Page 6

“Look who decided to show up,” Jack says, holding out his hand for a high five. Well, it’s more of a morphed form that takes about ten seconds instead of one. We came up with it when we were roommates in college, and the routine stuck.

“How’s it going, guys?” I say, nodding to the others. We’re not the only ones in the room, but it’s nice to see the game from the box instead of in the uncomfortable chairs. I know I shouldn’t complain, but supporting a friend doesn’t have to be physically uncomfortable.

I glance around the room, smiling at Mrs. Hatch, Trey’s mom. She’s in a full-out, arms waving conversation with another couple I don’t recognize. Two others, employees from Clark Medical, are here and it looks like they’re chatting with three investors we’ve been trying to get to our side.

“Dude, you missed it,” Spencer says, waving a can of Dr Pepper in the air. I take a step or two away from him, not wanting to go through the showering process like last night. “Carson Carver is on fire tonight. The Breeze won the face-off and he took it down and scored within the first fifteen seconds.”

“How is Trey doing?” I ask. Trey works in the same capacity as Carson Carver, and while they are competition with each other technically, Trey said Carson is an awesome guy, one who took Trey under his wing and helped him get through the first couple weeks of hockey with the team.

“He’s doing pretty well out there,” Spencer says. “I mean, we’re only five minutes into the game.”

“I still can’t believe we beat you here. What brings you in late?” Jack asks. “You’re always on time or thirty minutes early to everything.”

I laugh, nodding. It’s true. I played lacrosse growing up and my coach had drilled it into me that being early was the most respectful thing to do. My mother was just grateful that I finally learned after years of nagging me about how it looks to other people.

“I had to drop off a suit to the cleaners because I got Dr Pepper all over it.”

That got the guys’ attention. “I thought you were anti-soda in general right now.” Jack is holding his arms out at his sides with a smirk.

“I didn’t say I was the one drinking it,” I say, matching his pose.

“Then what the heck happened?” Spencer asks. He moves his hands so fast that the drink spills over and I flinch back. Great, am I going to have PTSD from Dr Pepper?

We sit down in the few chairs facing the ice and I tell them all about my adventures of last night. I know I’m telling the story right when they almost miss out on the action down on the rink and laugh at certain points.

“I’m just glad you got rid of Amber,” Jack says. “She was a nightmare.”

Spencer nods. “You need to find a better girl and not just the next rebound.”

“Yeah, just because Tanya is an idiot doesn’t mean you need to go throw your life away with the first chick who throws herself at you.” Jack is focused on the play below, but his teeth grind as his mind is somewhere else.

I wait as they continue to spew their thoughts. It’s always interesting to know exactly how they’ve been feeling. I just wish it wasn’t after the fact.

“You could’ve told me this while I was going out with Amber, right?” I say.

“We didn’t want to hurt you, man,” Spencer says, slapping me on the back.

I roll my eyes. “Since when have I ever been hurt about your feedback?”

At the same time, they both say, “Tanya.”

“Touché.”

They’re right about that one. My ex-girlfriend, almost ex-fiancée, Tanya and I met at an event our mothers had organized almost three years ago. Jack, Spencer, and Trey had all given warnings about her but I was too blind to see it. Things had been going well, until she decided to take a job in New York without telling me. It wasn’t until I came by her apartment as the movers were packing everything into a truck that the truth came out.

We tried the long-distance thing for a couple months. Correction: I tried the long-distance thing. She only answered one of my phone calls and that was to tell me to stop calling.

It took a while for me to come to terms with the breakup, but I don’t think my mom has recovered. Tanya comes from Boston elite and our union would’ve been the cherry on top of my mother’s successful ventures.

“To be honest, I dated Amber to get back at my mom. She’s been pressuring me to settle down and has even tried to set things back up with Tanya. So while Amber wasn’t the best choice, she at least deterred my mother from having those conversations every time we’re at the office.”

Jack’s eyes narrow, studying me. “Really? Your mom needs to retire or go on a vacation somewhere.”

“As much as I want her to retire, then she’d have full-time nagging capabilities,” I say, knowing my mother’s retirement would only happen if she is hospitalized or has amnesia. “Amber and I have been going out for like three weeks. It’s not like it was that long.”

“So, what about Dr Pepper girl? Was she hot?” Spencer asks. Leave it to him to go straight for the looks.

“I’m not in a place to be dating anyone right now,” I say, shrugging it off. If only my brain didn’t conjure a picture of Dani. She laughed at all my quippy comments and I’d been comfortable. Happy even.