darkening sky in frustration.

  “Where are you sitting?” His fingers wrap around my wrist for a millisecond. I look at him. The moon, which is full and bright, is glimmering in his mossy eyes and accentuating his full mouth and angular jaw, which has a little bit of stubble on it. That’s new. Tate is usually clean-shaven. I immediately want the chafe of the five o’clock shadow on my lips and my neck and my breasts and my…

  But he’s not a good person…is he?

  “Maggie. Where are your friends?” he repeats more firmly.

  “About twenty-five paces to the left, near that large fir.” I point, and his head turns to follow.

  “Deliver them the drinks, watch fifteen minutes of the movie and then excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. Bring your phone.”

  “Excuse me?” I blink.

  “Then meet me behind the Museum,” Tate continues. “You can text Daisy from there and tell her you went home or ran into someone or went to get food or something and you’ll meet her after the movie.”

  “Why?”

  “So we can sneak back to my place and I can remind you exactly why that tater tot comment was stupid,” Tate replies casually like he isn’t propositioning me.

  “I can’t just take off like that,” I reply for some stupid reason. I came here with the hopes of doing exactly that. And Daisy gets really into movies. She won’t even notice or care and Caroline usually falls asleep in them, so she won’t mind either. “It’s too risky.”

  “It’s worth it and you know it,” Tate replies and without another word wal
ks away.

  That arrogant, cocky, annoying pain in my non-freckled ass. I stomp my way back to Daisy and Caroline. I sigh and want to kick myself because despite all my concern and confusion and the rumors and the risk, I know without a shadow of a doubt I’ll be behind the museum later.

  13

  Tate

  It takes twenty minutes—not fifteen—but she meets me by the museum just like I demanded. If someone gave me an NHL contract right now, it would probably only feel slightly better than seeing her walk toward me. Every time Maggie Todd does what I want it’s a victory beyond measure because the word stubborn was invented for this girl. She doesn’t look as happy as I hoped she would as she approaches, though.

  I glance behind her to make sure no one else is around that would take notice of us, and then I wink at her and turn and walk toward the path that goes around the museum to the path that leads off campus. We walk in silence, an acceptable distance apart until we reach those gates. Colchester street is basically dead. No cars zipping by, no one out on the front porches of the massive, well-spaced houses. Everyone is in town or at the movie, so I let my hand graze hers and our shoulders bump softly as we continue down the street.

  “I really shouldn’t be doing this,” she says barely above a whisper.

  “Then why are you?”

  “Because I’m…I don’t know…bored?” She sighs.

  “Ouch.” I am actually a little hurt by that. She sounds exasperated and annoyed. Like she desperately wished she had something better to do.

  “It’s just…we both know we don’t like each other, right?” Maggie declares as we turn the corner to the street where the hockey house is located. “If we keep doing this, the oxytocin might confuse the facts, and we can’t get confused. I can’t.”

  “I’m not confused by anything,” I reply, and I’m happy that despite her apparent emotional conflict she’s still walking down the path that leads to my front door. “What did you tell Daisy when you left?”