Page 15 of Slap Shots & Sweethearts

He nods and leaves for the bar to get another drink. I mark “no” next to him on my card and take a long swig of my Coke. Why did I think this was a good idea?

The bell rings and I get ready to do it all over again.

I repeat the cycle with a gym bro that tries too hard to hide the smell of his sweat under too much body spray. The result is that my eyes start to sting, as the ocean scented body spray has combined with the body odor to create a toxic stench that would rival Lou's hockey socks. The next guy is still hung up on his ex-girlfriend who is sitting two tables away. He spends our three minutes telling me about how he came tonight to propose to her. The guy has guts.

The next guy, Ben, is one of the ones who heard Lou's comment about hockey tickets earlier. He owns his own general contractor business and likes to work with his hands.

"So you're Lou the Lightning's sister."

"Please tell me you didn't call him that to his face. It'll go straight to his head."

He shakes his head. "Nah, it's a nickname my buddies and I thought of after last season's game against the Flyers. Growing up with him couldn't have been easy."

"It wasn't." I agree. "He's a bit over the top if you haven't noticed."

He laughs, and it's a good laugh that makes me want to join in. "Tell me about you, something that doesn't involve your brother."

I like him a little bit more, as his request isn't expected. "Let's see. Cookie dough ice cream is my favorite, pineapple belongs on pizza."

"Those are things you like, I want to know you. What makes you wake up in the morning and do the things you do?"

His question makes me pause. I don't have an answer to give him. Has hockey and being Lou's sister really become my identity? What happened to when I was younger and I'd spout off a list of twenty things I wanted to do at any given time?

The bell rings.

Ben stands, and with great flare, he marks yes on his card next to my name and table number. "I hope to hear your answer on a real date."

He leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Were these the butterflies Missy always talked about? He wasn't anything I'd expected him to be. I smile and check the yes box for him on my card.

"What's put that smile on your face?"

I look up to find Matt joining me as my next Sweetheart Shuffle.

Chapter 6

Hannah

My tongue forgets how to move, and I don't even know what words are anymore. Logically I knew I'd sit with him at some point, but now he's sitting across from me. How am I supposed to act? Do I treat him like I should when I have a PR meeting with him? Or when I see him in passing at a party Lou throws? Or do I give into my wildest dream and pretend this is an actual date? The warm fuzzies I was feeling have completely disappeared and I'm completely frozen by my nerves.

"Hannah?" Matt asks. His face growing more concerned the longer I take to answer.

"Umm..." I reach for my drink only to find it's empty from all the nervous sips I've had tonight. There's nothing but ice left in my cup.

"I'll get you another." Matt leaves, and I try to get myself back to normal.

When he returns with a drink for me, I take it gratefully. I take a sip, surprised to find it's a Diet Coke with lime. How did he know that I didn't want a regular Coke? I shake off the thought, the bartender must have remembered.

"Lou drag you here?" I ask him.

He makes the briefest of eye contact with me before looking away. "Something like that."

I pick up my pen to fill out my card with his information and spot the number on his nametag. "Thirteen?" I ask.

"Same as my jersey."

"I know. I'm just surprised they still had that number for you. There are a lot of people here."

"People are superstitious, skipped right over it until I asked for it."

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