Two Minutes for Hooking

Chapter 12

Pylon: an orange cone used in practices. Or a defenseman that stands flatfooted and gets maneuvered around as though he were a pylon.

The game went by in a blur. We won. . . but barely. With McDuffy's head shoved up his ass, everyone was running ragged trying to screen for him. In the last three minutes of the the third period, one of our 4th line rookies Dillon Case, let the oppositions center get to him and pulled a penalty. Two minutes for cross checking was the call, but if our alternate captain, Criig McPhearson hadn't jumped in, it likely would have been a game misconduct. And lets be honest, I didn't have the time or patience for deliberation's. As it was, I would be lucky if I got to spend two hours, three tops with Jocelyn. Luckily this was only a two game friendly and not a season series, so our curfew was one oclock rather than midnight like a normal game night.

I was just getting back on the bench after changing up for my shift on the penalty kill when the oppositions center broke away from the group and went streaking down the ice. A cold dread hit my stomach. I already knew what he was going to do before he did it. As he approached the crease, McDuffy skated forward aggressively to try to poke check him. The wingers who had been right behind the center were in behind McDuffy set up to receive perfect shots, our defense couldn't keep up, the boys were gassed. 

"Oh shit" I heard Rush mumbled behind me. "He's too far out of net. There's no way he can get that."

And he was right. The center faked a shot and McDuffy went sprawling all of his momentum sending him sliding on his stomach. Toe drag, backhand, bar-down and the puck was in behind Lance. Luckily with the penalty over, we changed up one last time and held them off for the last minute, ending the game up by one point. When the buzzer sounded, the team took to center ice to shake hands with our opponents and pay tribute to the fans. My eyes scanned the crowd for Jocelyn, my heart stuttering in panic when I didn't see her at first. And then all of sudden there she was, standing and cheering right along with everyone else. She looked beautiful and at the same time ridiculously adorable wearing my Jersey from the previous year. It hung so low on her it could have very easily been a dress. She made eye contact with me and I pointed behind me, gesturing for her to meet me outside the locker room. She nodded her head, biting back a smile at something her friend was saying. A hand landed roughly on my shoulder and I was jolted back to my surroundings. 

"You coming?" Criig asked. Criig was probably my best friend on the team after Ryan. Being Alternate Captain, he and I were often forced to spend a lot of time together. I nodded and turned to head into the locker room with him, congratulating myself for only turning around once to look for Jocelyn. 

"Center ice girl?" he asked, following my line of sight. "Are you ever gonna talk to her?"

"I actually have a date with her tonight."

His  glacial blue eyes widened in amazement, if he wasn't such a good friend I probably would have decked him for looking so astonished.

"No shit?"

"No shit." I nodded, barely containing the grin that wanted to spread over my face.

"Any chance you can set me up with her friend?" Criig asked with a rakish smile.

I didn't even justify him with an answer instead I skated off the ice and walked into the locker room. The sound of someone singing, a purposefully off key rendition of Queens It's a Kind of Magic, reached my ears and I knew what I was about to encounter without having to see anything.

"What the..." Criig started. But he couldn't get the rest out before it dawned on both of us.."Rush" we said together. And sure enough, as we entered the locker room, we came face to face with a sight that no man should ever have to see.

Rush was standing on top of the bench in the middle of the locker room. In all his redheaded, freckled glory wearing nothing but a jock strap. . . never mind the fact that he was a scratch tonight and had no reason to change out of his suit, serenading a mildly amused looking Ryan at the top of his lungs.

"Raush!" coach yelled at the top of his lungs. "Get your scrawny ass down and put your damn suit back on. What do you think this is, some kind of day care?"

As if suddenly realizing he wasn't just serenading Ryan, Rush turned white as a sheet and scrambled down to grab his suit. 

"Yes, sir." He mumbled. Rush was a crazy kid, but he always obeyed coach. Everyone obeyed coach...everyone except McDuffy that is. 

"McDuffy, in my office. Now!" coach yelled. "Everyone else, get showered and get out of my sight. Rest up for practice Monday. You played well but you've got a lot of improving to do if we're going to beat UT."

"You think he's getting traded?" Criig asked Ryan.

"Nah, he's likely just getting an ass chewing first. Coach wouldn't really trade any of us without a good reason. Now if he plays like that against a better team in regular season, he'll be on the block the next day." 

"If you ask me, he better be counting his lucky starts he's not on the first bus home after that game."

"Well with any luck Tremblay will get the green light before we play UT and we won't have to worry about it." Rush said, clapping a hand on Ryan's shoulder. Ryan mumbled something that seemed to appease Criig and Rush before getting up to follow me over to the showers.

"Do you need me to cover for you with coach tonight or will you be able to make curfew?" he asked.

"I'll be home. It's only the first date," I said before submerging my head under the shower head.

 "Second if you count your little breakfast this morning. And second date is perfectly acceptable for scoring," Ryan quipped, holding a towel out for me.

I twisted the handle to turn off the shower and grabbed the towel out of his hand.

"She's not like that, I want to do this right. She's not a bunny, ya know?"

"I get it. Trust me, but you're not even open to the possibility of letting it happen?"

I sighed. We'd had this conversation a few times. I had five kills and wasn't opposed to fooling around on the first date. But Jocelyn was different. I wanted this girl for as long as I could have her. Not just for a night. She deserved to be romanced and chased not captured and used.

Ryan shook his head at my silence and slapped me on the back.

"Alright brother, I had to check. Call me if she turns out to be crazy." His lips pulled to the side in a shadow his normal cocky grin. I gathered my gear, straightened my tie, took a deep breath and pushed the locker room door.