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The Games We Play

Fifty-one

James left practice the following morning, calling Ali first before all else. He hit her speed dial, pushing through the metal door that led into the parking garage. The bite of the chilly air hit him and his still-wet hair instantly.

Ali picked up after one ring. “Heyyyyyyy.”

“Uh oh” James said. “Someone sounds tired.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“Any reason?” He unlocked his car and settled inside, throwing his bag in the back seat to leave room for Rebecca. “Because it wasn’t me.”

She laughed on the other line. “No, I know it wasn’t you…this time.”

James smiled. “So what gives?”

“Just worn out, I guess. Work sucks, too. I really need to apply to grad school.”

“You’ll get there, babe. No sense in wearing yourself out more thinking about it.” He heard her sigh, which made him wish he could do or say something more to help.

“Just leaving practice?” Ali asked.

“Yeah…kind of a weird one today.” James leaned his head back against the headrest. “How long is your shift again?”

“Til 3. Ugh…not to cut you off, but there seems to be a group of people coming in now. I better go.”

“It’s fine! Just wanted to say hi while I could…see if I could catch ya.”

“And I love you for it” Ali said. “Text anytime.”

“I will. Later, babe.” James hung up, feeling better just hearing her voice.

He had to admit it: he was nervous. What if this whole decision was too quick? How quick was too quick, anyway? It didn’t matter. He was never going to get another opportunity to have a female help him pick out a ring, and his sister was the lucky one who was currently filling that one and only spot.

Not only that, he never felt so sure of something in his life, aside from committing his entire life to the game of hockey. But he’d made that decision when he was a little kid, not even realizing what he was in for.

Is this the same, though?

He started his car and pulled out of the garage, seeing the glowing red lights on the dash read 11:10 am. He hoped four hours would be enough time to make some progress, whether today was the day he bought the ring or not.

’The ring’.

James bit his bottom lip. I should call Jeff and ask him first. Why buy the damn thing and then ask him?

Easy. Because I know he’ll approve.


That also made James nervous. He couldn’t recall the last time he met a girlfriend’s parents, let alone hung around with a chick long enough to make that even a possibility. Everything, everything about Ali was different. That’s how he knew.

When James got to a red light, he yanked out his cell phone again and sent Ali a text. He had too many good feelings and too many good thoughts in his mind not to let her know he was still thinking about her.

Not sure I tell you this enough, but I love you.

After the next two home games, he’d be on the road again for five games. Five. January would transition to February during that time, and then Colorado would be here before he knew it.

James rolled up to the house with these thoughts still on his mind. Honking the horn, he waited outside for Becca to appear. In two seconds flat, she was running out the front door and down the sidewalk.

“Holy shit, we’re taking the Ferrari?” she asked, climbing inside.

“Just today” James said, throwing the car in reverse. He hit the gas hard on purpose, causing his sister to hit the back of her seat.

“Whoa.” Rebecca grabbed for her seatbelt much more quickly.

“When was the last time you rode in it?” James looked over and smiled at her.

She smiled back. “Never!”

“Exactly!” He shifted and crossed lanes to make his way back to the highway.

Rebecca looked around inside the car, inspecting the dark leather interior with a bit of awe. “Pretty nice, I have to say……..but what a waste of money.”

“WASTE?” James barked out a laugh. “What else do you think I should have bought?”

“Some furniture?” Rebecca teased back.

They turned their heads and they both made a face at each other. James hit the gas again, sending Becca back into the seat even more.

“So where exactly are we going?” James asked her. “Do you have the directions?”

“Yes, right up here.” She tapped her temple. “Do you know what we’re even looking for?”

James shrugged. “Not really.”

“Have you thought about this at all?”

He stared at her. She shrugged in response.

“Just wondering…”

James rolled his eyes. “Just follow my lead, okay?”

Rebecca could tell he was nervous. It was so obvious, and yet he was still trying to play it off like he had it all under control. It made her want to hug him and punch him at the same time. She hoped he really had thought about this….If it was her, she’d want her boyfriend to spend lots of time thinking about it beforehand.

The silence in the car became noticeable. When James looked over, he saw his sister staring down at her purse, fiddling with the zipper.

“You okay?”

Rebecca sighed. “Yeah.”

