by Lucy Smoke
"Sorry, I'm going on and on about me and hockey. I forget that your interest in me and hockey was just for the article," he muttered as he dropped his gaze and looked down at his own hands.
For a second, I was flummoxed — he thought I wasn't — no wait, wouldn't be, yeah, wouldn't be interested in him if it weren't for the article? Did he not look at himself in the mirror? Or hear the passion in his own voice? Or the humor in his jokes? He might be a flirt, and a cheeky one at that, but he was a good guy. If it weren't for my prior knowledge about the Puck Games, I would’ve been just like the barista who went all dreamy when he threw a smile her way.
Vinnie sat there looking so dejected my heart ached for him. I couldn't not comfort him; he was like a giant puppy that had his favorite ball taken away.
I reached across the table and grasped his hand. "No Vinnie, the article is finished. I’ve already submitted it to layout and it's going into tonight’s edition, hopefully. It’ll definitely be on the website. I don't need to be here for the article. I’m here because I want to be."
His eyes had made contact with mine and then dropped down to our intertwined hands. I filtered through the emotions that played out on his face, filing them away for analysis later; chagrin, surprise, happiness. I started to pull my hand back, when he seized it, trapping it from escaping. My breath caught in my throat as I stopped trying to pull away and he relaxed his hold, but still not enough for me to take my hand back.
After my initial panic had subsided, I actually realized that I liked him holding my hand. I could feel the calluses on his palms, which pretty much engulfed my entire hand, as his fingers moved between mine. I just sat there staring, trying to burn the image into my mind while simultaneously reassuring myself that this meant nothing, that I was still just a Puck to him, that he was still just playing the game.
"Okay you two, fondue for two with two lattes, enjoy!"
Startled out of the quiet moment we were having, we both snatched our hands out of the way. Which, conveniently enough, made space for the food and drinks. A barrier – exactly what I needed right now.
And can I just say, wow. It was all presented on a large wooden board, with little bowls of chopped up fruit, cakes, breads, and marshmallows. In the center was a huge bowl of melted chocolate with a little tea light candle in an alcove directly under the bowl to keep the chocolate warm. There were two fondue forks and a stack of napkins, two of which were rolled into a love heart shape — I pretended to ignore that last part.
"This is amazing," I breathed, my eyes round with amazement, and my stomach unsure on what I should try first.
"Yeah, bit bigger than I thought it would be. I’m going to have to hit the gym hard this afternoon." Vinnie laughed. "Oh well, it will totally be worth it. I hope you like chocolate."
"I'm female, of course I like chocolate." I gave him my best are-you-joking look, which earned me another laugh.
"Well then, ladies first." He picked up the two fondue forks and handed one to me, which I promptly took, stabbed a strawberry, dipped it in the liquid goodness, and popped it into my mouth.
Oh. My. God.
Why had I never tried this before? It was delicious. A moan escaped my mouth, making my eyes pop open — I hadn’t even realized I’d closed them. Vinnie stared intently at my lips, watching them like he wanted to taste the strawberry and chocolate that was in my mouth.
I covered my mouth with my hand. "Oh I'm sorry, that was just a little more amazing than I thought it was going to be."
Vinnie seemed to snap himself out of it. "Now that I know you like it that much, I’ll make sure I supply you with it on a regular basis." He smirked at me; his diamond stud earring twinkled with his movements.
Regular basis? He wanted to see me regularly? What the heck was going on? I thought that once a girl got pucked, the player moved on, like a one-night stand. Damn blind spots. We needed to find another Puck and fast.
I had no idea what to say back to that, so I just smiled, stabbed another strawberry and sacrificed it to my confusion.
Vinnie took a long drink from his coffee, and just as he was about to place it back down on the table, he hesitated over the piece of paper that I’d seen him fiddling with earlier. He picked it up and sat there pondering it for a moment; his eyes darted to me and back to the paper in his hand several times like he was assessing me.
"What is it?" I asked, the suspense killing me.
"Uh, well. I was wondering since you know, you aren't just interested in me for an article," he joked. "Would you like to go to this with me? We could keep it casual, just hang out. Seems like it might be fun." He passed me the paper to read over.
Flipping it so I could see the front, I almost choked on a laugh. It was a flyer for the Winter Wonderland festival.
"I can't," I stated bluntly without thinking it through. I glanced up to see the crestfallen expression on his face, shoulders sagging a little.
"Oh, ok, yeah sure. That's fine," he said with a tight smile.
Oh dear.
"No, you don't understand. I can’t go with you because I’m organizing it, I’ll already be there," I replied as I placed the paper back down on the table. I reached into my bag and dragged out Elizabeth's folder, which I had taken to carrying with me everywhere since I was constantly getting last minute calls and deliveries, and showed it to him.
He kind of just stared at the folder with all of its color coordinated tabs, bits of lace hanging out, and the scripted "Winter Wonderland" on the front cover. Vinnie’s eyes blinked at the extravagance of the folder, stuck between a mixture of relief and horror.
I had to give him props since he chose to go with polite astonishment.
"Wow, Scoop, that's yours?"
