The Games We Play
Eighteen
On Commonwealth Avenue on the west side of Boston, Brittany sat in a booth at a local deli. She was wasting time on her phone while waiting for her order number to be called. She went through Facebook first, checking up on everyone, and then she went through Twitter.
“107!”
She glanced up momentarily as a man walked past her to pick up his lunch. Three more to go before it was her turn, so she went back to her phone. Next, she opened Instagram and went through the newest posts from her friends. No one was doing anything special today and it bummed her out.
“108’s up!”
She decided to do a tag search. She typed in Beau Bennett, and was excited to see a long list of pictures from Beau on his own account, as well as other accounts. Butterflies sprung up in her stomach again, just from looking at him in the pictures. A lot of them were repeats, but others were new and it made Brittany jealous she wasn’t in any of them with him. She saw a picture of Beau and a few other Pens players; they were making weird faces at the camera at dinner somewhere. The account that posted the picture was Evgeni Malkin’s account, so Brittany clicked on it.
“Order 109!”
Malkin’s account popped up with a whole new wealth of pictures. Brittany idly scrolled through them, trying to catch a glimpse of Beau any chance she got. Aww! There’s James! she thought. It was a picture of Malkin and Neal together at practice. The picture seemed to be tagged from the Pittsburgh Penguins account.
It was so weird for Brittany to actually know some of these guys now, after her trip to Pittsburgh. She clicked on the tag James Neal and went to see if Ali was in any of the pictures.
Brittany immediately stopped scrolling. She held her phone closer to make sure she was seeing things correctly.
“Oh. My. God.”
She pressed and held the screen, saving the picture to her phone. Opening it through her camera roll, she could now pinch and zoom into the picture further.
Her mouth slowly opened.
“Order 110!”
Dumbfounded, Brittany looked up from her phone to the counter where her number was called. With a final glance back at her phone, she locked the screen and then went to pay for her food.
* * *
“Okay, so to the end of the road and back?”
Ali rubbed her hands together. “You got it.”
“You really think you can beat me?” James’ words were taunting and sharp, as was the look in his eyes. “For your information, I can bust out a six minute mile, and that’s when I’m not even trying.”
“Don’t care” Ali replied, bouncing from foot to foot on the pavement.
He nodded, impressed with his girlfriend’s gusto. “Fine then – on the count of three?”
Ali nodded and lowered into a running position. James did the same, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. As he counted down from three, he took those final moments to acknowledge how hot Ali looked in her skin-hugging running tights and her neon green workout tank top.
As James spoke the final number, their eyes met. A friendly, though determined, look of rivalry passed between them.
“Go!”
The pair took off at a full sprint down the trail. For the first part, Ali was ahead…but James quickly pulled in front. By the time they reached the end of the trail, he had quite a lead on her. He spun on his heel and headed back past her, but she reached out and grabbed at his shirt. This caused him to laugh and lose his footing.
“That’s cheating!” he yelled, but Ali used that second to catch up. Now they were neck and neck again, racing back to the spot where they started. The only movement and sound in the vicinity of where they were running was their breathing and the sound of their feet pounding the paved trail.
The end was approaching, and it was now that James really pulled out the speed. His long legs and training were no match for Ali, and his final burst of energy was enough to pass her by several lengths and reach the end first. He finished with a loud cry of joy, his laughter choppy from his heavy breathing. Ali slowed to a halt next to him, bending over to catch her breath.
“Not bad! Not bad!” James said, walking forward. “But better luck next time.” He placed a hand on Ali’s back, rubbing affectionately.
Eventually she stood, her hands going to her shapely hips. “Ah well, something to work towards, right?” She smiled at him, her cheeks a pale rose color. “I will beat you eventually.”
“I have no doubt” James replied, smirking. “In two years when you’ve built up your strength, I have no doubt you will at least stay neck-and-neck with me.”
Knowing very well he’d get a reaction with that comment, James flashed her a shameless grin. Sure enough, Ali swung at him with open hands, grabbing at his t-shirt once more. He laughed out loud and started jogging away with Ali playfully trying to catch him.
A couple of weeks ago, the couple decided to start running together. It was James idea, since he knew Ali loved the autumn season, and was taking her runs outdoors more often. While time didn’t always permit it, James’ had a long weekend after his week on the road, which allowed them the time to go for a run.
