by Lila Moore
“Am I going to have to babysit you tonight?”
“Nope. Tonight, you’re on your own. I’ve got my own plans.”
“Oh God… what are you planning?”
“To score a hot hockey player of my own.”
“You’ll regret it. Trust me,” I muttered.
“I never regret anything.”
“Famous last words.”
Astrid hit me with the pillow. “Let’s look for something to wear.”
“Already? The game’s not for hours.”
“Yeah, but we got to look our best. You need to show Sledge what he’s been missing.”
6
We stood in line in front of the stadium. The place was packed. Scalpers were selling tickets out front for five hundred dollars apiece-and those were for the cheap seats. I couldn’t imagine how much the better seats were selling for.
Not for the first time tonight, I felt like an idiot. Astrid had wanted me to wear a tight black dress with heels to the game. It was the kind of outfit you’d wear clubbing. Luckily, I managed to compromise with her. I wore a loose fitting black dress with black tights and boots. Against her protests, I also brought a coat. I knew it would be cold inside.
Astrid, on the other hand, had insisted on wearing a suede miniskirt and a crop top. All the yoga she did gave her a banging a body, but it was entirely inappropriate for a game. We’d drawn several curious stares from people already. One guy was staring so hard that he tripped and dropped his beer.
I tried to warn Astrid that she was going to freeze to death, but she didn’t care. She was determined to land a rich, hot hockey player.
“They’re not all rich, y’know?” I said.
“What?”
“The players. Most of them don’t make that much money.”
“Are you crazy? Look at all the money pouring into this place. It’s packed. They’re scalping tickets for hundreds of dollars. Are you seriously trying to tell me the players are broke?”
“They’re not broke, but they’re not rich either. A lot of money goes into playing this sport. It’s expensive. Then there are injuries and other problems. Plus, most of these guys are horrible with money. They blow hundreds of thousands of dollars on booze, clothes, cars and women.”
“With any luck, I’ll be one of those girls they’re throwing their money away on.”
“The top earners are guys who land endorsement deals,” I said ignoring her. “And most of those guys are married.”
“So? Doesn’t mean they don’t cheat.”
“Astrid! Don’t be one of those girls.”
“What?”
“You know exactly what I mean. Don’t be the kind of girl who hooks up with guys who are in a relationship.”
“I didn’t make any vows to their wives to love, honor and obey them. If a man cheats, it’s his responsibility-not mine. Besides, I bet a lot of these guys have open relationships. Look at Sledge. That Russian bitch was cool with him fucking other girls.”
“She didn’t look thrilled by my presence.”
“Yeah because you’re a threat to her,” she said, suddenly looking excited. “She saw the way Sledge was looking at you. She knows you’re not just a one night stand for him. You two have chemistry and a history. What’s she got?”
“A modeling contract, millions of dollars, beauty and connections? Oh, and most importantly of all: she has Sledge. He wants her. She wants him. It’s simple.”
“It’s not that simple,” Astrid said with a laugh. “You’re about to find that out the hard way.”
Little did she know, I understood all too well how complicated life can be. I touched my stomach. Towards the end of my pregnancy, the baby had kicked and moved like crazy. Sometimes, he kicked me so hard that it would wake me up in the middle of the night. He was hyper just like his daddy.
I suddenly felt like dying. A darkness in the pit of my stomach opened up and threatened to swallow me. I remembered the baby’s tiny fist gripping my finger. He was so small and perfect-the exact image of Sledge. Then the nurse was taking him away from me. He cried and reached for me. It was no use. My baby was gone, stolen from me to protect Sledge.
Of course, it wasn’t just about Sledge. My father was deeply embarrassed that his teenage daughter got knocked up. He was a religious man. Talk of sex in our house was nonexistent. All my mother had to say about it was don’t do it. Abstinence was the answer.
Even after everything I’d been through, I didn’t regret sleeping with Sledge. It was my last moment of peace.
Anxiety twisted inside me. I felt like my stomach was full of twisting, slithering snakes. I stuck my hand into my purse’s side pocket. It was empty. I always kept my pills there. Frantically, I opened my purse and pulled everything out. The pills were gone.
“I took them,” Astrid said, suddenly looking serious.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your pills. I took them. You take too many. You’re starting to become addicted.”
“That’s not for you to decide.”
“Well, I did-and it’s done, so…”
“Astrid, I need those pills.”
Distantly, I was aware I sounded like an addict.
“No, you don’t. Tonight we’re going to have fun. We’re going to have a few drinks, talk to some cute guys and relax.”
“Life’s not that easy for me. You have no idea…”
Astrid slipped her arm through mine. “I do. Trust me. Just try and let go of it all for one night. Whatever is haunting you can wait. Push it from your mind and focus on the moment.”
I couldn’t forget my baby. It was like severing a limb. I’d always feel the ghost of it, haunting me.
“Okay,” I said just to make her happy.
“Good. Now, let’s enjoy ourselves.”
We stepped up to the ticket-taker. He looked at our tickets and said: “You’re in the wrong place.”
“Don’t tell me the tickets are bogus,” Astrid replied.
