Cocky Puck: A College Sports Romance (Hockey Hearthrobs)

by Vanessa Winters

  “Not all of them. You know, Matt never called me even though I made it very clear I was available.”

  “That doesn’t change anything.”

  “I get it, Soph. I won’t talk about Matt anymore. But you need to do the same. Put him out of your mind for good, okay?”

  “Done. I won’t talk about him again, promise. Now can we get food? I’m starving.”

  Carmen laughs. “Of course. What do you want?”

  “Do you even have to ask?”

  “Nachos. Got it.”

  We make out way to the marketplace in the student union, which consists of five different quick serve restaurants. My favorite is the Mexican place. Their chicken nachos are the best. I get them every Monday without fail. Sophie goes for pasta on Mondays. That’s my Wednesday meal. We don’t like switching things up much. We know what we like and we go for it.

  This is our last semester at school, anyway. Who knows if we’ll be able to eat these foods again after graduation? I don’t know if I can come back to campus just for nachos. That would be a little crazy.

  Sophie takes a big bite of her ziti. “I’m going to miss this when we leave.”

  “I was just thinking about that!”

  “We’ll just have to find better places to eat wherever we end up post-grad.”

  “Amen.”

  Sophie is going to grad school for social work, but I’m going right into the business world, I think. I want to be an analyst or a consultant. If I can find a job after graduation, that’d be great. Especially if I can stay in the northeast. Pennsylvania would be ideal, so I’m closer to my family, but I wouldn’t mind staying in Massachusetts. I’ve fallen in love with the state over the last three and a half years I’ve been here.

  “Have you chosen a grad school yet?” I ask Sophie. I shove a chip in my mouth while she gathers her answer. I resist groaning. They’re so damn good!

  “Not yet. I’m interviewing at a few here in Mass and a couple back home, too.”

  “So you still want to stay in the area?”

  “I do. Could you see me anywhere else? I need snow, summer, and you.”

  “I like that answer. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Your life would be boring, for sure,” Carmen says. We both laugh. She has a point. If it weren’t for Carmen, I’d rarely leave my apartment except for class. It’s not that I’m a total introvert, though I do prefer to be alone most of the time. I just don’t have a ton of other friends, so I don’t get invited out much. I certainly don’t initiate things. Anxiety is a bitch.

  We chat a bit more while we eat. Carmen tells me about her psychology classes and I tell her about my econ classes. I’m also taking a history course that I love. If it was practical, I probably would’ve majored in history. I settled for a minor, instead. I actually completed all the credits to earn my minor, so this class is elective. I couldn’t do only business and econ for my last semester, though. I love the classes, but I would’ve gone insane. I need to switch things up every now and then.

  With my classes. Not with my food.

  “You didn’t tell me about your Friday night,” I say. “How did things go?”

  Carmen blushes. “Well, I hung out with Travis. It was nice.”

  ‘Hung out’ in Carmen speak means she slept with him.

  “Have you ever thought about making things official with Travis?”

  She cringes. “Did he talk to you?”

  “No. I just noticed he seemed kind of weird at the party.”

  Carmen sighs. “I think he wants more.”

  “Do you?”

  “I don’t know!” she cries. “I like him. But do I want to settle down when we’re about to graduate? He could be going anywhere after this, especially if he goes pro.”

  “You have to decide if it’s worth it.”

  “Yeah. I don’t know yet. We need to hang out a few more times before I decide.”

  I laugh. “Haven’t you hung out enough?”

  “Never,” Carmen says with a grin. “Especially with Travis. It’s fantastic.”

  Jealousy settles in my stomach. Sex with my ex was fine, but it certainly wasn’t great. Even after just making out, I know it would’ve been better with Matt. Will I ever know what fantastic sex is like? Maybe if I give Matt another chance…

  I force the thought out of my head. Carmen is right. If I’m going to move on, Matt needs to be far from my thoughts. The hour we spent together in bed was all we’re going to get.

