As Fate Would Have It

There they sat. Perched on the coffee table just waiting. Two tickets to tomorrow night's game staring me right in the face. I had no idea what to do with them, so after I opened the cream colored envelope, I just set them on the coffee table to be mulled over later. Well, now was later and I still hadn't come up with any type of solution. I didn't have much of a choice when it came to attending the game, since I always lived up to my promises, but the question was who would I take with me?

Showing up to a hockey game alone would be lead to humiliation, which I have had enough of in the past few days. The list of people I could take was rather short, and getting shorter by the minute. There were a few girls from work who would probably be happy to join me, but the only one I would ask had to cover my shift the night of the game. The barista who took my order every morning, though she only knew my name because she wrote it on the side of a coffee cup every morning. Let's see...there was also Ian, but what problems would that raise? He had heard about my little run in with the team, as well as Kris taking me home, from Louis, Ellie's husband. Amazingly, Ian wasn't too terribly upset about it. In fact, he pretty much congratulated me on meeting the men I admired so much. He hadn't, however, heard about my promise to attend the next home game, as well as get a drink or two, with Kris. I sure as hell wasn't about to tell him either. If I offered one of the tickets to him, I would be placed in front of the firing squad. He knows I could never afford them on my own. Questions of how I got them would flood in and I was sure to drown among them.

Lying wasn't an option. I was a terrible liar, and it got worse when I try lying to the people I care about the most. My face just betrays me. I once tried lying to my Mom about sneaking out of the house at the age of sixteen, and my face appeared to be in pain the entire time. She asked what was wrong, and I broke, telling her everything from the night. I imagine the same thing would happen with Ian if I attempted to pull a lie out of my ass about the tickets. Asking him to the game was completely out of the question, but I was now stuck. What other options did I ha...

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I felt my Blackberry vibrate beside me. I wasn't expecting any calls, and the only time I got them out of the blue was when work needed me. Please God don't let it be work. They already have my soul, what do they want now? Maybe a limb or two. Definitely not going to happen. Pulling the phone up in front of my face, I felt an eyebrow raise. Ellie? Ellie! That's who I could ask! Not only did the girl love hockey, but she had perfect timing since I was about to toss the tickets and move out of Pittsburgh so I would never have to face Kris again.

"Ellie! I'm so glad you called!" I heard my voice ring as soon as I hit the answer button.

"Oh really? It's a good thing I got bored enough to call you then."

Well that was a low blow.

"I'm kidding. I was actually calling to see if you were free tomorrow night. Louis needed some manly time, or whatever you want to call drooling over some stripper's breasts, which leaves me all alone," Ellie sounded slightly desperate for human interaction, which made me let her early comment slide, even if it was just a joke.

"That actually sounds perfect. I have tickets to tomorrow's game," I explain, reaching for the tickets from the coffee table. "Would you be interested?"

"Hell yes! I'll pick you up at five-thirty tomorrow and we'll do dinner. Be ready."

Click.

Looking at the phone in disbelief, I watches as the call ended. Why had I not thought of Ellie sooner? She really was the perfect candidate. Between her knowing some of the team, being familiar with CEC, and liking hockey, she was the perfect answer. I sat there, smiling at the tickets now. Things weren't nearly as bad knowing that I now wouldn't be going to the game alone. Just as the news sank in, a heard a knock at my door. Standing up, tickets still in hand, I strolled over and opened it without even bothering to look through the key hole. Who would be planning on walking in and raping me at one in the afternoon? Also, what rapist knocks? I'm pretty sure I was safe from whoever stood on the other side of that door.

Wrong again. Looking up, I saw Ian standing in my doorway with a bouquet of flowers and the largest grin in the world. What the...? I caught myself thinking as he swooped into the room with one fluid motion. I quickly looked at the tickets and threw my hands behind my back, hoping he had yet to catch a glimpse of them. "Ian! Wh..What are you doing here?"

"Well, I came to surprise you," he started, handing me the flowers and giving me a quick kiss on the lips. "You've been working so much since the game that I've barely had time to see you. How does lunch sound?"

You haven't seen much of me because I've been avoiding you, I thought, but his reasoning sounded much better. "That sounds great. Let me..um..go throw something else on," I rushed, just wanting to get out of the room and hide the tickets quickly.

"What's the behind your back?" Dammit. I never could get anything by this man. With a sigh, I pull the tickets from behind my back to show him. Ian takes them gingerly and raises and eyebrow. "Tickets for tomorrow night's game? Where did you get these?"

"Would you believe me if I said Kris Letang gave them to me?" Telling the truth had to be better than getting caught in some stupid lie, or so I hoped.

"No," Ian answer shortly, giving the tickets back to me.

"Well then they're Ellie's. I'm going to the game with her tomorrow," Now he won't believe the truth, so I'm forced to make up some sort of lie. Damn Ian.

"That sounds a little more believable. Now go get ready. We have reservations."