“Liar.”

She looked over at him. “Was just thinking, that’s all.”

James’ brow furrowed. “About what?”

She didn’t answer.

“About the breakup?”

“Mm hm.”

She was still playing with her zipper when James glanced over again. He felt his heart sink a little. “Listen, Becca….If us going to look at rings in any way makes you feel shitty about—“

‘’—No, this is all really good” she interjected. “I’m happy for you. You don’t understand how happy it makes me….that you’re doing this, I mean. That you’re happy.”

James didn’t know what to say to that. All he knew was that it made him feel really good to hear his little sister say that. It also made this entire process seem even more real.

“Thanks, Becca. That was really nice.”

She looked over and watched as her brother uncomfortably readjusted his position in the driver’s seat. Wow, he really is one big nervous ball of awkward.

The rest of the drive to the jewelry store that Rebecca picked to visit first was relatively quiet. They joked now and then, but both remained somewhat pensive for the remainder of the car ride.

They pulled up to the store and James killed the engine. Becca was already outside, but James checked his phone for a reply from Ali. It couldn’t have been better timed:

See why I want you forever? ;-)

Rebecca knocked on his window, waving him to get out. He left the text as it was, taking it as some kind of sign he was doing the right thing.

“You can chat with her later, we have work to do!” she said as James got out of the car.

She took him by the arm, linking hers in his. They went into the store and were quickly assisted by a female sales associate. To James, she had a very similar ways about her to the associate who helped him when he purchased Ali’s Christmas present. That much he was used to, or at least comfortable with.

He and Rebecca did some work on their own first. James let her lead him around, and she did a really good job of asking him questions and pointing out facts about the different cuts of stones and the different metals. It made him a little more relaxed, and slowly but surely, he came to realize that he was, in fact, looking for a particular shape and style of ring after all.

Unfortunately, that location didn’t have what he wanted…or what he thought he wanted. They tried another store on Becca’s list, and they came a little closer to what James was envisioning, but no luck.

As they entered the third store and started looking around, James liked a lot of what he was seeing.

“What about this, Jimmy?” Rebecca pointed at something below the case where she was standing.

He walked over and peered through the glass. The gentleman who had been helping them lifted out a small padded line of rings that were all in either white gold or platinum, James couldn’t tell. They were also all square cut…and huge.

“Wow, these are huge!” Rebecca looked excited. “You have to get her something this big.”

James frowned. “I don’t know, Becca…she’s not super-showy like that.”

“It’s an engagement ring! I thought they were supposed to be huge?”

He shook his head. “How many carats are these?” he asked the associate.

“They start at four carats on the far left, ranging up to eight on the far right” he answered.

“Jesus Christ, Bec, Ali would kill me!”

Rebecca frowned. “Fine….but do you like the shape?”

“Kind of…” But James was stuck on the one he had been looking at before he wandered over. He went back over to the counter he had been at previously. “Hey, what do you think of this?”

His sister came over and peered through the glass. “Oh my God.”

“What?” James didn’t know how to take that.

“It’s gorgeous!” Rebecca stared at him. “Since when did you develop style?”

He made a face at her. “Really?”

“You wear plaid suits” she said flatly. “You DO NOT have style.”

“Care to see something in this case?” the man asked them with a smile. “I see you’ve got your eye on something.”

James pointed down at the one he had been considering. “Can I see that one?”

“You sure can.” He brought up the quilted pad the ring was cradled on, lifting the band for James to hold. “This one is solid platinum, but can come in white or yellow gold, if you so choose. Platinum seems to be the metal of choice for this particular design.”

James studied the ring as he held it between his fingers. Rebecca strained to look as well, studying James’ face just as much as the ring.

“What do you think?” she asked him.

He was still thinking, so he couldn’t answer. It was a fairly large round center stone, enveloped in a swirl of platinum, as if two hands were clutching the stone. The wavy, curved design of the band really appealed to him, and he felt like it meshed with Ali’s style.

“How many carats again?” James asked.

“That one is four.”

Four wasn’t bad. He didn’t think it was too big that Ali would be turned off by it. But…despite that, he was feeling the same way he once felt when choosing the necklace: he wanted it big enough that Ali would be proud to show it off and let everyone know just who she was engaged to.