  Maybe that’s part of the problem. I don’t do well without closure. The thing with Matt feels unfinished.

  I need to get over that. I can’t sleep with him just to fulfill some arbitrary goal. That would be unfair to both of us.

  It’s been a while since I’ve slept with a guy. When we broke up, Charlie and I hadn’t slept together in over two months. Now, I know that it’s because he was whetting his whistle elsewhere.

  Gross. I don’t want to think about that, either.

  My phone chimes with a text. I pull it out of my backpack, half hoping to find a text from Matt. Instead, it’s a message from Zack.

  I grin when I read it. He wants to go out tonight. I quickly type back a positive response and put my phone away.

  “Who was that?” Carmen asks.

  “Uh. It was Zack.”

  She coughs. “Who the hell is Zack?”

  “Uh. Just a guy. We met at the party on Friday.”

  Carmen’s eyes widen. “What do you mean? I thought you were with… that other guy until you left.”

  “Well, actually, I was with Matt and then I went to get drinks and I came back to find him with those girls.”

  “You told me all that already.”

  “I met Zack after that. We talked for a while. He’s nice. I think you’d like him.”

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about him!”

  I shrug. “I didn’t know if it would turn into anything.”

  Plus, I was distracted by the Matt stuff. I don’t need to tell Carmen that. She already knows.

  “Do you like him?”

  “He’s nice. We got along well. I’m going out with him tonight.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  “Doesn’t it? I wouldn’t go out with him if I didn’t like him.”

  Carmen laughs. “Sure you would, if it helped you… forget someone else.”

  I roll my eyes. “I’m not that hung up on Matt.”

  “Okay, okay. I expect an update after your date, then. And I need to meet this guy. He has to get best friend approval before things get too serious.”

  I laugh. “I’ll introduce you to him if things go well today.”

  It’s getting close to my next class, so I finish up my nachos and tell Carmen I’ll talk to her after my date with Zack.

  As I walk to class, I try to get excited for the date, but it’s hard. Instead, I’m wondering what Matt is doing tonight.

  This date will be good for me. I lied to Carmen earlier. I’m clearly hung up on Matt. Going out with someone else is exactly what I need.

  Who knows? Maybe Zack and I will hit it off.

  One can only hope.

  6

  Matt

  “Meet me at the diner at seven.”

  I read Carmen’s text twenty times, and it still doesn’t make any sense. Why does she want to meet me? Carmen and I have never spent any time alone together.

  For a second, I wonder if she’s interested in me. Would she try to hook up after I shared a moment with her best friend?

  I shake my head. Carmen is a lot of things, but I don’t think she would betray her friend like that. Not that it would be a betrayal. Sophie wouldn’t even look at me in class. I don’t think she harbors any feelings for me.

  That’s why her number sits unused in my contacts list.

  Before I can compose a response, Carmen sends another text.

  “Don’t ask any questions. I want to help you.”

>   Help me? With what?

  I sigh. I could text her, but I have a feeling Carmen won’t give me a straight answer. She loves dramatics.

  My only option is to head to the diner at seven. I know exactly where she means. It’s the same diner my parents take me to when they come visit. It’s also the only real restaurant on campus that isn’t owned by the university. The food is traditional diner food, but it’s delicious. I eat there a few times a month.

  It’s only five, so I work on some homework and scroll through a few social media sites on my phone until it’s time to go. By quarter to seven, I’m very much ready to get out of my apartment.

  Living alone is great for a lot of reasons, but it’s lonely, too. I usually have a few of my teammates over to hang out and play video games when I start to get bored. Tonight, I guess I’m going to meet Carmen at the diner.

  I don’t bother changing out of my jeans and long sleeve shirt. It didn’t do anything for me with Sophie. I don’t know what I was expecting, but she didn’t fall in love with me the second she laid eyes on me.

