PUCKED BY FATE

Chapter 3 - Hit

Andrew Lieberman

We were wrapping up training, and I saw Bobby skate to the edge of the rink. He hugged a gorgeous girl; she was definitely younger, but her smile could light up the entire arena, and she would not even realize it.

Her hair was the color of melted chocolate with some sun-kissed highlights. She had turquoise eyes and a bright smile. Our coach, Nate Logan, one of the best in hockey history, called us to the center to take a break and give us a 15-minute figure skating routine.

We rounded up around him, and the girl stepped onto the ice. I stood beside Bobby and elbowed him. "Do you know her?" I lifted my eyebrows and tilted my head in the direction of the small creature that was gracing the ice.

"Yeah, and you know her too..." he laughed, and I was utterly confused and intrigued.

"No, I don´t!" I said, and before Bobby could say anything, Coach Logan interrupted us,

"Is there anything you wish to share with the group?" he said, and I shook my head.

Alright, let´s move out of the ice, and we'll reconvene in fifteen minutes," he said, and we all walked out of the ice.

"I don't know her," I said to Bobby, and he laughed.

"Of course you do! You were annoyed by her... That is Mely, Amalia Anderson... my cousin." Bobby said, and every breath of air left my lungs.

Amalia Anderson, the girl who thought herself above everyone else. She was a pretentious little thing and a very loud and obnoxious princess. She was a spoiled brat, and I never understood how Bobby had any patience around her.

She stopped and delicately lifted her arm, her chin up, and her breathing steady. She grew up and transformed into a beautiful woman. But once a brat, always a brat.

Without music, she started skating. It was as if she was in a trance, floating over the ice, making circles, and suddenly a double axel. Then she lifted her leg and went around in circles. She skated around flipping, twisting, and jumping with grace and rhythm.

I couldn´t move my eyes away, it was as if she had jinxed me, hypnotized completely. "Close your mouth, man..." Bobby said, and I laughed. "She is off-limits." Bobby patted my back, and I nodded.

"Of course, but she is a good skater..." I said, and he nodded.

"Yeah, she looks good on the ice..." he said, and I nodded.

"So, are you checking the newbie?" Patrick ´Pat´ Stevenson said, "I think Natasha has found her new golden girl," he said, and I took a deep breath.

"She is off-limits, Pat..." I said, annoyed, and he lifted his eyebrows.

"What? You like her, Lieb?" he said, and I shook my head,

"No, but she is not a puck bunny, nor someone you would want to play with... She is Bobby´s cousin, and we have a deal... sisters and cousins..." I paused,

"Are off-limits..." he sighed, and I nodded.

Bobby chuckled, and I shrugged my shoulders, silently making sure everyone knew she was off-limits because she was Bobby´s cousin, not because she might have caught my eye.

"Well, Bobby, who in your family has those turquoise eyes?" Pat asked,

"Her mom..." Bobby said, "My grandpa remarried once my grandmother had passed. He married my aunt Becky´s mom. Aunt Becky is married to football legend, Ezra Anderson... she is their oldest child... then the twins, Ethan and Enzo." Bobby gave us the rundown of her family tree.

"So, technically, she is not related to you..." Pat said, and Bobby slapped his head. Pat was a funny Casanova. He enjoyed women´s attention way too much. He never wasted a puck bunny´s offer, and he always claimed that he was too young to settle.

"You are such an i***t. She is my cousin, we might not be blood related, but that doens´t make her available to any of you assholes..." Bobby said, and everyone laughed. Only then I realized that the whole team was seeing her perform, and more than one were mesmerized by her.

Her routine ended, and Pat quickly clapped and whistled, making her break into a laugh and break her pose. She skated towards the other exit and met Natasha there. After a brief conversation, she beamed and wrapped her arms around Natasha.

Of course, only a blind person would believe that it was not flawless. She executed that routine to perfection, and she deserves to take center stage and receive recognition in the sports world. Maybe even going to the Winter Olympics.

"Alright, guys... we can retake the ice..." Coach Logan said, and we all skated back in. The Glaciers were one of the most famous hockey teams, with several Stanley Cups under their belts. The team belonged to a family, the Logan family. Nat and Natasha Logan were two legends in their fields. Nate is in hockey, and Natasha is in figure skating. They had agreed to give priority to the team, because let´s face it, we were the ones making the money. But from time to time, we had to stop training to see and audition. After our practices, Natasha had several skating classes for girls. Weekends and game days were off limits, and somehow they made it work.