He looked at his sister. “Pretty cool looking band, eh?”

She nodded rapidly. “I haven’t seen anything like it until now. It’s not boring like all the others.”

Describes Ali to a T, he thought.

“Would you mind putting it on, Bec?” He watched her entire face light up.

“Really!??! Yes! Here!” She took the ring and tried it on her ring finger first, but it was too small. She slipped it over her pinky finger and it fit perfectly.

James studied it as Rebecca held her hand up in front of him. He smiled over at the sales associate, who appeared quite happy to watch them as they decided.

“I really like this one” James replied. “Price tag?”

“If you go with the four carat, it stands roughly around $62,000, depending on the size of the band.”

Rebecca almost choked when she heard the price. James didn’t blink an eye.

“So what would a size 7 be?”

The associate pulled up a card from beneath the case they were standing at and studied some numbers. James looked over to see if Rebecca was okay, but her eyes were still wide enough that the whites were visible. She grabbed his arm and leaned in close.

“…Isn’t that a bit much?”

James laughed. “What’d you think it would cost? A couple hundred?”

The man looked up and smiled at them, replacing the card under the case. “A size 7, four carat, platinum choice for this ring would be $62,799.”

He nodded and turned to Rebecca. “Hold your hand out one more time?” She did, and he tried his best to envision Ali wearing it. The thought alone made his heart jump into his throat. He rolled his bottom lip with his fingers as he tried to think, but he knew what the answer was. He just needed to say the words.

“James?”

He looked up to meet his sister’s gaze.

“What do you think?”

He looked over at the associate behind the counter who was waiting patiently. Bringing his eyes back to the ring, he tried to take a deep breath to steady himself.

“Yes.”

Both Rebecca and the sales associate perked up their ears, looking at one another before looking at James.

“What?” Rebecca said.

“I said yes.” James turned to the associate. “A size 7 in platinum.”

“Is that your final answer?” he asked James.

James nodded. “Final answer.”

* * *

When Ali got home later that evening from work, she found James and Rebecca hanging out in the living room. They were lounging together, James’ large figure on the loveseat, Rebecca taking up residence on the couch.

“Finally!” James lifted his arms as Ali came into the living room.

“Hey you two.” She saw James motion for her to come over and sit, so she plopped down on his lap. “And hey to you.” With her hand, she ruffled up his hair, sinking her fingers into the deep length of its messiness.

“Still tired?”

She nodded. “Pretty tired, yeah. Although I seem to feel a little perked up now.” With her elbow, she gently gave him a nudge. Being close to him, she was able to get the faintest hint of his cologne and maybe a bit of the gel in his hair after she ruffled it. The whole thing was so distinctly James, and she absolutely loved it.

“So what’d you two do today?” She posed the question to both James and Rebecca.

The siblings looked at one another, their faces both stone cold. Rebecca quickly smiled at Ali. “We went shopping.”

Ali laughed. “Shopping?” She looked at James. “What a good brother! Taking his sister shopping!”

He smiled at her, then at Rebecca. “Hear that, Becca? What a good brother I am!”

“I heard it alright” she replied, smirking.

Ali turned her head to see Rebecca. “So did you buy anything good?”

“Umm……” Trying to curb her nervousness, Becca looked at James. “No, I really didn’t find anything.”

“What!” Ali swatted at James’ chest. “Where’d you take her, anyways?”

The irony was too much. James shrugged and let a little chuckle escape. He met his sister’s anxious stare and bit his lip. “The strip mall.”

“THE STRIP MALL?”

James hugged Ali close. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding…I took her to downtown.”

“I was about to retract my earlier statement” she said with a laugh. “But that’s cool. Did you guys have a good time?”

“It was pretty fun” Rebecca chimed in. “I found out my brother actually has a sense of style, so that was pretty wild.”

Ali’s mouth opened. “No way. Not true.”

James looked at her and smiled. “Ohh, but it is!”

At that moment, Rebecca and James met eyes again, and they exchanged a knowing glance at one another. They’d successfully pulled it off….somehow. That was still boggling Rebecca’s mind a little, even as they all sat about laughing and chatting with one another. Her whole life, she admired her brother for many reasons…but after today and being with him and seeing the change that was in him, she had a whole new reason to admire him.

