by Robyn M Ryan
“Not that I’m not, but this had me bugged.” She pulled out her phone and swiped opened the text. No message. Just a list of links. She pressed the first and immediately wished she had just deleted the entire text. A selfie of a random woman with Drew, and judging from the way he was dressed, obviously on his way to or leaving an arena. “Can you see where this was posted?” She handed the phone to Lauren.
“Instagram. Looks like Andrew got conned into posing with a fan.”
“Does it say when it was taken?”
“Yesterday. Who sent that to you?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m sure the rest of the links are the same.” Caryn felt the anger toward her parents simmering as Lauren handed the phone back to her.
“Someone trying to make you jealous?”
Caryn shrugged. “I know he wasn’t out with her. He has his game face on…not to mention the way he’s dressed.”
“He looked pretty hot to me.” Lauren teased.
“Me, too. That’s how he dresses for games. Not when he’s hanging out with the guys. Going to take more than that photo to make me jealous.” Caryn shoved her phone back into her pocket. But I wish he would call.
“Well, off to my next class. Catch up with you later?” Lauren asked as she started to walk backwards.
“Definitely.” Classes over for the day, Caryn headed home, mentally calculating the time on the West Coast. Ten a.m. Was this a travel day? She couldn’t remember. She dropped her backpack inside the door, grabbed her iPad and headed to the kitchen.
After making a salad and sitting at the table, Caryn opened her iPad to check her messages and email. Curiosity got the best of her and she reopened the text from her father on the larger screen and clicked on the other links. How much time did Dad—or one of his admins—spend digging up this shit? Why? Just to irritate me?
Most of the photos were similar to the first, obviously taken around the same time. Same suit and tie. Then one appeared that she examined more closely—Drew in a bar, probably hanging out with Jim Andrews and Dave Martin. He had a beer in one hand, his arm draped casually on the shoulder of a woman looking up at him as if he were a Greek god. Anymore cleavage and she’d have a wardrobe malfunction. She looked closely at the date. Last night? Must have been after the game. That doesn’t look like a selfie.
Even though she knew better, Caryn felt that twinge of jealousy. There were three other photos of this woman, hanging all over Andrew. Caryn couldn’t read his expression. In none of the pictures did he even look at the woman—or her cleavage. How long did it take for Drew to ditch her? Or did he? Maybe that’s why I haven’t heard from him yet?
Here she was, playing right into her father’s mind games. Don’t be stupid. Just delete the photos. Instead, Caryn read her email, glancing at the time and willing Andrew to call. Against her will, she was drawn back to the Instagram photos at the bar. Who posted these anyway?
All four appeared on the same account. Caryn tried to click on the username, but the popup screen asked her to sign in or set up an account. Caryn forwarded the photo to Lauren and asked if she could find out who’d posted it. Good thing my best friend’s an Internet guru.
Lauren called a short time later. “What do you want to know about that skank?”
“Who the heck is she?”
“Someone who has a thing for your man. Geez, she collects photos of Andrew. She has dozens she’s tagged from other accounts. Looks like she thought she’d be living the dream last night.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Hey, you’re not thinking Andrew…”
“No. At least not the rational me. But how long could it take to brush her off—literally?” Caryn stared at the one photo that most irritated her.
Lauren laughed. “He probably has to deal with this all the time. No doubt he found a way to ditch her without being too rude. Whoever sent this to you is just trying to stir up trouble. Block them from your friends list.” A second later, she said. “If it makes you feel better, she’s got similar photos from other guys. Different dates. Different teams. Looks like she’s collecting hockey hunks.”
“Pathetic.” On impulse, Caryn forwarded one of the photos to Drew. Maybe this will get a response? “Thanks, Lauren. See you this evening at study group?”
“You bet. Let me know if you need any more cyber-sleuthing.”
Laughing, Caryn set the phone on the table, and then deleted her father’s text. Skank. Perfect. Lauren did have a way with words.
Caryn pulled up the Leafs’ website and read the recap of the game. They’d beaten Vancouver in an overtime shoot-out. She wished she’d seen the game. Drew had two goals, plus he’d scored on the shoot-out.
They had two days until their next game in Los Angeles. Wonder where they’re going to spend the day off? Hopefully LA. Then he and his friends can sit at the pool or go to the beach, collecting more female stalkers. She paused a moment and pictured Drew in swim trunks slung low on his hips, bare-chested. That image caused her to shift on the chair and reconsider her hope that the team was already in LA. Last thing she wanted to see was some skanky woman hanging all over her man at some beach or hotel pool.
***
When Andrew called not long after she sent the text, Caryn couldn’t keep the laughter from her voice as she greeted him.
“I knew that photo would get your attention.”
“So, what’s up with that photo you sent? Cyber-stalking me or something?”
Caryn giggled. “Of course not. Someone texted me a bunch of photos. I know you were trying to pry that skank off of you.”
“Skank, huh? Like that word. What friend would even send that crap to you?”
“Not a friend.” Caryn took a deep breath. “Actually, my father sent them. I’m sorry he’s invading your privacy like that.”
