Date Night

“Good night?” Coach comes into the locker room, right past my stall. He hands me a slip of paper as he passes: Sophie’s number. I dial it right away – it’s almost lunchtime.

“This is Sophie,” her voice comes on the line. I must be calling her at work.

“This is Max Talbot,” I say in a serious tone.

“Stalker, how’d you get my number?”

“Disco Dan’s Dating Service to the rescue.” She laughs and I tell her I’ve put two tickets at will call for the game tomorrow night. They’re really good seats too, because I want to be able to see her.

“Bring a cute friend,” I tell her. “Kris gets lonely.”
____

Sophie stands in front of the mirror behind a pile of clothes. Too dressy, too boxy, too boring. She finally settles on a clingy black turtleneck sweater, very svelte. She’s got a going out shirt underneath for later. Brooke honks outside at exactly 6:15 PM.

There’s a note in the envelope with her tickets: Text me your cell number. XO, Max

Brooke presses the paper to her nose. “It smells like him.”

“How do you know what he smells like?! You’re psycho. No sugar during the game.” Sophie sends him a text: Go get ‘em, Superstar.

Their seats are really good. Like six rows from the ice right behind the Pens’ bench good. Sophie’s only sat this close before on business outings. When she’s on her own, she’s in the nosebleeds and even those aren’t cheap. Brooke digs her nails into Sophie’s arm as the Pens stream out onto the ice for warm up. Max does half a lap and immediately looks up for her. She waves and he waves back. Ten people between her and the ice turn to see who he knows.

Wow, she thinks. It feels more than a little special being the one he waved to.
____

Focus, Max.

I get my fill of looking at her during practice, knowing I’ll have to focus when the puck drops. Having her here is an added incentive to play well. Jordan gives her a wave of his own, points to her friend and pretends to take an arrow to the heart. I peek again as the National Anthem is ending – she flashes me an A-OK sign and a smile.

The new arena is rocking, music blasting and fans going nuts. Everyone’s energy is surging and I cannot wait to get out there. When I clear the boards for the first time, the new ice feels like glass beneath my feet. It’s pure bliss. The game goes quickly – no scoring in the first, then a goal each in the second. By the intermission, we are synching up as a team and chomping at the bit of a new season.

During the third period, Crosby gets a goal and Geno follows two minutes later. The entire place can feel the game tilting in our favor. A huge hit by Gonch tests the glass, which flexes and doesn’t shatter. Flower makes two head-standing stops and before we can even get tired, the final buzzer sounds. We float off the ice, high on adrenaline and hope.

I immediately go for my phone and text: Sending someone out to get you.

I give one of the operations interns her seat numbers and quickly shower. This time I get dressed before coming outside. The room is packed with people – media everywhere, God knows who else these people are. First night in a new house and it’s a free-for-all. The intern brings Sophie and her friend right through the pack.

“Most exciting game I’ve ever been to!” she strides right into me and tosses her arms around my neck. I pick her up with a squeeze. She introduces Brooke, who is cute and blond and smiling hugely. They watch a few of the interview huddles, since we’re waiting for the guys anyway. Jordan makes his way over, Kris hot on his heels. TK joins us, his girlfriend in tow. Geno and Oksana appear, and we all wait for Crosby. A lifetime of waiting for Crosby would be worth it to have him on your side.

“Brooke drove, so we’ll meet you there,” Sophie says. When I pretend to look hurt she squeezes my butt in front of everyone, then laughs and runs from the room.
____

“You love him. You want to have like 10,000 of his babies,” Brooke teases as they head across the parking lot.

“Mwahahahahaha,” Sophie does her best villain impression.

Once in the car, she pulls of her sweater and adjusts the deep v-neck Kelly green top she wore underneath. A delicate flower pattern in bright multicolor snakes down the neck and across one side of her chest. She pulls high heels onto her feet. Brooke works her way down to a red top with sequin straps and heads for the bar.

It’s Sunday, but quite a few fans are lingering from the watching party. The guys want to celebrate the start of the new season, and that’s best done with a hundred or so hockey fans. Brooke pulls in right behind Jordan and Kris. Max waits outside to take Sophie by the hand. They pile into a nearby sports bar, decline the VIP area and instead take a few hastily cleared tables in the back section. Two waitresses follow them, pitchers of beer already poured. Every head in the place watches them pass and someone cues Gary Giltter on the jukebox.
____

Whew! We are raring to go tonight. You can train all summer, scrimmage all through camp but nothing, nothing in the world even comes close to actually playing. Last season ended in early May and it feels like decades since we’ve gone head to head for actual points. We could play another 3 periods right now we are so amped.

I take a seat and pull Sophie right down onto my lap. She and Brooke have the buzz too – it was deafening in the stands and the energy from the crowd poured into the team. Sophie laughs and leans forward to pour drinks. Before she can do a third, Kris is handing Brooke a full glass and pulling up a chair. Jordan claims the rest of the pitcher and sits on the edge of the table. The entire clientele of the bar is trying to get back here and it won’t be long till they succeed. Sophie jumps up – my phone is ringing and she was sitting on it.

“It’s Crosby,” I read. “He’s stuck outside.”

Sophie goes right out the back door, dragging a chair into the jamb behind her. Two minutes later, she leads Sidney in.

“Sophie’s Search and Rescue,” she announces, giving Sidney the chair and sitting back down on my lap. She’s warm and very strong – every part of her body feels solid and healthy. Her hair swings and releases the clean scent of shampoo. When she laughs, my whole body feels it. Sophie leans down to speak in my ear.

“Nice game tonight,” she says just for me. “Was it as exciting as it looked?”

I nod.

“Feel better about having this season started?”

I nod again.

