Her phone was definitely broken. Megan had tried, unsuccessfully, to sneakily text a cab company to get her the hell out of here for over an hour. She’d been leery of Dave’s behavior at her place, and then on the car ride over to the restaurant all he’d want to talk about was Jack. Jack Johnson, he even knew his full name.

And Dave had been kinda weird about the whole thing; he’d even insinuated at one point that there was only one type of girl that a guy like that wanted and it wasn’t the good girl. It wasn’t sweet or nice or any of the things that he tried to describe Megan as. From the way Dave was talking, he wanted her to think Jack was scum of the earth, that he’d use her and break her heart.

She knew. Without a doubt. That Dave was full of shit and Jack would never do that.

Megan felt like any connection they’d had on their first two dates was just torn apart over garlic bread and overpriced oysters.

She had to call it quits. She had to get out of there but she couldn’t pick up a signal under the table. She excused herself to go to the bathroom and instead headed to the front of the house. The hostess was polite at first and then entirely sympathetic when she explained the situation.

The hostess agreed to call a cab company for her and Megan went back to fetch her purse and coat.

“I’m going to step outside for a smoke. I’ll be right back in.” Megan lied smoothly and she was almost proud of herself.

“You don’t smoke.”

“I do when I’ve been drinking.” She gave Dave her most winning smile and swept back across the restaurant. She let out a sigh of relief when she cleared the far wall, escaping momentarily into the bar to wait for her cab.

She rubbed her forehead with one hand and let out a weighty sigh. A tentative touch at her elbow almost had her screaming in surprise. She jerked hard, panicked for a moment that it might be Dave.

It wasn’t Dave.

It was Jack. Jack, wearing what had to be a borrowed dinner jacket to make dress code and a pair of khaki pants. Jack, who was looking at her with such concern that it almost made her cry. Jack, who was married with kids but who had slowly wormed his way into her life and her heart with his quick, easy smiles and friendliness. “What are you doing here?”

He kept his voice low, his hand still on her elbow.“I was really concerned. That guy seemed like a total dick bag and I was worried. And with the whole third date comment, I wanted to be sure you knew what you were getting in to.”

There was way too much information in that statement. Megan didn’t even know where to start.
“You were worried about me so you followed me on my date?” She was baffled.

Jack gave her a small nod. “He really didn’t seem like a nice guy. And, I see you’re running off so he must not be.”

She felt worn out and beaten. She felt like shit because this was a horrible date and it was somehow all Jack Johnson’s fault but she didn’t want to blame him. He couldn’t control her raging hormones and her complete lack of respect for another woman’s property.

“Can I take you home?”

Megan bit her lip and nodded up at him. Between having to wait for the cab and possibly be discovered by Dave and constantly reminding herself that Jack was resolutely off limits, she’d take the off limits any day. “Please.”

He helped her into her coat and led her to the front door.

They almost made it. They were so close, just clearing the doors leading from the entry way into the bar, when Dave came through the front so quickly he banged the heavy wood portal into some very delicate stained glass. “There you are!”

It took Dave a few seconds to realize who was with her but when he did, he scowled. His face turned so ugly that Megan was startled to realize he was jealous. This whole time, he was jealous. Why, she couldn’t imagine because there wasn’t anything, would never be anything, between her and Jack. And why would Dave care?

“What the fuck, you douche bag! The puck bunnies aren’t easy enough you gotta go steal another man’s girl?”

Jack stepped in front of her, hands raised in supplication. “I’m just helping out a friend, man. She doesn’t want to be here anymore.” He tried to scoot them past Dave but Dave was having none of that.

“Fuck you, dude. I don’t give a fuck if you get paid to beat up guys for a living. I’m going to fuck your shit up.”

Things got a little hazy for Megan after that. Jack pushed her away as gently as possible when Dave made a dive for him. They were both about the same height and probably about the same weight but where Dave had toned down, Jack was all muscle. The first punch Dave threw flew wide and Jack got him by the back of his neck.

Dave threw another punch, this one connecting with Jack’s brow. He didn’t break skin but Jack let out a violent, “Fuck!”

The kid gloves came off. Jack picked Dave straight off his feet and slammed him into the ground.

Megan held her throat, not at all sure what the hell was going on. A crowd had gathered, the staff moving in to break them up. An older gentleman who had been sitting at the bar slid up next to her. “Your ‘date’ is not a very bright man; picking a fight with a hockey player.”

Megan shook her head, eyes glued on the fight, as she answered. “Dave works for a brokerage. He doesn’t play hockey.”

The man laughed. “I meant the other one. Johnson. He just got traded here. Not three weeks ago.”

Megan’s whole world narrowed as her gaze turned to the man next to her. Surely she had heard him wrong. “No, Jack’s a singer.”

The guy seemed really really sorry for her. He patted her on the shoulder. The staff had gotten the two fighters separated although they continued to hurl insults at one another. “No, dear. That there is Jack Johnson. He plays defense for the Blue Jackets, the local hockey team.”
Megan looked back at Jack. He was holding his hands up again, brushing off the staff. They were pretty ineffectively trying to herd both him and Dave out the door. Unbidden, flashes from the last two weeks came to her.

