A Hockey Player's Proposal (Oh Captain, My Captain #2) (7 page)

Brody

I sit in the locker room, listening to everyone talking, but not really hearing anything. I’m staring at my phone.

Jessica: You’re the love of my life. I need you

Jessica: Please baby I’ll do anything you want

Jessica: CALL ME! We can work this out

Jessica: We belong together

Jessica: Don’t do this to us

“You look like you’re doing a really hard math problem,” Kris says, sitting next to me. I hand him my phone. “Whoa, looks like you do have a stalker.”

“I don’t know how many more times I have to tell her to leave me alone.” I shake my head. I sent Jessica several texts, repeatedly telling her to stop. It didn’t help, she just keeps sending more.

“Isn’t it strange the one you thought was a stalker isn’t one and the one that you didn’t think was a stalker is one. Funny how that works?” Kris chuckles.

“Shut up,” I groan as another text comes through. “They won’t stop.”

“Sucks to be you, captain. Anyway, there’s a purpose of me coming over here.”

“Which is?”

“I need to make sure that you remember about the dinner tomorrow night. It’s black tie, so don’t show up in jeans.”

“I remember, and I’ve never shown up in jeans before.”

“Are you bringing a date? Maybe Miss Crazy could come or Miss Fuck Buddy?”

“There is no way in hell Jessica is coming. As for Selene, she hasn’t talked to me the last couple of days.” I sent her many texts asking if she wanted to hook-up or come over, but each time, the answer has been ‘no’.

“Wait, are you telling me that Miss Fuck Buddy is failing as your, well, fuck buddy?”

“Stop calling her that. She has a name,” I growl at him. “She might be busy or something. Actually, I have no clue why she isn’t calling back.”

He slaps my shoulder. “Don’t dwell on it. Just think about the game tonight and being Mr. Perfect-Captain-Meatball tomorrow night.”

“Ass,” I mumble as he walks away. I look down at my phone one more time as another text comes in from Jessica. This is a nightmare. I scroll through until I find Selene’s name.

Me: Want to hang out before the game?

Selene: No

I lay my head back and try to think if I’ve done anything wrong. I don’t want her upset with me. After sex, she’s always the one telling me to get out, so I know that isn’t the issue. I’d tossed and turned last night thinking about Selene. I knew she was home, I could see her lights on, but she keeps saying ‘no’. I give up thinking about it. I finish getting changed and head home.

I lay on my couch, resting before tonight’s game. I try not to think about Selene, but my mind keeps wandering back to her. I know that she is okay because I hear Bonkers from time-to-time in the backyard. Sad to say, I miss that little guy too. Do I miss Selene as well? Or the sex? She is a good lay, I will say that much. However, I miss her smile and laugh.

I think about other night when I went over there. Unlike Jessica, Selene hid behind the door, and I like that I was the only one who got to see her that way. Jessica wouldn’t care who saw her, which I don’t like. When I have thought of myself in a serious relationship as an adult, it’s been with a classy lady. She doesn’t display herself in a manner that would be like a slut. I can see that in Selene. She’s classy, and I like that about her.
I really like that about her
. I shake my head at the thought of Selene and a relationship and take a nap.

~ ~ ~

The game was intense, and my back is killing me. I don’t know how many times I was slammed into the boards tonight, but I can sure feel it now. I pull into my driveway, head straight into the kitchen to grab a beer, and go out on the back porch. I’m so thankful that the only thing I have to do tomorrow is go to that benefit dinner.

I hear soft music playing, and I turn to see Selene on her back porch. The moon is bright, and I can see her in my jersey. She’s sitting on her bench, looking up to the sky. I watch as she reaches down and grabs something from the cooler next to her. It’s then I can see Bonkers in her lap. I’m not sure if it’s the moonlight shadow, but she looks sad. I step off my porch and go towards the gate. If she’s sad, I want to make sure she's okay.

“Crying over a game loss tonight?” I say in a joking voice.

“Hey, Brody.” She wipes away tears from her face. Bonkers sits up a little, wagging his tail, but he doesn’t leave her lap.

“Um, would you like some company? We could drown our sorrows together?” I don’t want her to be alone until I know she’s okay.

“I have beer.” She pats her cooler.

I take that as a ‘yes’ and open the gate. I walk up her porch stairs and sit next to her and Bonkers. It’s the first time since I met him that he doesn’t jump in my lap. “I haven’t see you the past couple days. Everything okay?” I ask gingerly.

“I always take this week off. I stay home and sulk,” she says back, almost in a whisper.

Nothing is said between us for a few moments. Only the low music is humming through the night air.

“Why?” I bravely inquire.

“When did you fall in love with hockey?” ahe asks, avoiding my question.

“Well, I was about three or so when I started skating. Then my parents put in my brother and me in our first league when we were about five. I scored my first goal that very first game. After that, I was hooked.”

I look over at her, and she’s looking up at the sky again. I see a tear running down her face, and I have the urge to protect her from whatever is making her sad.

“I was in the fourth grade. It was the beginning of year, and this bubbly, bright eyed girl in pigtails walks into our classroom. Her hair was so blonde, it was almost white. She had on a red and white Mustangs shirt, and she was full of confidence. I remember like it was yesterday.” She stops, taking a sip from her beer. “When she sat down next to me, she told me her name was Stacy. The very first thing she asked was if I liked hockey. Of course, I didn’t. I was so girly that I didn’t even like to get dirty. But, for some reason, she and I became best friends instantly. That year for her birthday, she wanted to go to a Mustangs game and take me with her. That was all she wanted.”

I angle my body more towards her. The tears are coming down harder, and she takes a huge gulp of her beer.

