Beyond the Game: Chapter 7

The team is off to a solid start this season with a standing of 26-04-0 coming into the holiday season. Everyone is healthy, strong, and eager to be on the ice soaking up the energy in the arena. We started out with an undefeated preseason and we aim to keep as close to that streak as possible for as long as we can. We’re currently up two to one against Detroit, busting our asses to come out on top again.

“There you go, Thorton! Keep on him!” I shout to one of our rookies from the bench. He’s fast and he’s clean. An impressive young player who has the drive to work his way to the top. He reminds me a lot of myself when I was just starting out in the league.

“He’s good for the team.” Colby nods as we watch Thorton do the job we’ve known for so long. “He’ll be a strong defenseman as he gains more experience.”

“Thinkin’ of retiring old man?”

Colby smirks. “In your dreams, Foster.”

“Nah, there’s only one person in my dreams lately, Nelson, and you ain’t her.”

“No shit.” He chuckles. “You still hung up on that girl? Your Key West girl?”

“Everyday.” My shoulders slump. “Every fucking day.” Is it wrong that I’m still infatuated with the woman even after all this time? It’s weird, I know. God, I feel like a desperate teenager looking for anyone but my fist to get me off these days, but nobody has come close to Amanda Hugginkis.

Colby cheers for Miller when he blocks Detroit’s third attempt at a goal. “Dude, all you’ve got to do is ask someone else out. It’s that easy.”

I wince. “It’s not that easy though, man.”

“Because?”

“Because all I know how to do is fuck, and even that is boring me these days. Nobody is the same and when I’m with someone else, I can’t get Key West out of my mind. It’s like she lives in my brain rent free and she’s taken over my dick with some voodoo type shit.”

“Voodoo? Really?” Milo laughs.

“Yes! I swear to God I try as hard as I can and it’s not like any woman I’m with isn’t enjoyable. A pussy is a pussy but Amanda’s pussy was top shelf. Cream of the crop. Premium pussy…and she did things to me…” I shake my head unable to even talk about it or I’ll get hard.

Milo stands, preparing to be called in for his next shift with Colby and me.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Just let whatever happens, happen. Who knows, maybe some other fine piece of ass will come along and sweep you off your feet.”

“Foster! Nelson! Landric! You’re in. Let’s go!” Coach Denovah shouts down the bench. Colby and I are already sitting on the wall ready to race out onto the ice. Milo is right behind us.

“In the meantime,” Colby smirks, “until that happens, that dick of yours is going to need watered, and fed, and told it’s pretty at least a few times a week before it shrivels up and dies.”

He and Milo laugh as they hit the ice running.

As defensemen, it’s our job to protect our goalie and neutralize the offense when they’re in our zone. Colby and I could do our jobs in our sleep having played together for years now. We’re always laser focused, homing in on the puck, passing back and forth, circling the other team’s offense, and distracting them enough to get the puck out of our zone and back down the ice.

In a new play we haven’t spent much time on this season, Shay passes the puck to me and I see the opening I need. I sprint down the ice, the puck gliding in front of me as I work my stick to keep it in control. The net gets closer and I know I could shoot it into his five hole and make the goal.

But that’s not part of the play.

Instead, I rear back as though I’m about to shoot the goal, and then swiftly pass it back behind me to Malone who circles the net and shoots it back to me. I send a false pass to Landric and before their goalie knows the puck is in my possession, I shoot it into the net to bring our score to three to one.

“Nicely done, Foster!” Shay claps my shoulder as the rest of the team huddles around me, hugging it out and celebrating our inevitable win.

God, I love this game.