The Night We Kissed

“Wait, wait, wait!”

We were almost to the door. The bouncer, a mountain of a man, was hauling Jordan by the arm. Jordan’s other hand was pressed to his cheekbone, where he’d definitely have a bruise by morning. He was muttering curses and every time his voice rose, the bouncer barked at him to shut up.

“Wait!”

A streak of silver zipped past me, past Max and flashed around Jordan’s side. Suddenly the line halted. I squeezed around and try to see what was going on.

“… just trying to help me,” I heard a tearful voice pleading. “That jerk was really bothering me and I guess when I went to the bathroom he came after these guys. Please, they didn’t do anything wrong.”

What? Jordan got drunk, Max got hands-y and they got in a fight with some douchebag over his hot sister. Happens all the time. Well, maybe punches don’t always fly and we don’t usually get kicked out. Can’t really afford for someone to find out – bad publicity and all that. Plus it pisses Coach off like crazy. But it was just another night with too many drinks and not enough good sense. We were going to catch hell for it back at the hotel, especially as it was well past curfew and Jordan couldn’t do stealth even when he wasn’t stumbling. He might even get benched for tomorrow night’s game. Still, what is this girl on about?


“Miss, we don’t allow fighting, no matter who…”

“Well that other guy is gone! There won’t be any more fighting because you already got rid of the problem. It’s my fault. I should have come to you immediately, instead I let these guys try to help. Please don’t throw them out because of me.”

I could hear the teams in her voice, but I couldn’t see her. Between Jordan’s body and the bouncer’s, I caught a glimpse of one bare leg with a silver high heel. Not much to go on, but I was certain she hadn’t been involved. My phone buzzed. Crosby. Surely another text – third of the night – saying something like ‘get your fucking asses back here now.’

I began to see a way out. If this girl could get us off the hook with the bar, we could float her story to Crosby and Coach and maybe buy ourselves some leeway. It was really late – at least 1:30 AM and we’d all had too much to drink. If we could get an hour to sober up before going back, the heroic rescue of a damsel in distress could keep us off the bus to Wilkes-Barre.

“Please…”

“Alright miss, but I want you to have them out of here by last call. No more of this shit.”

“Yes sir,” she said quickly. “I promise, I’ll take care of them and there will be no more problems. Thank you, thank you so much.”

The bouncer let go of Jordan’s arm. I stepped in as the huge blond slumped against me. The fight was out of him and he was probably fuzzily imagining the torture he’d undergo when Coach caught him in this state. He righted himself, still cursing and looked around quizzically.

“This way,” the girl said. By the time I turned Jordan in that direction, Max was following her with his head slightly down. She weaved us past a bar toward an empty booth at the back. Max practically fell into the seat.

Oh God. She looked up and met my eyes. Her hair was a dark cloud, pinned mostly back but falling around her face. A short dress covered in silver sequins hugged her frame – not as curvy as I usually like, but certainly enough to get my blood flowing. Long legs ran into the silver stilettos I’d seen before. Her lips were flush like she’d been biting them, dark eye makeup was smeared beneath dark eyes and a single black track ran down her cheek like a tear. Despite that, she was beautiful. We had definitely not seen this girl before.

She helped me dump Jordan onto the bench. He moved on his own, turning toward her. “Do we know you?”

She reached across the table and Jordan looked right down her dress. If I’d been closer I would have slapped him. With a napkin in hand, she slid in next to him and started wiping at her ruined makeup.

“No, but you guys owe me big time. Those assholes you were fighting with were waiting outside for you.”

“What?!” I said out loud without even realizing it. I was still staring.

“Yeah. When the two got thrown out, their friends came over to get some other guys they knew at a table near me. They went out the back. Unless that bouncer put you right in a cab, there were like six guys waiting for you out there.”

That would have been disastrous. Forget Wilkes-Barre, we’d be back in junior league if we could still walk. Jordan and Max were fighters, but not in their current states. And not against two or three guys a piece. I looked back at the girl – she’d cleaned her face, but her eyes were a little red from crying.

“You faked those tears,” I stammered.

