Page 41 of A Shot at Love
She couldn't even remember where they'd been at the time, but she know that she’d indulged, more than she ever should have, then had to get on a plane at the crack of dawn. It was an experience she did not plan on reliving.
“You have to come to the party though, Jules,” her brother pleaded. “I promise it’s nothing crazy. You know our backup goalie Connor? He and his wife bought a house here because she’s from the area and they want to settle down. They’re throwing the party and it’s just the guys and their family and friends. No kids, no coaches. Just us.”
Her heart caught on no coaches and she swallowed hard. “No coaches? Just the guys?”
Cam nodded reassuringly, thinking that no coaches was a good thing. “Scouts honour.”
But he missed the part where Jules had to look away and think about the fact that Frankie wouldn’t be there, she’d be somewhere else ringing in the new year with people that weren’t Jules.
Their almost kiss…what might that be like if it happened when the clock struck midnight? Would it feel like the fireworks that went off every year in the Halifax harbour? Would it make her come alive in all the ways their moment on the ice had?
“Fine,” she finally said, knowing it was probably for the best that she and Frankie wouldn’t be together, as tempting as it was. “I’ll come to the party.”
The arena was absolutely packed on New Year’s Eve, as every home game had been and Jules arrived early. Dressed in blue jeans that she knew looked amazing, a leather jacket with a blue striped long sleeve shirt that matched the team colours in her own way, and Adidas sneakers.
She'd opted to wear her hair down, letting her short wavy blonde locks frame her face in a way she always liked and she stood out among the throngs of fans dressed in Harbour merch. While her outfit choice wasn’t exactly fit for the wintery mix of cold weather outside, she looked good and it had nothing to do with Frankie. Nothing whatsoever.
Her seat was in a section just to the left of the home team’s bench a few rows up, an area where the majority of the player’s friends and families sat and as she slid into her seat, her eyes landed on a young boy holding a sign against the glass that said, “CLARKE! I WEAR #44 TOO! TRADE CANDY FOR A PUCK? PLEASE!!”
It made her smile and she knew her brother was a sucker for signs like that, which meant the boy would likely go into the new year with something to brag about at school.
Her phone vibrated in her back pocket and she slipped it free then blushed as she read the unexpected message.
Frankie – 1:14PM
You look nice today, I like your jacket.
She re-read the message three times then lifted her gaze and glanced around in search of the sender. She spotted a familiar head of red hair down behind theHarbour’s bench and when her eyes met Frankie’s, she couldn’t keep a shy smile from sliding onto her face.
Frankie was never behind the bench for warmups but she was in conversation with the equipment manager about something and threw Jules a wink before returning her focus to her work.
Since their almost kiss six days earlier, long and spread out text conversations weren't uncommon now that they had each other's numbers and for Jules, it had become one of the best parts of her day. Sometimes the conversations were about work, sometimes they were about the weather, and sometimes they were filled with basic getting to know you questions.
Jules learned that Frankie’s favourite colour was, unsurprisingly, red and Frankie learned that Jules preferred watching documentaries to scripted film and tv shows. Jules learned that Frankie liked pineapple on pizza and Frankie learned that Jules hated it but would be willing to eat it if they ever shared a pizza.
The conversations were filled with jokes and teasing, with the easy rapport a growing friendship had but they never ventured anywhere close to what happened that day on the pond, and had barely even flirted over text.
Which is why Frankie taking the time to message her today, right before a game no less, with a compliment she didn’t need to give but still felt the need to anyway, came as a surprise to Jules.
She bit her lip and watched Frankie down at the bench. Her presence was commanding in a dark green suit that looked incredible on her and as she turned to head back down the tunnel, she stopped to catch a jersey a young girl tossed over the glass behind the bench. Frankie smiled at the girl and pulled a sharpie from her pocket to sign her name on the back of the jersey then tossed it back over the glass for her.
It was something happening more often and always made Jules proud, not only as a woman who was watching history be made week in and week out, but as someone close to Frankie, someone who knew how seriously she took her job and how dedicated she was to being a good role model.
Before anyone else could grab her attention, Frankie disappeared down the tunnel and out of sight. Jules re-read Frankie’s message again then typed back her own reply despite knowing she wouldn’t get a response for hours.
Jules – 1:22PM
And you told me your favourite colour was red but I think it should be green because your suit today might be your best game day outfit yet.
It was bold and far flirtier than she’d been so far but she was reaching a boiling point where she almost didn’t care anymore. And she was only saying something she knew everyone else would also be thinking because it was just a fact. Frankie looked good. Shealwayslooked good and life is too short to not give someone a compliment, right?
Life is too short to not tell the pretty girl with the flaming red hair that you think her green suit is sexy, that it hugs her hips perfectly and shows just enough of her clavicle to be distracting.
Okay…maybe Jules wouldn’t say any ofthatbut she was definitely thinking it.
When the game started, it was obvious that the away team had a plan coming into the rink; to hit hard, hit fast, and hit often. Their line up had a handful of especially physical players who found themselves in the penalty box on three separate occasions during the first period alone.
The score was 1-0 for the Harbour at the start of the second period thanks to a goal from Cam’s closest friend on the team, Mason, and a few minutes into the frame, Cam gained possession of the puck behind the Harbour net.
