No time to talk
1112 Words
(Jaxon)
I had won a game today, which wasn't unexpected. Girls lined up asking for her my number but I brushed them off because I only had eyes for one person. Kendall James.
I was shocked when she told me about the dinner date tonight, so I hurriedly made my way out of the locker room, not stopping to talk to anyone. I wanted to go back to Boston so that I could get ready.
It wasn't that long of a drive from here, so I didn't stop for anyone. My teammates used to tease me a lot, wondering which girl would be lucky enough to date me.
Little did they know that I had always liked Kendall even when she gained all of that weight. I understand that circumstances led her to look like that, so no one should have picked on her when she was also a story in the NHL.
She used to play for Frost Ridge, but ever since her injury, everyone had looked down on her like she was nothing. Chase and his i***t friends picked on her, which shouldn't have happened in the first place.
They should have helped her, been there for her, and made sure she was okay until she was ready to get back in the rink. I guess it's because everyone has different views on things.
When I arrived home, my Mom was here with my younger brother Alex. Dad was still at work it seems. I waved to them and tried to hurry to my room, but Mom stopped me. "Where are you going so quickly?" She asked, curious about my behavior.
“An agent wants to discuss something important over dinner. I have to get ready, she texted me her address,” I said quickly, hoping Mom would just let me go. I wasn’t exactly lying. Kendall was an agent. But this wasn’t business for me. Not really.
Mom raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “An agent, huh? And this agent happens to be a woman?”
“Yeah,” I said, walking past her. “She’s… cool.”
She followed me down the hallway. “You’re dressed in sweaty gear and rushing into the house like someone set you on fire. How long do you have before this dinner?”
“About an hour.” I pushed open my bedroom door and kicked off my shoes. My hockey bag was still in the backseat of the car. I’d have to deal with that later.
“Is she pretty?” Mom asked, leaning against the doorframe now like she had all day.
I paused in front of my closet and glanced at her. “Yeah. Very.”
Her smile grew. “And what’s her name?”
“Kendall,” I answered, grabbing my favorite black button-up. “Kendall James.”
That made Mom stop smiling. Not in a bad way, just like she recognized the name. “Wait. Wasn’t she that player from Frost Ridge? The one who got hurt and kind of disappeared?”
“Yeah,” I said, tugging off my jersey and tossing it into the laundry bin. “That’s her.”
Mom let out a thoughtful hum. “People were real nasty to her after that, weren’t they?”
I nodded, grabbing a clean pair of jeans. “Yeah. Still are, kind of.”
“She always seemed like a strong girl. Quiet. You sure this is just business?”
I looked at her in the mirror. “No. Not really.”
There was a short silence between us. She walked into the room and gave my shoulder a light squeeze. “Well, if you like her, be kind. And be honest. Girls like her don’t need another person pretending to care.”
“I’m not pretending,” I said quickly, maybe too quickly.
She smiled again and turned to leave. “Then go get her.”
Just as she left, Alex popped his head in through the door. He had a smudge of chocolate on his cheek and was holding a half eaten cookie.
“Mom said you’re going on a date,” he said with a mouthful.
I laughed and sat on the bed to pull off my socks. “Not a date. It’s a meeting.”
He came in anyway and flopped beside me. “Is she pretty?”
“Don’t you start too,” I muttered.
Alex grinned and stole one of my throw pillows to hug. “You’re nervous.”
I paused before replying. “Maybe.”
“Good. That means you care.”
I looked at him, surprised. “Where’d you get that from?”
“TV,” he shrugged. “And you’re not usually nervous. You only get like this when you’re doing something important.”
I nodded slowly. “It is important.”
We sat in silence for a few more seconds before he asked, “Are you gonna kiss her?”
“Alex!”
“What? I’m just asking!”
I shoved him lightly, and he laughed, jumping off the bed and running out of the room before I could throw a sock at him. I smiled to myself. Leave it to my little brother to make me feel even more jittery than I already was.
I took a quick shower and brushed my teeth in record time. After I was done, I gave myself one last look in the mirror and ran my fingers through my hair. Not bad. Clean shirt, clean jeans, not smelling like a locker room. I grabbed my keys and my phone from the nightstand and headed downstairs.
“Don’t wait up!” I called out as I opened the front door.
“Text me if you’re gonna be late,” Mom called back.
“I will!”
I got in my car turned on the engine, checked the address Kendall had texted, and plugged it into the GPS. Not too far. I took a deep breath and backed out of the driveway.
I had no idea what tonight was going to be like. I’d known Kendall since we were teens, but we weren’t close back then. I’d watched her from afar, seen her fall and rise again. Now she wanted to have dinner with me and not just as a business thing. That had to mean something.
As I drove, my mind ran through a hundred things I wanted to say. I wondered what she’d be wearing, what she’d say when she saw me. Would she smile? Would she be nervous too? I had no idea.
But I was glad that I got this chance to talk to her.
- Writer