She hailed a waitress. “I couldn’t think of any other way that would work. Guys freak out when a girl cries, give her what she wants just to shut her up.” She ordered four waters and a vodka soda. “Put it on their tab.”

“What’s your name?”

“Kelly.” She finally really looked at me. Beneath the red her eyes were an indeterminate dark color. Her teeth were straight and white when she flashed me a smile. “Saved your ass, didn’t I? You’re not a fighter like these guys.”

She really had. “No, I don’t fight. I’m a….” I’m a what? A lover? A wuss? I’m French?

“Goalie,” she finished for me.

Drinks arrived before I could get another word out. I’m a goalie. And somehow, she knew that. She put a straw in Jordan’s water and put it right to his lips, like a mom with a reluctant kid. “Drink,” she said softly. He did until it was gone, and she gave him another glass.

“You know us,” was all I could come up with. “I wondered why you would help us.”

She shrugged. “Just because I know you doesn’t mean I like you. But I’ll be at tomorrow’s game. Without you three, there wouldn’t be much to watch.”

I sipped my own water, thankfully not needing a straw. “We are in serious trouble without that fight – it’s way past curfew. Thank you, you certainly helped – we can tell them your story, but this is not the end.” I pointed out that we’d have to take Jordan in through the hotel, where someone would inevitably see us. I swear the front desk staff are paid to report us to the coaches. Or someone’s roommate would drop a stupid remark and blow our cover. Crosby knew, obviously, and he was worse than the fucking Mounties.

When her drink was gone and Jordan and Max had both drained their water glasses, she looked at her watch. 1:30 AM, so close to last call.

“I have an idea,” she said. We gathered up Jordan. Max was coming around a little, so he helped from one side while I braced the other. Jordan was with it enough to follow our lead. Outside, she hailed the first cab in line – a minivan. After holding the door for us, she climbed in and shut it.

Max, never too drunk to make a pass at someone, leaned forward in his seat. “Are you coming to tuck us in?”

She laughed in the seat next to me, bare thighs light against the dark gray seats. I was not as drunk as I’d thought – my thoughts where inappropriate, but they were lucid. She had the driver pass the main hotel lobby and stop in the shadows, but told us to stay put.

“We’ll give you an extra $20 to help us.” The driver nodded. She disappeared inside. Ten minutes later, she came around the backside of the car and got in.

“Pull down there and go right,” she directed us to a loading dock door that was propped open with a mop. I paid the driver and she led us into the kitchen. Two guys were bagging trash – she thanked them both again as one opened the freight elevator for us. We rode up in silence. When the doors opened, we were in a service corridor. She poked her head into the hall and signaled all-clear. Jordan’s door was first – I opened it, Max pushed him in and flopped him on the bed. TK slept through it. Max was next, and he let himself in.

“Goodnight kiss?” he tried. She kissed his cheek, laughing. We moved down the hall until she stopped by the guest elevators.

“I trust you can get yourself home from here?” She pushed the down button.

“I, um… thanks. Thank you. Shit, that was amazing.” I stood flat-footed, unsure of the appropriate gratitude for someone so incredible who had absolutely saved the day. Please don’t leave, I thought. I have nowhere to take you, and nothing to offer, but please stay. “I’ve never met someone like you before.”

“See you tomorrow, Marc.”

I was still in the hall when the doors closed behind her. She’ll see me tomorrow, but I won’t see her. Or will I? I would definitely be looking. As I thought about ways she could make herself known, I realized I hadn’t even offered to pay for her cab home. What an asshole! I thought of running down there, but I’d undo all the good she did in getting us up here unseen. I hoped I would see her tomorrow – I would think of some way to thank her. Jordan and Max would too. I took two Advil and put myself to bed, still picturing her crimson lips and wondering what color her eyes were.
____

“What the fuck?” Crosby hissed. He stood in my doorway, lord knows who let him in. He probably had a key to everyone’s room - the morality police master key.

“Sid, you’re killing me,” I put the pillow over my head, but he pulled it away.