“No, they’re legit, but these aren’t general admission. Show these to the man over there.”
He pointed to a security guy standing off to the side. Astrid and I shrugged to one another then headed in that direction. We showed the guy our tickets. He gave them a hard look before opening the door to his right.
“Up the stairs to your left, ladies. Have a nice night.”
“Thanks,” we replied, confused.
We headed up the dark stairway. The door slammed shut behind us.
“What is this?” Astrid asked.
“I have no idea.”
We reached the top of the stairs. There was a door to our left. I opened it. A private room opened up before us.
“Box seats!” Astrid squealed. “Your man really scored for us.”
“He’s not my man,” I said faintly.
A buffet was set up at the back of the room. It was full of snacks and desserts. There was also a private bar with beer on tap. Nice, cushioned seats were set up in front of the glass overlooking the ice. The view was breathtaking.
A man dressed like security entered the room. Here we go, I thought. He’s going to tell us we’re in the wrong place and kick us out.
“Good evening, ladies. Is there anything I can get you before the game starts?”
“Are we in the right place?” I asked.
Astrid elbowed me. She didn’t want to blow a good thing, but I felt a bit lost.
“Can I see your tickets?”
I handed mine over. Astrid held onto her.
“These are designated VIP. You’re in the right place,” he said.
“I’ll have a beer,” Astrid said. “And nachos, a hotdog, and… just bring us one of everything.”
The man smiled and said: “Right away.”
“Can you believe this?” I said after he’d left. “Sledge got us box seats.”
“You better not blow this. I will never forgive you. You need to marry that man.”
“Astrid, please…�
�
“Seriously, he’s got to be loaded. At the very least, he’s well connected. Is he one of the rich players?”
“I have no idea,” I lied. I knew Sledge was being paid handsomely, but I didn’t want Astrid to know that. She’d only put more pressure on me to hook up with him.
She pulled out her cellphone and started typing.
“Who are you texting?”
“No one. I was just looking up… ah! See for yourself.”
Astrid showed me her phone. On the screen, Sledge looked at me from a cologne ad. He wore a well-tailored suit and a serious expression. I’d never seen him look so put together. It was like staring at a GQ model.
“He’s loaded,” Astrid said. “It’s like you said all the top players make a fortune from sponsorship deals, right?”
“In general, yes… but-”
“Look!”
She showed me her phone again. A picture of Sledge shirtless with a girl hanging off his arm came up. He wore nothing but a pair of boxer-briefs. Apparently, he was an underwear model now. I took the phone from her and examined the picture more closely. Somehow, in spite of my cyberstalking, I’d never seen this photo before.
Sledge’s body was insane. His shoulders were huge; his waist narrow. A perfect triangle of ab muscles led down, disappearing into his underwear.
When Sledge and I hooked-up, he was lean and toned, but he looked nothing like this. As soon as he went pro, he really started working hard on his body.
My eyes drifted over to the girl. Her back was arched, propping her ass out. Her legs were so long they gave her the appearance of standing on stilts. The model’s face was recognizable anywhere despite the heavy makeup she wore. Svetlana. Her lips were puckered and his cheeks sucked in.
“How can she call herself a model?” I asked. “Look at that duck face expression.”
Astrid laughed as I mimicked Svetlana’s over the top attempt at looking sexy.
“Her body is banging though.”
“Yeah…” I couldn’t deny her that. She had a body that looked like it had been carved by an artist. Selfconsciously, I pulled my coat around me.
I handed Astrid back her phone and wandered over to the buffet. A bowl of bright red strawberries were set out in front of a chocolate fountain. I dipped one in and sunk my teeth into the sweet, chocolaty fruit.
The door to our private box opened. I turned expecting to see the man who’d offered to get us some food from the concession downstairs. Instead Sledge walked in. I nearly choked. He was wearing his jersey and a pair of tight sweat pants. His muscles bulged beneath his clothes.
“What are you doing here?” I said accusingly. “You shouldn’t be here; the game’s about to start.”
He looked caught off guard. “I, uh, just wanted to say hi before the game started.”
Astrid gave me a hard stare. I could just hear her telling me to chill out. I’m not sure why I felt so hostile towards Sledge. His presence left me rattled. I figured I’d spend the whole game mentally preparing myself to talk to him later. I felt ambushed. I wasn’t prepared for this at all.
Astrid got my attention. She was pointing at her mouth and licking her lips. I narrowed my eyes. What was she trying to tell me?
“I hope you girls have everything you need. You can always have your server bring you anything you want. Don’t worry about the money. It’s on the house,” he said.
“That’s really sweet of you. Isn’t it, Bobbi?” She gave me a hard look.
“Um, yeah. Thanks Sledge. You didn’t have to do all this. It’s too much.”
“No problem.” Awkward silence hung in the air around us. “So… I better get back to the locker room. It should be a good game tonight. You girls have fun.”
“I can’t wait,” Astrid said.
I rolled my eyes. She can’t stand sports.
“I’ll see you after the game,” Sledge said.
“Yeah, bye.”
