Thin Ice (7 page)

“Even if I was, I wouldn’t let you in on it man!”

“Scared she’ll get a look at me and ditch your ugly ass?”

“Please, that’s the least of my worries! Especially with the way you got your ass handed to you by 12 all night!”

“That guys a beast! He easily had a foot on me and was all over me the whole game!”

And with that, as the guys start bantering, I make my exit. I round the doors out of the rink towards the snack bar area, and the first thing I see is brown curly hair. Tegan notices me first and smiles over at Elli, indicating I’m on my way over to them. Elli turns around and as soon as our eyes lock, there's not only excitement, but other emotions I really don’t know how to read. It’s like she’s nervous but I don’t know why.

“Well Mr. Hockey, I say you earned your nickname tonight. Great game!” Elli says.

“I’m really glad you came.” Why try to hide it? I’m sure it’s written all over my face anyway.

Blushing. She’s blushing and it’s such a site to see.

“Wellllllll, since Elli is in la la land and has yet to introduce me, I’m Tegan.” Looking over to Elli’s spunky red headed friend, I smile and shake her hand in a goofy manner.

"It’s nice to meet you Tegan, I’m Dylan.”

“Oh, I know who you are. Great game by the way!”

“Thanks. You guys ready to grab a bite?”

I look back at Elli, and it looks like she’s thinking. I really hope she doesn’t back out. And that’s when Tegan speaks up. “Well I’m wiped, but you guys have fun!"

Elli looks over to her friend with horror. “But you’re my ride.”

“I can take you home.” I say as I silently thank Tegan for the opening.I didn’t mind it if she came, but getting Elli alone is definitely end goal.

“Then it’s settled!” Tegan says.

As Tegan gives Elli a look, she takes off for the door and then calls out “Have fun you two!”

Elli looks back at me, and again, I can’t read her emotions. This girl is such a puzzle.

“You ready?”

“Yea. Are you sure you’re okay with driving me home? I don’t want to be a problem. You’re probably exhausted and it’s really ok.”

“You’re not backing out on me are you?”

Smirking, she says “No. But..”

“No buts! Let’s go missy.”

“So pushy!” Laughing, she follows me out to my Jeep and I open the passenger side door for her after putting my bag and stick in the trunk.

“How very chivalrous of you.”

“I’m not just a good looking jock, Miss. Elli.” There’s that blush I was hoping for.

“So what are you in the mood for?” I ask.

“Ummmm. You pick.”

“Is this a test?”

 "Not at all! I just don’t have a preference, and you deserve to pick after a game like that.”

This girl has me smiling so much. “How about Millers Ale House? I could go for a burger. That sound okay?”

“Sure. Yea, that sounds good.”

As I put the car into drive, I look over and see she’s picking at her fingers again. I don’t know if I want to ask her about it yet, but it’s definitely on my list.

We pull up to the Ale House, and she gets out of the car right as I make my way around to open her door.

“You’re supposed to wait for me to open it for you!"

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I dent your ego?”

Laughing, I open the door to the restaurant, and we’re seated right away. When she picks up the menu, it doesn’t really look like she’s reading it. More like she’s pretending.

“Know what you want?”

“Umm. I might just get water, I’m not really that hungry.”

“No way! You’re not getting out of this that easily.”

“Fine! Okay okay, ummm let me see.”

When the waitress comes over to take our order, Elli tells me to go first since she’s not ready. I order my burger and when I look over to her, she hesitantly orders a grilled chicken salad.

“Are you sure? They have awesome burgers here.”

“Yea I’m sure! I told you I’m not really all that hungry.”

“Well, it’s better than just you drinking water while watching me eat.”

“Yea, I know.”

Her eyes are wandering like she doesn’t know what to say next. When her stare lands on the pool table, she looks back at me and raises an eyebrow. “Want to play?”

“Are you going to hustle me like you attempted to last night?”

Laughing, she shakes her head no. “I’m actually not all that good at pool, but it’s fun.”

“Alright, one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“Every time I sink one, you have to answer one of my questions.”

“Uh-oh. What kind of questions?”

“Oh, you’ll see.”

“Fine, but the same goes for you.”

“Deal.”

We walk over to the empty pool table. “Have I mentioned I love your sweatshirt?”

“Why thank you. Tegan’s idea.”

Tegan seems to have a lot of good ideas tonight. “I like my team’s colors on you.”

“You know, I think you try to make me blush every chance you get.”

“Guilty.”

She grabs the cue sticks and hands me one. “You want to break first?”

“I’ll let you go for it. Gotta measure up my competition.”

“Suit yourself. I’m telling you, I’m not very good.”

I rack up the balls and she goes to make her first shot, sinking a striped ball.

“How come I don’t believe you?” I ask.

“Lucky shot?”

“Sure it was.”

“So I get a question now right?”

“Yes ma’am. Ask away.”

“How long have you been playing hockey?”

“I was in skates before I could walk. My dad loves it, but he never got the chance to play when he was younger. So when my parents had me, they didn’t just throw me in soccer or baseball like the rest of the boys my age. And I’m glad they didn’t."

She takes her next turn and misses the shot she was going for by a few centimeters. I go in to take my shot, and sink a solid in the right corner pocket.

“My turn.”

“Oh joy. Alright, go for it.”

