Two Minutes for Hooking

Chapter 10

Breakaway: Make a surprise offensive thrust. Or Play in which the puck carrier eludes all defenders and has only the goalie to beat. (The Complete Hockey Dictionary)

When I got home El was sitting at the bar sipping coffee and looking like a royal mess.
"Spill it bitch." She grumbled.
"Well hello to you to. Sleep well?" I joked.
"I'm not treating you like a human being until you tell me everything. But do me a favor, and do it at about half volume." She winced.
"Thats what happens when you drown yourself in a bottle of tequila."
"Ughh please remind me of this exact feeling the next time I reach for tequila..." she groaned.
"El, my dear. If I thought it would do any good, I would. But for right now, I need to get ready for study group. I will tell you everything when I get home this evening."
"What? no, that is not even fair. I'm supposed to meet Kyle this afternoon, so I won't be here when you get home."
"I have a feeling you're going to cancel, besides, kyle is an ass."
"Why would I cancel? And he is an ass, but you have to admit he's hot."
"True, and you're going to cancel because I need you to help me get ready for my date with James tonight.."
I turned away and walked toward my bedroom before she could process what I had said.
"Jocelyn!!!" she yelled behind me. I heard the screech and thud of the bar stool as she launched herself off it and down the hall. I was laughing in earnest by the time she was halfway down the hallwayI wouldn't have been surprised to find, come Monday, that I had messed up every assignment I drafted and misfiled everything I saved. My mind was firmly set hours past the end of the study group. I blew through my projects paying absolutely no attention to what I was doing. In my head I was picturing my closet, trying to figure out if I had anything date appropriate and wishing I had asked James to wait until next Saturday night for our date so I could have time to buy something. My closet at home pretty much contained work clothes, jeans and tshirts. The only dresses I had were my high school prom dress and game day dresses and those definitely wouldn't cut it.
When the clock finally hit 5 o'clock I gathered my stuff, mumbled a quick goodbye to the group and drove home. El had texted me just before five to let me know she was grabbing a small dinner to settle my nerves. Which was really sweet. But then she also texted that she had a surprise. This was said with about seven smiling devil emoji's so it was safe to say any nerves dinner would have soothed were multiplied by horror filled thoughts of what kind of surprise El could possibly have for me.I unlocked the door and the scent of French bread and cauliflower cheese soup assaulted me.
"Oh my god finally!" El's shriek from down the hall jolted me out of my reverie."Get in here and eat, we need to get started on you right away if we're going to make you presentable in time."
"Um what?" I asked belatedly. Apparently there wasn't an answer to my mumbled question. I felt El's hands on my shoulders pressing me into the seat at the bar. Before I knew it I was eating my soup without tasting anything and trying like hell to listen to what El was saying.
"It's 5:30, that means we have precisely two hours before your picky ass will demand to be there. Now, I've taken the liberty of picking out a few different option since you didn't text me back when I asked you where he's taking you."
I swallowed the last bit of the soup and grimaced as I answered her. "That's because I don't know El."
I was pretty sure you could hear El's shriek of horror 3 blocks down.
"You What??! What kind of girl are you Jocelyn! Everyone knows you should always ask what to wear!"
"El, he's a guy. I'm pretty sure he doesn't know or care what kind of clothes I am going to wear."
"Ugh fine, I guess it's a good thing I was prepared for that answer."
For the next two hours I let El torture me. And by torture I meant I let her do things like my hair and make up before she showed me surprise #2. El had picked out several items from her own closet for me to wear.
"El" I grimaced looking at the array of skin tight and short shiny dresses that lay waiting for me. My dear friend had the audacity to laugh at me.
"Oh my god, your face!" she clutched her stomach and bent over to control her laughter. I, on the other hand, didn't see what was so funny about this situation.
"Not only will I not wear those, El, but I can't fit into your clothes. Hockey butt, remember?" I was referring, of course to my toned bubble butt. When you spent hours on skates, it was bound to give you a big butt. Something had to happen to those muscles. While El and I looked the same size, I was at least two sizes larger down below. El, on the other hand was a dancer and therefor had a more graceful build.
"I know, I know. But I had to try, didn't I?" she had the grace to look at least a little sheepish, then she pulled a bag out from behind her back from her favorite boutique store and said, "here, I got this for you, I think if you pair this with those jeans you got in Vegas that make your butt look phenomenal, you'll knock him out."
I took the bag from her with trepidation. Reaching in, my fingers encountered soft cashmere. I pulled out a gorgeous emerald green v-neck sweater.
"I thought the color would bring out the green your eyes tend to get when you're feeling anything exceptionally strong. And it's also appropriate for just about any activity he might have planned. Because I know you, and I knew you wouldn't press for answers while quietly freaking out about what you'd be doing."
I dropped the sweater on my bed and jumped to hug her. "You are the best friend ever, seriously. I know I joke and call you a bitch all the time, but you really are the best."
She squeezed me back, pulling away saying "I know. I'm amazing. Now, what are you wearing underneath? This is technically date number two so it is perfectly acceptable to sleep with him, you know? And if you do, I want every detail!"
"It's not going to happen tonight. But either way you will not get every detail. You know me better than that."
I gave her a stern look but couldn't hold onto it when she started laughing.
"Am I doing the right thing El? It's only been a few months since I broke up with Sam and I swore I wouldn't date until after the Olympics just in case I get called up to the roster. What if this gets serious, how can I lead him on like that? My career means everything to me."
"First off, you're young and you need to have fun. Second, he likely has similar aspirations to you so he isn't likely to be looking for anything crazy serious either. And if he is, well then you should probably let him know you're career path so he knows you won't be one of those crazy girls who moves around the world and drops their dreams just to be at the beck and call of their mens dreams and careers."
"Ugh, I hate it when you're right. I'll talk to him. But just, maybe not tonight?"
"I can agree with you on that, but girl, if you're at all anxious about it, you have to talk to him. He'll most likely get it. Oh," she said as she turned to leave the room, "and while you're at it, ask him if he has any friends or teammates that need a little fun in their lives?" and with a wink, she left the room to the sound of my laughter.