Ice in My Veins (20 page)

“Yes, I will stay, and yes we are back together Alex.” I leaned forward and kissed him. He slid the ring onto my finger. It was my promise ring. I looked down at it and smiled.

He took me out to the Waterplace. It’s a great restaurant. We had been there before. It has a wonderful view of the water and the city.

I ordered the decadent lobster rangoon. It was a lobster with cream cheese, chives, with a rice wine vinegar filling, and an apricot horseradish dipping sauce. Alex ordered the grilled 14 oz. ribeye, with baby spinach, red bliss mashed potatoes, whole grain mustard shallot, Cabernet butter and fresh vegetables. We always ordered two completely different dishes and shared.

Throughout the dinner we talked about the two of us living together until I figured out what I would be doing next season. Hopefully I would get drafted somewhere. He told me we could figure things out for that later. For now we would take it one day at a time and just deal with things as they were handed to us. He told me he would get me into the gym where they trained and that I would be able to book some ice time at a local arena. He would work out with me when he could.

He also insisted that I could go out and furnish the apartment how I wanted to. He told me it would be best to go with American Furniture Rentals. They had everything we needed for an apartment. We could just rent it for however long we needed it. All the guys did that. He told me to give Sarabella a call and her and I could go check it out.

I wondered what my parents would say. I was almost nineteen. They loved Alex dearly. I would call them tomorrow and let them know what was happening. Then Alex said something to surprise me.

“Christine, I want total trust between us this time. I will give you all my passwords to all my online accounts. You can go in and look at everything I am doing, and just delete whoever you want to.” He nodded to confirm what he had just said to me.

“Alex, I don’t want to do that. You are entitled to your privacy. You know right from wrong. You also know who should or should not be on any of your contact lists. I will leave it to your discretion. However, know this - if anything happens this time around; any form of cheating whatsoever, I will never give you another chance.” I told him firmly.

“I understand and it will never happen again. I learned first hand what it was like to lose the one you love. Now that I have you back I will never do anything to lose you again.” He smiled and took my hand in his and squeezed “I love you Christine.”

“I love you also Alex.” I smiled back at him.

After dinner we went back to his place. It was still early. He was out in the living room making arrangements to move into another one of the apartments in the team’s building.

I decided to take the opportunity and I called my parents. At first they weren’t all that happy with the idea, but they knew that it would happen at some point. They liked Alex, and thought we were perfect together. They also knew that I would be able to focus more on my hockey in Providence, then back home in Dryden. They agreed to the arrangement. Alex was happy when I told him the news.

Providence, Rhode Island

The next afternoon I gave Sarabella a call. She was happy I was back in town and that Alex and I were back together. Her and I seemed to really hit it off the first time we had met. She was older, in her early 30’s, beautiful, and young at heart. Mike and her made a great couple although Mike was much younger, only twenty-eight. There was a much bigger age difference between her and Mike, than Alex and myself. She couldn’t wait to go with me to pick out the furniture. I was happy to have her help me since I was a terrible shopper.

It was 5:30 p.m., when Alex arrived home from practice. He rushed into the apartment bouncing into the living room. I was sitting on the couch, bored, watching some talk show that wasn’t doing a very good job at keeping my interest. He was dangling something from his hand with a big grin on his face.

“Madame, are you ready to see our new place?” He asked with the excitement of a fat kid eating cake.

“Seriously?” I asked stunned on how fast he had gotten everything worked out. “You got it already?”

“Grab your purse and jacket Hun.” He instructed me. I looked at him surprised.

“Is the apartment not in this building?” I questioned him. I knew the team owned the building and it was specifically for the players.

“No, I rented us a house right on the water.” He revealed.

“A house?” I was puzzled over his choice. “Why a house Alex?”

“Because you are the woman I love, and you deserve nothing but the best.” He grinned that crooked grin I loved so much.

