Page 77 of Unmasking Love
"Did you look up a recipe to make for me?" I ask, because we haven't had a talk about my vegetarian diet, but I can see from what she's layered into this smoothie that she stuck to plant based ingredients.
"I did," she says bashfully before she turns in my arms and looks up at me. "I wanted something that would replenish you after your ride and also help fuel you for later. It's got chickpeas, frozen berries and greens. I hope that's okay, it’s all I had."
"More than okay," I tell her and then I kiss her forehead again before stepping back. "I'm going to shower quickly, and then we can enjoy these together while I watch some game footage. Sound good?" I would do anything to have her join me in the shower but hockey players are superstitious and I refuse to associate Harper’s naked body all lathered up next to me with anything other than victory.
I’ll make sure we shower together soon, but not before a game.
"Sounds great." She smiles and I walk away feeling not alone for the first time in a long time.
***
I told Harper I needed to ride to the rink. It would make more sense to drive together but since I'm in net tonight I didn't want to deviate from my routine.
I got her seats in the front row behind me and she's going to bring Wes. I don't know if she'll arrive in time for warm ups but it would be fun to see her before the game starts.
I'm sitting in my locker with half my gear on running through my eye movement drills. After these, I'll play a meditation in my headphones and zone out. Reaching a deep state of relaxation is key to top performance. Some guys ride the high of tension and adrenaline. Me? I need to be still and loose for as long as possible before turning it all on at the first whistle.
I time everything so I'm dressed before Felix starts his pre-warm up pep talk. I pull on my goalie sweater and when my head pops through I see him stand and walk to the middle of the locker room.
"Boys. Men. Tonight, I’ve been inspired by the deep wisdom in the classic film,Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. When our friend Neal finds himself without a rental car, only to find out Del has secured one he drops a line that I think we all need to remember.” He clears his throat and pulls a piece of paper from his pocket. “Well Del, you’re a charmed man. Neal says.”
Then he pivots to the right, “Nope. Del says.”
Felix pivots left again, “Oh, I know. You just go with the flow. Neal says.”
Finally he squares off to the center of the room. “Then Del drops the line I want us all to hold with us tonight.” He clears his throat like he’s about to deliver a Shakespearean monologue. “Like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream.”
He pauses to let that sink in.
“We’re cruising right now. We’ve got chemistry coming out of our assholes but we will hit rocky points ahead. It’s early in the season. We have a long way to go and we’ve been at the top of the division before only for it to end in Round 1 of the playoffs. This group is destined for The Cup. I can feel it. Now, when we hit that ice for warm ups you have one job and one job only."
"Flirt with the bunnies along the glass?" Duncan interrupts and Felix chucks a towel at him while other guys snicker.
"In addition to that, your job is to soak it all in. We're here on a Sunday afternoon for family day and we need to spread the family love from this locker room to every single person in the stands. The Renegades are the 23 of us at the core but we're only the first drop in a ripple effect across this entire city. We are both the twig and the stream and it is a fucking privilege to play alongside you."
That gets the boys fired up and they clap and head towards the ice. A few hang back and make adjustments to their equipment but I stand and walk methodically down the tunnel.
TheRenegades put in a VIP section along this hallway so there is an open area where fans can get autographs and pictures. When I'm not playing I'm the first guy over there. Knowing how important it is to connect with young fans. But on gameday, I'm focused.
Focused on catching a glimpse of Harper.
We hit the ice for warm ups and I see her standing at her seat cheering. She's in another one of her tiny skirts and I almost whimper at the sight. Those long legs begging me to get between them.
Maybe having her behind the net was a bad idea. There’s a chance I’m distracted all night. She smiles when she sees me. I give her a wink before sliding my mask into place and getting in net to take a few shots.
The thud of each puck as it hits my pads helps me focus. The sound and the vibrations from the impact signaling to my body that it's game time.
I skate out and do a lap, stretch, and swing back to say hi to Harper. When I reach her, the kids, and adults, next to her yelp and bang on the glass but I only have eyes for her. I scan down her body and decide I'm going to send her a blanket from the gift shop so she doesn't get cold.
"Have a good game Aiden!" She cheers with a wide smile and I nod and then tap the glass with my mit. She holds her hand up to it and I can see people starting to take pictures or videos, but I don't care.
I squirt water at a few of the kids along the boards and then skate back to the bench. We'll head in for Coach Bradford's pre-game speech and then out again for the anthem and puck drop.
When I'm not playing I'm invested in everything the coach says but I don't carry it with me to the bench. Gavin is so solid that I never expect for him to get pulled. Today though, I listen, intently, to Coach's reminders and warnings. And when he mentions the left side preference I pointed out to Crosby and Dunc yesterday I glance over and Duncan nods at me. I nod back.
Vlad scored the game winner last night in the shootout so he's up to call out the starting line up today.
"At center we've got Cap!"
