Opal's Boy

Chapter 19

I woke up with the terrible headache I'd anticipated.

"Hello?" It came out as a croak. I cleared my throat and yelled louder. "Hello?"

"Downstairs," I heard Veda call.

I pulled my legs from underneath the warm covers and stood up. Hardwood suddenly didn't seem like the smartest choice for the bedroom. It felt like walking on ice.

I sprinted through the doorway and down the staircase, only stopping when I got into the warm coffee filled kitchen. Veda was taking a bite of an apple when she saw me and smiled. She ran up to me, giving me a tight squeeze, then returned to her stool.

"How was Pittsburgh?" She asked as I sat down.

"Oh my goodness, Veda. Some of the other trainers give the guys blowjobs before the games!" I told her, trying not to laugh.

"No way dude! Do they not get caught?"

"No! They go to the practice arena like half an hour before the game! It's so risky. They brought me there because it was my first game, and I thought they wanted me to do it too! They didn't though, but man. Those girls are terrible."

She sat her apple down as she laughed.

"Also, I wanted to talk to you about something," I told her.

She readjusted her seating position and waited for me to start talking.

"I know it was only a week, but I liked it in Pittsburgh. The guys there are wonderful, my boss is amazing, and I have Sidney. I accidentally let it slip last night to Patrick and he just left. He didn't even have anything to say. Thinking about how bad I would hurt him is what's been holding me back, but I see now that it's selfish of him to try and keep me here. Of course I'll miss Chicago but if I got relocated to Pittsburgh, I wouldn't mind."

The silence in the room was deafening. I waited on Veda to say something, then I realized she was looking behind me. I turned around, already knowing who I'd be faced with.

"Is that really how you feel, Opal?" Patrick asked.

I nodded.

Before he could respond, I heard my phone ringing upstairs. I jumped from my chair and ran up the stairs, grabbing it and pressing talk.

"Hello?"

"Hey Opal, I know it's technically your day off, but I need you in my office now."

It was Dave, my slime for a boss.

"I'll be there in thirty minutes."

"Sounds good."

I hung up and slid on a long sleeve black tee, a wadded up pair of jeans, and a pair of keds and jogged back downstairs.

Patrick was sitting in front of Veda and they were talking in hushed whispers.

"Dave wants me at the office. Patrick, we'll talk afterwards."

He nodded and I was gone.

...

When I got to the office, Dave was waiting for me. I hated being in the rink when it wasn't full of blades slicing the ice and hysterical laughter drifting through the hallways. It felt useless. What I hated more, though, was being alone here with the person I disliked most.

"Ah, Opal come in. How was Pittsburgh?" Dave asked as I sat down.

"Fine."

He pressed his lips together in a tight line and clapped his hands together, as if to hold back from saying something he shouldn't.

"Well, that's good. I talked to the staff over there and they really seem to like you. You must've done something right."

I shrugged.

"Listen Opal, I'm just gonna get right down to it. Lately the NHL Athletic Training Association has wanted to try something new. We've been wanting to try to send a trainer to multiple teams so they can get insight on how things work. You were the test run. I realize now that I should've told you this to begin with, and for that, I am truly sorry. Now, if you're up for it, I have another preposition."

I waited.

"I'm thinking of sending you to Pittsburgh for two weeks, then you come back to Chicago for two weeks until mid April. The season is almost over, and we need to get your experience in the books. If it was October, you'd be going for two months at a time, but we just don't have that luxury. If you don't want to do it, I understand. But let me know before Monday what you think."

"I don't need that long to think about it. I'm in."