Tea for Two

Trying to forget Eliza was like trying to forget how to tie your shoelaces, basically impossible without sustaining some form of brain injury. She had haunted my thoughts and dreams, appearing at the most inconvenient moments and virtually preventing me to return to my once womanizing ways in the vain hope she would return to the city again. That she did just before the All-Star break, that had been the last time I had caught glimpse of the girl I had once tried to help but fell in love with instead.

It’s funny how much a few months can change someone; when I saw her waltzing around Consol before the game she appeared slimmer and had a distinctive glow of happiness around her as well as a distinct bounce in her step. I was just glad that she was back in Pittsburgh that was until Vero told me the next day that she was currently playing house with John Tavares, and her visit was purely so he could meet the parents. That coupled with the image of them walking hand in hand out of the visitors locker room after the game should have been enough to tell me to give up, but it wasn’t.

This is why I was here sitting in Flower’s house the beer that had been placed in my hand to calm my nerves was shaking vigorously, obviously the alcohol wasn’t doing its job. For the first time in months I actually looked half decent, the long mess I called my hair had been washed and brushed. Vero had bought me a new outfit for this occasion; she didn’t like John as much as the next person and she told me that this was my shot. I’ll admit I looked good, I had spent all my free time in the gym and all the muscle I lost from inactivity during the summer had been gained and the jumper Vero picked out showed that.

Max sat in the bay window, peeking out through the curtains every five minutes awaiting the car to pull into the driveway. If you asked me what the rest of the group was talking about I couldn’t tell you, my focus was on Max’s face, as I knew he would be the first to tell us of their arrival. That moment arrived a short time later, when his face lit up like a child’s on Christmas and he stood from his spot and raced towards the door.

I stood next to Geno and his girlfriend as I watched Max hug her and talk to her in French, oh how I wish I knew how to speak French. I heard Vero squeal and I looked over to the Frenchies where Flower was now patting a chocking Kris on the back. Kris looked over to me and panic took over from the nerves and I knew I wasn’t going to like what I heard next.

“Can someone tell me in ENGLISH what is going on?” Bianca said.

“Are you going to tell them?” her sister said with a huge grin on her face, she didn’t answer causing her sister to continue. “She’s engaged!” her sister squealed. The bottle of beer that had been in my hand moments early now laid shattered across the front porch of Flowers house whilst I made my way into the house and onto the back patio.

I stared blankly at the backyard that was covered in a soft layer of snow trying to process what I just heard. She was getting married, she had moved on because I had managed to fuck up the one of the best things that walked into my life. I didn’t hear the sliding door open and close and only noticed that I wasn’t alone when Sid came and stood next to me.

“You okay?” he asked looking out at the scene in front of us but I knew he was using his peripheral vision to examine my reaction.

“She’s getting married Sid. Four months ago, I should. I can’t even grasp the idea, how the hell are you?” I said referring to the concussion he had been suffering from for the past month.

“I don’t know, I mean Lauren told me she had moved in with him I just didn’t think,” he said and I nodded everything was moving so fast.

“I don’t think I’ve been more angry at myself in my life, this even beats trying to catch that fucking puck,” I said hitting the wooden barrier in front of me.

“You love her,” Sid said looking at me causing me to sigh. “That doesn’t even matter now Sid,” I said running my hand through my long hair. I heard the door open and turned around to be greeted by the last person on earth I wanted to see.

"I'm going to go, I'll see you later Sid," I said walking around to my car. Next stop, alcohol.