Page 121 of Puck You Very Much
We sat at a booth in the dining area. A server came and I asked for a beer. Jakob ordered Pepsi. We both asked for more Buffalo wings than the server believed we could eat. We told him that he’d obviously never seen my appetite in the past and that I wouldn’t leave a trace of meat on the bones.
“You know, it really was great of you to help take care of me all this time,” Jakob said. “Cleaning the house, grocery shopping, wiping my ass.”
“Come on, Jakob, you know I didn’t really do that.”
“But you would’ve if I’d asked you, right?Right?”
I closed my eyes and suppressed a laugh.
“I guess I’m never going to change you, am I?” I asked.
“Not as long as you remain the baffling, high-riding asshole I fell in love with.”
“Fair enough, I guess.”
The server returned with a plate of wings and we chowed down.
True to form, my face was a mess within seconds. Thank God I’d covered my shirt and tie with a napkin and lay another one down on my lap.
“Jesus, man, you’re going to need to be hosed down at the end of this.”
I shook my head, knowing that I would be putting up with this for the rest of my life. Most would probably urge me to make sure I really loved the guy.
After we finished eating, I wiped my mouth, and even used those little wet wipes to ensure my boyfriend couldn’t make any more comments about wing sauce on my face or anywhere else.
“I’ve got good news,” Jakob said.
“So do I.”
“Seriously?”
“Uh huh. You go first, okay?”
“The doctor says I’ll be able to play hockey again in three months.”
“Seriously?”
He nodded.
“That’s pretty good, considering the injury you had.”
“And who gave it to me.”
I felt my fingernails dig into my leg. No way would I let him ruin a really nice night with smart remarks.
“That means you’ll be able to go back to the team and really raise hell,” I said.
“And make your life miserable.”
I stopped myself from recoiling. My own news was connected to that in a way, and I didn’t want to spoil that.
“It’ll take some time, though,” he said. “First, I need to keep doing PT so I don’t regress. Then I’ll need to get into playing shape. I’m just worried I’ve fallen so far behind that I won’t be able to keep up with the other guys.”
“Dude, that’s totally not true.”
I reached across the table and cupped my hands over Jakob’s. For the first time, I didn’t give a shit whether those around us saw the telltale signs of coupledom.
“I don’t think it’s possible to fall behind a group of misfits like the Larkin Lions,” I said.