  In fact, her gaze was indifferent. She saw me, barely reacted, and then took her seat without a word.

  Maybe Carmen is going to help me with Sophie. I don’t know why she would. It’s pretty clear Sophie isn’t interested.

  More likely, Carmen’s plan has something to do with hockey. She may be a puck bunny, but she knows a lot about the game, too. Some of the other guys have taken her tips to elevate their game.

  The diner is walking distance from my apartment, like most things on and off campus. Our school is kind of in the middle of nowhere, but there are plenty of things to do. Like go to a hockey game to support the best team on campus.

  Carmen is waiting for me when I arrive. To my surprise, Travis is sitting next to her.

  “Oh, good, you came!” Carmen says. I take an empty seat at the table. The waitress immediately asks for my drink order. I go with a water. I would love a soda, but it’s hockey season. I need to be careful what I eat and drink. Keeping up my bulk is important, but I don’t need a ton of sugar. Or caffeine. I’m hyperactive enough without it.

  “I came,” I say when the waitress leaves. “Are you going to tell me why?”

  She shares a look with Travis. This is super weird. It feels like an intervention, except I don’t do drugs. I drink occasionally, but I rarely get drunk. I like to be in control.

  “I want to talk to you about Sophie.”

  “Then you’re wasting your time.”

  “Why did you ask me for Sophie’s number?”

  I lean back in my chair. “I don’t know. It was a moment of weakness.”

  “Come on, man. You’re into her.”

  I shoot Travis a look. Whose side is he on? I don’t like being cornered. I start to push back my chair so I can leave, but Carmen grabs my arm.

  “It’s okay if you like Sophie. Why are you pretending you don’t?”

  “We met once.”

  “But you hit it off! Or so I thought.”

  “I thought so, too,” I admit. “She clearly didn’t.”

  “I think the two of you would be good together.”

  “What you think doesn’t matter,” I say. “No offense. If Sophie isn’t interested, then I’m going to drop it.”

  “Here’s the thing. I don’t think Sophie is not interested.”

  “What? Did she say something to you?”

  “Not exactly,” Carmen says. “But I know my best friend. She wouldn’t go upstairs with just anyone.”

  “I’m failing to see the point.”

  “The point is, I want you to try and win Sophie over. Are you willing to do that?”

  “I don’t know, Carmen. Sophie wouldn’t even look at me in class today. I don’t think she’d appreciate it if I pushed her to go out with me.”

  “I think she would.”

  Carmen is Sophie’s best friend. If anyone knows Sophie well enough to know if she wants to be chased, it’s Carmen. Is it worth it to try? I think Sophie and I got along well. It’s too soon to tell if we can last, but I wouldn’t mind giving it a shot.

  The waitress asks for our food orders, so I have a chance to consider Carmen’s offer. I order my regular burger and fries. I’m too busy thinking about Sophie to know what my companions order.

  Should I go for it? Carmen seems to think it’s a good idea.

  “Coach said there are scouts watching me,” I blurt out when the waitress leaves.

  Travis grins. “Seriously, man? That’s fantastic!”

  “Yeah. He told me today.”

  “Damn. I thought he was calling you in to rip you a new one. I owe Damien ten bucks.”

  I laugh. “At least Damien had faith in me.”

  “I know for a fact you made ten bucks last time I was called into Coach’s office.”

  “True. We’ll call it even.”

  “I’m really happy for you, Matt. This is great for you and the team.”

  I nod. “It is. Which is another reason I’m worried about starting anything with Sophie. Coach warned me to stay focused. I don’t want any distractions.”

  “What if the distraction is good? Plenty of the guys have girlfriends and they still play well.”

  “Yeah, but…”

  “I’m going to ask you this once. Do you want to try and go out with Sophie?”

  The question is simple, but the answer isn’t. I glance at Travis. He nods. I have my buddy’s support. He doesn’t think being with a girl will distract me too much from the game.

