Starting Over

The name’s Jordan Staal. I’m a professional hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I have three brothers and two very loving parents, life really couldn’t be better. Well, until I met her. She was perfect in every way. Brown hair, green eyes, tan skin, and a curvy yet not fat body. And her name was Renee, I mean, she really was amazingly perfect.
But then she left, for no apparent reason! It broke my heart. I started to play like crap and no one thought my playing would improve. But then something changed inside of me. I guess I just let her go. It started about five months after she left.
I, Jordan Staal, was finally getting my head back in the game. I was making plays I had never made in my life and Coach Dan was impressed. He even called me into his office after my tenth good game and congratulated me on moving past her. He asked me who the new chick was and when I replied there was none, he was floored.
His words were, “Staal, get your ass out there and get yourself a girl. Your poor mother is going to want grandchildren soon.”
I had just laughed it off. But when I went out that very same night, I met a girl. I didn’t take her home like I would’ve with any other girl, heck, I even did it with Renee. I just didn’t want a one night stand any more.
“Hey, I’m Jordan.”
“I know who you are.”
“But I don’t know who you are?”
“You don’t want to. No one else seems to want to know me.” She got up from her seat at the bar and headed towards the pool tables.
“That’s why I want to,” I followed her as she picked up a stick and chalk cube.
“Look, you seem sweet, but I’ve also seen what a woman does to your manly ego and playing skills. Personally, I think you should lay off of women since your game is up for the first time since you and that chick broke up. You are a lot better than you ever were. Heck, if you were to get rid of Crosby, you could probably make captain. But I don’t see that happening because he’s the Golden Boy and like family to Mario.”
“And how would you know how close Sid is to Mario?”
“I’m Mario’s niece. I’ve met Sidney, he flirted, and I flirted back. I dated him during the Olympics. But he probably never mentioned me because he was also seeing a chick named Miranda. And I’ve been off hockey players ever since then.”
“Look, Sidney is a douche who isn’t ready to settle down, but I am,” I put my beer down in between the cue ball and her stick.
“I doubt it,” she picked up the bottle and took a swig.
“Why do you doubt it? I’m totally ready.”
“How about you get through that one rebound relationship and I’ll consider calling you if I ever decide to date a hockey player again?”
“Except that there is no such thing as a rebound relationship.”
“Of course there is, even Hallmark says so.”
“There isn’t one when it’s been five months. So let’s cut the charade, you and me at dinner in the city, Friday night at eight.”
“Eight o’clock? Who eats at eight o’clock?”
“A hockey player that doesn’t get back from Boston until six o’clock and I’m sure you’d like me to go home and shower before I pick you up.”
“That would be nice, I suppose.”
“Good, give me your phone,” I demanded and she gave it to me. I entered my number and sent myself a text message so I would have her number. “Can I text you when I get off the plane on Friday?”
“I guess, you should know where to pick me up.”
“Okay, see you then,” I sent her one of my famous smiles, gave her the phone back, and paid my tab before leaving the bar. I caught a cab and made the driver take me home. I crashed immediately and didn’t wake up until I had to be at morning skate.

“So you guys won, congratulations,” Ember said to me Friday night at dinner. I had picked her up after I went home to shower. She looked beautiful. Her five foot six inch lean body looked gorgeous in her yellow dress and black kitten heels.
“Thanks, the team did it though.”
“I never said you, I said the team.”
“Which is what I agreed with,” I tried to hide my ego with a signature smile.
“I know what you’re trying to do, Jordan. I know you are lying.”
“Okay, you caught me. I guess I’m a little cocky more so now than before because my game has improved a lot.”
“A little cocky? You are super cocky, Jordan!” she giggled.
“I like your laugh,” I responded.
“Thank you,” she replied.
“You’re welcome. Now, would you mind if we just left? This place is too stuffy and formal. I have a better place in mind.”
“Let’s go, stud,” she smirked and got up. I left a twenty on the table and met her outside. I opened her door for her and we started off. I pulled into Cold Stone. “Cold Stone?”
“What got a problem with ice cream for dinner?”
“No, not at all, I just didn’t picture Mr. Cocky hockey player to eat ice cream in the middle of the best games of his season.”
“It’s my downfall. Actually, I think it’s what’s making me better. I stopped eating it because it would remind me of her and then one day I just couldn’t not have it. So there I was, eating ice cream and the next day my game improved. I’ve had it every day since. And Cold Stone is one of the best.”
“I completely agree,” we got out of the car and I took her hand. We waltzed in and there was no one there except the employees.
“Can I help you?”
“Just a second,” I requested as I looked at the menu. It was always tough to decide what to get here.
“I want the Chocolate Devotion sundae like it size please,” she requested next to me.
“I would like the Founder’s Favorite please.” While they mixed our dessert, I looked over to Ember. “So, what do you do?”
“I’m a magazine editor, Pitt Magazine actually.”
“The college mag?” was my response.
“Yep, I am a student there; you picked me up on the outskirts of campus.”
“Grad student?”
“Nope, undergrad, I’m only 21 years old.”
“That’s interesting. I thought you were older. You seem older,” I honestly responded. We got our sundaes and went to sit and eat them.
“How old are you, Jordy?”
“You probably know, since you seem to know everything else about me.”
“That’s about right. But I’m afraid I don’t know your middle name or your age. Or your youngest brother’s name.”
“Lee, 22, and Jared,” I smirked at her. She grinned and looked down at her sundae. “Is that all?”
“Yep,” we both laughed.
“Really now? You know everything else about me?”
“Well, your oldest brother is Eric; the other older one is Marc. Your parents are Henry and Linda. You grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. And everyone always talks about a lake on your property.”
“I guess you know all the important stuff.”
“Told you,” she had her spoon in her mouth and she looked adorable. I whipped my phone out and snapped a quick picture. “Why’d you take a picture of me?”
“So I have one for when I text or call you,” I smiled.
“Then it’s only fair if I get one too.”
“Sounds good to me,” I posed with the ice cream. She laughed as she took the picture.
“Just promise you won’t post that one on the internet?”
“Okay, it is pretty embarrassing.”
“Then why’d you take it?”
“Because it’s perfect,” she showed it to me.
“I guess it is,” I offered her some of my ice cream and she accepted. “This would be even better.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for commitment, Jordan?”
“Yes, I’m quite sure. I’ve had one too many heartbreaks.”
“You sound like a girl,” she giggled again.
“Well maybe I should be looking for a guy to spend forever with, oh wait, I already have a bunch of guys to spend forever with. My team fits that bill pretty well.”
“Yeah.”
“What do you say we do this again? And maybe, just maybe, I’ll buy us better dinner.”
“I think we should do it again, with this for dinner,” she smiled.
“That’s good. I think we should do it tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
The next few weeks were spent playing hockey and thinking about Ember. We went out and got ice cream, went to the movies, and everything else. I was completely in love with her and she didn’t know. So one day, I decided to tell her. I brought her to the ice cream parlor, we got our sundaes, and then we went for a walk.
“I’m in love with you, Ember,” I finally just let it ring out in the middle of the park. People turned to look at me, Jordan Staal, professing his love for this unknown woman.
“Good thing, I was starting to think I was alone,” she smiled and kissed my cheek, leaving a trace of ice cream there. She than started to walk away, I let her go for a minute, just so I could watch her walk.
“Definitely not,” I said to no one but myself and chased after her.