All the Way

“Any new emails?” Cordelia asked, glancing up from the stack of mail in hand as she walked into the office. Ally looked over from the company laptop and shrugged.

“I’ll check right now.” she said, logging onto their email, browsing through them, “We have a sign-up.”

“What’s the name?” Cordelia asked, grabbing a post it and a pen.

“Um,” Ally quickly skimmed the message, “Reilly, R-e-i-l-l-y , Smith.”

Cordelia nodded as she wrote it down, “Wait a minute.”

She glanced up at her best friend at the same moment recognition flashed across her features, Ally quickly looked back at the email, re-reading it. Cordelia walked over to the desk, reading it over her shoulder.

“It can’t be.” Ally shook her head.

“Are you sure? How many Reilly’s are spelt like that?” Cordelia gave her business partner a knowing look and Ally glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.

“Smith is a really common last name.” she tried, but Cordelia shook her head.

“Allison…”

“It can’t be him! It simply can’t!” Ally threw her hands up.

“And why not? He just plays for Boston, he’s from Toronto.” Cordelia let out a little laugh as Ally stood up.

“Because it can’t!” Ally started pacing the office as Cordelia looked at the email again.

“Well, whoever it is will be at today’s basics class.” She smirked at Ally and she whipped around to face her co-worker.

“Fuck me.”

“Why are you freaking out so much over this? It’s not like you’re not used to NHL players. You’re fine hanging out with Gabe and his teammates when they come to town.” Delia chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest as Ally chewed on her bottom lip.

“I may or may not know Reilly Smith.”

“How the hell do you know Reilly Smith?” Delia scoffed, smirking as her best friend blushed. Hard.

“I sorta slept with him.” Ally cringed as Cordelia’s jaw hit the floor.

“Sweet Jesus.” Cordelia shook her head, “When?”

“When they were in town in October.” Ally sighed, “I happened to be at Product while they were there celebrating that 4-1 blow out. One drink led to two, then dancing and well you know.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me!”

“Because I didn’t want you to think I was some puck bunny and then want to quit. I’m your best friend, no one knows better than I do how much you loathe puck bunnies.” Ally threw her hands up in defence, “Plus, it was only a one night thing. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again.”

“I’d never think you were a puck bunny, you loser.” Delia smiled, walking over and wrapping Ally in a hug, “Besides, you’re a real Bruins fan. You know more about the Black and Yellow than most hockey fans, so you’re certainly not in it for the D.”

“You spend too much time with Gabe and Ben.” Ally protested, chuckling as she shoved Delia away, “But seriously, we need to get them out here, they’d love this.”

“Well, after today maybe Reilly can talk them into it.” Delia teased as she grabbed the keys to her Prius.

In the two years they’d been teaching Paddle Boarding it had quickly become the company car, with decals on both sides and a trailer full of boards hitched to the back, “We have time for a Starbucks run, Refreshers on me?”

“That sounds amazing.” Ally sighed, sinking into the passenger seat. Twenty minutes later they pulled up at the water front and Delia left Ally waiting with the class list while she headed across the street to Starbucks.

“Perfect weather for some SUP, eh Delia?” Derrick, her favourite barista and long time student smiled at her as she stepped up to the counter.

“As long as the lake isn’t frozen over, it’s always perfect weather for SUP.” Delia chuckled as she ordered. She turned to head for the end of the bar only to gasp as someone walked right into her, their drink dumping down the front of her tank top.

“I am so sorry!” She glanced up in shock and her heart dropped when she recognized the culprit, “Shit, I should’ve been watching where I was going.”

“It’s alright, Skinner.” she shook her head as he smiled at her.

“Carolina fan?” He asked and her eyebrows knitted together.

“Is anyone actually a Carolina fan?” she scoffed, shaking her head, of course he didn’t recognize her, pompous asshole, “Forget about it.”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” he asked as she brushed past him.

“You used to.” she muttered as she grabbed napkins from the dispenser and tried to dry herself off. The barista handed Jeff another drink, smiling widely even though he was ignoring her.

“I’m sorry I don’t remember who you are-“

“Ben Fanelli.” she blurted out and he froze, “I was Ben Fanelli’s billet sister.”

“Cordelia.” he frowned, “I am so sorry.”

“You say that a lot don’t you?” she scoffed, rolling her eyes as the barista set down her drinks. She smiled at the girl as she grabbed them and headed for the door.

“Delia, don’t be like that-“

“Don’t call me Delia!” She snapped, turning back to him, “Don’t act like we’re buddies, Skinner. After what you did you’re lucky I don’t punch you out right here, asshole.”

He swallowed hard and didn’t push the subject, not wanting to cause more of a scene. He just watched her turn on her heel and walk away before heading back to his table.

“Damn, I forgot how feisty Delia was.” Ryan Murphy chuckled, shaking his head, “What did you do to make her that angry? It couldn’t possibly be because you dumped your iced coffee down her rack-”

“She’s still angry over the whole Cristine thing.”



