The Off Season

The Off Season – Chapter Ten

When Katherine signed the contact to become an employee of the Pittsburgh Penguins she promised herself one thing and one thing only; that she would not let anything or anyone distract her from her job. As she starred out onto the lake, she knew then that she was going to have to be the one to end this. The week alone with James was enough for her to know that this relationship would turn out to be nothing but a huge mistake and an even bigger distraction for her. She knew James certainly wasn’t in this for the long haul, they both knew it. Now, who was going to be the first to openly admit it, would be a different story.

Sure, on that tequila-fueled night, every promise that James made sounded like the truth. The truth was Katherine saw right through it all; the charm, the sex. Or at least she thought she did. Katherine wanted to work on the friendship, but every time things got remotely complicated, the physical part would come on like a bullet from a gun. The sex was great, mind-blowing great, but she knew it couldn’t keep them going for very much longer.

James knew even on that first day he bumped into Katherine outside of Ray Shero’s office, that this was going to be complicated. Not complicated in the way that he had grown accustomed to juggling co-eds or puck bunnies, but in a whole different way that he didn’t know if he could even handle. Katherine was a woman who knew what she wanted, didn’t take crap from anyone and had an incredible focus that drove James insane. He knew deep in his heart that she was his anchor, but did he really want to be tied down. She helped him through his scoring drought, his injuries, she was there to celebrate his hat tricks and to comfort him when it all came crashing down in Boston. Katherine had seen him at his best and at his worst, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to do the same for her. There was something there, something more than friendship, but James wasn’t sure if he was ready for what Katherine wanted or needed next from him.

They both had wandered back into the bedroom after finishing their coffee. The heaviness of the potential conversation hung in the air like the mid-July Canadian humidity. They knew that with this being their last day at the lake, this conversation couldn’t wait any longer.

Katherine climbed up on the bed and sat with her legs tucked under her. She nervously smoothed out the sheets and patted her hand on a section closest to her. James slide next to Katherine on the bed.

“So, we’ve been avoiding the obvious all week,” Katherine said as she adjusted her legs under her to get more comfortable.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say Kat,” James said as he stared out into the distance. “We never really decided what this was, so I just guessed we were ok with the way things were.”

Katherine thought back to the first night that they spent together and how easily everything flowed. And now, you could feel the tension between them, each not knowing what the other wanted them to say.

“I just keep thinking that we’ve been filling a void in each other’s life without any kind of purpose.” Katherine looked at James and gently placed her hand on his cheek. “What do you want out of this?”

“Kat, I don’t know.”

“What do you want out of this?” James’ blue eyes had turned deep turquoise and were looking straight through Katherine.

“I think more than what you’re willing to give.” She said it. Katherine knew it was the truth and she said it out loud.

“Kat, you have to understand, this is all so serious and I’m not sure if you really want me to be that person.”

“James, if I didn’t want you to be that person, I wouldn’t have hauled my ass up to the Canadian wilderness with you for a week.”

Katherine pushed herself off the bed and stood in front of James. She placed her hands on his knees and looked into his eyes.

“I can’t say I didn’t want any of this, because believe me I did and still do.” James pushed his hands though his hair, knowing what was coming next.

“But, I don’t think that we are in the same place right now.”

Katherine felt it before James even had it out of his mouth.

“So, before we both go back to Pittsburgh, we need to make all of this perfectly clear,” Katherine was going to be the one laying down the ground rules on this one.

“From tomorrow on, we’re friends, nothing more than just friends.”

“No late night phone calls, no hotel room visits on road trips, nothing.”

“Friends.”

James looked at her in disbelief and the only words he could get to come out of his mouth were, “after tomorrow.”

Katherine and James never left the bedroom on that last day at Balsam Lake. They ended their relationship in the same manner as it started.



Before Katherine pulled away in her rental car early on the July morning, she gave James one last kiss, told him to have a great time at the Olympic training camp and that she would see him in Pittsburgh. She had to refocus on her and the career she had worked so hard for.

James stood in the driveway of the lake house watching as Katherine drove away, wondering if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Notes

I'm sorry for taking so long to finish this up. There will be a new story coming soon entitled, "Just A Job." I promise it will be up for some reading this weekend.

Thanks to all who read this story. When I first started it over a year ago, I wrote it for me and a dear friend who encouraged me through this whole process. Without her, this would have never gotten written. Thank you so much Thelma, you're the best!