Page 54 of One Timer With A Wingman

The call makes me feel tense. I turn up the radio and get lost in some music. By the time I get to the arena, I’m starved. I quickly chow down on a granola bar because the game is starting soon, and I don’t want to be late. Aaron texted me the ticket earlier, so I head into the arena.

I’m seated in the second row with some other people wearing Riverside Rocket jerseys. I don’t see anyone I know. When I see an older couple taking a seat at the end of the row, I wonder if they are Aaron’s parents. The man is tall just like Aaron, but his hair has white strands. The woman is shorter. She’s a brunette. I watch how attentive the man is with her, checking on her and making sure she’s comfortable. Couples like them don’t exist in real life, do they? I need to look away because I feel like I’m intruding on them. Instead, I google rules of hockey on my phone. The last game I went to was okay, but I had no clue what was going on.

“Is this your first game?” the girl beside me asks. There’s another girl beside her and she watches me, waiting for an answer too.

“No, my second,” I say.

“Did one of the players invite you?” she asks.

“Um… no. I just figured that hockey could be an interesting game to watch,” I reply, and it sounds like such a stupid answer.

“Oh, Tyler invited me,” the girl beside me says.

“Seth invited me,” the girl beside her adds.

“I’m Trina and this is Kat,” the girls introduce themselves.

“Briar, nice to meet you both.”

“That’s Laina.” She points to a brunette sitting farther down. “Beside her is Christy and beside her is Nat, which is short for Natalie.” Each of the girls wave to me. I begin to wonder if they are groupies.

“Luc Chabot invited the last three,” she whispers.

Holy shit. Luc invited three girls, not one.

“Um, cool.”

Trina smiles. “Ooh, puck drop. Let the fun begin.” She winks like I’m in on some joke or something.

Yup, they are definitely groupies. These guys must get around a lot if they are inviting random girls to games.

My stomach sinks at the thought of how much Aaron must get around. I shouldn’t care. He doesn’t owe me anything. He clearly wants to be involved with the baby, but he isn’t looking for more. We were a quick fling that has lasting consequences.

My thoughts get sidetracked when the girls start shouting like commentators. Well, I guess googling the rules isn’t necessary anymore.

“Amazing breakaway, Finn!” one of them shouts.

Then another girl yells, “He’s on you,” to Hayden, who is my good friend Ruby’s brother. “Come on, Aaron, swoop in and save the day!” Kat shouts.

I wonder if this screaming is going to go on for the whole game. By the end of second period, I realize it is and I’ve had enough. I head out to the restroom during break or intermission or whatever it’s called. I contemplate buying a hot dog but when I think of the last hot dog I ate, and how I puked after, I am repulsed and just the thought of eating one makes me heave.

By third period I am sitting on the edge of my seat. The game is tied. A guy named Brody is up to puck drop. Tyler and Seth are on the ice too, and the girls beside me keep on hooting.

Again, I look at the older couple in the front row. When Aaron gets hold of the puck, the woman shouts, “That’s it, Aaron, bring it home,” I know it’s his mom. Those are his parents. His very supportive parents. What are they going to think of me? A girl who got pregnant from their son when I am not even his girlfriend.

Aaron scores a goal. I jump but then wince because I don’t want the girls getting wind that I’m here for him. Trina notices. “Aaron’s a hottie, huh?”

I don’t know what to say so I nod. “He doesn’t get around like the rest of the guys though. He’s more selective. Good luck.” She shrugs and goes back to the game.

She’s just given me a piece of information about Aaron I didn’t have before. So he isn’t into the groupies. He still isn’t a saint though. Not that I would expect him to be. I blink and remind myself that none of this information matters. Aaron and I are simply two people who are having a baby together. We’re never going to get together because a guy like him wouldn’t want a girl like me.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

Aaron

I told my parents I have a friend joining us for dinner. Mom got excited, even though I told her Briar isn’t my girlfriend. I kind of confused her because why would I bring a random girl to dinner? When she asked what was going on, I told them to wait until we get to the restaurant. I don’t know why it was important for me to have Briar with me, but it felt like this was something we needed to do together as a team.

Now I am standing outside the steakhouse, waiting for Briar in the parking lot, because she got lost and couldn’t find the place. I didn’t want her to walk in the parking lot alone at night.

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