The Games We Play
Four
“Oh my god, Ali, let me know how it goes!” Her best friend’s voice was dripping with excitement through the phone. “Your first road game. Are you staying with him?”
“He’s gotta stay with the team, but I’m sure he’ll make an appearance. There’s no reason you couldn’t come, too, you know!”
“No ticket.” Brittany’s voice sounded fallen. “And no time. Buffalo’s like a six hour drive from Boston.”
“The ticket part isn’t a problem” Ali replied, one eye on her tv as she clicked through channel after channel. She was still in her gym clothes, hair still damp from her BodyPump class, and she had no intention of getting up off the couch just yet. “You know I can get you one easy….James always offers to get me tickets for friends and family.”
“Would he do that?! He’s never met me.”
“He’s never met my parents, and he still offers for them.” Secretly, she hoped Brittany would consider coming to Pittsburgh for a game while she was back in their hometown visiting family in two weeks. It’d been over six months since she had seen Brittany, and that visit had been quick. Maybe if Brittany came to town, it might bring a little familiarity to her new life involving James and the Pens.
“He sounds so awesome, Ali. Really. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Thanks, Britt.”
There was a brief pause.
“…So what are the chances I could meet Crosby?”
“Brittany!"
"Whaaaat?"
Ali could hear her friend smiling. "Yes, you can meet him. I think you’d really like him. He’s nothing like what all the haters say...even some of your beloved Bruins.”
“I bet.” There was another pause on the line, then a heavy sigh. “Alright, I gotta run. Tyler just texted and wants to meet downtown for lunch…Remember Regina’s?”
How couldn't she? It was only the best pizza she ever had in Boston. “Holy fuck, you guys are going there?”
“Yep! I’ll down a slice for you.”
“I’m jealous. Love you.”
“Love you! Later.”
Ali slid her iphone on the coffee table and glanced at her watch. Her shift at the hotel didn’t start for another couple of hours, so she tried to decide how to use the rest of her morning. James was at practice, and likely would be even after she’d left for the hotel, so she had the place to herself.
First things first, and that was a shower. Turning off the tv, she headed into the kitchen and gazed into a fridge full of multicolored sports drinks. She grabbed a blue one, snapped off the cap, and tossed it into the trash. The little orange cap bounced off the edge of the plastic bin, landing on the floor. Retrieving the cap and making an effort to actually hit her target this time, she saw a piece of paper with a girly heart scribbled on it.
She bent forward, inspecting the paper more closely. Call me, Neal. Complete with a heart.
“No shit” she said aloud. It was one half of a ripped up pay stub. From the looks of the three digit total, she guessed it was from previous night.
Ali expected stuff like this. In fact, she was surprised she hadn’t encountered it more, especially after having moved in with James two months ago. Still, she felt the familiar sting somewhere in her stomach every time she realized she was dating a professional hockey player. She had to remind herself she wasn’t the only one who wanted the player who donned the number 18 three nights a week, but she smiled when she realized she was the only one who got to have him.
She rubbed her lower back where she could still feel the remnants of James’ weight, strength, and need for her last night. Her smile grew more, and decided the drawn heart and telephone number were nothing of concern.
Tossing the orange cap once more at the bin, she nailed it. Nothing but net.
* * *
It was the night of the match-up between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Caddy-corner to where she stood at the Hyatt front desk, two tvs loomed on the wall. One showed the Weather Channel, and the other the hockey game.
In between assisting guests, Ali tried to watch as much of the game as she could. She’d spot the black on white number 18 flying down the ice when his line was up, but her attention was interrupted more than she wanted by guests trickling in and out. In the lounge adjacent to the front desk, cheers could be heard. Pittsburgh was a hockey town, and she was a hockey fan. Period. Work irritated her at times like these.
“30 minutes and you’re free.”
Ali looked over at her coworker sympathetically. “That obvious, huh?”
“Pretty much, yeah” he said, shooting her a quick grin.