Andrew didn’t speak for a long moment. Caryn checked the screen to be sure they hadn’t been disconnected. Finally, he asked, “Did he get the response he obviously hoped you’d have?”
“Drew, are you really asking that question? I wouldn’t have sent the photo if I was jealous or angry. It seemed like a good way to get you to call me back. I’ve been waiting all day to talk to you.” Caryn tried to lighten the tone.
“About that class, not the stupid photos. Though I do want to know why you let all those random girls take selfies with you and you won’t ever take one with me. By the way, Lauren said you looked hot in your suit.”
Andrew laughed. “Okay, I owe you a selfie. I got myself into it. I’ll send you the photo that started it. I asked for a copy of this photo. You got your iPad handy?”
“Of course. Go ahead and send. I’ll wait.” A few second later, she heard the chirp of the incoming text.
“You get it yet?”
“Hang on, let me open it.” The photo that appeared brought tears to her eyes and warmed her heart. Andrew was holding a little girl in a Leafs jersey. The expression on her face was pure enchantment. “Who is she? This is so adorable.”
“The PR staff contacted me in Vancouver. Marie-Therese is just six. She’s got some rare type of bone cancer. She’s in remission, but while she was going through treatment, she watched hockey games non-stop. Her parents DVR’d every one they could find from around the league. For some reason she decided she likes the Blues and I’m her favorite player. Go figure, right?”
“No, I know why she picked you. The way you are looking at each other says everything. It’s just beautiful. She’s truly in remission?” Caryn asked, already in love with Marie-Therese.
“According to her parents. They live in a small town in rural Alberta. This trip to Vancouver was her celebration for getting a clean report.” Andrew paused a moment. “When I think of someone that young going through what she has…Her parents and older sisters are amazing. Good people. I had pictures taken with her family and gave them my contact info. I got theirs, too. I thought we could keep in touch and send gifts from time-to-time.”
“I wish I could hav
e met her and her family. That was a very special moment for everyone.”
“You’ll see a write-up on the Leafs site in a day or so. They gave her that jersey she’s wearing. She acted like it was Christmas. Unfortunately, when we were through I had a line of girls—make that women—wanting photos. I couldn’t figure out a way to gracefully extricate myself. I’m sorry you got blindsided by those photos. The ones in the bar…” His voice trailed off and Caryn pictured him shrugging.
“I don’t care about them, Drew. Honestly. I trust you. I’m just supremely pissed my father thought the photos would upset me. And that my mother felt she had to warn me. No doubt he purposely didn’t choose to send this beautiful photo. Do you think Marie-Therese and her family could come to a game in St. Louis?”
“I’ve invited them. If her doctor gives the okay, we’ll make it happen. She’s still going in for scans every few months. So maybe next season, if not this year.”
“Have I told you how incredibly much I love you?” Caryn asked, her eyes glued to the screen. Drew will make a great father someday.
“That’s something I never get tired of hearing.”
“Well, if I were out in LA with you…” Caryn left her voice drift. “I’m sorry my parents tried to make me doubt you.”
“Babe, don’t worry about it. Just don’t let them mess with your confidence. The photos? I honestly don’t care. Now, if you have any doubts…”
“None. You guys going to the beach today?”
Andrew chuckled. “We’ll see after practice. If not the beach, maybe the pool. Just walked outside the terminal—it’s like summer here.”
“Skype me from the pool?”
“And you want that, why?”
“Share the sunshine…and let me look at you in your swim trunks…I’ve been thinking about that today.”
“If you’ll reciprocate and wear your bikini.”
“Drew, it’s freezing here!”
“Turn the heat up.” She heard voices in the background. “Got to get on the bus, Cary. Call you after practice.”
“I’ll see if I can find that bikini.”
“Or not.” She heard the teasing challenge.
“Well, that will depend where you are when you call, won’t it?” Caryn felt herself flushing head-to-toe, happy that no one, especially Drew, could see her.
TWENTY-NINE
March blended into April and the Blues' push for the playoffs ironically mirrored the academic push toward the end of the semester. With a possible first round match-up between the Leafs and the Blues, Caryn wanted to complete as many semester projects as she could before the playoffs began mid-April. Her days were long, her evenings spent crafting case studies or developing digital marketing plans for two of her classes. She completed the majority of the work on her home computer. Her graphics course portfolio required she work in the computer lab, often finding herself stopping when the lab closed for the night.
At Andrew’s urging, she asked campus security to walk with her to the car. She’d never felt threatened walking on campus or even to her townhouse, but she was leaving campus later at night than she ever had in the past. She stopped by Andrew’s apartment every couple of days to collect mail, water the plants, and sometimes just to relax or study. She felt his presence everywhere she looked. She liked to watch any Blues games broadcast on his much-larger TV, sometimes joined by Tom or Lauren. Caryn hoped to introduce the two, but so far their schedules had not overlapped. Andrew teased that she was playing matchmaker with his brother, while at the same time asking him to introduce Lauren to teammates Dave or Jim.
“Well, I’m not having much luck on either front,” Caryn said as they discussed the topic long-distance on her way home from the computer lab. Balancing the phone on her shoulder, she set her backpack down to pull the pull the key from her pocket. Andrew heard the door open.
