Ben took one glance at her and his eyes practically bulged out of his head. She was a vision of beauty, elegance and grace. Soft turquoise skimmed over her creamy skin and her golden hair caressed her shoulders in waves. She had carefully applied her minimal makeup just like Izzy had instructed her and she had never looked more beautiful.
“Ally.” He took a step back to fully see her. “Holy crap, you look sensational!”
She took a step out of the bathroom and had to sidestep Ben’s jaw on the floor in front of her. “You really think so? It’s not too much?”
He shook his head and began blinking rapidly. “How is it that you went into the bathroom already looking like an angel and came out looking like a goddess?”
She flushed, which only made her glow more beautifully. “I’m glad you like it.” She reached out and touched his sleeve. “I felt overdressed,” she continued her self-conscious ridiculousness, “but look at you in your tux. Wow. Ben, you look incredible. I had no idea I was walking the red carpet with James Bond.”
He grinned. “Thanks.”
“Are you sure the dress is okay?” She twirled around to give him the whole view. Blue silk swirled around the silver strappy heels on her feet.
“Ally, you’re perfect. Literally. Come here.” He took her hand, brought her close to him and answered her worried question with a kiss. “I was almost going to say that I never want you to take it off, but we both know that’s going to happen later on tonight.”
She blushed again and straightened his bow tie.
After Ally took one last look in the mirror and made sure she had all she needed in her little silver clutch, they were ready to face the red carpet.
Ben patted his pocket to make sure he had the hotel key card and glanced at the clock. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’m ever going to be,” she answered and smiled weakly.
He smiled back but it didn’t reach his eyes. Even though he seemed excited, Ally could sense something was wrong beneath the surface. She could feel it in her gut. Hopefully, he was just nervous about the awards.
“Ally…” He paused like he was trying to find the right words. “There’s something I should tell you before we go.”
Her stomach plummeted to her heels and she instantly went into panic mode. “Ben, what’s going on? Is it my hair?” Her hands fluttered to smooth her hair. “Should I have worn it up?”
His lips formed a half-smile. “No, Ally, it’s not your hair. You look amazing. It’s…it’s something that Jerrold told me on the phone earlier today. I was going to wait to tell you until I know more, but they’re probably going to say something about it down there tonight,” he said referring to the reporters on the red carpet.
Her blue eyes searched his for answers. Obviously, it wasn’t good news or he wouldn’t be so reluctant to tell her. Her mind raced, trying to solve the mystery on its own. No such luck. “Ben, please, just tell me what’s going on.”
She could have sworn she saw him brace himself before he opened his mouth to speak. Was the news really that bad?
“Jerry’s in the middle of negotiating my contract.” Okay, that didn’t seem so bad. “As of this month, I’m an unrestricted free agent.” Ben sat down on the bed and ran his fingers through his hair.
“Okay,” Ally said. That wasn’t the end of the world. Was it? “Wait…unrestricted…what? What does that mean exactly?”
He drew his eyebrows together and looked up at her. “It means that my contract with the Razors is expiring and if they decide not to resign me, Jerry gets proposals from other teams and then we go into negotiations.” There it was. All of it. No more secrets.
Panic washed over her a second time. And this time she knew why. “Negotiations? You mean that you could have to move?” she asked in horror. Here she was standing before him in a gown and he was leaving her. She felt ridiculous for being duped so easily.
“It’s something we need to be prepared for,” he said calmly.
She threw her clutch on the bed next to him and began to pace. “How can you be so calm about it? This is your life.”
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing.” He chuckled at the look of disgust on her face, but that only made her more angry. He grew serious again. “Another team might be a better fit for me and it also depends on what kind of salary they offer.”
“Ah,” Ally nodded her head. It was all beginning to make perfect sense now. “So, this is about the money?” She was disgusted. She never figured Ben as the type of person to let money go to his head. It was all supposed to be about the game, right?
“Well, that does play a part in it,” he answered honestly.
“For Christ’s sake, Ben, how many millions do you need?”
“Ally, don’t freak out. This is about a lot of things. I have to think about the money because what if something happens and I can’t play anymore. My knee goes out completely or they can’t put my shoulder back together. There’s nothing wrong with financially securing the future.”
She snorted and waved her hands in the air. “I am freaking out! When were you going to tell me that you had no intention of staying in town?”
“I’ve had every intention of staying in Red Valley.”
“But…?”
“But, now my contract has expired and I’ve got to check out my options. I wish it could be as easy as staying with one team for the duration of my career, but that’s just not how it works. If it weren’t for my no-trade clause, I could have been traded earlier in the season to somewhere else with no choice like a lot of other guys. Please don’t be upset.” He stood up and grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. She stood stiffly against him but at least she wasn’t pacing anymore.
“I’m sorry to lash out at you, but I had no idea that this was going on,” she said quietly.
“I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but it just started. To be honest, I thought for sure the Razors would re-sign me, but now I don’t think that’s gonna happen. But hey,” he smiled and tilted her head up so their eyes met, “we had a good run. Maybe now it’s time to move on to bigger and better things.”
He was talking about his career, but she feared he was referring to their relationship.