Sighing, Ali watched as John clicked away on his keyboard, finishing the prior guest’s check-in. She should have been doing the same, tying up any loose ends on her side before the end of her shift, but her eyes lifted to the television again. The Pens were leading 2 to 1, and it was only halfway through the second period. On the screen, a close-up revealed Malkin leaning in to Crosby as the captain uttered something to him.
There was a face-off near the Rangers net, which resulted in very little momentum from either side. A quick change of bodies and James was on the ice, his tall form gliding out and immediately charging towards the mass of bodies near the boards. He retrieved the puck almost too easily, taking off down the ice with Malkin close by. A quick pass between the two left James open in the corner. Malkin served the final pass, and James took the shot. Even from behind the desk, Ali heard the harsh pang as the puck ricocheted off the bars.
A sigh came from the lounge.
On the screen, players skated slowly back to the face off zone, and Ali watched as the cameras focused in on James. He was shaking his head, chewing his mouth guard in frustration.
“He’s gonna have another 60 points this season” John said, walking past her to the copy machine.
“That’d be awesome” Ali replied, folding her arms over her chest. The screen now showed James and his teammates bent into face off position. “I’d love to be there to see it.”
Her game-watching was interrupted again as two pilots entered through the glass entrance doors, roller luggage trailing behind. They approached and Ali put on her professional face.
“Welcome to Hyatt Regency, Pittsburgh” she said, her tone friendly. “Checking in tonight?”
One of the two pilot's eyes were locked on the game, while the shorter, younger of the two smiled and handed Ali his paperwork.
“Hi, Ryan Young and Sean Thompson. Reservation for two, through Delta Elite please.” He met Ali’s eyes and smiled.
“Sure, just one second while I locate your information.” As she typed into her computer the reservation number and details, the other pilot tapped Ryan on the shoulder, motioning towards the flat panel screen on the wall.
“Dammit, they’re losing” Ryan muttered, eyes on the screen.
Ali glanced up momentarily. “Rangers fan?” she asked, continuing to type.
“Two native New Yorkers right here.” He motioned between himself and the other pilot. “Sean’s the bigger hockey man, but I do root for the boys when I catch ‘em on tv.”
A printer nearby produced two forms, which Ali laid on the marble counter in front of them. “Well sign here, Losers, and I’ll get you your room keys.” She made sure to emphasize the playfulness in her tone.
Ryan laughed. “Ahhhh……I think a Pens fan is checking us in, Sean.”
Sean stepped forward as cheers filtered out from the lounge again. “Yeah, well…the score is 3-1 now, so don’t taunt her too much or she’ll put us in a room beneath a family of seven.”
“Who scored?” Ali glanced past Sean to see the tv.
“Neal. Malkin had the assist.”
“NO WAY." She turned towards John and they high fived, unable to contain her excitement.
“Told you!” John replied.
Ali straightened her black blazer, a smile permanently plastered across her face. “Excuse me, gentlemen” she said, fanning her face. “Been waiting on that one all night.”
John leaned forward towards the pilots. “He’s her boyfriend,” he whispered, winking at Ali.
“James Neal?” Sean repeated, looking at Ali with new eyes.
Ali held out two pens, a victorious smile on her face. “Sign, please.”
Sean and Ryan took the pens Ali provided, signing the forms. Ryan held Ali’s gaze a second longer before penning his name.
“Rooms 801 and 802…which, in case you’ve never stayed here, is the top floor. No children in sight.” She handed the keys to the men. “But only because I feel bad for your team.”
The men laughed and grabbed their luggage. Sean waved ‘thanks’ and Ryan followed, a closed-lip smile directed at Ali as they headed for the elevators.
Turning her attention back to the tv, she was happily surprised to see the camera was closed in on a smiling James Neal on the bench. He was laughing with Beau Bennett about something, his stats plastered across the bottom of the screen. He looked up at the jumbotron somewhere above him.
