Page 35 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
I’d finished my shift at the rink and now we were at a fancy rooftop coffee place. All week we’d been building my socials. We’d also gone to a museum and seen a traveling exhibit featuring paintings by Dumas. My favorite wasn’t there, but it was still fun. We’d tried two different coffee places. Both had delicious muffins, but didn’t top the muffin flight at the Rose Room.
“We’ll pin it up at the top so it’s easy to find. I’ll make another of the season before, since you won that team a title as well. Few people can boast leading two teams to their respective division’s national championships,” he told me.
My cheeks warmed. “I’m just doing what I do.”
Since the other title was ‘just’ community college league, it was often dismissed.
There was a giant electronic billboard on the building facing us. Clark, holding a cologne bottle, filled the screen. I took out my phone and insta-chatted it to him.
“Did you know you have fan accounts?” Tenzin turned his laptop around.
“My host mom from junior hockey runsLadybug Spotting.” I laughed. It was filled mostly with pictures of me in the stands at Knights games that she took off the television.
“There are others, too. Also, you made the sports news a few times during playoffs? Goalie-in-waiting?” He pulled up an article.
“For games, we sit in the stands and watch. If someone gets injured, we’ll go down to the equipment office, get partially dressed out, and wait, just in case. We only get half-dressed because we could end up going in for either team. A reporter found me hanging out, and we got to talking. She saw me again several times throughout the season. Then we had playoff-agedon.” I grimaced and took another sip of coffee.
While I’d been excited for the Knights to go all the way and win the finals, it had been a rough journey.
“There were so many injuries and illnesses that it made me wonder if we’d make it through the playoffs. During the playoffs, I ended up in the office, partially dressed out forevery single game I was on duty for,though I never went in. She and some of the reporters had a little fun with it,” I told him. It was cute.
“Was that disappointing, never getting to play?” He took a sip of tea.
“Not really, since that meant my friends were hurt or sick. It would be amazing, though. Well, except for the finals. That would be nerve-wracking,” I admitted.
My phone buzzed.
JP
Are you coming to my wedding?
Me
I don’t know. I’d like to, but it’s inCanada.
I played it off like it was distance, not fear. Jean-Paul–one of the Knights’ goalies–and his fiancée Celine were from Quebec.
JP
We will protect you from whatever it is here that scares you. I need you for the goalie dance.
Me
Goalie dance?
I blinked. What in the what, what? However, I liked how he just rolled with my fear of Canada and didn’t make fun of me for it.
If only he could protect me from what scared me there.
JP
For Celine. We need an even number.
The idea of us doing a dance at the wedding for Celine made me grin.
JP
If it’s the cost, I’ll get your train ticket. Carlos or Clark might let you stay with them.
