by CJ Azevedo
“Dude! Where the hell have you been? We need to take the ice, right now! Get your ass in here!” A guy in full pads and jersey yells out and interrupts our stare contest.
He drops his hands and bends down to pick up my clutch and his eyes follow the length of my body on his way back up. Then he places the clutch in my hand, his fingers grazing mine sending electric waves through my insides. “If you’re sure you’re alright, I’m really late. Need to get out there.” He jerks his thumb to the rink, I assume, while walking backwards towards the locker room with the sexiest lopsided grin. His eyes still haven’t left me, I still haven’t moved.
I clear my throat as silently as possible. “Right, um, good luck tonight,” I say around a smile. I turn around before anything further can come out of that blissful run in. Well, that’s going to make my already miserable relationship near intolerable. Crap.
Chapter Two
Talon
How the hell am I supposed to go out onto the ice after that?? I didn’t even get her name, what was I thinking? That’s right, I wasn’t. I have been around beautiful women my whole life, running into someone that gorgeous has never done that to me.
Being out on the ice has always centered me. It doesn’t matter what took place the week before; once my skates hit that ice all seems right. The blade of my skate cutting through the smooth glass of the ice brings comfort with a sense of familiarity. I have played hockey since I could skate. My dad made a small rink on our property when I was very young. My sister would figure skate and my dad and I would hit the puck around. I started with a league when I turned eight and played all the way through college. After graduation some of the guys from the team and I joined a men’s adult league and have been playing on Saturday evenings ever since.
We’re playing our known rivals tonight so the stands are pretty packed. I keep glancing out there trying to find the woman I ran into outside of the locker room but I can’t seem to find anyone tonight. My sister comes to every game without fail; I can’t find her either. It’s an intense game; pretty much everyone in the stands are on their feet either cheering for us or booing at us. We’re close to the end of the game and there have been lots of fights tonight, I was involved in two of those fights and am exhausted. Adrenaline is pumping through me like a wildfire but all of my muscles are protesting. The ref calls a penalty on the opposing team for hooking one of our guys so I head over to our bench until they get it sorted out. We have six minutes left in the third period and are ahead.
I look up trying to spot my sister. I hate that I haven’t seen her yet; it’s normal for her to be right behind our bench with Hunter and Alan, but they’re not there either. As I scan the crowd for the hundredth time since the game started, I see her, the woman from the hall. She’s headed toward the stairs to get to the top of the stands. It is seriously taking all of my willpower to stay down here on the ice. My team heads back out to finish off the game with the player from the other team in the penalty box and I reluctantly tear my gaze from her as one of my guys pushes past me and brings me back to the present. Before I take off I look back up to try and see where she is sitting but I lost her. Again.
We won the game by one point, there’s going to be a huge celebration tonight. A few of us usually go to Delaney’s pub after the games but tonight will most likely be the whole team plus spouses. It’s going to be packed and old man Delaney is going to be a happy camper. I still haven’t seen my sister and the guys but they’ll know to meet me at the doors, so I hit the shower, get dressed and head out.
Standing outside by the curb is the entire team minus the few guys still in the locker room, and what looks like at least half of the spectators. Correction, old man Delaney isn’t going to be a happy camper; he just may have a heart attack. We’re going to be so squished in that tiny pub. I finally see my sister and the guys.
“Kali. Where have you been? I was looking for you guys throughout the whole game, why weren’t you in your seats? I was worried.”
“I’m sorry! I was going to let you know that we were late getting to our seats so we had to sit up top but that game was sooo intense I couldn’t make it down to you.”
“You weren’t late. You were here before I was,” I state in confusion, knowing our company car had dropped her off before I arrived.
“Yeah I know, but Bailey had a run in with some guy on her way back from the rest room and the seats filled up quickly tonight. That game was insane, Talon! I can’t believe they called interference on you! I’m surprised you didn’t hear Alan on that one!” she laughs hard. “He was so pissed!”
‘Bailey had a run in on her way back from the bathroom’ No way. That can’t be…
“Wait. Who’s Bailey?” As I’m asking, Kali is touching the shoulder of the woman who has consumed most of my thoughts for the past two hours or so.
“Bailey Hayes. Remember I told you I was bringing my friend from the gym with me tonight?” She looks at my shocked face and smiles wide with her eyes growing rounder by the second. “Bailey, I wanted to introduce you to my brother, Talon, but I’m thinking the two of you have already met.” Bailey doesn’t even flinch. She lets out a little laugh and reaches for my hand. In the meantime, I am still trying to gather a coherent thought.
“Talon, it’s nice to officially meet you while standing on my own.” She’s giggling. The sweetest giggle ever. I get annoyed with gigglers, but I’m certain I could listen to that sound coming from that sexy as hell mouth all the time. She seems totally comfortable with this situation. If it weren’t for the fact that she’s blushing like crazy I would have thought I’d dreamt up the whole thing.
“Bailey.” I sigh as I shake her very well-manicured, perfect hand. I give my most charming smile and stare right into those eyes that are already burned into my memory. “I came up with a dozen or so names that I thought could possibly fit you, but Bailey was not one of them. I definitely like it best though.” I let out a little huff of air and shake my head. I look to Kali. I should not have looked at Kali right now. She is all but bouncing with excitement at the exchange between Bailey and me.
“Well, we should get going or we’re not even going to make it in the doors with this huge crowd tonight.” Kali being the little spitfire she is nods once then whistles loudly and hails a cab.