Despite knowing she likely wouldn’t hear back from him before she fell asleep, Ali typed up a quick text to James:
Nice shot, baby! Watching you from work….and you look damn good. Do something about that hair, though. ;)
She fired off the text. The idea of him checking his phone after the game was satisfaction enough. Above her, the game went to commercial.
* * *
It was the typical post-game scene: Sid in one corner of the locker room, surrounded by reporters, with just as many surrounding James. They formed a tight semi-circle around him as he wiped the sweat from his face, answering their questions one by one. When they finished, they moved on to Fleury, who’d only allowed the one goal from the Rangers the whole night, making it a 3-1 finale.
As the team showered and handed over their gear to the equipment managers, James had a free moment to check his phone. He’d noticed earlier he had a couple texts from one of his brothers, and a text from Ali. He skipped over Mike’s texts and went straight for hers, laughing when he read it. He knew it was already past 11, but he wanted to talk to her. Now that he knew she’d seen his goal, he couldn’t wait to talk to her. He debated calling right then, but Coach was already directing them out the door to the vans that would take them to their jet.
It wasn’t until he was on the plane that he was able to finally call. Taking the chance she might still be up, he dialed her number. It took three rings before her voice filled his ear.
“Hey there, hot shot.”
“Hey you.” He leaned his head against the window. “Did I wake you?”
“Nope, I wanted to see the end, so I stayed up. Was actually hoping I’d hear from you. Nice job tonight…you guys looked great.”
James smiled. “But apparently my hair looked horrible.” Her laugh tickled his ear through the phone.
“Thought you might enjoy that.”
“More than you know.” He yawned, trying not to let her hear.
“Someone sounds tiirrreedd” she said, catching him. He let out a soft chuckle.
“Excellence takes a lot out of a person.”
“Well you better get some rest, then” teasing him back.
“Alright, you too, babe… Talk tomorrow?”
“Of course. Let me know when you get to Buffalo, k?”
“I will. Night, Ali.”
“Night, James.”
He ended the call and looked out the window of his seat. It had started raining, and droplets of water ran down the glass, distorting the shapes of his teammates as they climbed the stairs to the plane. Even as Beau claimed the aisle seat next to him, his eyes had closed and sleep found him.
* * *
A day passed, and the Pens were at their morning skate on Buffalo’s ice. The game was later that night, and James went through the rigors of practice the same as any other practice. Except this wasn’t any ordinary game he was warming up for: it was the first away game where Ali would be in the stands. James was impressed that she’d offered to make the drive, but he knew she had family on the route north of Pittsburgh, so it was a double win for her.
Regardless, James felt butterflies for the first time in a long time while he skated. There was always something about having a girlfriend at a game. Didn’t matter if he was in high school or in the pros, that nervous feeling always returned.
“Excited to have Ali here tonight?” Sid asked him in the locker room.
They stood at the sink, freshly showered and back in their suits. Sid ran a pump of gel through his wet curls, while James simply ran his fingers rapidly through his own. He was keeping it a bit longer these days since Ali made it no secret she loved it that way, but he wouldn’t abandon his habit of keeping it as infrequently washed as possible. He had rules, after all.
“Yeah, for sure…Let’s just make sure we win again” he said, eyeing Crosby. “I’ll blame you if we don’t.”
“Oh sure, blame it on me.”
“You are still Captain, right?”
Sid laughed in only that high-pitched way that Sid could. “Asshole.”
James shrugged, his fingers working the gray tie about his neck. “She’ll only buy it if I blame you, trust me.”
“Like hell she would, she’s way too smart for that” Sid replied. “So if it’s a win…are you going to invite her out afterwards with us?”
“Yeah, I think she’d be down for that” James said with a nod. He finished his tie and pointed to it. “Am I good, or am I good?”
Sid rolled his eyes and headed for the door. “Meet you outside.”
* * *
Bass up, treble down, Ali’s voice was drowned out by the music. She was driving north from Pittsburgh, heading for her first away game of her and James’ relationship. She felt on top of the world. Excited to be there, excited for something new, excited to go out with the crew afterwards if they won.
