Page 50 of Keeper
“Way to keep us in that game, bud.” Reavo clapped me on the back. “We don’t win that game without you in net. Let’s get you started on a hot streak now, eh?”
“Yeah, hope so,” I muttered.
I’d feel a lot better about the odds of that happening if I had any idea how to track down my good luck charm …
Cooper strolled into the room in his street clothes, walking cautiously to not aggravate his groin injury. He pounded me on the shoulder. “Great bounce back game, kid. Proud of you.”
“Thanks, Coops.”
“Your style looked a little different,” he said, smiling. “You fought the puck less. You let the game come to you.”
“Fuck,” I said, letting loose a heavy breath of relief. “I’ll say.”
Because yeah, my style wasdifferent,alright. My nuts were sore as hell all game long, making it hard for me to drop down into the butterfly, or do the splits, or generally move around in my crease at all. I wassureI was gonna get lit up in goal … but with my mobility severely limited, I had to focus on economy of movement. Instead of trying to be everywhere at once, I had to be in the right place at the right time.
Like Coops said yesterday, I had to stop attacking the game and let it come to me for once.
“Glad you took my advice,” he said with a wink.
“Honestly, I don’t know how conscious it was,” I admitted. “It was more because of”—I winced as I gingerly pulled the jock strap away from my tender balls—“circumstances.”
He smirked. “Yeah, you’re looking pretty stiff-legged there, kid. You good? What happened to you, anyway?”
“It’s kind of embarrassing,” I said quietly.
But hockey playerslivedto embarrass each other. When I said those magic words, all those hundred different conversations suddenly ceased like a needle lifted from a record. Everyone turned and waited to hear my explanation.
“Go on,” someone urged. “We’re waiting.”
“How did you hear me even say that?” I asked, chuckling with disbelief. “Anyway, since we won, I guess I’ll tell you.” I pointedat Jack Cameron. “Besides, Cammer already nailed it earlier. I went home with a girl last night and woke up with the worst case of blue balls in my life.”
The room erupted into a gleeful and raucous laughter.
“Are you fucking serious?”
“Blue balls?!”
“Are you in high school, Vaughnsy?”
Cameron triumphantly puffed out his chest. “I toldyou guys.”
“I backed you up, Big Rig!” Parisi shouted, and he and Cammer exchanged a high five. “I told you I saw Vaughnsy leave the club with that hot little number!”
“Was she the one that did this to you, Vaughnsy?” Dane asked.
I nodded. “Yup.”
“So what happened with her?” Reavo asked, smirking. “Did she play you?”
I shrugged. “Nah, she didn’t play me. She was up front with me—she lives in Kansas and she’s only in Dallas for the weekend to visit her friend. So she told me from the beginning she didn’t want to hook up. But we were feeling each other, and one thing led to another. Long story short, we went back to my place and made out, but that’s as far as we went.”
The boys hollered and hooted with laughter.
“You got blue balls frommaking out?” someone asked amid the chaos.
“From making out for way too long, yeah,” I grumbled.
“You’re right, Vaughnsy, thatisembarrassing,” someone else added.
