by Kat Obie
When she stepped out of the closet, Scotty was on the side of the bed playing with Backup. It was clear Scotty had gotten distracted from getting dressed for the game since he was shirtless and it looked like his suit pants were still unbuttoned. He tussled Backup’s ears and rubbed his belly. As soon as Scotty spied Alice coming out from the closet area, he smiled widely and teased, “Not choosing a side?”
Alice dropped beside the two of them. Scotty grabbed her close, and they both played with Backup together. It was a great moment, and there was a part of her that wanted to take a photo of it. She said with a teasing smile, “You know the internet will likely lose its mind if I took a picture of you and Backup playing just like this.”
Scotty kissed her and said, “It might. But you will still be the focus of people’s attention tonight. I know guys on the team have even taken bets.”
“Stupid Gritty,” muttered Alice as she gave Backup a belly rub. “Should I know which way your bet went?”
Scotty chuckled and laid his forehead against hers with a wicked grin on his face. He kissed her slyly as he played with the ring he’d gave her. “Just this- not choosing overtly choosing a team. Although I know you have my number on right now.”
“Yeah, true, but that’s not the only number I have on. Do you know why I wear 77?”
“No, but I bet there is a Flyers connection,” he said with a teasing smile. Then again, he always teased her about her love of the Flyers and how it interlaced with so much of her life.
“There’s one, but it’s not the real reason.” That had Scotty’s attention and he pulled her close to him. “I used to be a bit of a card shark in high school. My favorite game was five card stud with deuces and sevens wild. When I needed to select my hockey number, I figured why not incorporate my favorite team and my favorite wild cards?”
“So, why not Hextall’s number?”
“I’m not a goalie.”
“So, your own twist,” he said with a smile. He rubbed her arm lovingly. “And it’s not like there haven't been players who wore 77 for the Flyers.”
“Yeah, Coffey for one. So that’s my number.”
“What will happen if there’s a guy who wears 77 on my team?” asked Scotty.
“There is a guy who wears it,” said Alice simply.
“And if I do?” asked Scotty with an impish grin. Alice was taken off guard by that suggestion. He’d always been number 34, dating back to when he was a kid. He never had to switch except for maybe a development camp.
Alice giggled and asked the obvious, “Now, why would you do that? You’ve worn 34 for like forever.”
“For you.” He kissed Alice softly. He then fingered her chin line and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I guess,” Alice said with a dismissive shrug. She had been actively avoiding thinking about it all day, and Scotty seemed to expect that from her. She always fared better when she did things on her own terms, but he wanted to help any way he could.
“Don’t fret about it. I know it sucks.”
“I’m not fretting. It’s just . . .” Alice struggled to put her feelings into words. But she knew if she couldn’t tell Scotty, she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone and she should talk to someone. “. . . sucks. It brings that night back to the front of my mind. I feel raw. So raw that I just struggle to stay myself. This call wasn’t so bad. It seems like both prosecutors are good and want to get it done. I want it to be done and not to have to relive that night any longer. I like the days where I don’t think about it so much.”
“I understand.” Scott climbed on top of her and kissed her passionately. But before they could do much, the pup nosed his way between the two of them and broke them apart with his demand for attention. Alice gave Backup a belly rub. Scotty peeled away from the bed, which meant it was too late for Alice to snap a photo of him playing with his pup shirtless and possibly distract people from what she was wearing to the game.
Alice continued to play with Backup on the bed when Scotty came out of his closet with his shirt, tie, and jacket on. He was still fiddling with his cufflinks as he asked, “Ready?”
“Almost.” Alice picked up the two necklaces that she had with charms from each of her favorite teams. She carefully slid the Sound charm off the one necklace and then she placed it on the necklace that had the Flyers charm. She then put the necklace with both charms on.
Scotty laughed. “You really aren’t picking sides tonight?”
“Maybe,” said Alice, knowing damn well that she wouldn’t pick a side unless she was absolutely forced to do so.
Scotty just laughed and grabbed Alice by the waist. “What am I going to do with you?”
Alice said with a sly smile, “You could love me for being me.”
He kissed along her neck and said, “Oh, that’s a given. Come on, we are going to be late.”
21
Scott
Scotty hated being in the press box. He wanted to be on the ice.
He hated how he wasn’t watching the game with Alice. He’d gotten so spoiled watching games at home with her cuddled up on the couch drinking beers while he was on IR that being forced apart sucked.
He felt bad about the increased attention on her during the game. Ever since the thing at the Flyers game, it had been a constant distraction. There was speculation about who she would support at this game and debates over whether she was a true fan if she supported her boyfriend or her team growing up. He almost wished she’d snapped the photo she mentioned earlier, but she hadn’t. The whole thing was nonsense in his eyes. He wished they would focus on the game itself since there were so many playoff implications for both teams. They had enough to talk about with the game itself; they didn’t need to involve his girlfriend, especially since he wasn’t healthy enough to play.
He was amused by how far Alice took it when it came to showing no favoritism between the two teams. He’d seen her be equal parts crazy about both teams for long enough that he knew she wouldn’t be picking a team.