Jack, confused about her asking about coming out to Columbus alone. Jack, not needing a lot space and wanting something close to the Arena District. Jack, now very likely single and most likely flirting with her for the last two weeks. Her fingers were numb as she fumbled for her phone and pulled up Safari.

Twelve taps on her touch pad keyboard pulled up the profile of one Jack Johnson, singer.
When she clicked on the first picture to come up she almost vomited on the spot.

Instead, she looked up at Jack in wonder. He’d finally calmed the staff down enough to send Dave outside while he tried to calm the situation inside. As he talked she took in the high cheeks and the scar-ridden brow. The face of a man who could take a small, hard piece of rubber to the nose at any time. “Holy shit.” Her voice was just a whisper.

Jack was ridiculously fit. He had the build of an athlete. She pulled up one more page on her phone. #3 for the Los Angeles Kings. #7 for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Born in Indianapolis. Grew up in Michigan. Shit. Jack Johnson was more Midwest than she was. “Holy shit!”

She drew the attention of the entire restaurant.

“Are you okay?”

Megan shouldn’t be at all surprised at the speed with which Jack reached her. He held both elbows gently. “You aren’t married.”

Her statement took him by surprised and he just shook his head in confusion for a moment.

“I mean- you’re not married and you don’t have kids and you’re not a singer.”

There was a disturbing realization on his face. “Wait. Are you- did you think I was THAT Jack Johnson? This whole time?”

Megan felt numb with discovery when she should have felt relief. She should have been overjoyed because she was well past having a crush on Jack and moving quickly into unrequited love territory.

“Seriously? You thought that I- that I was married and was still hitting on you basically all the time?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t even know you existed until about two minutes ago. I just knew of the singer- when I did the profile on you- I didn’t think to look at pictures!”

She hurt him with the not knowing he existed comment. A storm crossed his face, not clearing at all when he finally found the words. “It really feels like I don’t exist, right now.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I followed you on a date, just to make sure you were okay. And you just thought I was this married creep, this whole time. And you didn’t say anything.” He sounded destroyed. Absolutely wrecked. “I, just . . . wow.”

Megan reached out for him because she needed to hug him, make actual and legitimate physical contact for the first time ever. She needed to explain that this was good. This was great! She didn’t have to feel guilty all the time. As her spirits lifted, it was as though she was watching his plummet.

Jack turned and walked away.

That was the short story. At any rate. What really happened was that Jack Johnson, not the singer, turned his back on her and walked out of the restaurant while Megan stood by and watched him do it.

That was how Megan knew she’d probably just broken the heart of one Jack Johnson: hockey player and all around really great fucking guy.

*

The fight at The Top had made the papers, unfortunately, but Jack was painted as the wounded party, fortunately. The cops weren’t involved; other than some interesting press the world moved on. It took her two whole days after the story broke to build up the courage to knock on his apartment door. Two whole days while she moped around and made people ask a lot of really relevant questions.

Megan didn’t have a lot of relevant answers because she couldn’t answer them now. She needed to talk to Jack before she could really know anything. She found herself standing in her hallway for long minutes, thinking of what she could possibly say to fix this.

In two days she had a semi-reasonable apology worked out in her head. After practicing it through the day, she left her place, made the short walk down four doors, and knocked with all the bravado of an idiot.

He never answered.

She realized, later, that since he was a hockey player he’d be out of town all the time for games. This was when she printed off a schedule for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was in Vancouver, playing something called a Canuck. She circled the date on her regular calendar for the day he’d likely be home.

*

Once she had a plan in motion, Megan was usually really good at implementation.She’d spent a few weeks getting to know Jack as a neighbor and a possible friend. She had time, now, to learn about him as a hockey player. Really, step one was figuring out hockey. She was fairly sports illiterate. Seth was able to help out. Not just a nosy neighbor, he played rec league soccer and she figured that was close enough.

It really wasn’t. Seth was able to set her down though and explain what he could about hockey and how it was played. He watched a couple of games with her. They caught the last game on Jack’s current trip against the Calgary Flames.

Hockey was brutal. No question. She winced every time someone came within five feet of him even though he had plenty of size and equipment. It made her so nervous, knowing that the sweet guy she’d been trying not to fall for was out there with knives on his feet.

She sucked it up and sent him a text when the game ended, Jack’s team winning. Just congratulations. No big thing.

Megan went to bed before he might get a chance to respond. He’d be home the next day.

*

It was early when the knocking on the door roused her. Not yet 6 AM. She grumbled all the way to the door, pulling on her robe as she looked through the peep hole. She gasped and threw herself against the wood, as though she might actually be able to hide from Jack. She looked like a mess. This was not the plan. The plan was this afternoon, after work, fancy dress and perfect hair.

“Open up, Megan. I can hear you moving around in there.” She swallowed hard, gathered her wits, and opened the door.

