Page 81 of Unmasking Love

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“I’ve got to see the trainers before I leave, usual stuff, nothing to worry about.” I add when I hear her sexy little gasp of air. “And then I’d love nothing more than to celebrate this win with you… in bed.”

She laughs quietly and it’s like rays of light glistening off waves at sunrise.

“Your place or mine?”

“Meet me at my place in an hour and a half.”

“Okay.” She agrees.

“Bye Harper, see you soon.”

“Bye Aiden.”

I hang up the phone and set it back in my locker as the music gets turned down. Coach Bradford walks in and we all settle into our seats.

“That is the kind of effort I expect from you boys. That level of intensity. You were first to lose pucks, back quickly on odd-man rushes, and thanks to the heads up play by our second string tendy we got our first goal of the game.” He turns towards me and holds up a puck. There’s tape around the outside and some writing there. “To commemorate your first primary assist as a Renegade.” He says as he hands it to me.

The team claps for me and I nod in their direction. I’ve had primary assists before but they’ve never been celebrated like this. Coach steps to the side and Crosby comes up to the middle of the room holding the team’s post-game talisman. It’s a hat that looks like a wolf snout and it’s awarded to the MVP of the game by the previous MVP of the game.

Crosby won it last night for an impressive breakaway goal that made ESPN top 10 plays of the day. He makes a show of glancing around the room as we all drum on our pants like we do at the start of the game.

“Tonight, it is my honor to bestow Melvin,” oh yeah, the hat’s name is Melvin, “tooooooooo, Young Gun!”

He spins to me and we clasp hands and hug. He plops the hat on my head and I can feel my smile pulling at my ears. We pose for a picture and then the music turns back on and general merriment ensues. I get out of the rest of my pads and hit the shower.

I can’t wipe the grin off of my face. It feels so fucking good to win. And to really be a part of the win feels even better. A shutout and a primary assist. The only thing that could top this would be if I had scored a goal!

That was always the game at the end of goalie practice. Shoot the puck from your net and try to score a goal. I got pretty good my 12U year. My coach would dump a bag of pucks at my feet and see how many I could get to the back of the net in a minute.

I haven’t played that game in a while.

That was back when hockey was pure fun. Without the pressure of it being my livelihood.

Thefun shifted to effort the next year when I played a summer season in European Juniors and then one last year with my 14U team in Minnesota before I was scouted by the Alberta Juniors League. My parents figured it couldn’t hurt to try out and see how it went.

When I was offered a spot my parents agreed to let me go. I stayed with a teammate's family and had to learn to be away from my parents as a 14-year-old. From then on, everything was hockey. I ate, slept, and dreamt hockey. My parents took every opportunity to come and visit me but I was still out on my own.

I haven’t felt at home, anywhere, since.

“Young Gun! You’re up!” Crosby yells into the shower room. I dry off and throw on a pair of boxers before walking into the treatment room. I lay down on my belly and realize that I walked through the lockerroom without my shirt on.

Like I have nothing to hide.

And maybe I don’t. Maybe I’ve reached a point where it doesn’t matter that I suffered a massive heart attack at 16. Maybe my skills are finally starting to speak for themselves.

And I’ll be honest, having Harper in my corner, in my bed, is boosting my confidence.

I pull my mind from Harper as the trainer gets started with some ART stretches of my shoulders and neck. Then down to my glutes. A little massage treatment along my back but all-in-all pretty painless.

Back at my locker, I put on my suit and slide my reflective vest over my jacket. I toss a few things into my pannier bag and stop to sign a few autographs for fans on the way out. A few actually knew me which was a bit of a surprise.

On the ride home I talk to my parents. Dad loves that I got the assist and the win. Mom asks how my body is feeling. After a quick convo I hang up and let the cold air revive me as I continue to my place.

I’m riding a high I haven’t felt before.

I see Harper’s SUV outside my building and a vision of her laid out naked in my bed almost causes me to lose my balance but I’m a professional athlete and I recover quickly. She’s got a spare key of mine from earlier when I left before her and I can’t wait to walk in the door and see her. I want to celebrate my success with orgasms.

Yes, multiple.