Page 21 of Easton

I can’t help but feel a building excitement as I venture to ask, “You want me up on your line at left wing?”

He nods. “Yeah, I do. I say let’s try it out. You’re too good for the second line, Easton. I’ve watched footage of you from last season with the Thunder, and you have some great moves.”

“Thanks,” I say.

“Anyway.” He sighs. “Training camp starts this Thursday. If Coach goes for it, and I think he will, let’s give it a go. What do you say?”

Damn, this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for—a chance to play on the top line of a team.

“I’m in,” I assure him. “Let’s do this.”

“Cool.”

Our entrées arrive, so we pause the conversation so we can dig in. Everything is delicious, and once we’re done, I lean back and stretch.

“That was good,” I state.

“It was,” Lennox agrees.

He then eyes me curiously, prompting me to ask, “What?”

Chuckling, he says, “I heard you got married.”

See, I knew this would come up.

But I’m ready.

Blowing out a breath, I confirm, “Yeah, I did. I met up with a girl I once knew a long time ago. We were great friends back in the day. Anyway, sparks flew, and what can I say?” I shrug. “We just decided to do something wild and spontaneous.”

“I’d say,” Lennox replies. “I also heard you hadn’t even seen each other in years.”

I don’t know how that detail got out, but when you’re in the public eye, it’s amazing how many people come forward with what they know or have heard.

Since there’s no point in lying, I tell him the truth. “Yeah, it had been a minute. But then it turned out that she was out looking for me at the same time I was looking for her. When we came together, justbam.” I hit the table once for emphasis. “Fireworks, man. Fireworks.”

Okay, that’s all mostly true. Maybe not the fireworks part, as it’s not like we ended up in bed. But there was something there. Still is. I felt that attraction to Claire that’s always been there as soon as I saw her that day.

“Damn,” Lennox says, shaking his head. “I hope I find someone like that someday. But for now…” He winks. “I’m content with playing the field.”

I laugh, and now it’s my turn to say, “Yeah, I’ve heard.”

He’s nonplussed. “I’m sure you have, man. I’m sure you have.”

I’m learning that if there’s one thing about this Lennox Foley dude, he’s unapologetic for who he is.

Hey, I like that.

He’s as real as they get.

I have a feeling he and I are going to become good friends.

Now if only our connection translates onto the ice in the same way, we’ll be more than set up to win.

And that is the goal.

“So, lunch with your teammate went well?” I ask.

“It was fantastic, Claire,” Easton replies animatedly. “Lennox seems like a decent dude. We really connected, but the best part is…” He pauses for effect. “Are you ready for it?”

---