It only took a quick four hours, including a few pee stops and a quick bite to eat before she found herself in a city she’d been to many times before in her life. In college, before her and her friends turned 21, Niagara Falls was their spring break destination, given the drinking age was only 19 across the border. Buffalo was the last stop before crossing into Canada on that route, so Ali was very familiar with the area.
Using the GPS on her phone, she found her way to the Hyatt downtown. Though she got her room for free through her connection with the company, it wasn’t the same hotel the team was staying at, but it wasn’t far from it either. Two blocks separated her from James, and two hours separated her from when she needed to be at the arena.
Before heading out, she threw on James’ away jersey. Despite James getting her a men’s size small, it was painfully big on her 5’5” frame. Next, she took a flat iron to her shoulder length hair, straightening the long layers and giving herself a side part. She kept her makeup light, threw on some ass-hugging jeans (never mind that her ass was hidden beneath the jersey), and pulled on favorite brown, knee high boots. She inspected herself in the full-length mirror on the wall, happy with the results.
Her phone rang on the end table across the room. When she saw the name on the screen, she immediately became excited.
“Last time I get to talk to you before the game?” she asked.
“Just making sure you know where you’re going” James said on the other line. “It’s the Account Service Office, on the west end. Just mention it’s from me and you shouldn’t have any trouble.”
“Good timing - I was just on my way out now.”
“Excited?”
It was only one word, but Ali sensed a tiny bit of worry buried somewhere in his deep voice. “So excited, James. I can’t wait. You know where my seat is, right?”
“Section 119, row 3.”
“Guess we’re both set then” Ali replied.
“I wouldn’t forget those numbers if I tried…I got those specifically so I could see you from the bench.”
His smirk was obvious, even through the phone.
“I gotta run, but I’ll be looking for ya” James said.
She wished him good luck and they hung up. One final glance in the mirror for good measure, and Ali was out the door.
“He’s gotta stay with the team, but I’m sure he’ll make an appearance. There’s no reason you couldn’t come, too, you know!”
“No ticket.” Brittany’s voice sounded fallen. “And no time. Buffalo’s like a six hour drive from Boston.”
“The ticket part isn’t a problem” Ali replied, one eye on her tv as she clicked through channel after channel. She was still in her gym clothes, hair still damp from her BodyPump class, and she had no intention of getting up off the couch just yet. “You know I can get you one easy….James always offers to get me tickets for friends and family.”
“Would he do that?! He’s never met me.”
“He’s never met my parents, and he still offers for them.” Secretly, she hoped Brittany would consider coming to Pittsburgh for a game while she was back in their hometown visiting family in two weeks. It’d been over six months since she had seen Brittany, and that visit had been quick. Maybe if Brittany came to town, it might bring a little familiarity to her new life involving James and the Pens.
“He sounds so awesome, Ali. Really. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Thanks, Britt.”
There was a brief pause.
“…So what are the chances I could meet Crosby?”
“Brittany!"
"Whaaaat?"
Ali could hear her friend smiling. "Yes, you can meet him. I think you’d really like him. He’s nothing like what all the haters say...even some of your beloved Bruins.”
“I bet.” There was another pause on the line, then a heavy sigh. “Alright, I gotta run. Tyler just texted and wants to meet downtown for lunch…Remember Regina’s?”
How couldn't she? It was only the best pizza she ever had in Boston. “Holy fuck, you guys are going there?”
“Yep! I’ll down a slice for you.”
“I’m jealous. Love you.”
“Love you! Later.”
Ali slid her iphone on the coffee table and glanced at her watch. Her shift at the hotel didn’t start for another couple of hours, so she tried to decide how to use the rest of her morning. James was at practice, and likely would be even after she’d left for the hotel, so she had the place to herself.