“Don’t tell me you’re just getting home?”
“Okay, I won’t.” Caryn laughed as she pulled the bag inside and closed the door. “I’m trying to get all my projects done before the playoffs. Where are you today?”
“Vancouver. Have you been there?”
“No, that’s another city I’ve never visited.” Caryn wandered into the kitchen in search of something to eat. “Any chance you’ll play there?”
She heard him laugh and could imagine him running his hand against his hair. “Possible, but too soon to tell, Cary. If not, maybe we can visit over the summer.”
She pulled some yogurt from the refrigerator, grabbed a spoon and sat at the table. “Summer cannot come soon enough. I miss you, Drew.”
“Have you found a weekend we can get together?”
“Depending on where you are, I’ll have a few days off before exams,” she said, knowing his response before she heard it.
“No studying for your exams? Are you feeling that confident with your courses?”
“Actually, most of my finals are papers, case studies, and portfolios to turn in at the exam. I’m making good progress. Lots of motivation,” she teased.
“Have you heard anything on your internship interviews?”
“Not a word. My advisor keeps saying to not worry.”
“Then don’t.”
Caryn had discussed what Professor Fletcher revealed about her father’s communications with the faculty. “I keep wondering if my dad has anything to do with it.”
“You think he’d have the influence or want to torpedo you like that?”
“Oh, I know he has the influence.” Caryn shrugged, even though Andrew couldn’t see her. “Whether he chooses to use it, your guess is as good as mine.”
She heard him sigh. “Would you be interested in working for the Blue Jays? I’m sure they have a social media department. I could get the name of a contact for you.”
“That would be a lot more interesting than working for a bank or insurance company.”
“I’ll have a name for you tomorrow, Cary.”
“Thanks, Drew. Maybe if I avoid the school’s process, my dad won’t know anything until it’s too late.” Caryn tossed the empty yogurt carton toward the wastebasket. “That’s an awful thing to think about your own father, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think he has the time to micromanage whether or not you get an internship. Let’s just focus on finding something you’d enjoy.”
Caryn laughed quietly. “I’ll need a quick refresher course on baseball.”
“Before you go for an interview, I think Tom and I can have you up to speed.”
“I can look at their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Just so I don’t need to sign up to gain access.”
“Don’t start tonight,” Andrew said. “It’s late enough already for you. I keep forgetting the time difference. If you need to dig around on any of the accounts, I’ll get the login info on mine from Don.”
“You don’t know?” Caryn couldn’t help laughing.
“Don has someone managing them. I never look at them.”
“Trusting, aren’t we?” she teased him. “How do you know what’s being posted about you?”
“Don’t really care. I gave Don my list of what’s okay and what’s off-limits. Once the playoffs start, everything freezes anyway—no distractions for those who do their own posting.”
“I hope you won’t consider me a distraction.” Caryn turned off the kitchen light, checked the front door lock and walked up the stairs. “Send me the view from your room?”
“Sure.”
“And a selfie?”
“Nope. We can Skype tomorrow if you don’t work so late.”
“I’ll come home right after classes—I need to finish up a couple of those case studies. What are you going to do tonight?”
“Not much, babe. Just dinner. We have an early morning skate tomorrow. Then the game. I’ll catch you sometime between the two. How about you? Heading to bed?”
“Getting ready right now. I wish you were here.”
“Soon, Cary. Very soon.”
/> ***
One of the final assignments in the digital media course required students to pair up and see what information they could learn about their partners through their presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms, as well as perform a search engine inquiry. Of course, Lauren and Caryn chose to partner, Caryn apologizing in advance that she had no social media accounts.
“That’s no problem for me.” Lauren’s laugh was infectious. “You know I’m the master of digging up information. Your secrets are safe with me.”
“Such as they are. I’m glad we don’t have to present anything more than a visual depicting the reach of our ‘audiences.’ Hope you’ve given me something to work with, Lauren.”
She waved her hand in a “so what” manner as they walked across the campus. For at least the past week, spring had whisked winter away, trees and shrubs just getting ready to bloom. “I’m so ready to put my winter clothes away,” Lauren commented. “It’s too beautiful to be indoors working on this project.”
“You want to do it together? We can sit out on my patio and sip margaritas while we discover each other’s deep, dark secrets.”
“Well, you know me, I’m an open book,” Lauren said. “I doubt you’ll find anything you don’t already know.”
“We’ll see.” Caryn teased her as they headed toward her home. “Just in case, let’s have one drink before we go snooping into each other’s digital life.”
A margarita later, combined with the unseasonable warmth of the sun, prompted assorted laughter and giggles as Caryn easily charted Lauren’s social media influence through the traditional sources. “You know, you might want to plan a bit of a redo for your Facebook page,” Caryn commented. “Look at it through the eyes of a prospective employer.”
“I know, I know. You sound just like my parents—and if you dig into my friends, you’ll see my mom has ‘friended’ me. No secrets in my house.” Lauren sipped her margarita. “You, my friend, are another matter. I have found zilch on any of the social media sites.”