Page 60 of Between the Blue
I tilt my head at him. I know he’s trying to intimidate me, but there’s something else in the tone of his voice and behind his eyes that I can’t quite read. “No,” I say.
His shoulders visibly relax as he blows a sharp breath out of his nose, turning away from me. “Good,” he mutters.
“Because I already took it.”
Ben whips back around, his face falling.
“See you this afternoon,” I say, then slip into the locker room, leaving him standing there to figure out whatever is going on in his head.
fifteen
HER
Even though it’s several hours later when I follow Rick through the side door of the practice rink, it feels like the blink of an eye.
I grip the strap of my camera bag as we walk in, anticipating what I’m about to see, but am relieved to find the ice currently empty. Rick shows me around the space, pointing out the best places to photograph and video from, including the player benches and sections of glass surrounding the rink with cutout slots specifically made for camera lenses to shoot through.
After he goes through everything and confirms that I don’t have any questions, he sets me free, glancing at his watch and saying that the boys should be out any minute now.
I thank him, taking a deep breath as the eerie silence hits me the moment the door closes behind him. I take a few minutes to show myself around and make sure my camera settings are how I like them. I just get settled in a seat behind one of those photography slots and take a few test shots before I hear a door slam open, followed by the rumble of several voices mingling together.
Within a few moments, the players come into view in their black and green practice jerseys. Without dropping any of their conversations, they all tear onto the ice at speeds so fast thatI end up sitting there with my mouth hanging open for a good thirty seconds before I remember I’m supposed to be taking photos.
I find myself reciting off each player’s name in my head as I capture them one by one, feeling rather proud of myself.
After several moments of this game, I pan my camera towards the rink entrance and find Rhett Sutton and Ben coming on to the ice last.
I swallow, taking photos of them together. Rhett appears to be talking Ben’s ear off, a huge smile on his face. Ben stays quiet through nearly all of it, just offering a nod or one word interjection here and there. But after a few seconds, I notice his mouth tilt up into a slight smile at something Rhett says, and it takes everything in me to not drop my camera right there out of shock.
The two of them seem like the most unlikely pair of friends based on what I’d seen of them separately, but it’s odd seeing them together now. Something between them seems so comfortable.
I take a burst of photos, catching Ben’s smile, Rhett’s following laugh, and then the moment Ben’s gaze shifts. And when his eyes find my camera, his smile falls instantly.
I drop the camera from my face, just low enough so that I can look at Ben over top of it. But, by the time I do, he’s no longer looking my way. His head’s turned and he’s skating around the rink, acting as if he never saw me at all.
Works for me.
I take pictures in the same spot for another few minutes before moving to some other areas and trying to get some video. After fifteen minutes or so, I feel I’ve exhausted all I can from each of those views. The last spot remaining, and, honestly, the one I know will be the best, is from the bench.
I don’t know why I’m hesitant to go over there.
Actually, I know exactly why.
But, based on how Ben’s been ignoring my existence thus far and my free clearance to go over there, nothing should be keeping me at this point. I count to three in my head, then make myself move, following the route Rick showed me to get to the bench.
Once I slide inside, I’m instantly relieved that I did.
The view is so much better from here.
I get to work right away, taking more photos as the team begins to run some sort of drill.
I try not to focus on Ben, but it’s hard for my eyes not to just find him every few seconds.
Ben is a presence, and I can’t deny that. It’s like he’s magnetic, a looming force of some kind.
It’s funny. He’s remained so stoic and on the outskirts of everything, yet he always seems to be at the center of any sort of action, ready to pat a player on the back or mutter a few words of encouragement to them. He’s also almost constantly within feet of Rhett.
I’m not sure how he manages to do all those things at once, but I guess that’s why he’s the captain.
