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The Games We Play

Thirty-seven

“Oh my god, FINALLY.”

“I know, I knoooww….” Brittany’s voice was apologetic already. “I’ve been a horrible friend.”

“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call you forever.” Ali sat at the kitchen table, tapping her fingers on the dark wood.

“I was busying moving out of Tyler’s” she said. “And now I’m moved in with my sister, so at least I have somewhere to crash until I find a new place.”

“And it took you a few weeks to do this without calling me?”

“No, I just….”

Ali rolled her eyes. “Can I just be out with it? Did I do something, or say something to make you not want to talk to me about this?”

“No.” The answer came out sharply. “I just needed this time, you know…to figure some shit out.”

“But you call Beau and not your best friend.”

Silence.

Ali sighed. “I don’t mean to sound adolescent or pouty here, I just care about you, okay? I don’t like when your life is in disarray and I can’t help you.”

“You have your own life to deal with…I didn’t want to bother you.”

Bother me? Since when did she think she was bothering me?

“Anyways” Brittany said, “I’m all settled in now, and things are better. I’m thinking I might just leave Boston all together.”

Ali’s eyes widened. “What? Where are you going to go?”

“Maybe home. I don’t know.”

Brittany didn’t see it, but Ali was waving her hand as if to stop her. “Hold on. Wait. Can we start at the beginning, before I get any more confused?”

“Sure.”

“Okay.” Ali inhaled. “Why did you break up with Tyler.”

“Because of Beau.”

WHAT. “Um…..okay, because you slept with Beau? Orrr….”

“Because I cheated. I don’t want to do that anymore.”

“But I thought you said you didn’t care at the time?” Ali felt like she was in a twilight zone.

“That’s true – but then I remembered how much of a wreck you were over James—“

“—Stop.” Ali rubbed her forehead with her hand. “Okay, so what did you say to Tyler, and how did he take it?”

“Oh he took it as I thought he would.”

Ali could almost here her jaw clenched over the phone.

“He basically told me he never loved me anyways and that he was glad I was leaving. He never really cared anyways, Ali.”

More silence.

“So are you happier now? I mean…do you feel like you made the right decision?” Ali asked gently.

“For now, yes.”

So that was that. The last couple of weeks summed up in five minutes worth of talk, and Ali felt no better. She wasn’t able to be there for her best friend when she should have needed her the most. Not only that, but Brittany brought up James and his mistakes. It made her feel weird.

“So how are you anyways?” Brittany asked. “How is Pittsburgh?”

Ali blinked, her mind still on the last topic. “Um…well, Pittsburgh is fine. We got a hell of a snowstorm. Did you?”

“We got a few inches, yeah.”

Why does this feel so awkward. She started to chew her lip in this latest period of silence between them.

“How is James? I saw they lost the other night.”

“Yeah, he was pretty bummed. He got knocked in the face pretty hard a couple games ago…still has remnants of cuts on his face.”

“Oh my God, really? Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he should be.”

“Well that’s good he’s okay. A pretty face like that shouldn’t have cuts all over it, that’s for sure.”

That got a chuckle out of Ali. “Amen to that!” As a smile spread over her face, she started to relax a little. “I’m glad you called, Britt. I really was worried, you know.”

“I figured you were.” She paused. “It’s just that, now that I’ve been down to visit you and have seen everything going on in your life, I feel…..I don’t know. I feel like I’m intruding. You got a lot of good stuff going on there.”

Ali felt the sting of fresh tears. “Absolutely do NOT think you’d be intruding! Come on, you should know me by now? I love you, Brittany.”

“I love you too! I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay” Ali replied, wiping her eyes so no water fell. “I’m sorry about you and Tyler.”

“Don’t even mention it.”

She heard Brittany sniffle. “I love you. Call me ANY time, got it?”

“Got it. Love you too, girl.”

“Talk to you later.”

Ali stared blankly at her phone for at least a minute, running over everything that was just exchanged between her and Brittany. Whether it was because she was there when her and Beau were in the house, or if it was because she took Brittany out after the game and introduced them, she felt a little responsible.

Well…at least we talked finally. And I can live with that for now.

Ali pulled up James’ number and hit send. She wanted to talk to him and see what he thought, or if he could help. Just hearing his voice would help.

“Babe.”

“Hey, are you busy?”

“No, and we can’t have sex.”

Ali sat there dumbly. “…..Huh?”

“Sex. We can’t do it. But only for like a week or two.”