“What took you so long?” Ally chuckled, “Derrick want some one on one?”

“Ran into Skinner.” Cordelia huffed handing her business partner her drink.

“Skinner? Like Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricane, Calder winner-“

“Yes, Jeff fucking Skinner.” Cordeila snapped and Ally held up her hands in defence.

“Why are you so up in arms?”

“Because I can’t stand that self centred, selfish son of a bitch.”

“What did he ever do to you?” Ally asked, eyebrows knitting together.

“Nothing,” Delia sighed, “He did nothing to me, but he…his girlfriend, Cristine Prosperi, you know from that awful show-“

“Degrassi?”

“That’s the one. Before she dated Jeff, she was seeing Ben. He was head over heels for that bitch and she strutted around the rink like she was Carrie fucking Underwood, queen of the WAGS. Then…it happened.”

Ally frowned, knowing by ‘it’ Delia meant the accident. It was before she knew Delia or Ben or any of her Kitchener Rangers friends, but from what she’s heard from Gabe, it was bad.

They were playing against the Erie Otters one night, when Ben was checked into a metal partition in the glass behind the net. He hit his head, breaking and knocking off his helmet and once he hit the ice, he laid unconscious while twitching and foaming at the mouth before being rushed to hospital in critical condition with skull and orbital bone fractures.

Delia still won’t talk about it, she’s visibly paler just mentioning it now. Ally reached out and squeezed her best friends arm, urging her to go on.

“She stuck around for a little while, but when it became pretty obvious he wasn’t going to be drafted into the NHL she split faster than you can say meal ticket.” Delia shook her head, seething anger, “Then a few months later I’m watching the MMVA’s and she’s on Jeff’s arm and suddenly theres photos of the two of them everywhere. He was supposed to be Ben’s teammate, his friend, his brother and he’d rather bang his puck bunny than show an ounce of loyalty. It’s disgusting and this is the last I want to speak of it. We have students coming any minute and I’d like to forget about ever running into that bastard before they do.”



“It's like that feeling when you're just about to kill it, take your last shot you know you're gonna hit it. Somethings in the air, somethings in the air. Whoa oh oh oh oh. Something big I feel it happening, out of my control. Pushing, pulling, and it's grabbing me, feel it in my bones like. Whoa oh oh oh oh whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh whoa oh oh oh oh, something big I feel it happening.”

Reilly turned down the radio as he scanned the beachfront parking, slowing down when he finally spotted the baby blue Prius from the photos. Leaning against the quarter panel were the ‘Two Stand Up Girls’ of Two Stand Up Girls Paddle Boarding and he smiled as Ally laughed at something the other girl said.

He thought back to a few months ago when he was the one who was making her laugh. They’d handed the Leafs their asses and he went out with a few of his teammates to celebrate it, when he spotted Ally from across the bar. She was gorgeous, and he was looking irresistible.

They shared a look of admiration for each other and a drink led to a dance and a dance led to a taxi ride back to his off-season apartment. She was gone the next morning, leaving him disheartened. He had hope she’d have at least stayed for breakfast.

For Reilly, there was something different about her, but Ally apparently just wanted to have some fun.

After missing the playoffs, Reilly came home to that same empty apartment and decided it was time to make a change. She’d mentioned co-owning a seasonal paddle boarding school out of Woodbine Beach, and it hadn’t taken him that long to find it, actually having the courage to come out for a lesson was another story.

He pulled into the first open spot he found and turned the engine off, pulling out the key and exiting the truck, he locked the doors before slipping his keys into his pocket.

He was early, a little too early, and clearly the first student here so he hung back, just watching them chatting as they sipped at their Starbucks.

Ally turned her head, feeling someone staring and her eyes widened. She dropped the straw from her mouth and quickly turned her head back to look over to the lake, “Fuck me, it is him.” she muttered and Cordelia perked up, scanning the parking lot until she spotted him.

“Hey! You here for some paddle boarding?” The other girl called out to him and he blushed, knowing he was busted as he headed over to them.

“Uh, hi.” He smiled, “I’m Reilly, Yeah, I’m, uh, here for your class.” He stuttered.

“Of course," Cordelia nodded, smiling, too. “I’m Cordelia, and this,” she pulled Ally to her side, “Is Ally. We’ll be your teachers.”

“Hi Ally.” Reilly blushed, knowing she recognized him as well.

“Reilly.” She nodded, acknowledging him.

“Do you two know each other?” Cordelia smirked, playing dumb and Ally gave her best friend a glare and a shove, “Well, I’m going to let you two catch up while I go introduce myself to what looks like two more students.” She winked at Ally and ran off to introduce herself to the new-comers.

“Hi.” Reilly said after a minute of awkward silence.

“You said that already.” Ally half-smiled.

“Yeah, but you never said it back and I think that’s quite rude.” He joked, trying to lighten the awkward tension. She just shook her head, letting out a quiet giggle.

“Hi.” She smirked and he smiled.

“There you go!”