“Of course,” she said bitterly.
“Please, Ally. I love you. This doesn’t mean we can’t be together. We’ll make it work no matter what happens, okay?”
She sighed because she knew he was right. He wasn’t the bad guy here. In a sport where one bad hit could end his whole career, he had to make these kinds of decisions. And if the Razors didn’t want him anymore, what choice did he have?
She stood still without saying anything and he was afraid he had ruined everything.
“Please don’t let this ruin our weekend. I’m sorry about the bad timing, but I’m glad you know now because there is probably going to be talk about it down there on the red carpet. The press has a field day with this kind of thing,” he rambled on, trying to gauge whether or not she was ever going to speak to him again.
“I love you, too.” It was a whisper, but it was all he needed to hear.
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, Ally. Everything is going to be all right.”
The red carpet was a frenzy of activity. Fans and reporters lined each side and kids dressed in jerseys yelled out for autographs. Ally had been worried about being on display for the whole world to see and critique, but there were so many people squashed together that she doubted anyone even noticed her. At least she didn’t feel overdressed anymore. There were several players’ wives and girlfriends wearing gaudy and flashy gowns much more formal than hers.
Ally held tight to Ben’s hand as he was interviewed and she looked around in amazement. Blinding flash bulbs, inquisitive press and screaming fans. Between all of the commotion, Ally couldn’t understand a word anyone was yelling besides the occasional “Over here” and “Can I have your autograph?!”
The swarming reporters on the sidelines bomb
arded Ben with questions, but he patiently answered them like the pro that he was. While Ally was overwhelmed, their pestering didn’t even seem to faze him. Ally had planned on staying behind him and out of the way, but Ben pulled her in beside him and put his arm around her.
Ironically, Ally had been the last to know about Ben’s contract, because the press was already all over the story like ants on a picnic.
“What do you have to say about rumors that you’re leaving the Razors?”
“Now that you’re a free agent, what teams are you looking at?”
“Is it true you aren’t re-signing with Red Valley?”
Ben stayed calm and cool. And handsome in his designer tuxedo. “My agent is in negotiations, so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.” A flash of his million dollar smile and the reporters were satisfied with his vague answer.
At the end of the red carpet, thousands of people streamed through the doors of the Pearl Concert Theater. Ally held tight to Ben’s hand as not to get separated among the mass of people. Once inside, Ben caught sight of Christian Barnier, an old teammate and friend.
“Barnie!” Ben called out the nickname everyone called him by. Barnie turned toward Ben and a smile lit up his face.
Barnie had spiky black hair and was wearing a blue tuxedo. He was the Colorado Blizzards’ team captain and an all-around nice guy who Ben played with on the Colorado Rockies team in the minor league. “Benjamin Price. How the heck are you?” Barnie asked and slapped Ben on the back.
“Doin’ good, Barnie. Doin’ good.”
“Benny, it’s good to see you, man.”
“The only time we see each other is when we play you guys a few times a year.”
“Yeah and we usually beat your asses, too.”
Ben chuckled and turned to Ally. “Ally, this is Christian Barnier. We played together in the minors in Denver.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ally said.
Barnie shook her hand and was hesitant to let it go. She thought she saw him raise his eyebrows at Ben in approval. “Ally, wow, it’s nice to meet you, too.”
Ben spoke up in time to interrupt Barnie‘s ogling. “Well, we’d better get to our seats before this shindig starts. Barnie, good luck tonight.”
Barnie was nominated for the Stanley R. Blake Award. It was awarded to the player who made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.
“Yeah, you too, Benny. See ya later, Ally.”
Ben and Ally were ushered to their seats and Ben leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You okay?”
She nodded. “It’s actually kind of fun,” she whispered back.
He gave her a smug smile and the lights dimmed.
Canadian band Theory of a Deadman opened the ceremony by performing their latest single. After that, the various awards were given out. Ally wished Izzy could be there to see all of hockey’s biggest stars and legends presenting and receiving awards. She knew Izzy would be able to recognize and appreciate them more than she could herself.
The trophies awarded included Rookie, Coach and Goaltender of the Year and Fan Favorite. Ally could barely understand most of the acceptance speeches. The UNHL was a melting pot of countries. Russia, Finland, Canada, Germany, Sweden…
Barnie won the award he was nominated for and made a long, rambling acceptance speech. He was finally ushered offstage when the orchestra started to play.
Then it came time to announce the Lester Heart Memorial Trophy winner. Along with the two other nominees, highlights of Ben’s best plays were shown on the giant screen above the stage. The fact that Ben had only 24 penalty minutes during the season was flashed on the screen. Ally shivered when she saw the montage. Ben’s power and speed on the ice was impressive. In person he was so down to earth that Ally often forgot that he was such a luminary presence in his sport.
“And the award goes to…Benjamin Price of the Red Valley Razors.”
Ben leaned over and gave Ally a quick kiss before going up on stage. When he reached the podium, he smirked. “You’ll have to forgive Barnie. He thinks he’s at the Oscars.” A collective laugh rolled through the room and Ben flashed his famous smile. “I’d like to thank my family, my agent Jerrold King, the Razors coaching staff, my teammates, and my girlfriend Ally. Also, I want to thank the fans and the city of Red Valley for your support.” He lifted the trophy in his hand. “Thank you for this.”
