"I had such a great time with you tonight, Mark. I still can't believe you got us those tickets, you're the best boyfriend a girl could ask for, you know that?" Nicki said as she gave him a peck on the lips. He flashed her that toothy smile of his, the one that made her weak in the knees.
"Only for the best girlfriend a guy could ask for. I'm glad you had a good time. What a freaking game!" He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to place a gentle kiss on her head.
They walked hand in hand through the parking lot of the TD Garden, filled with excited families and rowdy drunks of all ages. Mark pushed through the crowd, pulling her along like a rag doll when he saw the opportunity to make a beeline for his blue 1996 Honda Civic, which was in serious danger of falling apart every time he drove it.
Nicki dragged a finger along the chipping paint, briefly appreciating her boyfriend’s simplicity. Someday, when they were looking for a house, he would be so easy to please. She threw one last glance at him, drinking in his dark brown eyes and matching hair. Someday, she hoped to ruffle the same hair on a miniature version of themselves, to stare into the same eyes as she tucked in a child at night.
Once she ducked into the passenger seat, she earned a loving gaze from Mark. "Buckle up now, okay? You're precious cargo," he said, giving her hand a squeeze before he started the car. He never wore his seatbelt; he claimed to feel freer with it off.
As they waited in line of break lights and beeping horns, Nicki reached for the radio controls and switched it on. A mainstream, synthetic song began to blast through his crackling speakers, causing a look of distaste to creep onto her face.
"What bullshit," she snared, shoving her iPhone into the auxiliary plug. She scrolled through her unnecessarily large song selection, and her lips spread into a smile as she settled on one.
“And I’d give up forever to touch you, cause I know that you feel me somehow.
You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be and I don’t want to go home right now.”
Watching as the love of her life’s expression softened and melted, Nicki felt complete. Whenever either of them heard their song, there was a moment of quiet contemplation. She always used it to look back on the incredible times they’d had together, all of the firsts they shared and the excitement of falling in love. But she couldn’t overlook their promising future. If he asked her to marry her that very night, she would have said yes in a single breath.
"I love you, Nicki. To the ends of the earth and back."
"I love you too,” she answered, right before she started to sing along with the music that filled both her head and her heart. She knew every word and every note, emulating them perfectly in her smooth, deep voice. Mark always loved it when she sang, and a part of her wondered if that was what got him to fall in love with her in the first place.
When the song ended, her singing ceased and she dropped her head to the dirty window, gazing out at Boston, lit up and alive, even though it was nearly midnight. Slowly, as the traffic picked up, the radiant skyline faded into darkness. A sigh escaped her lips. She wasn’t ready for the night to end. It had been too perfect, so perfect that she would have been content living it forever.
Nauseating yellow lights flickered in front of her closed lids, and Nicki opened her eyes just in time to see her life flash before them.
"Oh my God! Mark, look out!" she screamed as panic took over her entire body. A car had rammed through the barrier in the tunnel and was lunging directly towards them. For a minute, everything moved in slow motion. Nicki had time to scan her surroundings, noting the shiny red SUV and the terrified faces of the women in the front seats.
Her head slammed against glass as the impact finally occurred, and just before her vision went black, she looked up at the sunroof, only to see the sparks created by metal against pavement.
*******
Nicki shot up in bed, panting heavily as she realized that she’d had another nightmare. Disgust tugged at the corners of her mouth when she felt her clothes and sheets, both drenched in sweat. Climbing out of bed, she checked the green glow of her alarm clock. It was two thirty, making the third night in a row that she woke up at the same time. It reminded her of all the cheesy horror movies that she loved so much, although she highly doubted that waking up at two thirty every morning was a warning that her life would suddenly end due to some malevolent supernatural force. That would only be too kind.
Three months had passed since she lost Mark, and she had been constantly in and out of depression, which unfortunately for her meant horrible night terrors. Nicki had always been a happy, optimistic person. Until that night, when all of the hope she had for the future was stolen from her. She was only nineteen, but she had loved him. Whatever faith she clung to was viciously ripped away after that.