This morning, Ali was in her usual colorful workout clothes, and James wore his black wind pants, matching Penguins Athletics workout shirt, and a Pittsburgh Pirates hat worn backwards. Now they were running at a comfortable jog, heading back to Ali’s car. They didn’t speak a lot as they ran; both taking the workout somewhat seriously.
They finally made it back to the city park where the trailhead was located, marking the end of their run. Ali took a second to drink some water and fish out her keys from her waistpack, tossing them to James.
“You hungry?” he asked, unlocking her car.
Ali nodded, swallowing more water. “Yeah, you?”
“Definitely. Primanti’s?”
“You read my mind!” She got into the passenger seat of her car, James taking up the driver’s side. He had to adjust the position of the seat to accommodate his height, and he gave her a sassy side-eye as he did so. Ali laughed at him.
“Don’t even…”
“You’re just fun-sized, babe. It’s not your fault.”
Ali smacked him. “Fun-sized?”
James put the SUV in reverse. “Yeah, you know…like a Snickers bar.”
“Oh my god…”
“But they’re my favorite candy bar.” He smiled at her as he looked out the back window, pulling the car out and into the parking lot.
Ten minutes later, they pulled into one of the many Primanti Brothers sandwich shops around Pittsburgh and got their order to go. Once they were home, James ran upstairs to change into something less sweaty while Ali unpacked their sandwiches on the kitchen island. When James returned to the kitchen, he noticed Ali’s phone blinking on the countertop.
“Looks like you’re being summoned.”
“Text or phone call?” She grabbed two bottled waters from the fridge and tossed him one.
He studied her cell phone. “Ahh….looks like a message. From Brittany.”
“Ehh…she can wait” Ali said, climbing onto one of their stools. “Hurry, or yours is going to get cold.”
The phone vibrated again, and James looked at her. “That’s three messages in a row, you sure you don’t want to check them?”
With a mouth full of sandwich, Ali shook her head. James shrugged, then claimed the stool next to her, purposely nudging into her as if he tripped. She let out a closed-mouth giggle as she chewed, and James gave her a peck on the cheek before tearing into his lunch.
* * *
Later that evening, James and Ali decided to do a movie in. The beautiful morning they had on their run very quickly turned into a cloudy, chilly mess of an afternoon. By 5 o’clock, it was a mix of rain and snow that came down in sheets.
Ali came back from the bathroom and took a second to peek out of the living room curtains. The trees in James’ yard and down the street were shaking in the wind, and the street was littered with soggy leaves.
“Damn…this is kind of ridiculous, isn’t it?”
“Doesn’t even seem like the same day from this morning.”
Ali scuffed over to the couch, kicking off her slippers before snuggling onto her side next to James. He lifted his arm to allow her head to return to its resting spot on his lap.
“It is almost November in Pittsburgh” he said, his hand rubbing her head. “Guess it was bound to happen eventually, eh?”
“Guess so.” She shifted her eyes up at him and smiled. “It’s kind of nice to just have a night in, though. I’ve enjoyed this long weekend of yours….I was going through withdrawal.”
James laughed. “I’ve enjoyed it too…especially that one part where I got to fuck you two times last night.”
“Hey!” Ali slapped him playfully in the knee. “…….okay, yeah, that was pretty cool, I’ll give it to you.”
They looked at one another and laughed, both understanding that yes, their intimate moments couldn’t be beat…but it was truly the time they spent, just like they were at the moment, that brought them closer together. They were almost ten months into their relationship, and the level of comfort they had with one another was more than either of them had felt before with anyone else.
Both James’ and Ali’s phones vibrated at the same time on the coffee table in front of them. Their eyes met, and both of their brows creased.
“That’s weird.” Ali grabbed for hers, handing James his.
“Hmm….Text from Bennett. You?”
“Brittany….again.”
James’ heart stopped. It was only a coincidence that they both texted at the same time….right? He hurried and opened his text, staring at the words: Need to talk to you asap. Call me.
Looking up, he noticed Ali set her phone back on the coffee table and once again, did not check Brittany’s messages. She must have known he was staring because she glanced up at him from his lap.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah….he just needs me to call him for whatever reason. Probably lost his diapers somewhere.”