The rest of the night went by in a haze. After the ceremony, the guests attended the exclusive UNHL After Party in celebration of a great season. The party included dinner, beverages and live music. People mingled around the Gordie Prince Cup on display along with the rest of the trophies awarded that night.
Back in their suite, Ben knew Ally was worried about things working out between them, so he tried to convince her. Mostly with his hands. And mouth.
“We really should come back sometime when we have more time and actually make it out of the room.” Ben stroked Ally’s hair. They were spooning each other in the over-sized hotel bed where they had spent most of their time since the awards ceremony, stopping only to eat room service and for Ally to make a quick call home to check on Gram.
The only casino they saw was the one they walked through to get to the check-in desk. Next time they would have more time to explore the city, see the sights and catch a show or two.
“Mmmm. I like this view of the city just fine,” she murmured and snuggled in closer.
The weekend in Las Vegas went by too fast, but it was the best time Ally had ever had away from home. She knew the future was uncertain and it made her uneasy, but she also knew that they were in it together and that was all she could ask for.
* * *
“Gram, I’m home!”
Ally set her bags down and sniffed the air. “I halfway expected there to be the smell of sulfur left in the air,” Ally said, referring to Judith’s stay. “How was your visit with the Wicked Witch of the World?”
“We had a lovely time, dear. How was Las Vegas? We watched the ceremony on television. Benjamin looked so handsome accepting his award. You must be proud.”
“They treated us like celebrities. Well, I guess Ben is a celebrity. It was amazing, Gram.”
“Sit down, honey and tell me all about it.”
Chapter Fifteen
Hey Baby!
Izzy eased her car up Dom’s driveway. She had finished her escrow signing early and was eager to surprise her superstar boyfriend. Her most expensive listing, the August Glen property, had been purchased and her commission check would be delivered that afternoon. It was a fine day in Red Valley. The birds were chirping, the sky was clear. Today seemed like a good day for a nooner.
She found Dom’s front door unlocked and let herself in. After checking her lipstick in the gaudy, entryway mirror, she kicked off her Prada heels. The plush carpeting felt good under her aching feet. She wiggled her pedicured toes and set off to find her man in his sprawling mansion.
“Dom, baby, I’m here,” Izzy’s voice echoed down the expanse of the hallway.
She heard muffled noises coming from the master bedroom.
Hmm, that’s strange. Who else could be here? He must be watching TV.
She followed the sound and almost tripped over a bra strewn on the floor. Her heartbeat shifted into overdrive. The bra at her feet was waaayy too big to be her size. When she turned the corner, she looked into the bedroom and was assaulted by the scene she found.
Dom, in all his naked glory, was perched atop a buxom blonde. She was a petite Barbie doll with teased hair and a fake tan. As he thrust himself into her, her giant breasts wobbled back and forth.
Izzy’s hand flew up to her mouth, barely muffling a horrified shriek. “Dominic! You asshole!” Izzy screamed and threw the bra in his direction.
Dom looked over at Izzy in the doorway. “Hey baby!” he greeted mid-thrust. “Wanna join us?”
That son of a bitch had the nerve to grin ear to ear like he’d just won the lottery. But, in Dom’s
defense, in his mind he had scored two for the price of one. This must be his lucky day.
“There’s plenty of Dom to go around!” he exclaimed, holding the blonde’s legs in the air.
“I see that,” Izzy said through clenched teeth. She picked up a nearby vase from the dresser and hurled it at them, not caring where it landed. The vase skimmed passed the couple and shattered into a million pieces against Dom’s Venetian plastered wall.
“What the fuck, Izzy?” Dom shouted, still inside Buxom Barbie.
Izzy whirled around and stormed back through the house. She slid her feet back into her Prada’s and, on impulse, grabbed the carved ornate mirror from it’s hook in the entryway, tucked it under her arm, and slammed the door as hard as she could on her way out.
* * *
Izzy’s condo was nestled on the hillside overlooking the Red River. She liked the low-maintenance lifestyle because she was rarely home. She had put her career on the front burner and there was always time for the white picket fence later on. But now, it was time to make money. And lots of it. She loved the business side of real estate as well as the time she spent touring homes across the city. She thrived on the long hours and weekend shifts. What else was she supposed to do to occupy her time when Ally was busy? Which usually ended up being most of the time.
Two bedrooms were plenty for her. A bedroom and office. It was all that a single gal on the go needed. The open floor plan had drawn her to it in the first place and after bringing in an interior decorator it looked like something out of a Crate and Barrel catalog. She liked the clean lines of the contemporary style.
And the view wasn’t too shabby either. Floor to ceiling windows and a magnificent view of the Red River greeted everyone who walked through the front door.
But today, the view was the last thing on her mind. Izzy swung open the door, kicked off her heels and dropped her Prada handbag on the celery green tailored chair with hardwood legs sitting in the corner.
With trembling fingers, she found Ally’s number on her cell phone and pressed ‘send’.
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