Tossing her clothes to the floor as she crossed the room, she reached her dresser and pulled out a large tee shirt, one that had previously belong to Mark. After his death, she’d surrounded herself with his things, even though she knew deep down that she should have parted with them long ago. But giving up the faint, familiar smell of the cologne he wore that still lingered on his shirts seemed nearly as earth shattering as the accident.
Before sliding into bed on the side that she hadn’t ruined with sweat, she picked up her cell phone that was charging on a nightstand by her side. She had but a single text.
Lisa 23:12:46: Hey girl. You're probably asleep right now, but I just wanted to say that there is absolutely no bailing on me tomorrow. I paid way too much money for these tickets. We're going to see the Bruins, and that's that. I'll pick you up at noon so we can spend the day together and grab some dinner. See ya then. XO
She nearly laughed, because for once she had no intentions of skipping out on Lisa. She had to give the girl some credit. Only the best of friends will stick around through everything she experienced. She'd been Nicki's rock, even when she had her own problems to deal with. Apparently, when your best friend turns suicidal, you either run for the hills or stay for the long haul. She considered it a blessing that Lisa had chosen option two.
Comforted by the thought of her loving friend, she climbed into bed and curled up, praying that sleep would take her.
* * * * * * * * *
Tyler shot up from bed the instant he felt something wet on his face.
"What the hell Marshall? Jesus Christ! Are you ever going to let me sleep past eight?"
Wide awake, Tyler had no choice but to appease his year old chocolate lab, Marshall. It was seven thirty in the morning, and apparently he needed to eat. Or go to the bathroom. Or play. Tyler sat up and tried his best to scold him, to no avail. There was no way he could stay mad at a face like that, and reached down to give Marshall a firm pat on the head.
"Give me a minute boy. Go wake up Freddy,” he ordered, yawning as his excited pup raced through the doorway in pursuit of his roommate.
Freddy played hockey for Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, and they met right about the time Tyler moved there after being drafted by the Bruins. They had plenty in common, but were entirely different people, which made for the perfectly balanced relationship necessary to live together.
Tyler stomped wearily into the master bathroom attached to his room and leaned over the sink, trying out different facial expressions in order to hide the blatant hangover that plagued him. His partying had been a bit excessive lately, but strangely the consequences never fazed him. Waking up every morning wondering whether he would have a pounding headache, debilitating nausea, or a nasty STD was what made his life exciting, and he wouldn’t have changed it for anything.
Staring into the mirror, he raised a hand to stroke his messy scruff. He never had much luck with facial hair, although it didn’t stop him from going weeks without shaving. Normally, the issue wouldn't concern him. He had a game that night against the Capitals. It would be their toughest game yet this season, and he figured some extra hair might make him seem a little more menacing. On the other hand, before the game the team was scheduled to do a private meet and greet.
Some girl named Lisa wrote to Jeremy Jacobs, the owner of the Bruins, something about how her best friend’s boyfriend was killed by a drunk driver coming home from one of their games a few months back, and basically begged Jacobs and the president, Cam Neely, to let them meet the team before one of the games. The Bruins, priding themselves in charity just as much as their hockey, were inclined to say yes.
It seemed safe to believe that neither of the girls would be looking for a good lay that night, but hey, he was Tyler Seguin. That seemed to mean something to girls. A millionaire at twenty-one, he wasn't exactly looking to settle down. Sure, maybe someday. But right now was his time. He wanted to have all the fun in the world, while he still could.
Looking at himself one last time, he decided to shave, just in case.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Be right out!" Nicki shouted into her phone, hanging up before Lisa even had a chance to respond.
As always, she took much too long to get ready. She sometimes wondered if, given an entire day, whether she would use every second of it. She gently curled her golden brown locks, trying to look pretty without seeming overdone. She spent over an hour applying her makeup in all of the necessary places, aiming for perfection. Nicki was a beautiful girl to begin with, but she had the girl-next-door kind of beauty and not the long-legged-gorgeous-faced-model kind. Most boys preferred the latter. Except for Mark. He thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. And he truly made her feel like she was.