“Dude, I don’t want to be a dick. I didn’t say anything to Coach. But you’re gonna get fucking busted and I won’t be able to help you. Max and Jordan… people don’t expect them to be any better. But you… you’re not like this.”

He looked genuinely concerned and I cursed myself for thinking him such a buzzkill. He had been worried about me since Vero left. Since she decided after six years of being together that the game was too much for her, the travel and living so far from home. She couldn’t be married to the game, she said, so she couldn’t stay with me. I should have seen it coming, but we’re away so much during the season and I stay so deep in my own head. I was certainly not the first guy to find out too late his relationship had been falling apart for ages. It was October, two weeks into the season and Vero had been gone seven months.

“Mon ami, I know it’s hard to be back and try to do this without her. It’s different. But you’re not going to get over it like this.”

Sid was right, of course. But I was angry. “Sid, look, I’m just having some fun. I never came into the League like all the guys – big dick swinging chasing hot girls in every city. Now that I can, I’m going to. I don’t expect you to understand.”

Sid looked a little hurt. He really was a good guy, the solid, stand-up type that everyone thought he was. He couldn’t afford to sleep around, couldn’t take the risk, but probably wouldn’t have anyway. Some guys are like that. I had always been. Now, I wasn’t sure what I was like.

The end of last season was awful. We were ranked mid-Conference, drew hard in the playoffs and went home early. I had put everything into the game, socked Vero away so deeply that it was June before I even thought about the whole reason she had left. I didn’t go home to Quebec for the first time ever, because she was there. The guys did their best – visited me, I visited them. Most were a little awkward, handling me like broken glass. Only guys like Max and Jordan embraced it, tried to draw me out with partying and other girls. At first it was really tough to even pretend I wanted to be with another woman. But as time passed, I found that it was tolerable – like numbing an injury enough to play one more game on it. It got the guys off my back, but it never really made me feel better.

“Sorry,” I said, finally sitting up. “I won’t do it on team time. I will get it together.”

Relief crossed Sid's face, though I could tell he didn’t really believe me. As long as I didn’t break the rules, he could worry about helping me when we were home again. He slapped my leg.

“Big game against the Champs tonight,” he smiled. Sid loved a challenge. The Blackhawks still buzzed from their Stanley Cup win, though their team had changed a lot in the off-season.

“Big game,” I nodded, getting out of bed. I was thinking as much about her as I was about them.
____

“What the fuck happened last night?” Jordan had a bruise on his cheek. Anyone could have told you it didn’t happen on the ice, but no one bothered. He leaned against the glass looking vaguely like he might throw up.

“You got into a fight with some juicehead and we almost got tossed,” I said.

Max skated up next to us, a little gingerly. “Hot girl rescued us, something about we were defending her honor. Don’t remember all of it.”

“Kelly, her name was Kelly.” I must have had a stupid look on my face.

“By any chance did Kelly get the Flower Power last night? Did Kelly wake up next to that silver dress on the floor?” Max rested his chin on his stick.

“No, asshole. She left as soon as you were in your room.”

Max laughed before skating away. “Once I’m out, there’s no reason to stick around anyway.”

Jordan took a slow breath in through his nose. “I hate owing apologies to people I don’t remember. Did you invite her to the game?”

“She was already coming. Said she’d see us here, but I don’t know how.” I looked around the endless rows of empty stands, pictured them bursting with Blackhawks fans and wondered how on Earth I’d ever find her in here.
____

I sat in my stall, strapping on my leg pads. My morning headache had reminded me of Kelly, and now that it was gone I had her to thank. She was in my mind all day as the clock ticked toward game time. We were finally suiting up and there was nothing I could do but wait to see what would happen. Mostly dressed, I tested my skates and found them a little dull. The hallway was busy with media and personnel and I had to shuffle through some interviews to reach the equipment room. I waited outside the door for the grinder to finish.

“Marc!”

I knew it was her before I lifted my head. She wore black leggings with high black boots, a gray cable knit sweater that barely covered her ass and a bright green scarf dangled around her throat. Her dark hair was down, twisting over her shoulders as wispy bangs hung to her cheeks. A breath stuck in my throat – surely I’d been imagining her. I’d let my imagination run away with her, she couldn’t possibly be real.