“Sounds dire. Better go help him.”
“Do you care?” James asked.
“Of course not, silly. Go.” She sat up, giving James room to stand. She flopped back down on the couch as he went into the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, he dialed and waited somewhat nervously for Beau to pick up.
“Hey Nealer.”
“What’s the problem?” James asked, afraid of the answer.
“Brittany knows about the chick at the bar in Detroit.”
Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. James sat down at the island, hand going to his head. “How?”
“Instagram. It was tagged to your name.”
James looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head. “Jesus Christ, Beau.”
“I know. I know.” His voice was understanding, but cautious. “Has Ali talked to her yet?”
“No.” James was immediately pissed at himself. I should have just fucking told her that night. “Seriously, what do I do? What if she tells her?”
“She already did.”
Ali stood in the doorway that connected the living room and the kitchen. Her eyes were full of tears that hadn’t fallen yet, but were dangerously close to doing so. She held her cell phone in her right hand.
“Ali…”
She was shaking her heard furiously, and two tears fell onto her perfect cheeks. The fist not holding her phone was balled up tight.
“Nealer?” Beau was still on the line.
“Who was it this time.” Ali’s voice was flat and weak.
“I….I don’t know.” James couldn’t remember the girl’s name, that was the thing. She had large eyes, and that’s all he remembered. That, and she was dumb beyond all recognition. “I swear to you, I did [i]not[/i] do anything—“
“You didn’t DO ANYTHING? Ali’s voice rose, and two more tears fell. “James. There is a picture of you…..kissing someone……who isn’t me!”
He watched as she shook her head again, her pitiful gaze going to the floor. The way her shoulders slumped, the defeated tone of her voice....it all scared him, and it scared him more now than it had when he was drunk and fucked up.
Her hands went to her face, and she let out a long, sad cry, inhaling shakily. James desperately wanted to hold her, he wanted to tell her everything…how he didn’t mean it, he didn’t do it….he was set up by some stupid, drunk chicks….He didn’t do any of it.
He also didn’t have time to say any of that, because Ali walked briskly past him, going for the door.
“Wait, Ali…what are you doing?” He went after her down the hall.
“I’m leaving.”
Two simple words and James felt like he’d lost his whole world.
“You didn’t let me explain though!” He started to feel panic gripping tightly at his chest. “I’m telling you – that bitch at the bar set me up. I didn’t have ANYTHING to do with that kiss!” He gripped her arm firmly, spinning her around so she faced him. “They set me up, do you hear me? Her and her friends. They set me up for the picture. I was just going to take a piss, and she wanted an autograph—“
“I’m sorry…I just can’t right now, James.” Ali looked up at him, tugging her arm away from his grip. If she remembered anything from that moment, it was how dark James’ eyes looked.
She grabbed her jacket from the bench near the door and slipped it on, along with her bright Nike sneakers she’d worn that morning. James knew now there wasn’t much he could do or say that would get through to her when she was like this. All he could do was watch her.
“Where are you going? Will you at least tell me that?”
“I don’t know, I just need to get out of here.”
James’ heartbeat was racing so fast he thought it would burst through his chest. Worry clouded his mind and he was frozen, unable to figure out what to do or say next. “Please….Ali…..you have to believe me. Ask Beau, or Sutter, or Sid or Geno – ask ANY of them, they’ll tell you!”
Ali opened the door, and the cold air hit her hot face and chilled her to the bone. Without looking back, she walked out of the door, slamming it behind her. She felt herself go into autopilot as she got into her car in the driveway, still parked there from earlier that morning. She didn’t bother looking up to see if James was outside still following her or not…she just simply put the car in reverse and drove out of their neighbor as fast as she could.
When she’d come to the end of their road, she pulled over and broke down. Resting her head on her steering wheel, Ali let the tears come at their own pace. The windshield wipers flicked away the rain that kept coming, but her tears were falling faster than the rain, with no help of stopping. Out of sheer anger, frustration, and fear – she punched at the steering wheel, crying even harder.
Without thinking, and unable to see much through swollen, watery eyes, Ali picked up her phone and dialed the first number that came to mind.
“Hey, how are you, Ali?”