His eyes stayed on me as he left the room. A small smile crossed his face as he exited. I couldn’t help feeling as if he saw the deception written on my body. I’d given birth to his baby. How could he not see the guilt written all over me? Could he see the changes in me? Did he recognize how my body had become fuller after pregnancy?
Not for the first time, I wished I had my pills. I hoped Astrid hadn’t done anything crazy like flush them down the toilet. As soon as we got back to the dorm I was going to take at least three of them. Three would knock me out. I’d fall asleep and put this awkward day behind me.
“Look at yourself,” she said.
“What?”
She pointed to behind the bar. The rear wall had a mirror. When I caught a glimpse of my face I wanted to die. I had chocolate smeared on the corners of my mouth and on my bottom lip. I licked my lips and rubbed my face with the back of my hand.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I tried to signal you.”
“Oh my God, I’m such an idiot.”
“Don’t worry about it. Guys think stuff like that is cute.”
“Making a pig out of myself is cute?”
“Kind of.”
I had a hard time believing a guy would find my awkwardness cute. Somehow, I’d become an even bigger dork now that I was in college. In high school, I was shy. I liked to read. I had a few friends, but I wasn’t popular. I mostly kept to myself. I was shocked when Sledge showed interest in me.
My initial reaction was to assume it was a trap. In the past, there had been a couple of douche-y guys who’d made a sport out of banging the coach’s daughter. None of them succeeded of course. They were so transparent. I knew what they were up to the second they asked me out.
Sledge slowly won me over though. For some strange reason, he wanted me.
I walked over to the glass and peered down at the ice. Players from both teams were standing in the middle of rink as the National Anthem played. They twitched and fidgeted with energy. They were eager to get the game started. Sledge stood at the end of the line of his teammates. He was looking up in the direction of our boxed seats. Was he watching me or was it my imagination? He was far away, but I felt as if I could feel his eyes staring into me.
The song ended. The players skated around for a moment before taking their positions or returning to their team’s respective sides. The crowd was on their feet cheering as the game started. Astrid was at the bar, pouring a beer just as the server returned with a cart full of food.
“Can I get you anything else?” he asked.
“Not now, thanks,” I said.
He left us alone to enjoy the food and the game. Astrid picked up a hot dog and a pretzel, then threw herself down in one of the reclining seats and put up her feet. She seemed more interested in the food than the game. I watched her with an amused grin on my face.
“What?” she said with a mouthful of food.
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring.”
I smiled. “Give me half that pretzel.”
“Get your own. There’s, like, ten of them on the cart.”
I made a plate of food and settled in beside Astrid to watch the game. I could barely eat. The game was tense. The score was tired zero to zero as the second period ended.
“Does anyone ever score in this game?” Astrid asked. She stretched out like a cat, then jumped up to pour another beer.
“Don’t tell me you’re bored. That was intense.”
“Are you kidding me? Nothing happened.”
“Sledge almost scored five times. He’s kicking ass out there, but their team’s defense is amazing.”
“Do you think Sledge will get into a fight tonight?”
“Why?”
“It will liven things up. I like it when the players get sweaty and angry and start throwing punches.”
I rolled my eyes as if I found her ridiculous, but in truth, I kind of liked when they fought too. Once in high school, a player from our rival team made a remark about me on the ice. When I aske
d Sledge what the guy said, he refused to repeat it, but Chick told me later. The guy had called me a slut and asked Sledge if all the guys on the team got to bang the coach’s daughter or just him.
Sledge responded by knocking his teeth out in the middle of the game. I’ve never seen him that angry before. He jumped the guy and beat him within an inch of his life. When I found out why he’d reacted so strongly, I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of pride. No one had ever stood up for me before.
I never realized how alone I’d been until Sledge entered my life. Suddenly, we were a couple. People talked about us as a pair. We loved each other. He protected me. It was perfect.
The crowd suddenly roared. My attention was drawn back to the ice. The players were piled up on top of each other, throwing punches.
Astrid laughed. “Did you see that?”
“No, I wasn’t paying attention. What happened?”
“Some guy clothes-lined Sledge-knocked him right off his feet. Sledge got back up and jumped the guy, then everyone piled on.”
“Was he hurt?”
“I don’t know. Probably not. I mean, how can you get hurt in this game? Look at all the padding the players wear. Have you seen that hottie in Chem class? The one with long dark hair? He plays rugby. Those guys don’t use any padding. They get the fuck beat out of them every game.”
Hockey’s a violent sport. The guys get hurt all the time in spite of the protective gear they wear. I didn’t feel like arguing with Astrid though. I was too worried about Sledge. Where was he?
Slowly, the players started to skate away from the pile of people. It didn’t look like a fight so much as a group of people that had jumped on top of each other. I stood and went to the glass. I pressed my hands against the cold surface and looked down.
“Please be okay…” I whispered.
There was only one player left behind. He lay motionless on the ice. Sledge. My heart skipped a beat. A medic ran out onto the ice. The crowd was on their feet and deathly silent. I’ve never heard an arena so quiet before.
The medic slowly removed Sledge’s helmet. His eyes were closed and his lip was bleeding. Two men ran up carrying a stretcher. They carefully loaded Sledge onto it then ran off the ice. I took off running for the exit.