Page 5 of Just A Little Joy
“Nah, Iwasa hockey player. Now I’m just a retired guy with the dream of a bar. Isn’t that what everyone dreams about?”
“I guess some people do. Is this what you always wanted to do when you left hockey?”
I almost told him the truth, that leaving hockey left a hole I never figured out how to fill, but the words stuck.
His words sank in and made me pause. There had always been two steady things in my life—my dad’s bar and hockey. When I got too old for hockey, there wasn’t another option that crossed my mind.
“Yeah, I guess so. I thought I’d be at my dad’s bar, not this one. But I always knew I’d end up in one somewhere. I don’t know how to do anything but skate and sling beer.”
“Don’t plenty of players go into coaching?”
“Yeah, but I never really felt the pull to do it full-time. I’m an assistant coach for our rec league, and I like that well enough. I get to strap on the skates and lay the puck down without having to worry about all the other stuff that comes with being a professional coach. The guys on the team—well, the guys and the girls, it’s coed—we just do it for fun.”
Casey gave a small nod, like he understood, but he didn’t ask any more questions. He went back to work, efficient and quick.
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Are you doing what you want with your life?”
Casey paused his cleaning for a split second before answering. “I like my life. Waiting tables and barbacking probably aren’t anyone’s lifetime goals.” He held up his hands when I started to protest. “It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean it like that.”
“I’m not trying to insult you. Janie said she was quitting if you’re not working the next time she is.”
Casey beamed when he heard the compliment. His cheeks, with those peekaboo dimples, were tinged pink.
“I’m just curious. What do you like about it?”
“I’ve met some really cool people and done some interesting stuff, and then I’ve moved on to the next.”
“Yeah, like what?”
“I was a ski bum, which you know about. Mostly, I worked the lifts, but if they were seriously shorthanded, then I’d help out in the restaurant. I did some barbacking there too.” I nodded, and he continued, “And I worked at a dude ranch, which was cool because I learned how to ride horses and make a proper bowl of chili. At the farm, I learned how to grow stuff in the greenhouse, which was nice on my grocery bill since they let us set up a spot for personal use in one of the houses. At a pizzaplace, one of the guys taught me how to toss dough like they do in the movies.”
“That’s pretty cool,” I said with a smile. “If you liked them, why move on?”
“Meh, I get bored and want to try something else. The nice part about moving around is you end up with friends everywhere, so someone calls you up, says, ‘Hey, I’ve got a thing for you,’ and if it sounds cool, then you go.” Casey sounded a little wistful as he described it. It was difficult to tell from what exactly—the moving around or something else.
“I can’t imagine doing so much stuff, but you’re right, it sounds cool. But I’ve kept you long enough. Did you park around back or on the street? We’re done here. I’ll lock up, and we can call it a night.”
“Funny story. It was my car that caused the detour. It broke down and blocked traffic. It’s not that far, so I can walk.” Casey had already grabbed his jacket from the bar top and was shrugging it on before I could get a word in edgewise.
“Nope, it’s too damn late for you to be out walking. I’ll drop you off.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Yeah, I do.” This was nonnegotiable. The neighborhood wasn’t terrible, but nothing good could come from walking around at two in the morning. “Your next shift is on Thursday. Will you need a ride?”
“Nah, I’ll be fine.”
“Call me if you need one.”
TWO
CASEY
Hooking up with my boss was a surefire way to absolutely blow up my life. There was no scenario where it ended well for me or let me keep my job. But when Travis got all growly and insistent about driving me home, I almost stripped right there at the bar while screaming, “Take me.” Luckily, I managed to restrain myself. I probably wouldn’t have needed to worry about picking up weekend shifts if I had, but damned if I didn’t want to.