After breaking down in tears at the thought of him and having to retouch her makeup, she had to decide on her outfit, which proved to be the real challenge. After trying on and taking off nearly everything in her closet, she opted for her Tyler Seguin Bruins jersey. It only made sense, to support the team she’d been watching and rooting for since childhood. She finished the look with a pair of dark skinny jeans and her favorite nude colored heels. Comfortable and sexy. Perfect. She threw on her black pea coat and added a scarf for insurance against the freezing cold wind. To complete the process, she hooked a heavy charm bracelet around her wrist.
Mark gave her the bracelet as a gift when they were sophomores in high school. They had spent an amazing Christmas Eve with his family, and at the end of the night he gave it to her in front of everyone. It had only two charms then – a heart with her birthstone in the center and a small snowflake. Over the next three years he generously added to the collection, leaving her with an almost full bracelet.
A beep from Lisa's white Toyota Camry brought her back to the present. She spritzed on her go to perfume, slung her bag over her shoulder, and ran as fast as her heels would allow down the stairs and into the kitchen, where her father, Bill, stood over the counter piecing together a sandwich.
"I'm going out for the day with Lisa. Love you!" she called over her shoulder as she rushed out of the house.
Nicki lived in Reading, a suburb about fifteen minutes north of Boston. It was where she and Lisa had grown up, but Lisa moved in with her boyfriend after high school and ended up a half hour away. The two of them, Nicki, and Mark had been best friends since middle school. Zach took Mark's death nearly as hard as Nicki did, and eventually found that he couldn't even be around her without having a meltdown, putting a great deal of stress on their relationship.
A smile crossed her face as she flung the passenger door open and lowered herself into the heated leather seat. The comforting scent of pine flooded her nostrils from the Yankee Candle air freshener that hung from the front mirror. As the initial shock of the freezing January air wore off, she peeled off her scarf and tossed it into the backseat.
"Hey girly, how ya doing? Ready to have some fun?" Lisa asked, reaching over to give her a hug.
"You know, I'm actually doing okay. I mean, besides the fact that I tore apart my closet trying to figure out what to wear." She noticed that her friend was also sporting a Bruin's jersey and added, "But apparently I got it just right. God Lisa, I missed you."
"Me too, Nick, me too. Today’s gonna be a day to remember, I just know it.”
Nicki nodded, acknowledging that her friend was ready to do anything to make her happy. With that, Lisa sped off down the street, headed towards Route 128 South. Her excitement built as they rocketed onto the highway ramp, and anxiety kicked in as they were immediately stopped in pain staking, barely moving traffic.
* * * * * * * * *
Tyler whipped into his usual parking spot and threw his black BMW into park. Checking the time on his dash, he saw that he had about two minutes until he was supposed to be on the ice warming up. Totally doable. He bolted towards the player's entrance of the TD Garden, nodding to the security guard out front. Hank? Maybe Phil. Whatever. He barelled down the stairs and ran full sprint down the hallway to the locker room. Upon opening the doors, he noticed that he was not the last one to arrive. In fact, he was one of the first.
"Where the hell is everyone?" Tyler asked his captain, Zdeno Chara.
"I have no clue. Coach is not going to be happy. Get changed before he comes back, he doesn't have to know you were late too," he responded, his voice accented almost too heavily to understand. He was the best leader Tyler ever had, and despite his towering six foot six presence, he was a huge softie.
He changed into his warm up gear just as fast as he ran into the building. His coach, Claude Julien, stormed into the room, and he tried to look composed as to not give himself away. Before Claude could get out any words, the missing portion of the Bruins poured into the room, led by none other than Tyler's best friend on the team and line mate, Brad Marchand.
"Real sorry coach, we uh… there was traffic," Brad blurted out. To say that he was a terrible liar would have been a compliment, and their coach always saw right through him.
