Page 49

CALLIOPE

B utterflies.

I wasn’t sure if they were related to performance anxiety or what I felt looking at Tom.

I had begun to dread going back to Boston, a place that had always been my home, because it meant leaving him behind.

Spending time with Mariana, we talked more about what I could expect from the season. I wasn’t looking forward to it.

I’d already done my fair share of yearning for Tom, and it was only just the beginning.

Tom snuck into my room while his mom was putting Crew to bed, sneaking up behind me, his wide hands bracketing my hips. I dipped my head, giving him access to my neck as he tickled my neck, goosebumps erupting over my entire body.

I turned in his arms to face him, his beautiful face, soft blue eyes full of wonder as I cupped his jaw in my hands, searching his eyes for evidence that he and I were emotionally on equal footing.

“Tom?” I whispered, emotion making it difficult to speak. “Is this real?”

“Yeah, Callie. It’s real, so fucking real,” he said before capturing my mouth. He pulled away, and we both were greedy for more without the time to indulge. “Later. We’ve got to get going.”

I nodded quickly, running my fingers through my long curls.

“I love your hair like that,” Tom said, staring longingly at my hair, reaching out and wrapping a curl around his index finger.

“Are you sure you’re not just picturing it spread across your lap, me on my knees?” I asked, unable to pass up the opportunity to tease him. I grabbed a light jacket and my guitar, which Tom tried to take from me.

“No, I got this. You can grab the rest of the equipment.”

Tom’s eyes bugged out as he noticed what I meant by the rest of the equipment. Yeah, the guitar is the lightest piece. “Do you always need to bring all this with you?”

“Yeah? You think this is a lot?”

“I thought they had everything set up in advance. I guess that shows my ignorance.”

Tom made two trips to his truck while I slipped my guitar into the back seat of his truck next to Crew’s car seat.

“Who is coming tonight?” I asked nervously.

“Andre, Mila, Vasil, Bridget, Charlie, Gwen, Alex and Mariana, Jonah, maybe Britney, and we’re trying to get Damon out. But Britney is, well, Britney, and Damon is wallowing.”

“I tried to reach out to Kayleigh, but she never responded,” I said as Tom started the car and backed out of the driveway. “I wasn’t sure if I was over-stepping, but I was shocked that things went bad with them so fast.”

“The same thing happened last season. He was a wreck and was finally getting his shit together when he went home for the summer. Kayleigh cut everyone off then, too, even Mariana.”

“It seemed like she was so close with everyone at the cookout. I don’t get how she can walk away from everyone.”

Tom shrugged, “I can’t spend time worrying about what happened. Just hoping he can shake it off when we’re on the ice during our shift.”

“Someday, you’ll need to teach me what that means. I tried to research it, and I only understood the goalie’s job.” I shrugged, and Tom smiled.

“Don’t worry, my mom was at the rink four to six days a week and still couldn’t explain it to you beyond the basics. She loves to watch.”

We pulled up in front of the bar, my stomach flipping with nerves. He reached out, taking my hand and pulling me in for a kiss. “You got this.”

“How’d you know I was nervous?” I asked.

“You’ve been tapping your leg since we pulled off my street, and I’m surprised you haven’t worn a hole in your jeans from rubbing your thighs.”

I inhaled deeply, taking a long, calming breath. “Sorry, it’s always better once I get up there. Once I start to play, everything flows from there. Sometimes, it feels like my performance is over in a blink.”

“Some games are like that, too. It’s called flow state.”

“What?” I asked.

“Flow state is when you’re so fully present and in the moment that everything flows.

There are games when everything works when we’re all in the zone.

Runners will explain it as when everything clicks, their breath, their body, it all works together so they can run faster and go further.

The high from that one run will push them through weeks of shitty, painful training runs. ”

“I guess playing the guitar is about as close as I’ve ever gotten to that. Though I could ski all day. Even though I normally hate the cold, I barely notice it while I’m out there.”

“So get up there and flow, okay?” He asked.

My God, he was beautiful. I could stay in this car and drown in his gaze. Could I change my mind and bring him back home instead?

“Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll forget anyone else exists.”

He flashed his grin again, and I’m not sure how it was only the first time I’d noticed it, but he had a dimple. This giant beast of a man softened his entire look with a dimple. I reached out, cupped his jaw, and poked my thumb into his dimple.

“Hey,” he said, ducking his head.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I didn’t notice your dimple before.

I like it,” I said before slipping out of the passenger seat of his truck.

As my foot hit the ground, an SUV pulled up, and several of Tom’s teammates poured out.

I looked over at him in a brief moment of panic.

They knew us, but I didn’t know them. Did he invite the entire team?

“Cal, you good?” he asked.

“Umm, I wasn’t expecting everyone to show up.”

My brother, sister, and parents had always come to see my performances when they could, but I had never had this many friendly faces in the crowd.

“I wasn’t either. But you’ll be fine. Remember what I told you?”

“That they have a soft spot for Taylor Swift?”

“Yeah. Just play Blank Space, and they’ll be putty in your hands.”

“Of her entire catalog, that’s the one you picked?” I joked with him while we carried my equipment in the back door. I had a little more than an hour before I had to be on stage, and my equipment, while more than one person could carry, wouldn’t take that long to set up.

Once we set everything up, Tom brought me back to one of the tables that the Blizzards had taken over and introduced me to them rapid fire. I was never going to remember everyone’s name.

“Everyone, this is my girl, Callie.”

“Hi, Callie,” three tables full of athletes stared back at me, and my heart beat a little faster, loving when Tom introduced me as his girl. Because right now, I felt like being his was exactly where I belonged. I caught Mariana’s eyes, and she smiled back at me; Bridget, Gwen, and Britney waved.

The club manager waved me down, and I went with him as he walked me through the equipment set-up, and we confirmed the length of time I would perform.

He kept glancing over to the fan club that Tom had accumulated on my behalf.

I’m sure he hoped that a club filled with NHL players would draw an even bigger crowd.

Tom had been my booking agent, and I had no idea if he’d seen me play or just took Tom’s word for it, hoping for the best.

“Do you need a drink?” He offered.

“Water would be great, thank you.” I wasn’t one to perform while drinking alcohol, but I looked forward to a cocktail or two once I finished my set.