“Kelly!” I said a little too enthusiastically. I had the urge to throw my arms around her. Instead I waddled forward in my gear, wishing I’d waited to get dressed. She trotted up, slowed and kicked me in the shin.

“Testing for holes,” she smiled. Then she sidestepped it and kissed my cheek.

My arms tightened around her body, a proper hug that was really way too much for the way she was greeting me. I couldn’t help it. I let go as quickly as I could, only adding to the awkwardness. She was very close to my face and I could smell her slightly sunny perfume.

“Kel?” a voice came from behind her.

Jonathan Toews stood in the hallway outside the opposing locker room door. He wore under armor and a t-shirt, seeming younger than his 22 years. The look on his face was not very friendly.

“Hi JT,” Kelly backed away from me, but not with guilt. “You know Marc.”

“Yeah,” Toews said. He came over, shook my hand politely but with a curious expression. “How do you two know each other?”

“Met last night, way before curfew,” Kelly smiled at me. Toews narrowed his eyes a little, unhappy not to be in on the joke. He put one hand at Kelly’s back – I didn’t think she noticed but the gesture was possessive and clearly directed at me.

“Kelly didn’t mention she knew you,” I said, as surprised as Toews.

It was Jon’s turn to smile. He turned toward Kelly, almost pulling her into his side. “Kelly is Dave Bolland’s sister. We hang out all the time.” She didn’t get a chance to answer before someone shouted for Toews from down the hall and he turned to go.

“See you out there.” He gave Kelly a squeeze and walked away. When he was gone, Kelly rolled her eyes.

“Sorry, JT likes to pretend he's my boyfriend,” she said.

“He’s not?”

“Not really,” she answered cryptically. I didn’t care – as long as it wasn’t a yes. “How are Jordan and Max?”

I brought her into the room, wanting to stay near her but suddenly out of things to say. Jordan looked at her, then me, then her again and put his head back with a loud sigh that sounded painful.

“Fuck. You’re gorgeous. Figures!” he threw up a hand in resignation. “I can’t be a drunk ass in front of ugly girls.” Kelly giggled, reached out a hand and ran it through his hair. It was a surprisingly intimate touch, considering he hadn’t even introduced himself last night, but it must have felt great. He closed his eyes and leaned into her palm like a puppy.

“Nice to meet you, Jordan,” she said. He just laughed.

“What about me? I almost got tucked in last night,” Max appeared behind us, shirtless of course. Kelly gave him a little kiss on the cheek.

“Glad to see you’re all okay,” she was appropriately quiet, since no one was supposed to know. “No blaming hangovers when we kick your asses out there.”

“Okay, now you’re ugly,” Jordan shouted, grabbing her around the waist. “Get this traitor out of here!”  She bid us good luck, but not too much, and headed for the hall. I still didn’t have my skates – the perfect excuse to chase after her.

“We're staying in town. Can we make up to you for last night?”

Kelly punched my number into her phone and called me. I stood right there as she left me a voicemail.

“Hi Marc, it’s Kelly. From last night. Not sure how Captain Toews is going to feel about us hanging out, but I hear you have backup if it comes to a fight. Again.” She disconnected, kissed my cheek and once again left me standing, stupid and staring.
____

I was determined to win this game. The pace was furious, with end-to-end action and lots of hitting. After a scrum near my net, where I threw myself on the puck like a starfish, the ref blew the whistle for the TV time out. Toews skated slowly past.

“Don’t even think about it, Fleury,” he said without looking in my direction. “Kelly is spoken for.”

I shouted so he could hear through my mask. “Someone should tell her then, eh?” Toews scowled at me, his threat clear: I’m going to make you look like a sieve. No fucking way, I thought. The intensity never let up. The Hawks shot every chance they got, charged the net, threw bodies and elbows. By the first intermission, guys were gasping for breath and shaking out sore limbs. I plopped onto the bench in the locker room.

“I don’t know what’s into them tonight,” Coach was saying, “but good hustle and let’s keep holding them off.”