Laughing, I replied, "Yeah I guess it is, but it was passed down to me. It’s not really my style though. The person who was originally organizing the festival got sick, and the sponsoring professor asked me to step in. That's how I ended up with this baby, isn’t she beautiful?" I ran my hand over the cover, feeling slightly protective of the over organized color coordinated folder.
"Ah, yeah, that’s one word for it.” Vinnie dragged his eyes away from the monstrosity to look back at me. “Ok, so it's a no to going together, but what if I were to volunteer to help? Would we get to hang out then?" he asked, expression full of hope.
I thought about it for a second. I would have to make my way around to all the stalls at some point, so I could potentially hang out with him at his stall for a bit on the night.
"Yeah sure, that would definitely work!" I beamed at him. “Plus, we need a few more volunteers, so this is perfect.”
"Great, well text me the details?" he asked; a cute little smile played on his lips. I had totally expected him to look smug and arrogant, instead I found myself smiling at his cuteness.
"Sounds like a plan to me," I replied.
23
Hayden
Thursday 7th December – 18 days until Christmas
Stupid delivery guy delivering to the festival location instead of the administration building. Making me lug this heavy ass box back to my dorm across campus.
If he had of just read the instructions on the slip, he would have seen the locations were different.
What did Elizabeth freaking order? This box was heavy. And big. My arms were getting indents from the edges. And my hands slid inside my mittens as the weight of the box shifted in my arms with every step.
I stopped and balanced on one leg, while I used my other knee to balance the box so I could readjust my grip. Good thing I had been wearing appropriate shoes for this sort of thing. Not. I glanced down at my stiletto boots — the one’s I’d worn for Vinnie — designed to keep my feet warm and dry and my ass looking sexy, not for balancing on ice covered footpaths while carrying boxes as big as a car. Regret, there was so much regret.
I started walking again, but it was no use. The box still slid out of my hands. I quickly looked around for something to lean the box agains
t while I figured out a solution and spied an empty garden bench and made a beeline for it. About thirty feet from the bench, my fingers gave up their precarious hold, and I felt it slowly sliding to the ground.
"No, no no...." I grunted slowly slid down with the falling box, at least hoping to give it a soft landing.
Suddenly, the box was no more. Poof! It was gone.
In its place was Justin, with his navy hoodie pulled up over his head, looking at me with concern.
"Are you okay, H? Why are you carrying this heavy box? And why are you doing it in those shoes?" he asked with a furrowed brow. Of course, Justin would be the one who swooped in to save me.
My breaths came in huffs and puffs as I tried to gather my composure. Did he really think I wore these shoes knowing I had to carry that box? Did he really think I was that stupid?
"The... delivery guy... delivered it... to the wrong spot," I gasped out. "I was taking it back to my dorm room." I pointed in the general direction that I had been headed. “I got the message when I was in class on the other side of campus.”
"Oh. Well, let me carry it for you." And with that, he just took off, holding my box hostage.
I stood there for a beat watching his retreating back; I admired the way his black parka pulled tight across his shoulders, before I snapped out of it and hurried to catch up to him.
"Uh thanks, but that's okay. I was just going to take a break and then continue on," I stammered out, struggling to keep up with his long strides in theses shoes and weather conditions.
"It's all good, this will save you time, just tell me where I’m going," he replied, continuing his giant strides along the path. "What's in the box anyway? It's heavy."
"I think it's the supplies for the Christmas wreath stall for the Winter Wonderland festival tomorrow. They are, hopefully, the last thing to arrive," I responded as my brain ran over my mental to do list. This was the last opportunity I had to do things for the festival before it started tomorrow evening. I had to put the — at this stage — paperless paper to bed tonight, have my last psych class with Christian in the morning, and then help finalize all of the stalls before we opened the gates tomorrow night. No pressure.
"Winter Wonderland? I've seen the posters for that. Are you on the committee?" he inquired.
"Uh yeah, kind of. The girl who chaired the committee got sick and I was asked to stand in. So, I’m just making sure her plans all come together, basically the easy part."
"Oh right, well I was going to ask you if you wanted to maybe get dinner or something tomorrow night, but I guess you’re busy with this," he said as he lifted the box. Something jingled on the inside.
Hmm maybe that wasn’t the Christmas wreath supplies.
"Yeah, sorry, I would have had to ask for a raincheck." I smiled up at him.
"So, you would have said yes if I’d asked and you were free?" He smiled cheekily down at me; his smile softened the sharp edges of his face.
Thinking about it, I knew I would have said yes, even knowing about the Puck Games. Justin just didn't seem like the type of guy who went after girls, Christian I wasn't sure, and Vinnie was a player. Maybe not one who hunted the girls, but definitely one who wouldn't say no if a girl was all over him. Which oddly annoyed me, quite a bit.
"Yeah, I would have said yes," I replied as we reached the door to my dorm building.
He nodded with a smile. "What level are you on?"
"The top level. My roommate shouldn’t be home. Last time she had texted me she was hanging out with her soon to be boyfriend today."
I could have slapped myself. That totally sounded like I was inviting him to my room.