Tyler shot him an inquisitive look. Brad quickly glanced in his direction before focusing his attention on their coach. He knew exactly what that glance meant. He would have to wait until warm ups to find out what the real story was behind his team’s tardiness. Oh, the conversations they'd shared during warm ups. Usually they had something to do with the desperate but extremely good looking girls that came into their lives for one night at a time. He never thought he would be the kind to take advantage, but when gorgeous girls begged him to sleep with them, well, there was only so much a guy could resist.
"You know Marchy, usually I'd do something about this. I know you're lying.” Claude paused to shake his head. “And for God's sake wipe that stupid look off your face." Brad instantly went stoic, and their coach changed direction, addressing everyone in the room. "Boys, we have a big game tonight. Huge. From this point on, we think about the game and nothing else. Now get ready. I'll meet you on the ice in ten."
As he turned to strut out of the locker room, Tyler realized he seemed to be the only one who remembered. "Coach, what about those two girls? What time are they coming?"
"Damn it, I completely forgot. Good heads up, Pelly. They should be here at 4:30. Spend a half hour with 'em, then we come back down here."
* * * * * * * * *
"Nicki! Come on girl, hurry up! I told you they aren't going to hold these tickets forever, now move!" Lisa shouted, pulling further and further ahead of her with every step she took on the cobblestone Boston street.
Twenty minutes ago, Lisa informed Nicki that she needed to retrieve her tickets from the box office. She even faked a phone call from the Garden saying that if they didn't pick up their tickets by four thirty, they were going to sell them to someone else. Surprisingly, she bought it. She wasn't gullible, but she also had no reason to question her friend, who was always so truthful and loyal. Lisa figured that lying was okay, as long as it was for a good cause.
She felt a little sorry for her friend, who was struggling to keep up in her stiletto heels. Nicki always had the better fashion sense of the two of them, but it often turned around to bite her in the butt. Sometimes the comfort of sneakers outweighed the attractiveness of heels, but she would die before she went into the city in anything flat.
"Alright I'm going as fast as I can,” she screamed back. “I just don't get it. Why in the world would they do something like that? I mean, if they did sell them, would they give you your money back? This whole thing is beyond ridiculous."
Lisa tried to stifle a laugh while Nicki went on and on behind her about how strange their fake circumstances were. After all of the thinking she was putting into it, Lisa was shocked that she couldn’t figure out that the whole thing was a lie, although after the day they’d had, she was probably in no mood to question things.
They had spent the last few hours shopping around Faneuil Hall, Nicki's favorite part of Boston. There were delicious foods in Quincy Market, expensive designer stores, and an innumerable amount of street performers and entertainers. They had lunch at Dick's Last Resort, a restaurant with diner food and an unbelievably rude wait staff. If you went to Dick's, you went to overpay for mediocre chicken fingers or to get blasted with cruel remarks. And if you were lucky, you would get a paper hat saying something like "I stuff my bra" or "I'm the reason my waiter likes men".
Lisa was right. They had a ball. But their whole night was in jeopardy if they didn't hurry. Or so she thought.
Finally, after turning one last corner, the towering TD Garden came into view.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Tyler took a seat next to the youngest player on the team, Dougie Hamilton. It was nearly four thirty, and they had just finished setting up the special room in the Garden used for things like meetings, or in this case a small meet and greet. There were a few chairs, a table with h'orderves and soda, and a specially autographed Bruins jersey for the girl whose boyfriend died.
It had her last name on the back, "Westmoore". The number 00 was perfectly stitched in yellow underneath it, which was where all of the players signed. Tyler stared at all of their signatures, hoping that it would make the girl's night. He’d never been in love, but he couldn't imagine losing someone the way she did, especially so young and so tragically. There was a soft spot reserved in his heart for people like that.
Some commotion began at the front of the room, and Tyler received an elbow to the ribs. “Alright, they’re here,” said Milan Lucic, another teammate. The jab to his torso snapped him out of the daze he was in and he lifted his head, peeking around the bodies surrounding their guests.
He caught a pair of gentle brown eyes, and his soft spot grew just a little bigger.