Max looked at me. “Toews gave me an earful about your girl. Something about she’s spoken for, and we need to back off.”

I shrugged at him, waving my phone. “Seems like that’s up to Kelly, and I have a message from her.”

“Hi. JT likes to fake left and go high. Practiced it all summer, never shuts up about it. Cannot believe I’m telling you this. Ugh!”

She was right – he’d been shooting that way a lot. I smiled at the thought of her struggling with telling me. Plus, she called me during the game. She was thinking about me.

“Earth to Flower,” Sidney was saying. “Who is she?”

“Who is who?”

He leaned in. “Haven’t seen that look on your face in a year. It’s my job to know what’s working around here.”

I shook my head, but smiled. He’d have to wait till later if he really wanted to know.
____

In the second period, Toews changed his approach. He charged the net on every play like he was trying to bowl the puck into the net. I stopped him, but Kane got one through. Duper got an equalizer three minutes later, and I breathed a sigh of relief. We went to the room tied 1-1 and I headed straight for my phone.

“Nice butterfly. He’ll go back to high now, but he’ll also start shooting from the point. He gets impatient. If you play this for anyone else, I’ll kill you.”
____

It was like having an inside line. Toews crossed the blue line on the rush and I dropped to the ice like I could read his mind. The puck locked in my glove, I even laughed out loud.

“Leave it alone,” Toews growled as he skated by. “She’s staying and you’re going, don’t be a dick.”

The look on his face said he’d never asked her out. He’d liked her for a long time, and he’d never done anything about it. Now he was back from a Stanley Cup summer, on the cover of NHL ’11 and on top of the world. He planned to make his move on Kelly and I was potentially fucking things up.

What am I doing? The score was still 1-1. We were leaving in the morning, not due back in Chicago for months. If Kelly wanted to see me again, it would be forever away. But I couldn’t stop, couldn’t give up the thought that she wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see her. To feel something, anything, felt new and raw and amazing.

With three minutes left, Crosby got a wrister past the Hawks goalie. They couldn’t answer and we won 2-1.

“Thought you could use a little help,” Crosby said, his helmet pressed to mine as the team celebrated at the buzzer. I could have run back to the locker room in my full gear.

“Let’s go out,” I said to Max. He rallied the troops. I took as long as possible showering, changing, to give Kelly the chance to get downstairs. When I finally reached the hall, she was already talking with Jordan.

“I didn’t throw up on you, did I?” he asked.

“No, you were very cute. Like a sleepy St. Bernard..”

She saw me, then her eyes darted down the hall. Apparently the coast was clear. She gave me a big, tight hug, the way I’d tried to hug her before the game. I wore my favorite suit – black pinstripes with a red tie. My hair was too long, I’d been lazy, and it dripped water down my neck.

“Nice game,” she said with her arms still around my neck. Some of the guys were watching us, not even trying to hide their surprise. Most of them had seen me pick up some tragic slut in a bar, but they hadn't seen any actual affection since March. Now I had my arms around a beautiful woman in full view of everyone.

“I had some inside help,” I smiled. I wanted to kiss her. Her lips were still flushed, the way I’d fallen asleep dreaming about. In my peripheral vision, the Hawks locker room door opened and I released her as a line of guys filed into the hall.

She moved toward them, Toews obviously dawdling until she caught up. I pretended to busy myself, knowing Max would eavesdrop openly and give me a full report. Less than five minutes later, she was back and the Hawks were gone.

“Ready?” Max asked, leading us out.
____

“He said, ‘We’re going for food, want to come?’ and she said she already had plans,” Max relayed. We were waiting for drinks at the bar. Behind us, Kelly was trying to get Crosby to dance with her as the new Usher song blasted through the speakers. I could hear him losing the battle. “Toews said she shouldn’t be hanging out with guys who only wanted one thing from her. That would be you, mon ami,” he said, smiling wickedly. “Kelly said that people could want whatever they chose, but what they got was up to her. I think that means you’re not getting any.”

“Max,” I said exasperatedly. “You know that’s not what this is about. I actually feel a spark with her. I haven’t… it’s been a very long time.”