“Hi Sid…..” she sniffled, wiping her nose. “Can I come over?”
* * *
“107!”
She glanced up momentarily as a man walked past her to pick up his lunch. Three more to go before it was her turn, so she went back to her phone. Next, she opened Instagram and went through the newest posts from her friends. No one was doing anything special today and it bummed her out.
“108’s up!”
She decided to do a tag search. She typed in Beau Bennett, and was excited to see a long list of pictures from Beau on his own account, as well as other accounts. Butterflies sprung up in her stomach again, just from looking at him in the pictures. A lot of them were repeats, but others were new and it made Brittany jealous she wasn’t in any of them with him. She saw a picture of Beau and a few other Pens players; they were making weird faces at the camera at dinner somewhere. The account that posted the picture was Evgeni Malkin’s account, so Brittany clicked on it.
“Order 109!”
Malkin’s account popped up with a whole new wealth of pictures. Brittany idly scrolled through them, trying to catch a glimpse of Beau any chance she got. Aww! There’s James! she thought. It was a picture of Malkin and Neal together at practice. The picture seemed to be tagged from the Pittsburgh Penguins account.
It was so weird for Brittany to actually know some of these guys now, after her trip to Pittsburgh. She clicked on the tag James Neal and went to see if Ali was in any of the pictures.
Brittany immediately stopped scrolling. She held her phone closer to make sure she was seeing things correctly.
“Oh. My. God.”
She pressed and held the screen, saving the picture to her phone. Opening it through her camera roll, she could now pinch and zoom into the picture further.
Her mouth slowly opened.
“Order 110!”
Dumbfounded, Brittany looked up from her phone to the counter where her number was called. With a final glance back at her phone, she locked the screen and then went to pay for her food.
* * *
“Okay, so to the end of the road and back?”
Ali rubbed her hands together. “You got it.”
“You really think you can beat me?” James’ words were taunting and sharp, as was the look in his eyes. “For your information, I can bust out a six minute mile, and that’s when I’m not even trying.”
“Don’t care” Ali replied, bouncing from foot to foot on the pavement.
He nodded, impressed with his girlfriend’s gusto. “Fine then – on the count of three?”
Ali nodded and lowered into a running position. James did the same, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. As he counted down from three, he took those final moments to acknowledge how hot Ali looked in her skin-hugging running tights and her neon green workout tank top.
As James spoke the final number, their eyes met. A friendly, though determined, look of rivalry passed between them.
“Go!”
The pair took off at a full sprint down the trail. For the first part, Ali was ahead…but James quickly pulled in front. By the time they reached the end of the trail, he had quite a lead on her. He spun on his heel and headed back past her, but she reached out and grabbed at his shirt. This caused him to laugh and lose his footing.
“That’s cheating!” he yelled, but Ali used that second to catch up. Now they were neck and neck again, racing back to the spot where they started. The only movement and sound in the vicinity of where they were running was their breathing and the sound of their feet pounding the paved trail.
The end was approaching, and it was now that James really pulled out the speed. His long legs and training were no match for Ali, and his final burst of energy was enough to pass her by several lengths and reach the end first. He finished with a loud cry of joy, his laughter choppy from his heavy breathing. Ali slowed to a halt next to him, bending over to catch her breath.
“Not bad! Not bad!” James said, walking forward. “But better luck next time.” He placed a hand on Ali’s back, rubbing affectionately.
Eventually she stood, her hands going to her shapely hips. “Ah well, something to work towards, right?” She smiled at him, her cheeks a pale rose color. “I will beat you eventually.”
“I have no doubt” James replied, smirking. “In two years when you’ve built up your strength, I have no doubt you will at least stay neck-and-neck with me.”
Knowing very well he’d get a reaction with that comment, James flashed her a shameless grin. Sure enough, Ali swung at him with open hands, grabbing at his t-shirt once more. He laughed out loud and started jogging away with Ali playfully trying to catch him.
A couple of weeks ago, the couple decided to start running together. It was James idea, since he knew Ali loved the autumn season, and was taking her runs outdoors more often. While time didn’t always permit it, James’ had a long weekend after his week on the road, which allowed them the time to go for a run.