I ran out the door much more excited then before. I couldn’t wait to see this house. On the way to the house he started to tell me about it. “It’s a three bedroom, two bathrooms, water front home in Island Park, Portsmouth. This house has been renovated with beautiful new wood floors, new kitchen appliances and counter tops, it has a full bath with a whirlpool tub. I know how you love your baths. It also has a gas fireplace, and a second floor deck. The family room is separate from the dining room, there is an office also. We can handle our hockey stuff out of there. It also has a big basement. I thought we could also rent some exercise equipment so we can workout together at home. What do you think?” He asked me smiling.

“It sounds amazing Alex. You said it’s right on the water?” I inquired.

“Yeah, it’s just a quaint little white house, but the view is spectacular. One of the guys on my team said he saw it on his way to the rink and mentioned it to me. So I left after practice and rented it on the spot as soon as I saw it.” He was smiling, like he was a kid in a candy store.

We pulled up in front of the house. It did look like a small older home. I could see the water from the driveway. I started to walk towards the water to check out the view but Alex stopped me. “You have to see the view from inside the house first Hun.” He demanded.

I agreed. I walked through the double front door and into the living room. There was a huge window with five separate window panels. I could see the water and the surrounding hills across the bay. The view was beautiful.

I walked slowly into the kitchen, and on the far left of the eating area were patio doors. I walked through them out onto the huge porch that had the most breathtaking view. I walked along the porch to another set of patio doors and walked through them back into the house and found myself standing in the master bedroom.

The bedroom was average size, but it did have a his and her closet and a full bathroom. I loved the house. It was perfect. It’s something I would have picked out if I had the money to purchase myself a home. It was scary how well Alex knew me.

I pulled Alex close to me and I wrapped my arms around him. I leaned up and gently kissed him on the lips. I could feel the tears swelling in my eyes.

“You like it?” He asked.

“Alex, it’s perfect. I absolutely love it.” I confirmed. “You are just to good to me sometimes. I love you”.

“I was thinking that maybe you and me could spend tonight here. We could light a fire, spread out a blanket, order some food and sleep on the floor in front of the fire. What do you think?” He proposed the idea with an evil dirty smirk on his face. I knew what he was thinking.

“I think that would be a great idea.” I smiled and hugged him tighter.

That night was the most magical night of my life. It was more romantic than any book I had ever read. Something changed inside me that night. I wanted to be with Alex forever and I knew it. He became my life. I didn’t realize I could love anyone as much as I loved Alex.

He had to fly up to Boston the next day. I drove him to the airport so I could use his truck. I would have to get myself a little car, because driving the truck around was awkward for me. It was so big and I had problems parking it. I had gotten my license the week I had turned 16, in Dryden; however, I hadn’t done much driving over the last two years. Canada had a different driving rules, something about restrictions, so I never changed my license over. Now I was back in the United States, those restrictions didn’t apply here.

I met Sarabella at the furniture rental place. Alex was right. They had everything from furniture to kitchen utensils and we needed it all.

“I’m so excited that you’re living here now.” Sarabella exclaimed as she rushed up to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You are going to love it here.”

“I love the house Alex picked out. Wait until you see it. It’s perfect. It’s not huge, in fact its quaint, but I love it and the view is to die for.” I told her.

We walked into the store and a salesman approached us right away. He was in his mid 20’s and pretty good looking.

“Hello, ladies,” he said smiling. “What can I do for you two lovely ladies this afternoon?”

“My boyfriend and I just rented a three bedroom home, and I need to rent furnishings top to bottom. I am looking for simple furnishing nothing extravagant.” I explained to him.

“How long will you be renting it for?” He asked.

“I don’t really know. We are both hockey players and travel a lot. We have set down roots here for now, but that could change at anytime. I suppose we need some sort of agreement that would support this kind of lifestyle.” I explained.

“I thought I recognized you.” He acknowledged. “You’re Christine Matthews, you played on the USA World Junior Team. You’re a great player. So the rumors are true then?” He smirked “You and Reddrick?”

“Yes, I suppose the rumors are true then. And thanks.” I affirmed.