First things first, and that was a shower. Turning off the tv, she headed into the kitchen and gazed into a fridge full of multicolored sports drinks. She grabbed a blue one, snapped off the cap, and tossed it into the trash. The little orange cap bounced off the edge of the plastic bin, landing on the floor. Retrieving the cap and making an effort to actually hit her target this time, she saw a piece of paper with a girly heart scribbled on it.
She bent forward, inspecting the paper more closely. Call me, Neal. Complete with a heart.
“No shit” she said aloud. It was one half of a ripped up pay stub. From the looks of the three digit total, she guessed it was from previous night.
Ali expected stuff like this. In fact, she was surprised she hadn’t encountered it more, especially after having moved in with James two months ago. Still, she felt the familiar sting somewhere in her stomach every time she realized she was dating a professional hockey player. She had to remind herself she wasn’t the only one who wanted the player who donned the number 18 three nights a week, but she smiled when she realized she was the only one who got to have him.
She rubbed her lower back where she could still feel the remnants of James’ weight, strength, and need for her last night. Her smile grew more, and decided the drawn heart and telephone number were nothing of concern.
Tossing the orange cap once more at the bin, she nailed it. Nothing but net.
* * *
It was the night of the match-up between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Caddy-corner to where she stood at the Hyatt front desk, two tvs loomed on the wall. One showed the Weather Channel, and the other the hockey game.
In between assisting guests, Ali tried to watch as much of the game as she could. She’d spot the black on white number 18 flying down the ice when his line was up, but her attention was interrupted more than she wanted by guests trickling in and out. In the lounge adjacent to the front desk, cheers could be heard. Pittsburgh was a hockey town, and she was a hockey fan. Period. Work irritated her at times like these.
“30 minutes and you’re free.”
Ali looked over at her coworker sympathetically. “That obvious, huh?”
“Pretty much, yeah” he said, shooting her a quick grin.
Sighing, Ali watched as John clicked away on his keyboard, finishing the prior guest’s check-in. She should have been doing the same, tying up any loose ends on her side before the end of her shift, but her eyes lifted to the television again. The Pens were leading 2 to 1, and it was only halfway through the second period. On the screen, a close-up revealed Malkin leaning in to Crosby as the captain uttered something to him.
There was a face-off near the Rangers net, which resulted in very little momentum from either side. A quick change of bodies and James was on the ice, his tall form gliding out and immediately charging towards the mass of bodies near the boards. He retrieved the puck almost too easily, taking off down the ice with Malkin close by. A quick pass between the two left James open in the corner. Malkin served the final pass, and James took the shot. Even from behind the desk, Ali heard the harsh pang as the puck ricocheted off the bars.
A sigh came from the lounge.
On the screen, players skated slowly back to the face off zone, and Ali watched as the cameras focused in on James. He was shaking his head, chewing his mouth guard in frustration.
“He’s gonna have another 60 points this season” John said, walking past her to the copy machine.
“That’d be awesome” Ali replied, folding her arms over her chest. The screen now showed James and his teammates bent into face off position. “I’d love to be there to see it.”
Her game-watching was interrupted again as two pilots entered through the glass entrance doors, roller luggage trailing behind. They approached and Ali put on her professional face.
“Welcome to Hyatt Regency, Pittsburgh” she said, her tone friendly. “Checking in tonight?”
One of the two pilot's eyes were locked on the game, while the shorter, younger of the two smiled and handed Ali his paperwork.
“Hi, Ryan Young and Sean Thompson. Reservation for two, through Delta Elite please.” He met Ali’s eyes and smiled.
“Sure, just one second while I locate your information.” As she typed into her computer the reservation number and details, the other pilot tapped Ryan on the shoulder, motioning towards the flat panel screen on the wall.
“Dammit, they’re losing” Ryan muttered, eyes on the screen.
Ali glanced up momentarily. “Rangers fan?” she asked, continuing to type.
“Two native New Yorkers right here.” He motioned between himself and the other pilot. “Sean’s the bigger hockey man, but I do root for the boys when I catch ‘em on tv.”