This morning, Ali was in her usual colorful workout clothes, and James wore his black wind pants, matching Penguins Athletics workout shirt, and a Pittsburgh Pirates hat worn backwards. Now they were running at a comfortable jog, heading back to Ali’s car. They didn’t speak a lot as they ran; both taking the workout somewhat seriously.
They finally made it back to the city park where the trailhead was located, marking the end of their run. Ali took a second to drink some water and fish out her keys from her waistpack, tossing them to James.
“You hungry?” he asked, unlocking her car.
Ali nodded, swallowing more water. “Yeah, you?”
“Definitely. Primanti’s?”
“You read my mind!” She got into the passenger seat of her car, James taking up the driver’s side. He had to adjust the position of the seat to accommodate his height, and he gave her a sassy side-eye as he did so. Ali laughed at him.
“Don’t even…”
“You’re just fun-sized, babe. It’s not your fault.”
Ali smacked him. “Fun-sized?”
James put the SUV in reverse. “Yeah, you know…like a Snickers bar.”
“Oh my god…”
“But they’re my favorite candy bar.” He smiled at her as he looked out the back window, pulling the car out and into the parking lot.
Ten minutes later, they pulled into one of the many Primanti Brothers sandwich shops around Pittsburgh and got their order to go. Once they were home, James ran upstairs to change into something less sweaty while Ali unpacked their sandwiches on the kitchen island. When James returned to the kitchen, he noticed Ali’s phone blinking on the countertop.
“Looks like you’re being summoned.”
“Text or phone call?” She grabbed two bottled waters from the fridge and tossed him one.
He studied her cell phone. “Ahh….looks like a message. From Brittany.”
“Ehh…she can wait” Ali said, climbing onto one of their stools. “Hurry, or yours is going to get cold.”
The phone vibrated again, and James looked at her. “That’s three messages in a row, you sure you don’t want to check them?”
With a mouth full of sandwich, Ali shook her head. James shrugged, then claimed the stool next to her, purposely nudging into her as if he tripped. She let out a closed-mouth giggle as she chewed, and James gave her a peck on the cheek before tearing into his lunch.
* * *
Later that evening, James and Ali decided to do a movie in. The beautiful morning they had on their run very quickly turned into a cloudy, chilly mess of an afternoon. By 5 o’clock, it was a mix of rain and snow that came down in sheets.
Ali came back from the bathroom and took a second to peek out of the living room curtains. The trees in James’ yard and down the street were shaking in the wind, and the street was littered with soggy leaves.
“Damn…this is kind of ridiculous, isn’t it?”
“Doesn’t even seem like the same day from this morning.”
Ali scuffed over to the couch, kicking off her slippers before snuggling onto her side next to James. He lifted his arm to allow her head to return to its resting spot on his lap.
“It is almost November in Pittsburgh” he said, his hand rubbing her head. “Guess it was bound to happen eventually, eh?”
“Guess so.” She shifted her eyes up at him and smiled. “It’s kind of nice to just have a night in, though. I’ve enjoyed this long weekend of yours….I was going through withdrawal.”
James laughed. “I’ve enjoyed it too…especially that one part where I got to fuck you two times last night.”
“Hey!” Ali slapped him playfully in the knee. “…….okay, yeah, that was pretty cool, I’ll give it to you.”
They looked at one another and laughed, both understanding that yes, their intimate moments couldn’t be beat…but it was truly the time they spent, just like they were at the moment, that brought them closer together. They were almost ten months into their relationship, and the level of comfort they had with one another was more than either of them had felt before with anyone else.
Both James’ and Ali’s phones vibrated at the same time on the coffee table in front of them. Their eyes met, and both of their brows creased.
“That’s weird.” Ali grabbed for hers, handing James his.
“Hmm….Text from Bennett. You?”
“Brittany….again.”
James’ heart stopped. It was only a coincidence that they both texted at the same time….right? He hurried and opened his text, staring at the words: Need to talk to you asap. Call me.
Looking up, he noticed Ali set her phone back on the coffee table and once again, did not check Brittany’s messages. She must have known he was staring because she glanced up at him from his lap.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah….he just needs me to call him for whatever reason. Probably lost his diapers somewhere.”
“Sounds dire. Better go help him.”
“Do you care?” James asked.