We ran some drills; the season is about to begin. Once Coach Logan was satisfied, he called the end of training. As usual, Bobby and I went to the gym. We were friends from the very beginning, we were like brothers, both coming together and flourishing against all life´s adversities.

We completed our routine, and then we hit the locker. "I am going home," I said, and Bobby nodded. This was the first time since college that we didn´t share a place. Once we left our parents' homes, we had always been together, but being drafted and earning a nice paycheck gave us the freedom to have our own place, and I must say, I love the privacy of our new arrangement.

"Alright, see you tomorrow at five," Bobby said from the showers,

"See ya!" I took my bag and swung it over my shoulder. I made my way to my car and drove away. I went around the campus; the campus life that was once my reality is now a distant dream. I didn´t attend Highlands U, but the drill is almost similar. I slowly crossed the main street, where all the campus restaurants and bookstores were, and inside a bookstore, biting her nail, her nose was buried in a book, was Amalia.

She was deep in concentration, then she looked up, turned around, and dropped the book. A tall guy was talking to her, and she smiled at him. Was that her boyfriend? Is she allowed to date? Why am I wondering that? and Why the f**k do I care?" I drove away, trying to answer all those questions that popped into my head.

I arrived home, and the f*****g question went unanswered. I dropped my bag by the door and made my way to my bedroom. I started a warm shower and stripped down to get in. My brain was clouded, and every time I closed my eyes to relax, I saw only her fluid movements, grace, poise, and beauty - all of it encompassed in one beautiful creature.

Damn it! I am f****d! I have never been mesmerized by a woman before. Yes, I have had girlfriends and flings, but nothing like this...

I finished my shower and wrapped my waist with a towel. I took my phone and dialed the phone of the person who could help me solve this ffucking puzzle—my father. Anthony Lieberman adopted me when I was seven, and he changed my life in an instant. Then, against all odds, and breaking many, many rules, he courted and ended up marrying my teacher, Ms. Lindsay Johnson, now Mrs. Lieberman.

I was often curious about how my father knew and why he was so sure of her, because everything had happened so fast - at least too fast for a seven-year-old to digest.

"Son, so good for you to call," he greeted me, and I chuckled.

"Hey, Dad... How is everyone doing?" I asked, and he laughed.

"Well, everyone is fine. Arman, Logan, Ariel, and Louis are doing fine," he said, and I chuckled. Yeah, my father was not joking when he said he wanted a family. Aside from me, who, by the way, he never made any difference between me and his sons. Four boys, Ages 18,16,14, and 12

"That is good to hear..." I said, and he chuckled.

"They are waiting for you to send tickets..." Dad joked, and I laughed.

"I will get them tickets, at least for the good games," I promised,

"I´ll tell them..." Dad sighed. "So, what is new?" he asked, and I took a deep breath.

"Dad, I think I understand now..." I said, and he didn´t say anything. I was not being very clear anyway for him to give his two cents. "When I asked you, how did you know that Mom was the one, remember?" I said, and he chuckled.

"Yeah, you were a kid..." he said,

"And you told me that once you saw Mom, you felt like being hit by something, that she made a home out of your thoughts, and that every time you thought about a future, you couldn´t envision it without her..." I recalled the memory, and he sighed.

"Well, I don´t know about everything else, but damn if I can´t say, I´ve been hit..." he confessed,

"Alright, son, just make sure before you give your heart away that she deserves it." Dad said, and I sighed.

"Thanks, Dad," I said, and he chuckled.

"Other than that, enjoy the ride. Falling in love is f*****g scary, and it is something you need to put your mind and heart on..." he said, and I chuckled.

"Notted... I just wanted to hear what you thought about it..." I said,

"I think it is part of life, and that you should take a leap of faith. I can´t guarantee that it will work. The outcome can be that it works, and you get what you desire, or that it doesn´t work, and you get your heart broken. For either outcome, son... You´ve got us... all of us." Dad said, and I chuckled.

"Thanks, Dad... Have I ever told you that I was lucky that you took me in?" I said again. Every step of the way, I have thanked him because without him, I can´t imagine where I would have ended up.

"I was the lucky one to have you, son..." Dad said, "I´ve got to go... it is date night, and your Mom is ready," he said, and I chuckled.

"Say hi to Mom for me. I will call her tomorrow. Thanks, Dad." I smiled. I loved how they built their marriage. My father is the perfect example of what a man should be for a woman.

"Any time, Son..." he said, and with that, we finished the call.

I can´t stop thinking about her, but my father is right; I should protect my heart, especially knowing she's a spoiled princess. Or maybe I shouldn't be getting ahead; I need to get laid, because it's been a while.