Page 51 of A Million Times, Yes

I shook my head. “Just her first and last name, which didn’t ring any bells when I read them on her chart.”

It appeared as though the players had been warming up and were now leaving the ice. The music was blasting throughout the arena, the large screens showing the faces of the players as they skated off. Since I’d only ever seen this place from the outside, I took a long look around. I couldn’t believe how massive it was inside, that there were four tiers of seats, and how intensely I could feel the energy and buzz pulsing through me.

I took out my phone to type a reply to Jordan’s last text.

Me:What exactly does being yours entail?

“I’ve never been this close to anything in my life,” Emily said. “We’ll be able to see everything. Can you imagine if they get hit right in front of us? This is going to be so exciting!”

She wasn’t joking. Only a few inches and a thin layer of plexiglass separated us from where they’d be playing. Not only would we be able to see everything, but we could hear everything too.

“I really hope no one gets hurt,” I admitted. “If it happens right in front of me—like it has the potential to—I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself from running out there and helping.”

Emily laughed. “Only you.”

“Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same. You’d give CPR to a bird if it fell to the ground in front of you.”

“You might be right about that.” She rested her head on my shoulder. “But they have more medical staff back there than we have in our whole facility. I assure you, they don’t need us.”

As she lifted her head, Jordan’s reply came in.

Jordan:You’re mine whenever I want. However I want.

Me:What about what I want?

Jordan:You’re getting that.

Me:How?

Jordan:You have me.

Me:And by having you, what does that mean?

Jordan:It means that the man who doesn’t date—now dates.

Me:Ha!

Me:I know you’re allergic to the term boyfriend, but it does sound like it’s a title you’re suddenly earning.

Jordan:It does sound that way ...

Me:Are you shivering? Breaking out in hives? Doubled over, unable to breathe, having a panic attack?

Jordan:No. I’m hard, thinking about all the different ways I’m going to fuck you tomorrow night.

Me:First, where are you going to take me out on a date ... boyfriend?

Jordan:That’s a surprise.

The lights dimmed and a spotlight shone over one side of the ice, where a door opened and a red carpet was rolled out. The music quieted, eventually turning silent as two men and a woman walked down the red carpet and stood at the end of it, the spotlight now directly over them.

“Oh, it’s starting,” Emily sang.

An announcer came over the loudspeaker: “On behalf of the Boston Bears and the Worthington family, we want to thank you for attending tonight’s game. Before the game gets started, we would like to bring your attention to an organization we’re proud to support. TheECC is a nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood cancer. When the Worthington family heard of their efforts, they promised that for five home games, the proceeds of the fifty-fifty raffle would be donated to the organization, and the Worthingtons would personally match every dollar that was raised. The Worthington family and the Boston Bears are proud to announce that the raffle generated seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. With the family’s match, another seven hundred and fifty thousand will be given, totaling one-point-five million dollars.”

“Can you imagine having that much money to donate to charities?” Emily whispered.

“No, I cannot, but that would be a dream.”