“Still feeling respectable?” And she goes right back to the group conversation, not missing a beat.

Now I want to leave immediately. I look at my watch and she slaps my wrist down without turning her head. Sidney refills our glasses. People are all around us, some trying to peel a guy off or catch his eye. The closer Kris gets to Brooke, the more Jordan surveys the crowd. A bold girl with a blond ponytail squeezes through and starts talking to Geno and Oksana. That lasts about as long as it takes Oksana to threaten his life in Russian. I motion for Jordan to take our seat and pull Sophie through the crowd toward the makeshift dance floor.
____

At least fifteen girls look at Max as they pass through the crowd. Well everyone looks. But fifteen look like they know what they’re looking at.

Should I be worried about that? Sophie thought until Max pulled her into his arms, wrapping around until it seemed like everyone else on the floor was a million miles away. This is probably how he got those girls too. Well it works! And she danced.

Max wore a collared shirt and very expensive-smelling cologne. His stubble brushed her cheek as they moved close together. Sophie’s head reeled a little – he was stronger than she was used to, holding her tightly without seeming to realize it. She put one arm across the back of his neck and a completely gratuitous hand on the smooth skin of his bicep.

“Nice tattoo,” she said.

“I have another,” he said. “You’ll see it later.”

“And you’ll see mine,” she smiles.
____

Game over. From this moment on, it’s a race and the finish line is breakfast, tomorrow, in my kitchen.

After a few songs that could have all been the same one, a big hand closes on my shoulder. I am surprised to see Crosby on the dance floor. Everyone’s looking at him, ten people deep. My heart breaks a little for the guy – all pressure, all the time. I cut my eyes and see that our table is nearly empty of friends, they’re all dancing. Sid gives me a ‘help a guy out’ look but before I can, Sophie does.

“Yes! I love being the envy of everyone woman for a hundred miles!” she cheers as she takes Crosby’s hand.
____

“Max said you can’t dance,” Sophie says. She probably doesn’t need to stand so close or speak right into his ear, but it’s Sidney Crosby. And a hundred people are watching.

“I can’t,” he smiles that boyish grin. But he’s holding onto her waist. It’s too crowded to really dance anyway, so they just move to the music. “Thanks for the rescue. Tanger ditched me for your friend.” He nods across the floor where Kris and Brooke aren’t having any trouble really dancing.

“I saved him once, I can save you too.”
___

I take the opportunity to find Kris and Brooke. They’re getting along just fine, and Brooke drove herself here. Excellent. I get a water and start planning our departure.

Sophie’s laughing with Crosby, who looks as relaxed as he ever gets in public. I swear, find him a non-threatening girl to talk to and he’s a different person. I make a mental note to ask Sophie if she’s got a friend who knows hockey that we can fix him up with. Because I’m thinking about later, down the road, after tonight. Thinking about tonight is more than I can handle.

But she’s thinking about it. She catches my eye and the look on her face says it all: hey baby.

Don’t screw this up, I tell myself. Dan warned you about behaving. Try to be a little respectable.

At the end of the song, I watch as Sophie and Sidney make their way through the crowd. Every single head turns as they pass and Sid looks straight ahead like it’s target practice and I’m the mark. When they finally get to me, Sophie takes a sip of my water.

“That was intense,” she passes the bottle to Crosby. “Is it always like that?”

He nods. “Makes me want to stay home most days.”

“Pffffttt. Makes me want to kiss you! Give them something to look at!” she laughs. Sid looks at me like, a little alarmed though she’s clearly joking.

“I am right here!” I feign indignity.

She doesn’t hesitate, she just kisses me. When she pulls away, I’m a little winded. Sophie looks around.

“Hmmmm, nothing they haven’t seen before.” But she slides her arm around my waist, coming in close to my body and puts her hand in my back pocket. That’s our cue.
____

Sophie pulls the door of Max’s car shut and waves as Crosby crosses in front of them.

“You’re making me jealous with the Kid,” he jokes.

“Think I’d be here with you if I wanted to be with him?” she says, arching an eyebrow. “He’s Girl Scout cookies, Max.”

“And what am I?”

“Breakfast.”
____

I break the sound barrier driving home. Stop signs are suggestions. When we reach the house, she walks so slowly from the car to the porch that I have a glass of wine poured before she reaches the kitchen.

“Nice place,” she says.

I set the wine right on the table. And then I kiss her.

We are alone, our intentions are clear – there’s nothing better than being so close to something and knowing you’re going to get it. It makes the journey enjoyable when the destination is no surprise. I take my time to learn her, kissing her softly and slowly then ramping up the tempo. Sophie lets me drive, responding to my steering like a car hugging the curves. Her hands run up my sides, under my jacket, pressed hard against the outline of my abs. My stomach is favorite part of my body and I think it’s a good sign that Sophie goes right for it.

She peels back my jacket and manages to drape it over a chair without looking. We’re still kissing as she works the crooked knot in my tie loose, then she leans back and pulls on it, bringing me to her. She does it again and again, until I’m laughing and we’re at the bottom of the staircase.

“How’s that respectability holding up?” she says with my earlobe between her teeth.

I’ve got my mouth on her neck. “Can I see you tomorrow night?”

A deep, throaty giggle rises from her body. I appreciate that she gets my joke, but even more that she’s saying yes in not so many words.

“So now we’re dating?” Her lips are touching mine.

“Good enough?” I open my eyes to find her looking back at me. “I could propose.”

She tilts her head back, laying the soft, scented skin of her throat bare beneath. I kiss her so hard I’m practically a vampire.

“I hear you’re supposed to propose on the third date.” She’s got my tie between her fingers again.

I let her pull me upstairs. “Okay, day after tomorrow then.”
____