A printer nearby produced two forms, which Ali laid on the marble counter in front of them. “Well sign here, Losers, and I’ll get you your room keys.” She made sure to emphasize the playfulness in her tone.
Ryan laughed. “Ahhhh……I think a Pens fan is checking us in, Sean.”
Sean stepped forward as cheers filtered out from the lounge again. “Yeah, well…the score is 3-1 now, so don’t taunt her too much or she’ll put us in a room beneath a family of seven.”
“Who scored?” Ali glanced past Sean to see the tv.
“Neal. Malkin had the assist.”
“NO WAY." She turned towards John and they high fived, unable to contain her excitement.
“Told you!” John replied.
Ali straightened her black blazer, a smile permanently plastered across her face. “Excuse me, gentlemen” she said, fanning her face. “Been waiting on that one all night.”
John leaned forward towards the pilots. “He’s her boyfriend,” he whispered, winking at Ali.
“James Neal?” Sean repeated, looking at Ali with new eyes.
Ali held out two pens, a victorious smile on her face. “Sign, please.”
Sean and Ryan took the pens Ali provided, signing the forms. Ryan held Ali’s gaze a second longer before penning his name.
“Rooms 801 and 802…which, in case you’ve never stayed here, is the top floor. No children in sight.” She handed the keys to the men. “But only because I feel bad for your team.”
The men laughed and grabbed their luggage. Sean waved ‘thanks’ and Ryan followed, a closed-lip smile directed at Ali as they headed for the elevators.
Turning her attention back to the tv, she was happily surprised to see the camera was closed in on a smiling James Neal on the bench. He was laughing with Beau Bennett about something, his stats plastered across the bottom of the screen. He looked up at the jumbotron somewhere above him.
Despite knowing she likely wouldn’t hear back from him before she fell asleep, Ali typed up a quick text to James:
Nice shot, baby! Watching you from work….and you look damn good. Do something about that hair, though. ;)
She fired off the text. The idea of him checking his phone after the game was satisfaction enough. Above her, the game went to commercial.
* * *
It was the typical post-game scene: Sid in one corner of the locker room, surrounded by reporters, with just as many surrounding James. They formed a tight semi-circle around him as he wiped the sweat from his face, answering their questions one by one. When they finished, they moved on to Fleury, who’d only allowed the one goal from the Rangers the whole night, making it a 3-1 finale.
As the team showered and handed over their gear to the equipment managers, James had a free moment to check his phone. He’d noticed earlier he had a couple texts from one of his brothers, and a text from Ali. He skipped over Mike’s texts and went straight for hers, laughing when he read it. He knew it was already past 11, but he wanted to talk to her. Now that he knew she’d seen his goal, he couldn’t wait to talk to her. He debated calling right then, but Coach was already directing them out the door to the vans that would take them to their jet.
It wasn’t until he was on the plane that he was able to finally call. Taking the chance she might still be up, he dialed her number. It took three rings before her voice filled his ear.
“Hey there, hot shot.”
“Hey you.” He leaned his head against the window. “Did I wake you?”
“Nope, I wanted to see the end, so I stayed up. Was actually hoping I’d hear from you. Nice job tonight…you guys looked great.”
James smiled. “But apparently my hair looked horrible.” Her laugh tickled his ear through the phone.
“Thought you might enjoy that.”
“More than you know.” He yawned, trying not to let her hear.
“Someone sounds tiirrreedd” she said, catching him. He let out a soft chuckle.
“Excellence takes a lot out of a person.”
“Well you better get some rest, then” teasing him back.
“Alright, you too, babe… Talk tomorrow?”
“Of course. Let me know when you get to Buffalo, k?”
“I will. Night, Ali.”
“Night, James.”
He ended the call and looked out the window of his seat. It had started raining, and droplets of water ran down the glass, distorting the shapes of his teammates as they climbed the stairs to the plane. Even as Beau claimed the aisle seat next to him, his eyes had closed and sleep found him.