* * *

Ali knocked on the guest bedroom door, hearing the soft movement of feet behind. Rebecca opened it and smiled.

“Hey, were you sleeping yet?” Ali asked her.

“Nope! Just watching tv, why?” Her face looked cheerful and very much awake. Her wavy blonde hair tumbled loosely over her shoulders, and her bright eyes crinkled at the corners much the same as James’.

“Well I can’t sleep and James sleeps like the dead…so I’m literally just laying in there staring at the ceiling.” Ali shrugged. “Want some company?”

“As long as it’s just you!” she teased. “Get in here.”

Ali felt Rebecca grab her arm and usher her inside. She closed the door behind and starting to laugh, which made Ali a little confused.

“What?”

Rebecca shook her head. “I can hear him snoring from in here. Does he snore all the time?”

“No, thank God. I wouldn’t be able to take it” Ali replied. She took a seat on the end of the bed, and Rebecca joined her up near the pillows. “I hope he’s not getting sick…that’s normally when he snores. Or when he gets punched in the face by someone.”

“He’s such a doofus.” Rebecca rolled his eyes. “Do you know he wouldn’t even catch bugs with us when we were all little kids? He was afraid he’d hurt them. He couldn’t watch when Pete killed a butterfly once by accident.”

“What!??!” Ali tried to hold back a laugh. “Really?”

Rebecca nodded. “Super dork mode. Like…his whole life.”

With a nod, Ali considered a very young James Neal not wanting to catch bugs for fear of hurting them. She shook her head and smiled to herself.

“So now he slams other guys into glass for a living” Becca added with a grin. “See what I’m confused all the time?”

“I would imagine so!” Ali replied. She crossed her legs under her, adjusting herself where she sat. “I guess tomorrow we’ll both get to see a slice of it together at the game, huh?”

Rebecca shoved her toes under the blankets and rubbed her hands together excitedly. “I can’t wait! I don’t remember the last time I got to watch him play when I wasn’t sitting with my parents. James said you’re a treat to sit by, too. So I’m REALLY excited.”

“A treat to sit by!?!?” Ali laughed. “What does that mean?!”

“Oh it’s good! He said it with a giant smile on his face.” Rebecca nodded at Ali. “In fact, everything he says when he talks about you is with a giant smile on his face.”

Ali’s dark eyes and Rebecca’s bright eyes met across the space between them on the bed. Above all else, Ali was flattered and humbled by what she’d just told her. She never quite understood what surprised her so much when others let on how much James was truly into her, but it always did. This instance was no exception.

“Why the long face?” Becca asked, grinning. It was the same half-lifted , sideways grin James had.
“I don’t know.” Ali shrugged. “Guess even after 11 months, I’m still not used to James being my boyfriend.”

“Why not?”

“Well look at him, first of all.”

“Exactly what I meant” Rebecca claimed lightheartedly. “Super dork mode, Ali.”

She laughed. “I know, I know…but let’s be real here – your brother could have anyone he wants.”

“And he does.”

Ali saw Rebecca’s grin reappear, but now it spanned the width of her enthusiastic face.

“Come on, he loves you” Becca added. She scooted out from under the blankets and edged herself closer to Ali. “Really! I see it. And our entire family has just been waiting for this for James.”

“This?” Ali raised an eyebrow.

“Well….” Becca caught herself. “You know. A serious girlfriend.”

“Right.”

“Cause you know how he use to—“

“—I’ve heard” Ali replied with an awkward smile.

“So you see? The fact you even LIVE with him….That’s huge.”

“Really?” She had to laugh.

Rebecca nodded. “Oh yeah. The girls he brought home before? Ugh…What nappy bitches. I couldn’t understand it. Only Mike liked the girls Jimmy brought home, and that surprised no one.”

Ali wasn’t sure she wanted to hear much more, even if it was all in her favor. She wasn’t clueless that James had dated….well, kind of dated….maybe….a host of girls throughout his past. But….that didn’t exactly mean she wanted to hear about them.

“But then YOU came along!” Rebecca sighed. “I can’t tell you how much I adore you.”

“Awww!” Ali smiled shyly. “Thank you for that.”

“How do you live with him, anyway?” Rebecca asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know…like….does he ever make you mad? Do you two ever get annoyed with being around one another all the time?”