“I fell in love the moment the players hit the ice. The sounds, the crowd, watching the players, it was the greatest thing I had ever seen. Actually, it’s still the greatest thing I have ever experienced. From that moment on, we begged our parents to take us to games. We would save our allowances, our birthday money, anything we could do for money, just to go to games. Day and night, we never left each other. We were always at each other’s house or at school. Our friendship began with hockey.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “We even called each other every night and talked until one of us fell asleep. She was like my sister.” She stops again, and I watch Bonkers climb up her chest and lay there. He must sense her sadness.

“We were juniors in high school, and we got invited to this huge party. It was going to be the biggest of the year, and everyone was going to be there. This guy that I had a huge crush on told Stacy and me about it. So, we had to go. We lied to our parents, telling them I was going to her house, and she was coming to mine. Of course, they never questioned it.

“Well, we went to the party. There were so many people there, and Stacy seemed to know everyone. She was very popular in school. Anyway, I found my crush, and we went out back and started to make out. I was only gone for about fifteen minutes. I told him I had to go back to Stacy and see what she was doing. I went inside and started searching for her. She was passed out in a bed when I found her. I looked at her and instantly knew something was wrong.” She hangs her head and sobs.

I can’t take it anymore. I sit my beer down and scoot closer to her. I wrap her in my arms. She sobs harder, and Bonkers lays back in her lap. Selene fits perfectly in my arms. I rest my chin on top of her head. I breathe in deeply, inhaling her scent of fresh flowers. I soothe her as much as I can, but I’m really unsure of what to say.

“I’m sorry, Brody. I didn’t mean to cry all over you.” She sits up a little.

“It’s fine.” I don’t remove my arms from her. I keep her close to my chest. We sit there, neither of us moving from each other’s arms.

“What happened?” I ask softly.

“There were a bunch of college kids there, and they brought some drugs, but it was laced with a bunch of other stuff. When I found her, she was almost dead. She died a day later. Today, actually, eight years ago.” She finally sits all the way up, swiping tears from her eyes and pulling away from me. “Not only did I leave her alone, but I didn’t know her as well as I thought I did. We were best friends, and I never would have thought she would use drugs. Ever. But she did. Her parents let me take a few things of hers and I found her stash.”

She takes a deep, shaky breath and continues, “I’ve replayed that night and our entire friendship over and over, trying to see where I might have missed the proof. Or what I could have done to save her. None of it made sense to me, still doesn’t. She was my best friend, but she kept that from me. That secret killed her. She must not have trusted me enough. Maybe I was too caught up in guys or made too many comments about druggies or just wasn’t as good of a friend as I thought I was.

“I was so pissed at her too. We had a list of all the things we were going to do together as we grew up, and she ruined it all. We were going to go to the same college, stay in the same dorms, get matching tattoos, go on trips, marry hockey players, and live next door to each other so we would never be far apart.”

For the first time since I came onto the porch, she looks at me. Her beautiful dark eyes, illuminated in the moonlight, are so sad it hurts my heart.

“I feel at home when I’m in the rink. When we were able to afford tickets, it was always in the three hundred section. So, I buy season tickets and sit there because I feel close to her like she’s still here. I take the week off to remember her and everything I lost when she died.” Again, we sit there in silence. “I’m really sorry, Brody. I’ve sobbed all over your shirt.”

“The shirt is washable. Plus,” I smile at her, “I’m your friend, and I’m here for you. If you don’t mind me asking, did the guys who gave her the drugs get into trouble?”

“Arrests were made for those who were found with drugs on them, a couple for selling, but they didn’t charge anyone for that because they couldn’t pinpoint who exactly sold them to her.”

“Wow, that’s sad. I’m very sorry about your friend. Did you go through any counseling or do you use this week for that?”

“Both. It was too hard at first to be without after so long of always having her there, so my parents made me see someone.”

“I wish had some words that would console you, but I have nothing. However, I’m glad that I was here tonight for you.”

“Me too. Thanks, Brody. I think I’m going to lay down. Thank you for everything. I mean it.”

I stand and nod at her. She stands and gathers the bottles, putting them in the trash next to the porch.

“Hey, Selene.” I don’t know what comes over me, but I’m going to ask her. She turns and looks at me as I step closer to her. “There is a big benefit dinner tomorrow night. If you’re free, I would like for you to go with me.”

She steps back from me. “Are you asking me out?”

I think about it for a second. “Yes, I am. Would you like to go?”

“Brody, we’re just fuck buddies. I don’t want to complicate anything in our arrangement.”

I take her hand. “I’m asking my friend to do me the great honor of being my date.”

She stares at me few several seconds.

“It’s black tie event. I don’t know if you would enjoy being out of that awesome looking jersey.” I softly chuckle.

“I have several dresses for black tie events. I go to a lot of things for my dad. Although, I do like this jersey.” She gives me a small smile.

“Is that a ‘yes’?” I ask.

She nods. “Yes. I would love to.”

“Great, the limo will be here at six.” I give her a quick kiss on the lips and head back over to my house.

~ ~ ~

The limo service called me and confirmed that they are ten minutes away. I really dislike limos. I would rather go in my own vehicle. However, you can’t argue when your boss is the one sending it. I look in the mirror and adjust my tie again. I really don’t like bow ties either. I grab my wallet and phone and walk over to Selene’s place.

I knock on her door. The moment the door opens, my jaw hits the ground. Selene is stunning. Her dark hair is in loose curls, framing her face. Her makeup is flawless, enhancing her beauty. It’s the dress that put it all together though. It’s a deep red color that goes all the way to the ground. It’s tight around her breasts and torso, then slightly flows out from her waist. The chiffon wrap twinkles in the light.

“Brody, you okay?” she asks.