Jack looked tired. But in a really amazing, wearing-a-perfectly-cut-suit that did everything for his wide shoulders and fit waist. He wasn’t smiling but he wasn’t frowning. When he didn’t say hi, as he had almost every time they’d seen each other, she felt something ping insider her, empty and sad.

“Do you want to come in? I can make some coffee.” He nodded and she ushered him into her space. He was quiet as she moved around the kitchen, prepping a pot. He spoke when the hot cup was placed in front of him.

“You watched the game last night?”

She had her own cup and she nodded around the rim. “It was an excellent sporting event. I was particularly impressed with your ability to back fill and cash other players. I almost knocked over a glass when that d-bag on the other team scored on your goalie’s forehead.” She tried for a winning smile. Seth had taught her some of the lingo of hockey.

Jack was quiet for a moment longer, completely baffled. And then he threw his head back and let out a long laugh. She wasn’t sure if she should be happy she got something right today or if she was actually being mocked.

“You really don’t know anything about hockey, do you?”

She looked down when she shook her head. “I was more of a science nerd when I was in school. I never really had time for sports.” So, she was being mocked. Cool. She probably deserved it-

“Hey.” His hand on her chin brought her eyes back up. She hadn’t even heard him moving. “Hey, no judgment. I am, however, obliged to punch whoever tried to teach you about hockey in the face for screwing up so badly.” She gasped. Seth was just trying to be nice!

“But, you’ll break him. You can’t-“

Jack laughed. He laughed and he grinned and he stepped closer into her space. “I’m joking. But, if anyone is going to teach you about hockey it’s going to be me. And you’re right; we did have a pretty good game despite the five-hole.”

“I’m really sorry about the mix-up. But, seriously.I’m so glad you’re not married.” It was stupidly early in the morning and Megan probably looked terrible but as soon as the words were out of her mouth she felt a million times better. She risked a glance up at Jack.

He was watching her carefully, gauging her response when he asked the next question. “Why are you glad?”

She had to say it; she had to lay it out there for him. “Because I think you’re probably the nicest, most respectful, funniest non-professional-singer I’ve ever met in my life. And I really like you.” Her confession seemed pitiful to her ears but not so to Jack.

His eyes lit up. Jack pulled her closer and she went willingly, her fingers curling around his lapel. “Can I kiss you, Megan?”

She nodded. Not just once, or twice, but a whole bunch that made her hair fly a little and brought another laugh out of Jack, another blinding smile just for her before he put that mouth to better uses.

And that was how she found out that Jack Johnson, hockey player, was really really good at kissing. And other things.

*

Epilogue:

“So, I wanted to ask.” They lay twisted up in each other, completely clothed as the sun broke the horizon. He was such a good kisser that she decided that was the first new thing she wanted to learn about him. And now that she’d done that, she needed to know something else.

He nuzzled her temple, adjusting her against his side. “Anything you want to know. Seriously. I feel like I have some lost time to make up for.”

She laughed a little into his dress shirt before she ran a hand up his side. She’d been incredibly pleased to learn that all that solid flesh really was that solid under her fingers. “I did some more online research.” Jack groaned, sure that she was going to have some more bad intel. She pushed on. “That Sid guy, who went out to dinner with you. He’s, like, a big deal isn’t he?”

Jack groaned again. “Oh god. Please don’t tell me after all this you think he’s cuter than me or something. I couldn’t handle it; for a decade now he’s been doing this to me.”

She could see how someone would pick Sid over Jack. Sid apparently was the second coming of Hockey Jesus or something and made way more money than anyone could ever use. She, however, was not one of those people.

“Oh, no. No no no. I mean, he’s cute. But, Jack.” She turned really serious eyes up to his face and he stilled instinctively, just waiting for her next sentence. “Have you ever told him how ridiculous that laugh is? How can anyone ever take him seriously?”

Jack was delighted with the question and she was trying to be completely serious. “You’re his friend, Jack. You should do something. Help him, Jack.” He laughed even harder, tears dripping down his face.

She laughed along, if only to be polite. When he’d finally finished the manhandled her on top of him. “I really like you Megan. The next time we see him, I’ll be sure to say something.”

She contemplated him for a long moment: the strong features and the scars crossing his face. He looked sincere. “I really like you too, Jack. Jack Johnson. From Indianapolis and-or Michigan. Still going back to school to earn a degree in the summers at-“ she rolled the words off her tongue like a bad taste, “U of M. Loves sushi. And good work out facilities. And –“ She tried to recollect more facts she’d learned about him.

He brushed the hair from her face. His smile wasn’t wide now. It was soft and extremely fond. “And really likes you.”

She chuckled. “And isn’t married and really likes me.”

He muttered an agreement before drawing her down into another kiss. She had plenty of time to figure out the rest of the things she didn’t know about him, now that she had the important things memorized.

Notes

FLUUUUUUUUUUUUFFFFFFFFFFFF!!! Unrequited FLUFF!

Hope you enjoyed!