If he had been playing, he wasn’t even sure there would be any difference in her behavior, other than her being a nut if he scored. She’d gone all in for The Sound the moment they’d met at the rink back in January. He was dumbfounded how the media seemed to love zooming in on her facial reactions when it came to key plays by either team. She held onto her cross for both teams, and her eyesight was focused on the ice.
The only thing Scotty noticed was that she wasn’t cursing, which was probably his favorite part about watching games with her. Much to her credit, she wasn’t tipping her hand in any way. She probably wasn’t kidding that she was a card shark. He almost wanted to put together a poker night to see her in action.
During the first intermission, he went down to the locker room and brought Corey with him to both get Lager to settle down and the guys amped up.
Scotty didn’t say much. He was always a quiet leader. He wasn't a cheerleader. He would give tips and play ideas and lead by example. Once in a blue moon, he would hold a meeting to hold the guys accountable. But other times, he would at least give incentives to play their assess off.
Before the team went rink-side, he said, “Guys, you got this game. Let’s prove to them they’re just a group of upstarts. Be shifty and shoot the crap out of the puck. If you win, we’ll party tonight on my dime.”
That got everyone cheering. It wasn’t often he offered to treat the guys. Especially lately. He barely went out since he preferred being with Alice.
Lager stood up. “Come on! Let’s make Scotty pay tonight. We need to take advantage of the offer.” Lager seemed loose and calm again. He also showed everyone that he was just as much of a leader as Scotty.
The two of them were the last ones out of the locker room as per usual. Scotty turned to Lager and said, “You got this. Don’t be an idiot.”
“Quit being such a nerd,” said Lager.
“Only if you keep your head on straight.”
“You really noticed I was off?”
Lager shook his head. “It was a fucking slash.”
“If you say so. But most slashes happen at the stick, not the head area. Regardless, it was a wild swing because what’s-his-face said something to you. You are too experienced to let some punk get to you.”
“Fine, I’ll get my shit together.”
“Good.”
“You know, you kinda suck at pep talks. Stick to analyzing and creating plays. That suits you so much better.”
Scotty shrugged his shoulders and said, “I know, but someone has to talk sense into you.”
“Yo. What the fuck are you guys talking about? Lager, get your ass to the bench and, Scotty, get your ass back upstairs,” yelled Coach Berman.
The two friends went to where they were supposed to go. By the time Scotty was in the press box, the puck had dropped. Dykstman had the puck, so the Sound most likely won the faceoff.
Lager seemed to be much calmer. He hit harder than normal, but he wasn’t reckless. In the first play in the second period, he and Dykstman did some tic-tac-toe passing until Lager was on top of the rookie goalie, rather than using backhand and shooting it through the legs. Scotty was impressed by his friend. It was inspired.
He saw that the cameras were on Alice as she celebrated the goal.
Then the teams lined up to the puck drop. Almost immediately, the Sound had control of the puck and were rushing the net. This time the pressure was by PK’s line. PK was being just as shifty as Lager by deking the puck back and forth. At the last moment, PK passed the puck to Wheels who fired a one-timer onto the net that went in. So, just like that, it was 2-0 Sound.
Scotty texted Alice. Hey, looks I’m going out with the guys tonight
Alice: No worries. For fucks sake!
Scotty laughed. He knew that was just a stream of consciousness. While she wasn’t showing the world, he loved how she would just react to anything going on in the game even if mid-statement. At least this time she completed her thought before cursing.
She didn’t care that he was going out, instead she was pissed about how the Flyers took a too many men on the ice penalty. Unsurprisingly, she fired back with, Sorry but you know better than to text me mid-game.
S: Lots of swearing and game-related thoughts. It’s cute. Besides, you could just be excited that we can make it 3-0.
A: I would be happier if the Flyers didn’t take dumbass penalties all the time. Other teams can go through whole games without 1
Scotty laughed. It was a common complaint for her. But he said, Yeah but not the Flyers. I would have thought that you would be used to it by now.
A: Fuck you
S: Anytime, Anyplace.
Alice sent over the eye rolling emoji and I walked into that one didn’t I.
S: Love you babe. You are handling the media attention great so far. It’s a shame they can’t see this side of you.
A: Thanks. Oh for fucks sakes. At least I get to see how good the baby is.
Scott just snorted. Dysktman had a solid shot on net, and the rookie netminder did an amazing save from behind to keep the puck from going in.
The sheer fact that Alice was giving her opinion to him with complaints on both sides, she truly was torn.
Alice
Alice was woken up by a loud thumping noise that seemed to be coming from the front door. It wasn’t that long ago that she would have freaked out thinking it was another burglary. Between knowing that Scotty would be coming home soon and the dogs rushing towards the door, there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of.
As she was coming down the stairs, she heard a very loud and slurred Scotty say, “Where’s my pretty girl?”
Alice smiled as she said, “I’m here.”
Scotty was bent over, playing with the two dogs and rubbing their sides. He looked up at her and smiled.
That simple act of looking up from being bent over caused him to lose his balance, and he fell down to the ground. That actually made Alice rush to Scotty and go, “Are you okay?”
He didn’t seem to be hurt in the fall since he just snickered and let the two pit bulls lick his face.