“What are you studying?”

“Digital Art and Design.”

“Oh so you’re an artist?”

“Yea, always have been. But I knew I didn’t want to go to school for traditional art. I like to draw, but there's much more of a job field for graphic designers."

“That’s awesome. You’re going to have to show me your work now. Hey, you think you could draw me?”

“Why is that always the first thing people ask when they figure out I can draw?”

Smiling, I go to take my next shot and sink another solid.

“How come I feel like I’m going to be doing a lot of talking?”

“Because you are. Next question. Tell me something no one else knows about you.”

“That’s not a question!”

”
Will
 you tell me something no one else knows about you?”

“So I have the option to say no?”

“Technically, but what fun would that be?”

“Hmm, okay let me think.”

As I wait for her answer, I see the waitress bring our drinks to the table and look around to see where we went. I wave her over to where we’re playing and she puts the drinks down on a bar stool near us, before returning to the kitchen.

“Ok I think I’ve got something. But you can not tell a soul!”

“Not a word will be spoken. Promise.”

“I am so going to regret this. Okay, I totally have a guilty pleasure for country music. Please don’t judge me.”

I look at her with the most serious face I could muster, and before I know it, I burst out laughing, getting curious looks from the surrounding tables.

“I knew you were going to laugh!”

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I say “You made it sound like your secret was like, life or death. Country music isn’t bad! I listen to it sometimes!"

Still laughing to myself, I go to take my next shot and sink another two solids.

“Am I going to ever get to ask you another question?"

“Don’t plan on it, since this is the only way I can keep you talking. Alright, two balls equals two questions.”

“Ughh just get on with it. You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“You’re right, I am. Okay first question. Why did you think I was pretending to be nice to you last night?”

That seems to take her off guard and she looks away, thinking about what to say.

“Next question?”

“No way.”

“Let’s just say I don’t have a happy history.”

“I’m feeling there's a story there. Care to elaborate?

“Can we leave it at you’re the first guy I’ve met that hasn’t made fun of me in some way. At least not yet.”

She looks down then, and my heart breaks a little. I go over and lift her chin up so she can see the truth in my eyes when I say “And I don’t plan on it, Elli. Trust me.”

As she continues to look me in the eyes, she whispers “you still have another question.”

“You’re right I do. Why were you really at the rink alone last night?”

“I always go alone. It helps me clear my head.”

I nod my head because I get it. The way you can lose yourself on the ice is unlike anything else. “I can relate. But I’d like to be there for you the next time you feel like that.”

She takes a second before slowly shaking her head and looking away. Figuring she needs a little breather, I line up to take my next shot and purposely miss.

“You did that on purpose!”

“Did not!”

“Sure you didn’t...”

“Guess it’s your turn now."

She lines up to take her shot, and misses. “I told you I’m not good at pool. I wasn’t lying.”

“Well lucky for me in this particular situation.” I take my next shot and sink it easily. Five down, two to go, and then the eight ball.

“Favorite movie?”

“That’s such a hard one! I have so many! I can’t pick just one!”

“Okay okay! Top five.”

“Can the Harry Potter series count as one? And the Pirates of the Caribbean?”

“Of course. So that’s two. Three more.”

“Umm, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Peter Pan,”

“Classics.”

"And of course, Wreck It Ralph.”

“Haven’t seen it.”

“What????! Oh my gosh you’re really missing out. It’s made so beautifully and the storyline is so original. Like, the artists who worked on this movie are seriously geniuses. All the details they put into the movie are unbelievable. It keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time and then the ending just hits you. Fix It Felix is my favorite character and, and I’m totally rambling and why are you staring at me like that?”

I’m in total awe. The way she gets so excited over this is like I’m seeing the real her. Like she is opening up and getting more comfortable with me. I like it, a lot. More than I probably should. “I’m sorry. I just love how excited you get. It’s nice seeing you happy.”

Heat creeps into her cheeks. “Again, with the blushing?!”

“It’s a good look on you.”

“Seriously though, you have to see this movie.”

“You’ll have to watch it with me.”

Without giving her time to answer, I sink my remaining two shots, and then the eight ball, all while she gives me a dead pan look.

“I have a feeling I was hustled.”

“I never said
I
 wasn’t good.”

Just then the waitress comes to us and asks us if we want to sit down at our table or the bar so we can continue playing. We agree on going to the table since were done, and I look at the salad she ordered. It looks like rabbit food, and there is no way I could eat that and not still be hungry afterwards.

“So I have three questions left.”

“And I’m sure you’re going to use all of them.”

“Damn straight. Okay so first question. I know you have a brother. What about the rest of your family?” I watch her tense up a little and pick at her salad. It’s like she’s afraid to eat it. I take a bite of my burger, not letting my eyes waver from her face.

“Stereotypical Italian family. I have a brother and sister. My moms a stay at home mom, and my dad is a mechanic, and a hockey coach. He used to be in the Marines.”

She starts picking at her cuticles again, and I know my next question. "Why do you do that to your fingers?”

“Do what?”

“Make yourself bleed.”

She looks down and understanding takes over her features. “It’s nothing. Just a nervous habit. I don’t even realize I do it.”

“What are you nervous about?”

“Is that your next question?”

“Oh no. Im saving that one for later.” I give her a quick wink and she smiles.