She laughed. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“I wish I was. It’s because of my knee…”

“Oh fuck, your knee!” She hit her forehead, feeling horrible that she’d forgotten. “Tell me all about it. What did they say?”

“That we can’t fuck for two weeks!”

Ali laughed again. “I think I got that part, James! But what does that mean? Is it hurt badly?”

“No – it doesn’t mean it’s hurt badly, but it’s hurt enough that I can’t exert it in any way other than when I’m on the ice.”

She blinked, processing the info. “But that doesn’t mean blow jobs are out, right?”

“God, I love you.”

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “So really - this is all good news!”

“In a nutshell.”

“That’s great!” Ali felt relieved. “Glad we didn't have to go down the surgery road, right?.”

“It definitely could have gone that way, but I’m glad it didn’t.”

“And don’t worry, we’ll work around the no-sex thing” Ali said, knowing he needed to hear her say it. “Considering how often your dick gets hard, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of chances to find a way.”

“OH?” James laughed. “And just who do you think gets me that way?”

“Umm…”

“Uh huh.”

Ali smiled. “So did you practice today?”

“I did, but only shot around. Coach isn’t too keen on me going overboard right away if I don’t need to.”

“Makes sense.”

“So quit avoiding it. You called me, right?” James asked cheerfully. “Any reason? Or just miss my voice?”

“Both” she answered. “Brittany called.”

“No. Way.”

“Way.” Ali went to the fridge and grabbed a water. “She explained it all, or as much as she was willing to, and we’re still friends.”

“That’s great, babe. Feel a little better?”

It was a good question. “I do” Ali answered. “And thank you. I just wanted to call and tell you, since you’ve been with me on this from the start.”

“And I’ll be with you again the next time you two hit a chuck hole in the road.”

She chuckled. “A what?”

“A chuck hole.”

“You mean a pot hole?”

“Yeah, a chuck hole.”

Even as James said this, his accent made it sound so beautifully ridiculous. “Okay, we’ll go with your term” Ali said.

He let out a little laugh. “I gotta run. Time for a massage with Don. Jealous?”

“Of Don? Yes.”

“I’ll give you one when I get home.”

“I’m holding you to it!” Ali exclaimed. “Good luck.”

“Later, Beautiful.”

Ali was facing the front doors of their refrigerator when she hung up. A rather shabby hockey schedule hung on the door, mostly for Ali, even though she had it on her phone’s calendar. She peered at the December 23rd game her dad referred to and frowned a little. Ah well, I can ask him about it later.

She went out into the foyer and looked out the tiny window in the front door. The roads looked fairly clear and the sky was opening up. It’d be a little cold, but there was nothing better than running in the cold.

Ali ran upstairs and changed into her gear, grabbed her waist pack, and headed out to shoot for a ten mile run.


* * *


By mile five, Ali had to finally take a break. She was keeping a really good pace and was pretty happy with herself by the time she rested. When she was busy running, she felt her phone vibrate from inside her pack. As she hydrated up, she saw it was a text from Sid, of all people.

Hey there. Wanted to invite you to an ugly Christmas sweater party I’m having tomorrow night. Kind of a last minute deal, so if you can’t come, I’ll understand.

Ali busted out laughing right there on the paved trail. She looked around, but she was very much alone, so she let herself giggle some more. An ugly sweater party? At Sid’s? And he’s throwing it?

Long time no chat, Crosby ;) Of course I’ll come! I work in the morning, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Did you ask James?

She grabbed a foot and stretched her quad as she waited, incase he might write back. In her mind, she already had visions of what some of the guys might look like at a party like that. The thought alone made her laugh even more.

Her phone vibrated right away, carrying Sid’s reply:

Yeah, he’s game. He said to ask you for him.

She thought that was a bit strange. Shrugging, she sent a response back, then put her phone back in her pack.

Sounds great. Can’t wait to see the threads you bust out for this! Out for a run right now, will ttyl. Thanks again.

The next five miles Ali ran were increasingly more difficult. Her breathing was all over the place, her heart rate wasn’t where she wished it was, and her lungs burned. Normally, this kind of stuff exhilarated her; it’s half the reason why she enjoyed running. But now, with a possible race looming over her, all she saw were shortcomings.

At mile eight she took another break, bending over her knees as her lungs tried to get the air they so desperately wanted. This break took a little longer, but Ali didn’t care. Her legs felt like dead weights.

As she stretched a little more, she checked her phone again. Two messages this time: one from Sid, and another from James. She opened James’ first, which was a picture of his bare leg and some man’s hand squeezing it.