  Then again, I’m pretty sure Travis is trying to get in a relationship with Carmen. Good luck to him. She’s never been the dating type.

  “Yes. I want to try.”

  Carmen squeals. “Oh, yay! I was worried you’d say no and then dinner would be awkward.”

  “Well, I said yes. Is that all you called me here for?”

  “Please. You need my help to win Sophie over. I came up with a plan!”

  “I don’t know, Carmen. I think I should do this on my own.”

  “You had like four days to do it on your own and you failed.”

  “Hey, now. I think we managed just fine on Friday.”

  Carmen rolls her eyes. “Do you really think that?”

  “Okay, it could’ve ended better, but most of it was pretty good.”

  “Fine, even if I give you Friday, what about Saturday? Sunday? Today? I gave you Sophie’s number and you didn’t bother to text her.”

  I sigh. “Class was weird today. I figured she didn’t want to hear from me.”

  “Listen. It’s complicated. She wanted to hear from you all weekend, trust me.”

  I could ask for more details, but Carmen won’t give them to me. There’s a sacred code in friendships that she won’t break. If Carmen asked me for details about Travis, I would blow her off, too. You don’t share stuff with your friends’ potential dates unless you have permission. It’s like, rule number one of friendship.

  “Okay. Should I text her now?”

  “No!” Carmen says. “I mean. Not right now. You should text her tomorrow. And invite her out on a double date.”

  “A double date? With who?”

  Carmen smiles. “With Travis and me, obviously.”

  “Do you think she’ll go for it?”

  “I wouldn’t suggest it if I thought she’d disagree. We’ll do it on Thursday night. You don’t have practice because Friday is an away game.”

  “We can’t be out too late.”

  “I know. We’ll go at five. You’re out of class then, right?”

  I nod. I only have class until three on Tuesdays and Thursdays because we usually have night practices. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we have morning practices. The only exceptions are game days and the day before an away game. I’m not exactly sure why these exceptions exist, but I don’t question coach. I’ll take a free night any day.

  “Perfect. Just meet at Travis’s apartment. We’ll all go out together.”

&n
bsp; “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see tomorrow.”

  “You want me to invite Sophie on a date without giving her any details?”

  Carmen shrugs. “Yeah. I don’t see the problem. Make sure you tell her that it’s with Travis and me, though.”

  “She won’t go if it’s just me, right?”

  “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t think she would. But the group hang will help, I promise! Trust me.”

  The thing is, I do trust Carmen. She seems to genuinely want things to work out between Sophie and me. She has more faith in this potential relationship than I do.

  “Hey, why are you doing this?” I ask Carmen.

  “What do you mean?”

  “This is a lot of effort for a relationship that might not even work out.”

  Carmen thinks about it for a second. Our food arrives, but we ignore it until Carmen finally answers my question.

  “I care about Sophie. I want her to be happy. When I saw you guys come downstairs on Friday night, she had a genuine smile on her face.”

  “Well, we did just watch her favorite movie.”

  “She told me you guys watched Tangled. That was part of her happiness, I’m sure, but the other part was you. She liked hanging out with you. I think you can make her happy. She’s afraid for a lot of reasons. I’m trying to give her a little nudge.”

  “Sometimes people need a push,” Travis says. “To do something they want to do.”

  He’s looking at Carmen when he says it. I think I should start a side mission. If Carmen is going to help push Sophie and me together, the least I can do is help push her and Travis together.

  That could be something Sophie and I bond over! If we get any alone time on our date, I’ll bring it up. Nothing brings two people together like matchmaking.

  “Thank you, Carmen. I really appreciate it.”

  “Hey, I’m doing the easy part. It’s up to you to make the relationship work.”

  “I won’t make any promises, but I’ll do my best.”

  “That’s all I ask.”

  We eat our dinners, chatting about the date and hockey and other things. I wish Sophie were here with us. At least, we have our date this week.

  As long as she says yes.

  7