He showed me many different packages, and I chose the Stratford Collection. It was classic and simple. That would furnish most of the house. They would also supply all the kitchen items. They informed me that they could have it all delivered within 48 hours. I was grateful. Before leaving the salesman asked to take a picture with me and get my autograph. I obliged him.

I decided that I would go back to Alex’s apartment and pack up our things. I loaded them into the truck myself, and drove back to our new home. That sounded so odd. “OUR NEW HOME”. I said it a few times out loud. I made a bed on the floor out of the new blankets and pillows I had purchased that day and curled up in front of the fire place and fell asleep.

I woke up to my cell phone vibrating along the floor next to my head. I answered it. It was the furniture place. They would be able to deliver the home furnishings by noon. I got up quickly and cleaned up the area on the floor. I hopped into the shower and got dressed. The movers did everything. I was told to relax while they worked. I sat outside on the deck enjoying the view. I text Alex to tell him the furniture had arrived.

After everything was moved into the house. I decided to go do some groceries. I googled the closest grocery store. I didn’t know what to buy once I started walking up and down the aisles. We needed everything. I had Alex’s credit card with me. I knew this was going to end up being a big bill. I filled the cart and was shocked when the cashier told me the total. It had come to $343.94. I would never have spent so much, but we needed condiments as well as food. That’s what ended up running up the bill; that and all the cleaning supplies and laundry items.

I went home and unloaded all the items. It took me over two hours to find a place for everything. I decided to pour myself a glass of wine. I had taken six of the bottles that were in Alex’s kitchen when I was packing. I hoped they weren’t his roommate’s. I grabbed a blanket out of the closet and went outside and sat on the deck to enjoy my wine. It was dark and the glow from the city lights out over the water was spectacular.

Lonely

Alex had been gone over two weeks. I tried to keep myself busy. I went running every day. I worked out on the gym equipment I had rented. I went shopping a few times with Sarabella and Megan. I also joined them out for lunch a couple of times. I talked to Alex every day. It didn’t seem to be enough. I was starting to feel lonely. I missed him. I missed my family and friends.

I got a phone call from Moose. He was heading back up to Canada and thought he would stop by Providence on his way back home. I welcomed the visit. I missed Moose tons. He was one of my closest friends and he and Alex had known each for years. I told Alex and he seemed alright with the idea. He, Moose and I were all very good friends.

When I answered the door I almost didn’t recognize Moose. “What are they feeding you down there in South Carolina? You’re huge Kyle.” I giggled. I was trying to wrap my arms around him to give him a big hug.

“Yeah, I’m up to 230 lbs now, had to. I’m playing with a rough bunch of guys now.” He smirked.

“Holy you’re a monster now. I missed you. So come in and I’ll give you the tour of the homestead.” I laughed.

“I can’t believe you and him set up house. What are you going to do when the season starts again, or better yet what if you get drafted to the other side of the country?” He asked.

“Well, Alex and I agreed to take it one day at a time. Everything you see here is rented. If need be we just have them come pick it up. I really don’t want to think about what would happen if I got drafted to L.A. or Colorado, or somewhere else on the west coast. With my luck that’s exactly what will happen.” I sighed.

“This is a great little place you have here. Love the view. I’m starving, what do you say I take you out for dinner?” He suggested.

“That sounds great. I’m pretty hungry myself and I still haven’t mastered cooking yet. So it’s much better to eat out. Let me just go change and I’ll be ready in ten minutes.” I encouraged him to look around the house some more and to freshen up, while I was getting ready.

I didn’t know what to wear. It was a nice warm evening for April. Maybe I should put on a cute dress?

I slid on my black caviar beaded halter dress. It had a multicolor beaded embellished neck, with cut-in shoulders. It had a high banded waist and pleated, two-tier skirt with a back zip. As for shoes I decided to go with my licorice point toe suede heels. They had tonal top stitching and dipped sides with a four inch stiletto heel. I could get away with wearing them beside Moose since he was almost 6’4.

