Passing Through

Part Eighteen

 Chapter Eighteen

Two back to back victories were made all the sweeter by two things for Bo, scoring prolifically, and a spate of messages from Natasha telling him how great he was. It made him feel like he hadn't in ages and that could only be a good thing. Monday morning, before they left for their trip back North, they all hit the hotel restaurant for breakfast, and for the first time since he arrived in the UK, Vaughn's antics, his boisterous and cocky behaviour didn't fuck him off. Instead he sat with Blake and Jax and ignored him.

As they climbed on the bus, Coop smacked him on his back, "great weekend, Holding. Fees like a turning point."

He should have known that his coach would be tuned in to every nuance within the team, he wasn't about to become friends with Vaughn, but he had to let things go, ignoring that part of the moment, he instead turned to his coach and muttered, "I still hate it here."

Coop laughed, "whatever you say, Pen. Get on that bus and keep that to yourself."

Bo scowled at him, hating that nothing phased the bastard, then climbed into the coach, glad of a seat to himself. Plugging his ear phones into his phone, he lost himself in a playlist that Natasha had sent him the previous day.

By the time they reached the Midlands and stopped for a break, he was back to feeling the euphoria. Some European based ice hockey websites were raving over him, his agent had forwarded him several links and it made him feel so much happier than thinking about the logistics of where his life was.

It was late lunch when they got back to the rink, and then he had a meeting with Oscar, some PR opportunities that the club wanted him to take on. He had always answered with a hard no, he didn't want anything to do with it, but today, he found himself agreeing to three interviews, a photo shoot, and a hospital visit to the local children's ward.

The last he would do with pleasure, but Oscar wrapped it up in a package he had to agree to it all, or nothing.

Knowing he'd been played again, he rolled his eyes at the other man, then left, worryingly feeling a little lighter than he had.

And drove home past the cafe that seemed to be the centre of his current universe. Pulling into a parking space at the side of the road, he climbed out and straightened out the creases, he wasn't sure he'd EVER accept driving the car he had.

Then he saw the sigh, Heaven and Hell. And it truly was. Through the large glass windows he could see Natasha, there were maybe half a dozen people in the room, eating and drinking coffee, and she was stooped listening to an elderly gentleman say something. Standing to her full height, she laughed, such a natural thing and his body lurched at the sight. The older man blushed, then started laughing himself. She had such a natural rapport with people, he envied her that, she didn't hide behind ten foot walls like he did.

He crossed the road and she still hadn't seen him, she was back behind the counter cleaning the coffee machine when the door bell tinkled, announcing his arrival. She glanced up and he'd have paid money to photograph her face at that moment, he couldn't remember anyone being so pleased to see him. Euphoria washed over her face, flushing her cheeks, her eyes sparkling and wide, then she bit her lip, sighed, and schooled a more safe expression. And he loved that she tried to hide her emotions, and even more that he failed.

He knew he was beaming as he crossed the room to the counter.

"I hear you do a mean cuppa Joe," he laid on a heavy East coast accent and it was greeted with a smile.