"Uh, I didn't mean that as an invite, not that I wouldn't invite you to my room, well not right now, maybe in the future, if you wanted to that is, I wouldn't just be like, heeyyy or anything — " I clapped my hand over my mouth to stop the verbal diarrhea that was currently flowing freely.
Justin politely tried not to laugh, lips pressed together and chest vibrating with the effort. The damn box jingled with his jerky movements, adding additional comical notes to the situation.
"What I meant to say was, I have a roommate who would have gladly helped me lug this box up the stairs, but I think she’s hanging out with her guy,” I replied, trying to clear the stage of debris.
I turned and headed up the stairs with my head held high, figuring he would just follow me. I needed the time to remove the embarrassed flush that had crept its way up my neck and reinstate my brain to mouth filter.
"Thank you so much for carrying that for me, I would still be out in the snow," I sent over my shoulder, which allowed me to catch Justin staring at my ass, which was at his eye level.
His eyes flicked up to mine with the guiltiest expression I’d ever seen. It warmed my heart.
"Uh, you’re welcome, H. Any time."
We made it to the top of the stairs and headed to my door.
"Well this is me," I said as I slid my key into the door. I turned to reach for the box, but Justin continued to hold onto it; his fingers bit into it with enough pressure to leave dents. I started to frown at the sight.
"Do you need any help with the festival? Because I’d be happy to volunteer," he blurted out.
My frown was replaced by a slightly slack jaw as I looked him in the eyes, which had me craning my neck. He seemed a bit shocked himself, but now that it was out, there appeared to be a mixture of relief and happiness.
Guys are weird. Seriously.
"Uh, sure. I’d love another volunteer. We have a bunch of stalls and only just enough people to cover them all. The additional help would be great." I spoke slowly, not sure if I had slipped and bumped my head on the ice, transporting myself to an alternate universe.
"Great, okay, well text me with the details?" he asked, causing me to have an eerie sense of deja vu.
"Yep, sure thing." I reached for the box again and this time he handed it over.
"Okay, great. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then, H." He waved and headed back towards the stairs.
I watched him walk away; my gaze traced down his back and watched his seriously tight ass shift in his pants with each step. By the time he was gone, I sported a goofy grin on my face.
Turning and opening the door with one hand, I stumbled into my room and managed to not quite drop the box next to the other nine that were taking up all the space around my desk.
That's when it hit me. Since they were keeping me a secret from each other, and I definitely wanted to keep them a secret from each other, how was I going to keep Vinnie and Justin separated at the Winter Wonderland?
24
Hayden
Friday 8th December – 17 days until Christmas
I was running so freaking late. My psych class had already been going for fifteen minutes by the time I reached the door. I pushed on it very gently and attempted to sneak in. No such luck. The damn thing let off a huge yawning sound as it opened, drawing everyone's attention to my tardiness.
I ducked my head in apology and quickly walked up the steps and down the row until I found Christian. I sat in my seat with my bag still over my shoulder, which forced me to struggle to get it off.
"Everything okay?" Christian whispered, concern lacing his tone.
"Yeah, fine, I just slept in. Late night." I responded as I pulled out my things. Once I had everything sorted, I relaxed in my chair to take notes.
Christian bumped his elbow into mine and angled his notes so that I could copy them. I smiled back at him gratefully and quickly transferred everything into my notebook.
"Why did you have a late night last night? Hot date?" he inquired. I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye to see that he was facing forward, keeping a steady expression, like he wasn't interested in my response. The foot pushing into my toes under our seats said a totally different thing as I felt it jiggle up and down.
I smothered a giggle and whispered back, "Christian, is this your way of asking if I’m single?”
/> When I didn’t get an immediate response, I looked up from my notes to see that he was staring at me like a hawk stalking its prey. “Yes, Hayden. Are you single? I should’ve asked you the other day, but you don’t seem like the kind of girl to have a boyfriend and let another guy put his arm around her.”
A lump formed in my throat, as an icy sensation started at the crown of my head and slowly trickled down, paralyzing my face, numbing my ears, pulling my mouth tight, and making my neck flame. I couldn’t swallow. Was this it? Did he know about Justin and Vinnie? Was my cover blown?
Wait, break it down, Hayden. Even if he did know about the other two, he does not know about the article you’re writing. And so what if you’re friendly with his friends, none of them have asked to be exclusive. This is the first time any of them have mentioned the word boyfriend in your presence, and it isn’t even about themselves. Stay calm.
I forced out a nervous laugh. “You’re right, I’m not that kind of girl. I haven’t had a boyfriend since Winter break last year. And to answer your first question, I was working late on a project. We had issues earlier in the week, which we ended up kind of getting sorted out late last night."
"Ahh, was it like a group paper or something?" His foot had stopped jiggling.
The guilt of not telling him about The Press weighed on me, but I couldn't blow my cover if I wanted to get more details out of Vinnie, or even him. Or Justin. "Yeah, you could say that."
We both sat in silence for the rest of class, just taking notes, since this was the last one before finals. By the end of class, Christian crowded my space, his arm across the back of my chair again and since my hair was in a messy bun, he was just rubbing his thumb along the back of my arm. A sensation I could happily get used to.