I put a few curls in my hair with the curling iron, that had been heating up while I got dressed. Then pinned part of it up with a hair clip and let the rest fall. I put on a little make up and lip gloss. I was ready to go. It felt good to dress up. Moose was already in a nice new pair of designer jeans and a nice dress shirt. When I walked out of the bedroom he whistled.

“Wow, Chris you look stunning,” he complimented. “Alex is one lucky guy. Have to admit it makes me envious of him.”

“Thanks Moose. I was thinking that maybe we could go to this great restaurant down on the water that Alex and I sometimes like to go to.”

“Sure.” He said as he took my hand to escort me out to his car that was parked in the driveway behind Alex’s truck. He was driving a brand new Honda Civic. It was a sharp looking car. I wouldn’t mind getting myself one of those. I could afford those payments.

I took him to The Boathouse restaurant. The Boathouse was just inside the gates of the Villages in Mount Hope Bay Condominiums. It has a wonderful view of the Sakonnet River. It was a nice quiet place where Moose and I could talk and catch up. I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone I knew there.

Megan was there with her sister. She kept looking over at our table. I smiled and nodded hello to her. I saw her take out her cell phone and start texting away. I chuckled.

“What’s so amusing Chris?” He asked curious.

“Megan just took out her phone and is texting someone. Probably the latest gossip on how I’m out for dinner with some strange handsome guy, while Alex is out of town playing.” I mused.

He laughed “Maybe we should give her something to text about.” He took my hand lightly into his and smiled up at me batting his eyes.

I couldn’t help but laugh, which must have looked like flirting. Adding fuel to the fire and to Moose’s childish facade. “Grow up Moose.” Just then my cell phone vibrated. It was Alex. I laughed at the text I saw. I had to read it out loud to Moose.

Hey Baby,

I heard you were out on a date at The Boathouse with some really big, ugly guy and you look smashing. Give Moose a great big kiss for me. Relay a message to him - Who do you think you are Jimmy Dangles, more like Timmy Tangles.

Love and miss you Hun

Alex.

“Wow, that didn’t take her long to tell him, did it.” He was not impressed at how fast gossip got around.

“Nope,” I replied.

“Who is she?” He asked still angry.

“She’s the girlfriend of one of Alex’s teammates here in Providence. His name is Brian.” I explained. “Right now, my life is a day by day experiment. I don’t know what is going to happen from one day to the next.”

“You seem sad Chris. What’s wrong?” He asked sincerely.

“I guess I am just feeling lonely right now. I miss Alex when he’s away. I miss my family and friends. It’s hard being in a new city. I have a few friends here.” I pointed to Megan. ”As you can see they are just people I socialize with, not real friends.”

We ate our lobster dinners, drank two bottles of wine during dinner. I probably drank most of the wine. It amused me that everyone knew who I was, which meant they also knew my age; but no one ever I.D.’d me when I ordered at dinner. The drinking age in the United States is twenty-one; unlike Canada where it’s eighteen in some places and nineteen everywhere else.

Moose was driving, I didn’t notice him drinking much at all. I however, was extremely giddy. He paid for the meal and escorted me out to the car. Megan waited until we were in the car before she came out to hers. I noticed her following us on the way home. I burst out laughing.

“Moose, she’s actually following us home.” I shook my head. I couldn’t believe it.

“Nice friends! Her poor boyfriend. I bet he can’t do shit around Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, over there.” He sneered.

She stopped half a block from my house to watch. Moose helped me out of the car and into the house. I deliberately closed all the front curtains in the house so she couldn’t see in from the street.

I texted Alex to tell him what she was doing and added that before tonight I didn’t realize she was actually insane. I had always gotten a strange vibe from her but this was ridiculous.

Moose had enough. He went to the fridge and poured a glass of lemonade. He walked outside the front door with it. I peaked out the window. It was open so I could hear everything. She had moved her car right in front of the house once we had come inside. He walked up to the window of her car and knocked on it.

“Can I help you?” She asked him stunned.

“I just thought I would bring you a glass of lemonade. I figured you might get thirsty on your little stake out here,” he managed to say with a straight face.