Does this turn you on?

“Oh my God.” Laughing, she held her phone up to the heavy sweat mark across the neck of her light colored running shirt. She snapped as awkward of a picture as she could and sent it back to him.

Next, she opened up the text from Sid:

Have a great run and see you tomorrow. I’ll be dressed to impress and I expect the same from you!

And just as Ali was about to exit out of her phone, a notification for a text from James popped up on her screen. She smiled before she even saw it:

Shit, I didn’t think it’d get you THAT excited.

All she could do was shake her head. Oh James, you precious soul. She threw back a quick response and then went back to her run, hitting it hard for the final two miles back to her car.

Minus the breaks she took, she averaged about the same as she always did: between an 8 and 9 minute mile.

“Not good enough” she said, disappointed at her results. There were exactly two and a half weeks until Christmas, and only one more week after that before the race. If she wanted to run it, and not look totally stupid and amateur, she had to do better.

The drive back home took a while, given how much late-day traffic there was between where she chose to run and where she lived. It was also a quiet ride, since she tried to think of all the changes she would need to make to run more efficiently, and kept all music off. She almost didn’t notice that she was driving right past her old neighborhood, where her old apartment was…before James.

Ali glanced over when she finally noticed where she was. She stared at the cute condo she used to call home as traffic carried on at a moderate rate. First Pittsburgh apartment. First breakup. First new start. First time James and I fucked.

She felt the rumble strips first, almost swerving into the adjacent lane. She quickly straightened the car with a jolt of the wheel, then laughed at herself. That memory would make anyone wreck their car, let’s be honest.

That night was stamped forever in her mind, detail for detail. Though she didn’t know it then, that whole night had been so James. It was only two weeks after they decided to try dating. The playoffs were coming up, and his life was about to get intense. Every game meant the world to him, and he was focused. Majorly focused. It was about to get even more intense for Ali, since she had absolutely no experience or knowledge of what life was like dating a professional hockey player.

In the car, Ali wiped back the sweaty hair along the crown of her head, smiling as she drove. James had been so great during those early months. And my God, how he tried. He’d show up and surprise her all the time, and a lot of those times he spent the night. There were also plenty of nights he couldn’t because of his schedule. During those times, they sometimes didn’t do anything other than just hang out, which he seemed completely content in doing so. Of course, after that first time together, it jumped to a whole new level. Ali fell for James even harder, and miraculously – he had fallen for her twice as hard. To this day, Ali had no idea what she did to cause it.

Finally out of the scramble of cars on the main highway, Ali flipped her turn signal on and took a more residential road that might get her home a little quicker. Her face still held a smile as she thought about that night with him. Still, to this day, she couldn’t believe that she had been the one to initiate. In a way, it was a green light for the next ten months, and James didn’t even speed through. He cruised.

Everything he did that night was about her, even though she was the one who couldn’t wait any longer to be with him. It was intense, in what she now considered the ‘James Way’ of intense. It lasted for what seemed like forever, which she was forever indebted to him for, though he didn’t know it. Every inch of her body he paid attention to, and it was downright fucking amazing. She also remembered the odd little look he had after they finished, and the line he gave her: I don’t even know who I am anymore, because you are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, Ali. You’ve officially hooked me.

At the time, she took it as a compliment and nothing more. Little did she know the depth behind his statement. As she came to learn more about his old habits, and even his recent struggles, that statement would always mean more to her than just a post-coital compliment. She’d had enough of those in her lifetime to know this one meant a lot more.

Snapping back to reality, Ali shelved those memories for the time being and focused on the present before she swerved off the road again. She crossed the rest of the miles that it took to reach the house, which she was pleasantly surprised to see that James was already home.

“Babe!” She closed the garage door behind her, excited to see him now after reminiscing the whole way home.

“I’m in here, hanging out with the tree.”

She laughed and hurried into the living room. There he was, his sore leg propped up on the coffee table, lights off, tv on, and the Christmas tree all lit up - complete with penguin topper. He looked up at Ali and smiled. The lack of bright light made his stubble seem darker, which only enhanced his smile. “We were waiting for you, ya know.”

She slid in next to him. “You’re not going to start talking to the tree like it’s a third person in the house, are you?”

James felt her lips press against his and he forgot there even was a Christmas tree. “Sorry…I got lonely. The tree seemed friendly enough.”

Ali lifted the bottom hem of his shorts to get a look at the knee in question. It seemed way puffier than it did last night. “Is it supposed to look like this?”

