Page 41 of Rival Season
My mind whirls, buzzing into problem-solving mode. Valentine’s Day is only two days away now, and even if we put out a call on our website for more volunteers, it's unlikely we’ll fill all the spots we need so last minute. I don’t know many people here in California I could ask, but I wonder if Penn might help? Maybe his roommates, too.
I dismiss the thought quickly. The guys have a game tonight, and they’ll probably be tired tomorrow and want to chill out and rest. Chadwick never wanted to help me at Safe Harbor…he always said he did enough mandatory charity work with the Fire Cats and didn’t want towastemore of his free time.
“I can probably come in tomorrow,” I offer. I’ll just have to stay up late writing tomorrow night.
Ugh.I wish I was a night owl, but I’m not.
I force my schedule problems out of my mind and focus on the task at hand. Getting these boxes to these families is my priority, and I’ll get everything else done, somehow.
“I’d appreciate that.” Bertie smiles and continues placing items in her box.
When my shift ends at half past five, I take the metro straight home.
I’m nervous about attending Penn’s game tonight, but thankfully, Ally invited me to eat dinner with her first, before we head over to the arena together. Knowing Ally will be there helps. I remember the attention the players’ wives and girlfriends get, and it’s not all positive attention. Glares from other girls, fans discreetly taking photos, provocative signs that women hold up to get your boyfriend’s attention.
I was never a fan of going to Chadwick’s games. He’d play the crowd and blow kisses, then tell me that’s all part of the gig. Is that how Penn will behave? And why does that thought have my stomach churning?
Taking the elevator to the third floor, I knock on 3B and the door swooshes open to Ally, who’s done up to the nines. Suddenly, I feel very underdressed. Ally’s hair is up in a high pony, and her lips are fire-engine red. She’s wearing a sparkly top that has the number 13 on the front—which I assume is Noah’s jersey number—paired with pleather leggings and high-heeled boots.
“Whoa,” I say as she pulls me inside and into a hug. Her cat snakes between my legs, rubbing up against my shins for a moment before running off.
I pull away to look at her outfit again. “Girl, you look insanely hot.”
Ally giggles and does a spin. “Thank you! What are you going to wear?”
My mouth pops open as I gesture with one hand down my body to the corduroy skirt I’m wearing with white tights and a white sweater.
“Well, you look super cute as always!” Ally schools her expression carefully. “But…did you wanna borrow something in Lions’ colors?”
I blow out a raspberry that has my curls flying up. “What do you have in mind?”
She scurries off down a hallway and comes back a minute later with a purple top and a turquoise ribbon—the exact shades of the boys’ bright home jerseys. “How’s this?”
I take the sweater from her. “Are you sure it’s okay if I borrow this?”
“Hazel,” she says with a laugh. “It’s bright purple. I only ever wear this to games.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
I go to the bathroom and change out my white sweater with Ally’s purple top, then braid my hair back and tie the end with the ribbon. It’s not much, but at least I’ll look like I’m aware of the team colors.
When I exit the bathroom, Ally jumps up and down. “You look perfect! Penn will be thrilled!”
We eat together quickly—Ally grabbed us Mexican food. She chats away about how bummed she is that the boys will be traveling for away games on Valentine’s Day. I almost forget I’m supposed to be sad, too, because myboyfriendwon’t be here, either.
Deep down, though, I’m grateful. I wouldn’t expect Penn to do anything for that day, and him being gone takes the pressure off.
After dinner, we take the metro to the arena to avoid traffic. Ally and I make it to our seats just as the game is starting. Our seats aren’t in the front row, but pretty close. I’m relieved we didn’t have time to get here for warmups. That’s when the social media team takes all kinds of cute pictures of the wives and girlfriends and kids making kissy faces at their player through the plexiglass. Chadwick used to play the part of adoring boyfriend when I was in the crowd, but it felt performative. Like he was only behaving like that for the cameras.
Once Penn and Noah are on the ice, they’re laser focused on the game, not paying any attention to us. The first two periods go by quickly. Noah scored once, and Ally screamed so loud I probably won’t be able to hear for twenty-four hours. Penn got in a scuffle with a player on the opposing team and sat in the penalty box for two minutes. He looked so sad in there, like a little boy in timeout.
Now the third period is almost done, and the score is tied three to three. Selfishly, I hope they don’t go into overtime, because I want to go home and go to bed…but I am having a good time. Every time one of the Lions players scores, Ally and I go wild. Her excitement is contagious.
In the last thirty seconds of the game, I think it’s going to be an extra late night and my hope of no overtime is gone…but then Fisher sweeps the puck away from the opposing team’s captain and shucks it to Penn. Penn’s stick catches it deftly and he slapshots the puck into the top right corner of the net.
I’m up out of my seat jumping up and down, probably screaming just as loud as Ally did when Noah scored, before I can try to play it cool.
Penn skates by our section and winks at me. I grin back at him.