I was on the floor in the corner by the window laughing. She just glared at him and sped away. I laughed harder. I could just imagine what was going through her head at this moment. Moose came back into the house and helped me up from the floor.

“Now you have female stalkers?” He accused. “Hope she doesn’t crawl through the window tonight. I don’t have my baseball bat with me.” He jeered.

I started a fire in the living room and opened another bottle of wine. I pulled the blanket over my legs and snuggled up to Moose on the couch. We talked about everything going on in his life.

He and Lena had broken up. She was living down in South Carolina. She had gotten a job with a marketing company, who had sponsored her. She had a full year left on her contract. She liked South Carolina. She was trying to immigrate there. He said they were still friends, but that neither of them were feeling the love in their relationship any more. It had been a mutual split. We talked about everything else that we had both been doing over the last year. I must have fallen asleep.

The next thing I knew I was being carried into the bedroom and placed on the bed. Moose turned to leave the room. I stopped him.

“Don’t leave, sleep here with me tonight.” I invited him into the bed.

“Like the old days eh?” He laughed. “You must really be lonely Chris.” He crawled into the far side of the bed and snuggled up to me. We both fell asleep. It was innocent, but I suppose if one didn’t understand our friendship they might be inclined to think more of what it was then people who knew us.

The next morning I did my best to fix Moose an eatable breakfast. He pretended to enjoy it. He was heading out this afternoon. He wanted to be back home for his best friend’s birthday bash.

“You know Chris, I have to confess something to you,” he smirked.

“Oh yeah, what’s that Moose?”.

“I wanted to date you real bad back when you first joined the Gophers. My better judgment stopped me from making any moves. And then, well, you and Alex hooked up and I wasn’t about to step on his toes. It’s clear to me now that things sometimes happen for a reason. You and Alex make a great couple.”

“Awe, Moose,” I went over to him sitting on the chair and gave him a big hug and kiss.

“I think you are an amazing guy Moose. You are handsome, smart and have so much to offer a woman. It won’t be long and you’ll meet the prefect woman for you.”

I gave Moose a bag of snacks I had packed for his drive back up to Canada, then I walked him out to his car. I noticed Megan reading a magazine in her car. She now had with a friend of hers with her, and she was parked two doors away. Her friend nudged her suddenly. I chuckled. Moose didn’t see her. I couldn’t believe that she had come back to sit outside my house and spy on me.

I gave Moose and big hug and a kiss goodbye. He got into his car and drove away. I turned and started walking back towards the house. Megan bolted out of her car and ran up to me.

“What the hell are you doing?” She demanded. “How could you cheat on Alex like that?”

“First off Megan, it’s not really any of your business what I do. Second, I didn’t appreciate you texting Alex about what you saw at dinner last night. Thirdly, why the hell are you stalking me? It’s really creepy and fourth, Alex already knew Moose was visiting and staying the night. The three of us are best friends and old teammates.” I scolded her.

“Oh, really. I’m so sorry.” She hung her head in shame.

“You should be. Why would you try to cause shit between Alex and me?” I said with my voice raised almost to a yell.

“I didn’t. I just thought you might be cheating on him. That’s all.” She yelled back at me.

“Next time, don’t think. Next time mind your own business.” I walked passed her into my house and slammed the door.

I called Sarabella to tell her what had just transpired. She started laughing hysterically. However, she did have a warning for me.

“I think Megan has had a thing for Alex for a while now. You might want to watch your back with that one,” she warned.

Great! This was the last thing I needed. Extra stress. I wasn’t about to let Megan and her crush on Alex get to me.

Alex was back two days later. I was happy to see him. I had missed him immensely. We discussed what would happen at the end of the season. Did we want to stay here in Providence or move somewhere else. I told him I wouldn’t mind staying in Providence. I liked it here. I liked it all, except for the incident with Megan.

I warned Alex that I was pretty sure she had a thing for him. He told me he would mention what Megan did to his teammate. The last thing that Brian needed was to have a psycho girlfriend on his hands. Alex did inform me that before Brian started dating Megan she had been with another player that used to play on the team until he was traded.