Chicago City Lights

Evelyn sat on her couch watching the Blackhawks face the Ottawa Senators. She smiled, as the announcers told of how Ben Eager was in his hometown and he had family in attendance to watch him play.

Evelyn scolded herself, as she wondered if there was a girlfriend there to see him play, too. She shouldn’t be worried about Ben having a girlfriend. They were just friends. He was her friend. With beautiful blue eyes.

Shut up,she thought.

Evelyn smiled as they won, Patrick Sharp making the other team look stupid, as usual. She didn’t think Ben would call her, being out of town. He had no idea that she knew about him being a hockey player.

The Blackhawks would be flying back to Chicago that night, Evelyn assumed. They had a home game the next day, a game that Evelyn bought tickets for. She was changing into pajamas when her cell rang.

She smiled when she noticed it was Ben’s number.

“Hey,” She answered.

“Evelyn,” He replied. “How’re you?”

“Good, changing to go to bed.”

“Ooh,” He laughed, and Evelyn could practically see him wiggling his eyebrows, suggestively. “Early to bed…”

“Well,” Evelyn started. She wondered if she should tell him… “I have a big day tomorrow.”

“Oh, yeah,” He said. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to my first hockey game since I was, like, eight.”

“Really?” He asked, his voice wavering slightly.

Evelyn suppressed a giggle at his nervousness, “Yeah, the Blackhawks are playing the Oilers. I figure I should start following my town’s team, you know?”

“Yeah,” He answered.

“Besides, I hear they have some cute boys on the team…”
That statement seemed to perk Ben up, as he answered, laughing, “Oh yeah? Like who?”

Evelyn grinned, “I don’t know. Those Kane and Toews kids are cute, but I kind of like that Brent Seabrook… saw his picture in a newspaper.”

Ben stayed silent, so Evelyn continued, “Ben Eager is my favorite, though, but I hear he’s forgetful.”

Evelyn laughed, as Ben tried to stutter out a sentence.

“Lyn,” He started. New one, she thought. “You know?”

“Yeah,” She said, stopping her laughter. “The day you left your wallet, I was waiting for you to call… Well, there was nothing on TV, and I was never really a hockey fan, but my dad was…”

“You’re rambling,” He interrupted.

“Shut up, Ben. I watched the game and they happened to mention the newest addition to the Blackhawks, a boy who was traded from Philadelphia…”

Ben laughed, “You didn’t say anything…”

“You didn’t, so I didn’t either.”

“Thanks,” He told her. “I love being a hockey player, but I don’t want that to be all I am.”

“Right,” She agreed. “You are more than just a hockey player, you’re a wallet forgetter.”

“You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”

“Nope.”

*

Evelyn walked to will-call to pick up the newer, better ticket Ben had reserved for her. Sitting in the last row of the three hundred level was not an option for his friends, apparently. She sat down in her front row seat, right behind the Blackhawks penalty box.

Ben had promised he would see her there. Evelyn laughed and asked what he meant. He told her that he was a fighter, and he wanted to get his first fight as a Blackhawk out of the way.

Evelyn had laughed, but felt nervous. She had seen how hockey players fought, and he couldn’t help but feel anxious knowing that Ben was planning on fighting.

When she reached her seat, she smiled at the middle-aged couple to her left and the two thirty-something men on her right. She was wearing black skinny jeans, black uggs, and a brand new, red Ben Eager jersey.

“Where did you get that?” All four of them asked, awing at her jersey.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Ben Eager jersey, he’s been here for four days! Those jerseys haven’t been released yet.”

“Oh,” She said, simply, shrugging her shoulders.

She smiled at how Ben had shown up at her apartment earlier in the day, throwing the jersey at her, telling her she just had to wear it, and that it was hers to keep. She had laughed at him, giving him a hug for the present. She was also told that she needed to meet him after the game, and he gave her instructions on where to go.

He winked at her before leaving, telling her he had to get to the arena. She laughed as he ran down her hallway and disappearing out of sight.

As the game started, Evelyn found herself confused by the action. With no commentators to tell her what was going on, she was completely lost. The four she was sitting in between seemed to notice.

She didn’t have time to have them explain, as her eyes went wide. Ben was fighting Zack Stortini of the Oilers. Evelyn winced at every hit Ben took and cheered at every punch he threw.

The referees finally pulled them away from each other, and both were sent to the penalty box. Ben skated to the box, still yelling at whatever opponent he was mad at. The refs practically shoved him into the box, and he smiled at Evelyn.

“Hey, Lyn,” He yelled, so she could hear him.

“Are you okay?” She yelled back, worried.

“Never better, babe.”

Evelyn let out a sigh of relief as he sat down on the bench. She continued watching the game, and soon Ben was let out of the box. The four people she was sitting in between again looked at her.

“So, that’s how she got the jersey…” The middle-aged woman said.

Evelyn blushed, “Yeah, we’re friends.”

They all nodded with wry smiles and she swore she heard one of them say, ‘sure.’ Evelyn continued watching the exciting game, with the outcome being another Blackhawks’ win, at three goals to two.

Evelyn took a deep breath and left her seat, heading to where Ben told her to meet him. She frowned as that familiar nervous feeling seeped back into her stomach as she walked.