“Of course not, silly. Go.” She sat up, giving James room to stand. She flopped back down on the couch as he went into the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, he dialed and waited somewhat nervously for Beau to pick up.
“Hey Nealer.”
“What’s the problem?” James asked, afraid of the answer.
“Brittany knows about the chick at the bar in Detroit.”
Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. James sat down at the island, hand going to his head. “How?”
“Instagram. It was tagged to your name.”
James looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head. “Jesus Christ, Beau.”
“I know. I know.” His voice was understanding, but cautious. “Has Ali talked to her yet?”
“No.” James was immediately pissed at himself. I should have just fucking told her that night. “Seriously, what do I do? What if she tells her?”
“She already did.”
Ali stood in the doorway that connected the living room and the kitchen. Her eyes were full of tears that hadn’t fallen yet, but were dangerously close to doing so. She held her cell phone in her right hand.
“Ali…”
She was shaking her heard furiously, and two tears fell onto her perfect cheeks. The fist not holding her phone was balled up tight.
“Nealer?” Beau was still on the line.
“Who was it this time.” Ali’s voice was flat and weak.
“I….I don’t know.” James couldn’t remember the girl’s name, that was the thing. She had large eyes, and that’s all he remembered. That, and she was dumb beyond all recognition. “I swear to you, I did [i]not[/i] do anything—“
“You didn’t DO ANYTHING? Ali’s voice rose, and two more tears fell. “James. There is a picture of you…..kissing someone……who isn’t me!”
He watched as she shook her head again, her pitiful gaze going to the floor. The way her shoulders slumped, the defeated tone of her voice....it all scared him, and it scared him more now than it had when he was drunk and fucked up.
Her hands went to her face, and she let out a long, sad cry, inhaling shakily. James desperately wanted to hold her, he wanted to tell her everything…how he didn’t mean it, he didn’t do it….he was set up by some stupid, drunk chicks….He didn’t do any of it.
He also didn’t have time to say any of that, because Ali walked briskly past him, going for the door.
“Wait, Ali…what are you doing?” He went after her down the hall.
“I’m leaving.”
Two simple words and James felt like he’d lost his whole world.
“You didn’t let me explain though!” He started to feel panic gripping tightly at his chest. “I’m telling you – that bitch at the bar set me up. I didn’t have ANYTHING to do with that kiss!” He gripped her arm firmly, spinning her around so she faced him. “They set me up, do you hear me? Her and her friends. They set me up for the picture. I was just going to take a piss, and she wanted an autograph—“
“I’m sorry…I just can’t right now, James.” Ali looked up at him, tugging her arm away from his grip. If she remembered anything from that moment, it was how dark James’ eyes looked.
She grabbed her jacket from the bench near the door and slipped it on, along with her bright Nike sneakers she’d worn that morning. James knew now there wasn’t much he could do or say that would get through to her when she was like this. All he could do was watch her.
“Where are you going? Will you at least tell me that?”
“I don’t know, I just need to get out of here.”
James’ heartbeat was racing so fast he thought it would burst through his chest. Worry clouded his mind and he was frozen, unable to figure out what to do or say next. “Please….Ali…..you have to believe me. Ask Beau, or Sutter, or Sid or Geno – ask ANY of them, they’ll tell you!”
Ali opened the door, and the cold air hit her hot face and chilled her to the bone. Without looking back, she walked out of the door, slamming it behind her. She felt herself go into autopilot as she got into her car in the driveway, still parked there from earlier that morning. She didn’t bother looking up to see if James was outside still following her or not…she just simply put the car in reverse and drove out of their neighbor as fast as she could.
When she’d come to the end of their road, she pulled over and broke down. Resting her head on her steering wheel, Ali let the tears come at their own pace. The windshield wipers flicked away the rain that kept coming, but her tears were falling faster than the rain, with no help of stopping. Out of sheer anger, frustration, and fear – she punched at the steering wheel, crying even harder.
Without thinking, and unable to see much through swollen, watery eyes, Ali picked up her phone and dialed the first number that came to mind.
“Hey, how are you, Ali?”
“Hi Sid…..” she sniffled, wiping her nose. “Can I come over?”
* * *
@Lolo2020
Thank you so much! Amazing people still read it and enjoy it so much. That was my goal :)
2/6/17