Max collected his glasses from the bar. “Oui, mon ami, and I am happy for you. But don’t pretend you’re not thinking about doing that to her.” He gestured toward the dance floor, where she’d finally coerced Crosby into a dance. His hands were on her hips, his mouth at her ear speaking as she moved inside his space.

“Sid wouldn’t…” I said, almost to myself.

“Never. But you would,” Max replied.
____

Kelly appeared at the side of my chair with her hand out. “You owe me.”

I let her lead me into the seething mass of bodies. She put her arms around my neck like it was totally natural to stand a breath away from someone you’d been obsessing over since first sight. Assuming she’d been thinking of me that way. Maybe I was getting ahead of myself. I let my hands drift to her waist, down her bright blue v-neck top to her dark, sexy jeans. Her hair bounced about her shoulders as she shook her hips to the music. She settled her body’s rhythm into mine, so close to my hips, to my legs without actually touching me. I wanted so badly to close that space, but no way to tell if she wanted me to.

Kelly tilted her head back, looking up at me. “Marc,” she said, one hand trailing gently across the back of my neck. A shiver passed down my spine. “I wish you played here.”

“I thought you liked your goalie,” I smirked.

“I liked Niemi,” she said. “But I never wanted to kiss him.” And she kissed me. Tiptoes, eyes closed and all, Kelly pressed her lips to mine. They were cool and soft, almost curious. Like she thought I might not kiss her back. Instead my whole body responded. I pulled her in tight, wrapping my arms around her as she opened her mouth. Her tongue grazed mine, surprising me again.

We stopped moving and stood still, kissing on the dance floor. I brushed hair back from her face and felt her smile. “Come on,” she said, taking my hand. We said a brief goodbye to everyone. Kelly kissed Max and Jordan on the cheek, admonishing them to behave because she would not be back to save them. She hugged Sidney and whispered something that made him smile. Her fingers slipped into mine and we left.  We walked toward the hotel on cool and crisp, perfectly fall evening in Chicago. Kelly held my hand, swinging them between us as she spoke.

“You’re scared of me,” she said. “You have a girlfriend?”

“No, not anymore. For a long time, yes, but she went back to Canada to stay.” I didn’t know why I was telling her this, but it felt good to say. I hadn’t told any of the girls I’d been with about Vero. “It was seven months ago.”

Kelly squeezed my hand. “Sidney told me I should kiss you. Or you would never do it.”

“He was wrong. I wanted to kiss you last night, then I didn’t even offer to pay your cab home! I was surprised and pretty drunk and you were… impressive.” We turned a corner, walking along the river. The high brick railing to our right gave way to the black water twenty feet below. Stars from the clear sky reflected in the depths.

“You and Toews…” I started.

She shrugged. “Probably. He’s a great guy, despite being a jerk before.”

“He really likes you. Tried to warn me off during the game,” I don’t know why I was smiling, talking to someone I like about someone else who likes her. But it was the first honest thing I’d said to a girl in months. This isn’t going anywhere. It was comforting that we both knew that, before we took this incredible night and made a mess trying to drag it out.

“He would say that to you, but never to me.”

I shrugged. If I was telling her things, I believed he would do the same. “Ask him.”

Kelly stopped and turned into me. “Not tonight.” She kissed me again, more surely than on the dance floor.

“He’s a fool if he doesn’t snap you up,” I said, catching a breath. “And if he doesn’t you should come to Pittsburgh.” She smiled against my lips. I got the hint – shut up, Marc. I drew her in tight and used the railing of the bridge to press our bodies together. She tasted like mint from the mojitos she’d been drinking. After a few minutes, we turned toward the hotel again.

This time we used the front door. It was early, everyone was out and we took the elevator upstairs. Kelly kept her hand in mine the whole time, even as I opened the door to my room. One inside, I forgot all about what Kelly might do when I was gone. I was only concerned about right now. I pushed her to the wall, put my hand to her face and my tongue down her throat. She pulled at my clothes, I tore at hers. We left a mixed pile on the floor and tripped our way toward the bed. The bathroom light spilled into the hallway, the only light in the room but enough to see her bare skin as I traced my hands over her breasts and stomach. Kelly pulled me down and hooked my messy hair behind my ear.

