Page 97 of Playoff
There we slumped in our stalls, exhausted, dispirited and done.
Ducky burst through the doorway. “This is shitty. The hockey gods were against us.” He had a point. We’d had a lot of bad luck. “I’m back next year, and Coop and JJ and Deek. And this time we’ll get it. We’ve paid our dues.”
A game six overtime loss in the finals. The injuries to top players. I could see some of the guys lifting their heads, willing to accept karma working to finally turn things around for the team next season.
But I wouldn’t be here.
Fitch and Bongo marched over to Ducky on their skates, other guys watching him with hope, rubbing his hair and pulling him into the group. Ducky had a gift for that, bringing guys up when they were down. They’d need that next season.
I headed for the showers. Being swept in the first round meant there was a long stretch from April to July first before another team could sign me. My agent would unofficially talk to teams, so I might know where I was going sooner. Maybe there wouldn’t be an offer till later in the summer, or not at all. Fuck, the thought was depressing.
For a week and a half, I’d been dating Jess. Not that we’d seen that much of each other, what with it being the playoffs. But she came to every game, and we’d sat together at the Top Shelf after. Then she stayed the night at my place.
And we’d talked. That had been almost as good as the sex.
Now there was no reason for me to stay in Toronto, except her. And since I had to face the reality that I was leaving, I didn’t want to make things worse when our time was up. Jess wanted us to date and see where it led. But I didn’t think she’d really considered what would happen when the Blaze didn’t sign me. Maybe she hoped the other local team would.
They were at their salary cap limit and had a full slate of wingers, either very talented or with no-trade clauses. They needed a goalie and some defense.
It was time to talk to Jess and clear up what was happening in the future, before I was any more invested in her. I snorted. Like I was holding anything back. This was closer than I’d let anyone in since before my family left. She was buried deep inside me. It was already going to hurt like hell.
Jess was waiting in the friends-and-family section with some of the other WAGs she was friends with. From what she’d told me, she’d been somewhat isolated, not making a lot of friends since she didn’t want to tell people who her brother was. Now she had her PAC friends here. Women who didn’t care who she dated and didn’t need to use her connections since they had their own. Just another reason for her to stay, not leave.
Still, I smiled when I spotted her. The way her face lit up each time she saw me hit me in my chest. I stored up the memories like treasure.
She flung herself into my arms, uncaring what the rest of the people around thought. “Nice assist.”
“Too little, too late.”
She shushed me with a kiss, and I’d let her do that any day.
When we finally pulled apart, I took her hand in mine and we headed to the parking lot together.
“Things are going to be very quiet at the Top Shelf tonight.” She assumed we were going to join everyone there, the way we had the last home game.
I held her door open and she climbed into the seat. “Would you mind if we drove a bit first?” After closing her door, I opened mine and slid behind the wheel.
She studied me. “Sure. I’ll let everyone know.” She grabbed her phone and texted.
I pulled out of the lot, the streets congested with people leaving the arena. I headed west, like we had the first time I drove with her.
Jess didn’t speak till we’d finally started moving along the Gardiner Expressway. “Do you want to talk, or just drive?”
I pulled out to overtake a slower-moving vehicle. “I think we need to talk.”
She stiffened in her seat. “What about?”
“About what happens now that my time in Toronto is over.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Aren’t you signed until the first of July?” She knew how contracts worked with hockey players.
“Technically.”
“And non-technically?”
“I’m not going to get an offer from the Blaze. Ducky is coming back, so there’s no position for me.”
She looked down. “That’s for sure?”