“I’m good.” He sat on the ground. Given how happy he was that he was super drunk. It was similar to how he was immediately after his surgery, but this time, she didn’t have his mom as backup. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the ground and him.
“So, I take it you had fun tonight,” said Alice as she sat beside Scotty. He tried to caress her. It was less gentle than normal.
She was curious how much Scotty had drunk. She knew he could drink a few beers with no affect. She knew it was more than a couple of beers. It just seemed unusual to see him so drunk.
“Yeah,” he said. “We did lots of shots.”
Since she knew he had practice the next day and couldn't be completely hammered or hungover for it, she needed to get lots of water into him. She had a feeling he would turn down a glass of water, so she used the old trick. “Want me to make us a cocktail?” Alice asked.
“Yeah.”
“Okay.” Alice pulled herself up from the ground. But Scotty wasn’t quite ready for her to get up. He pulled her in for a sloppy kiss. After the kiss, he let her go.
Alice immediately pulled out two glasses. She poured water in both of them, but for the glass for herself, she threw in a little bit of silver rum since she didn’t want to be completely sober while hanging out with him. Before heading out of the kitchen, she texted Lager.
Alice: Any clue how much Scotty drank tonight?
Lager: No clue. Went home early. Left Petey and Corey in charge. Didn’t he get home?
Alice: Yeah. He’s just got home and I’m trying to figure how much water to give him.
Lager: If you are asking LOTS! Feed him too!
Alice: Already on it.
The glasses still looked way more like water than a mocktail. So she decided to add a little bit of lime and some mint to both of their drinks. While she had a proper mojito, Scotty’s looked like a good enough fake drink.
Unsurprisingly, Scotty sat on the floor and rubbed the dogs’ bellies rigorously. He smiled so sweetly when he saw her coming into the hallway. He was completely in love with her. She just hoped that he knew that she felt the same way. She handed him the glass without the rum before sitting down.
Scotty practically pounded his water. Alice now understood how the night had gone. If he had been doing that with shots all night long, it was no wonder he was lit. At least he was a friendly drunk.
Alice made small talk. “So, did you have fun tonight?”
He ended up leaning his head on her shoulder. “Yeah. I haven’t been out with the team for a while. It was good to be with the guys, but I was missing something.”
“What was that?” asked Alice, trying her best not to move her head too much so she didn’t bump into his head.
He lifted his head and looked at her like she was the dumbest person in the world. “You, silly! You should have your hair down; it’s so pretty down.” He tugged at the elastic holding her hair back in a messy bun.
Once the hair released, Alice subconsciously shook it out. Unsurprisingly, the moment it was down, Scotty played with it.
“Wouldn’t I stand out like a sore thumb if it was a guys’ night out?”
“Nah.” He placed the empty glass next to him on the ground and kissed her again. While the kisses were sloppy, they were passionate. After breaking off from the kiss, he said, “I love you so much. You can’t leave.”
“I love you too, but where would I go?” asked Alice incredulously. Why was he thinking she would leave?
“Mmm.” Scotty decided to come up with an answer. “To bed.”
Alice burst out laughing. He was never thought she was going to leave, instead he was trying to be romantic while super drunk. THen Scott’s throaty laugh to fill the room with hers. It was amazing. Once she stopped laughing so h
ard, she asked, “Would bed be so bad?”
As he continued to laugh, he shook his head and said, “Nah. We share the bed.”
“That we do.” Alice was about halfway through her poorly made mojito. She knew she should get more water into Scotty before they did too much. “Do you want another drink?”
Scotty nodded his head. Alice was glad he was so compliant. While the floor wasn’t comfortable, it worked and Scotty was happy.
As Alice refilled his water and added some more lime to it, she could hear the sound of dog nails running across the hardwood. She knew that Scotty had to be throwing a puck or chew toy since they still didn’t have any balls for the dogs.
When she returned to the area, he gladly accepted the drink. Much like before, he just chugged it as if it was a shot. She sat down beside him again and picked up her drink she’d left behind.
As she took a sip, he leaned to put an arm over her and nearly tipped the both of them over with his lack of balance. He just chuckled.
Alice kissed him as she said, “We should go to bed soon.”
“Why?”
Alice laughed. “We have work in the morning.”
“Bah. Sleep is for the weak.”
“Well, I like it. But I didn’t say sleep, babe. I said let’s go to bed.”
Scotty cocked his head, trying to work out what she meant. Then it clicked, and he kissed her again. He took control and lifted the two of them off the ground. Alice was a little afraid that he might drop them, but he used the wall for support. That’s when Alice felt something bulky and hard in his front pants pocket.
When Scotty pulled back from the kiss and she could breathe comfortably again, she asked, “What’s that?” as she pointed towards his pocket.
Scotty didn’t even look at her hand. “What’s what?” He worked his hands under her shirt and kiss her lips again.
Alice pulled back. “That bulky thing in your pocket that is jabbing into my hip.”
Scotty got a little rougher with his breast massage. He didn’t have his normal finesse and control. Despite that, she got just as aroused as ever. In a lust-laden voice, she said, “Come on, what’s in your pocket?”