* * *
A day passed, and the Pens were at their morning skate on Buffalo’s ice. The game was later that night, and James went through the rigors of practice the same as any other practice. Except this wasn’t any ordinary game he was warming up for: it was the first away game where Ali would be in the stands. James was impressed that she’d offered to make the drive, but he knew she had family on the route north of Pittsburgh, so it was a double win for her.
Regardless, James felt butterflies for the first time in a long time while he skated. There was always something about having a girlfriend at a game. Didn’t matter if he was in high school or in the pros, that nervous feeling always returned.
“Excited to have Ali here tonight?” Sid asked him in the locker room.
They stood at the sink, freshly showered and back in their suits. Sid ran a pump of gel through his wet curls, while James simply ran his fingers rapidly through his own. He was keeping it a bit longer these days since Ali made it no secret she loved it that way, but he wouldn’t abandon his habit of keeping it as infrequently washed as possible. He had rules, after all.
“Yeah, for sure…Let’s just make sure we win again” he said, eyeing Crosby. “I’ll blame you if we don’t.”
“Oh sure, blame it on me.”
“You are still Captain, right?”
Sid laughed in only that high-pitched way that Sid could. “Asshole.”
James shrugged, his fingers working the gray tie about his neck. “She’ll only buy it if I blame you, trust me.”
“Like hell she would, she’s way too smart for that” Sid replied. “So if it’s a win…are you going to invite her out afterwards with us?”
“Yeah, I think she’d be down for that” James said with a nod. He finished his tie and pointed to it. “Am I good, or am I good?”
Sid rolled his eyes and headed for the door. “Meet you outside.”
* * *
Bass up, treble down, Ali’s voice was drowned out by the music. She was driving north from Pittsburgh, heading for her first away game of her and James’ relationship. She felt on top of the world. Excited to be there, excited for something new, excited to go out with the crew afterwards if they won.
It only took a quick four hours, including a few pee stops and a quick bite to eat before she found herself in a city she’d been to many times before in her life. In college, before her and her friends turned 21, Niagara Falls was their spring break destination, given the drinking age was only 19 across the border. Buffalo was the last stop before crossing into Canada on that route, so Ali was very familiar with the area.
Using the GPS on her phone, she found her way to the Hyatt downtown. Though she got her room for free through her connection with the company, it wasn’t the same hotel the team was staying at, but it wasn’t far from it either. Two blocks separated her from James, and two hours separated her from when she needed to be at the arena.
Before heading out, she threw on James’ away jersey. Despite James getting her a men’s size small, it was painfully big on her 5’5” frame. Next, she took a flat iron to her shoulder length hair, straightening the long layers and giving herself a side part. She kept her makeup light, threw on some ass-hugging jeans (never mind that her ass was hidden beneath the jersey), and pulled on favorite brown, knee high boots. She inspected herself in the full-length mirror on the wall, happy with the results.
Her phone rang on the end table across the room. When she saw the name on the screen, she immediately became excited.
“Last time I get to talk to you before the game?” she asked.
“Just making sure you know where you’re going” James said on the other line. “It’s the Account Service Office, on the west end. Just mention it’s from me and you shouldn’t have any trouble.”
“Good timing - I was just on my way out now.”
“Excited?”
It was only one word, but Ali sensed a tiny bit of worry buried somewhere in his deep voice. “So excited, James. I can’t wait. You know where my seat is, right?”
“Section 119, row 3.”
“Guess we’re both set then” Ali replied.
“I wouldn’t forget those numbers if I tried…I got those specifically so I could see you from the bench.”
His smirk was obvious, even through the phone.
“I gotta run, but I’ll be looking for ya” James said.
She wished him good luck and they hung up. One final glance in the mirror for good measure, and Ali was out the door.
@Lolo2020
Thank you so much! Amazing people still read it and enjoy it so much. That was my goal :)
2/6/17