Page 51 of Shootout
Hand in hand, we strolled the two blocks to the Place. I slid into the booth beside her. She gave me a surprised glance, but she shouldn’t have been surprised. We were supposed to like each other. We ordered our drinks and dinner.
“Okay, tell me, what’s going on with Jonas? Wild mentioned he’s been giving you shit.”
“You and Jason are friendly now?”
“Hardly. I overheard him complaining to Cave. They’re buddies. So, Jonas?”
“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“You told your brother, so it must be something.” I didn’t bother to disguise the hurt in my voice, nor did I examine why I was disappointed that she hadn’t confided in me.
Jessie blinked a few times as if she wasn’t hearing me correctly. “I didn’t want to bother you.”
“You can bother me anytime. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“I guess so.”
“I talk to you more than I talk to anyone, even my twin brother.”
She narrowed her gaze and studied me, then reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Yes, we’re friends, and I hope we can stay friends when this is over.”
Inwardly, I cringed at the thought of ending this weird thing between us.
“We will.” I spoke with conviction. I’d never actually had a female friend. Even though I had sisters, that was different. I had to like them. I didn’t have a choice. “So tell me, what’s up? I’m a good listener.” Actually, I was a crappy listener. I preferred to do the talking, but for Jessie, I’d learn to listen.
“Jonas won’t play any of the girls on the first two lines or the special teams. They’re not getting the playing time they deserve, and a few are being bumped for boys with inferior skills. I want the best player on the ice at any given time regardless of gender.”
“I heard what Jonas told Boris. What fucking bullshit.”
“You heard that?”
“Yeah, I was a fly on the wall, and it was all I could do not to intervene, but I didn’t think you’d appreciate my interference.”
“Thank you for that. I wouldn’t have. I fight my own battles.” Her expression was troubled. Her challenges with Jonas weighed heavily on her. I wanted to absorb her pain and take on her burdens. How had I gotten to this point? I was a selfish guy who usually doled out insincere sympathy and went on my way without giving others’ problems a second thought, but not with Jessie. I truly ached for her.
“He’s blaming me for his poor decisions, but he’s the head coach. If I truly was making those decisions, he could override them. The parents know that. So do the kids.”
“That guy is a fucking asshole.”
“He is.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help—?”
“Nothing. I’m the low person on the totem pole, and I have to tread carefully. I don’t want to lose this job.”
“Can you discuss your problems with your boss?”
“No, he’s already made it clear that we handle our own disputes. He’s a coach first, and he’s not interested in being a sounding board or even an advice giver.”
“He’s a bit old school. Probably thinks girls shouldn’t be playing on the same teams as boys.”
“Most likely. Since he only coaches boys’ teams and classes, that appears an accurate assumption.”
“From what I’ve heard about the Sockeyes organization, they don’t appreciate unequal treatment.”
She nodded and sighed, resting her head on my shoulder. “I get what you’re saying, but you know how tight-knit hockey is and how it’s still a good ol’ boys club. If I get a reputation as difficult to deal with, there goes my coaching career in this country and probably Canada.”
I wanted to tell her she was wrong, but she wasn’t. I knew how things worked. While the league had made strides, they still had a long way to go. I placed my arm across the back of the booth so she could snuggle in closer. Sitting here listening to her share her problems felt so right that I started to balk. I didn’t do this. I was a guy who only wanted sex. But I was doing it. I was comforting a friend, not a girlfriend.