“Sure this is okay?” she asked. If it wasn’t, I was in trouble.

“Are you?”

She nodded and kissed me. I settled my body across hers, pressing her to the mattress, feeling the warmth of her flesh all along my body. She spread her knees to allow me access. A small cry escaped her lips as I gently probed between her folds, then I stroked into her as she dug her fingers into the small of my back.

“Marc,” she whispered. Her body welcomed me, wet and warm, and her breath was soft on my face. She hooked her ankles over mine, moving at my pace, twisting the sheets beneath us as she slid up and down. I delved into her, all the energy I’d concentrated on her during the last day finding reality in the heat of her body. She felt so good, so different from what I’d known lately. Kelly was what I’d been looking for in all the clubs and bars for the last seven months – she was real. For all the girls who’d barely managed to dull the pain, I found real pleasure and comfort in her.

Evidently, Kelly felt the same. She trembled and gripped at me, then moaned in a fluttering voice against my neck. Her body rippled, her abs rolling into her hips, into me.

I gasped as the pressure broke inside me. Her body was taut as I pulsed into her, coming hard and deep. My fingers wrapped in her hair, tugging hard. I buried my cry into the flesh of her shoulder. My mind usually went blank when I was with some faceless girl, simply seeking distraction. Now I stayed present, amazed at the feeling of actual pleasure she allowed me to achieve. When I finally caught my breath, she was still beneath me.

“Kelly,” I whispered.

“Thank you, Marc,” she said.

I laughed as my lips tracked up her neck. “What could you possibly be thanking me for?”

“For reminding me that if it’s not like this, it’s not worth it."  She shifted against me, pressing into my body beneath the soft sheets of the hotel bed. In the half-light, I tugged my thumb slowly across her lower lip.

“That’s what I was just thinking.”
____

I desperately wanted to sleep next to her, curled like this inside the warmth we created for each other. I knew it would be the best night’s sleep I’d had in seven months, so I called Sidney and asked for the biggest favor there is. The captain has his own room on the road, and he agreed to take Duper as his roommate for the night. Kelly climbed back in next to me.

“Call off your roommate?” she asked with her lips to my chest.

“How’d you know?”

She laughed. “My brother used to do that all the time.”

I slept like a man drugged. Not dreaming, not moving, just total release. The scent of her hair kept me under like anesthesia. In the morning, when a sliver of light pierced between the curtains, I lifted an eyelid feeling ten years younger. Kelly stirred beside me.

“Morning Marc,” she said.

“Morning gorgeous,” I said. Then in French I told her everything I thought and felt, how scared I’d been that I’d never find anything real or good again. How she’d given me hope even when she couldn’t give me herself. I just blurted it all out.

She didn’t understand, but she answered. “I promise Marc, if it’s not like this for me I’ll come after you.”
____

She stood in the lobby, laughing with Sidney and Jordan. I’d given her a t-shirt, which she wore tucked into last night’s jeans and which had never looked so good in its life. I loaded my gear and joined her, standing with my hand unabashedly around her waist. She said goodbye to everyone, and I waited. I knew they’d be watching from the bus.

“Goodbye Kelly,” I said, wrapping her in my arms.

She rose to tiptoe, getting closer to my face. “I’m worried now, that it won’t be like this again.”

“I was worried it never would. But now I know it is. I know you are.” I kissed her gently on the mouth, my hands holding her tightly. “I meant what I said last night: I’ve never met someone like you before.” It left me satisfied and a little sad. I planted another kiss to her forehead and went out toward the bus.

“Bye Kelly!” Max shouted from the bus door. “Come to Pittsburgh soon, okay? We’ll miss you.”

I turned as I climbed the stairs, and she was laughing out loud. “I’ll miss you too!”
____

Contest entry for tuukka.time’s challenge: You Pick, I Pick contest.

My player was Marc-Andre Fleury, my song was "Before the Worst" by The Script and my phrase was "I've never met someone like you before."