“What? More swollen? Yeah, it’s from all the work they did on it today. I’ve been icing it.” He saw the concerned look in her eyes. “Don’t worry, okay?”

“Don’t you dare fuck it up on the rink, James. You’ll regret it so bad if you do.”

“I know, and I’m doing everything I can to avoid that.” He watched as Ali slumped back next to him, eyes on the tv. Eventually, they shifted his way. “What?”

“Just checking out all that sweat you worked up looking at my pic from earlier.”

“You’re such a dork.” She let him lean into her for another kiss. “By the way, I need that massage even more than ever now.” She lifted her tired legs up onto the table next to his.

“What were your times today?”

“Between an 8 and 9.” She looked down at her lap glumly.

“What’s wrong with that?” Moving his hand to her knee, James started to rub her thigh. “That’s nothing to laugh at, babe.”

Ali shrugged. “It’s not a 7 minute mile…or better yet, a fucking 6.”

“You’ve got time. Don’t rush it.”

Their eyes met, but only James smiled. His hand moved over her tense quad muscle, his thumb pressing into the flesh around her knee.

“Can I pay you to keep going?” she said, closing her eyes.

“I have all night, and you have many muscles.”

Ali sighed. “Since day one, you’ve been amazing, James.”

And I still don’t deserve someone as amazing as you. “Thanks, but….where’s this coming from?”

She opened her eyes and focused on his. “I drove past my old place on my way home; I went running over that way.”

“Ahhhhhhh yes” he said, smiling wide. “7-1-8 Shuster. Who could forget?”

“I almost did, until I damn near ran off the road looking for it” Ali said with a little giggle. “Made me reminisce a little.”

James squeezed her thigh a little more firmly, remembering back as well. “What stood out in your mind most?” He caught the guilty look in her eyes. “You hornball!”

“Not!”

James was all smiles. If that kind of knowledge didn’t feel good, he didn’t know what did.

“It was just a truly awesome start to an absolutely outstanding relationship.” Ali placed her hand on his, clasping his fingers. “Just wanted to let you know I haven’t forgotten those first couple of months.”

James was out of words. They all seemed to have floated out of his head right when he needed something to make her feel as sweet as she just made him. Even if he impressed Ali those first months, she would never know the impact she had on him. It left him speechless.

“That makes me feel really good, Ali. Thank you.”

She smiled. “That’s all that’s needed. For you to feel good - for all the times you made me feel good.”

Even as Ali’s mouth connected with his, James thought he was living in some sort of alternate universe he was still getting used to visiting. He didn’t want to visit – he was desperate to stay. He wanted to permanently move in and never leave.

His hand cupped the side of her head and he deepened the kiss further, wanting more of her, but knowing he shouldn’t. In a way, it was just like their first couple of weeks together. Come February, it’d be their one year anniversary.

Colorado couldn’t come fast enough.

* * *

Comments

@Lolo2020


Thank you so much! Amazing people still read it and enjoy it so much. That was my goal :)

Winter22 Winter22
2/6/17

I absolutely adore this story! I've read it a few times and it gets better each time!

Lolo2020 Lolo2020
12/12/16

Love love loved this :) great work!!

anna anna
9/17/14

Just started reading. Can I say that they do not have to do anything but acknowledge people if even that when they are in a club. If girls are approaching them they can say no, they can just chose to ignore them. So James saying there was a s slip up is crap. He is allowed to be friends and talk to other girls and all but having someone literally just hang off of him. No

6-28-14 ** A NOTE TO MY READERS **

As a result of James getting traded, I've found myself at a loss for words; a loss I'm not sure I'll be quick to recover from. The trade was a hard hit, and it will take some time for me to get over the initial hurt.

I wanted to post a message to at least tell all of you who have followed my stories up to this point that after this, I'm not sure how long it's going to be before I post a new story. James will forever be a Penguin to me, and likely to many of you as well. I'm just not sure how to go forward right now. As a result - I can't promise I'll be back, but I hope to be. I really do.

Let's let the dust settle and the hurt fade...and maybe we'll find one other again on this wonderful site.

Thank you all again for your support...It really has made writing so much fun for me, and I don't want to go forward with another story until it's fun again. Right now - that doesn't seem plausible.

I'll leave it open for any of you to message me anytime, if you'd like. I will occasionally check in just to see how everyone's doing. :-)

Regards,
Winter

Winter22 Winter22
6/28/14