“Umm…well, sure, I mean…you’ll always have that whenever you live with someone” Ali tried to explain. “And with us, he’s gone a lot with the team, so it doesn’t feel like we’re in one another’s faces too much.”

“Do you miss him when he’s gone?”

Ali looked down and nodded. “Yeah. Some stretches more than others.” She smiled. “But we talk a lot, so I mean….the time goes by fast.” When she looked at Rebecca now, she noticed a change come over her. Her face fell a little from before.

“Adam and I would get so annoyed with one another.” With one shoulder, Rebecca shrugged, as if trying to move the idea out and away from her. “Whatever. We weren’t dating half as long as you and James have been.”

“Do you want to talk about it with me?” Ali asked gently. “I’m willing to listen.” She watched as Rebecca folded her arms over her chest and looked out the bedroom window.

“It’s okay. We don’t need to.”

Their eyes met again, and Ali tried to give her a reassuring smile. She could see Rebecca’s eyes watering up just then.

“Okay so I do want to talk.”

“The floor is yours” Ali said.

“I don’t get it” Rebecca started. “Like, he gives me this ring and tells me how I’m the greatest in the world and how he’s never met anyone like me…”

Heard it all before Ali was thinking. She nodded for her to continue.

“…So then, you know…I introduce him to the family, trying to do what James did, and it like….freaked him out or something.”

Ali waited to hear if there was more. A minute passed and Rebecca looked at her and shrugged.

“Guess I was stupid to think he meant anything to me.”

“You weren’t stupid. You guys are still pretty young yet” Ali told her. “And while I disagree with Adam’s reaction, I can’t knock him for possibly getting some cold feet. Meeting the parents was still a big deal to James and I…maybe moreso to me than him…”

“By the way, I told him not to introduce Mom and Dad to you the way he did” Rebecca said. “I TOLD him, but noooo…”

Ali laughed. “I kind of liked it! I was thrown for a second, but in the end I thought it was great.” She smiled. “That’s why I like James. He keeps me on my toes.”

“I want what you guys have” Rebecca admitted glumly. She looked down and played at the design of the comforter. “You two just mesh so well. I don’t think Adam and I did at all.”

“Better to find out now than a year or two down the road, right?” Ali asked, and Rebecca nodded.

“Right.”

“I think it’s good you’re going through all these thoughts” she added. “Shows your maturity in all of this.”

“Yeah?” Rebecca smiled. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

There was a pause, and then Rebecca moved in and hugged Ali. It took her by surprise a little, but she hugged her back, happy to have had the moment they did together.

“Can I say one more thing?” Rebecca asked, separating from her. “My brother may be able to have anyone in the world, but he couldn’t have chosen better. I really like you. My parents do too; I’ve heard them talk!”

Ali laughed, feeling herself blush a little. “Well that’s all really, really good to hear, Bec. I’ve taken a liking to everyone in the Neal family…that I’ve met, anyway.”

“Even Mike?”

Even Mike.” She smiled. “He’s not so bad.”

“Oh yes he is.”

She laughed again. “You would know more than me, so I won’t challenge you on that.”

Rebecca leaned in. “Did Mike actually walk in on you and James when you were visiting? Like…when you two were alone?”

Ali looked away momentarily, but shifted her eyes guiltily back to Rebecca. “Maybe…”

“EW!” She started laughing and shaking her head. “That’s SO gross. I can’t picture my brother like that.”

“Ohhhhh but I can…”

“ALI!” Rebecca started laughing.

“Sorry!” Ali was laughing right along with her. “I won’t even go there around you, I promise.”

“Good, because I can’t handle it!”

They kept laughing, and Ali was happy to see that the water in Rebecca’s eyes had dried up, and her face no longer appeared sad.

Rebecca held a closed fist up to Ali. “Knuckles?”

Just like James. Ali smiled and raised her fist, bumping them against hers.

* * *

Notes

Want to see the ring? Here it is:
http://www.dianavincent.com/uploaded_images/633634739836624369_DV_R111-PT-LT-1ct-D_LRG.jpg

Yes, I actually did research! I tried to find a ring that spoke to both of them, particularly Ali's character. Hopefully this helps you all envision it. :-)

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