Five Dollar Mocha: 8
She sits alone at the bottom of the bleachers; just three rows above her are the wives and children of the men playing. From there she watches Michael for almost twenty minutes, watches his sharp turns and effortless strides. He is in his element, and she can tell.
A buzzer sounds signifying the end of the shortened second half; these are working men playing, they don't have enough time to play a full game. Women flock to the exits, leading their children to their fathers for a five-minute smile session before the men make their way to the locker rooms. Sydney follows, mildly amused by the bottleneck created by these families.
A lone blonde comes up to her and speaks. "Makes you want to laugh doesn't it?"
Sydney chuckles. "Yeah."
"I'm Alice."
"Sydney." They shake hands briefly. Their conversation continues as they make their way down the stairs.
"Is it your first time?"
"How did you know?"
"No blanket."
Sydney suddenly realizes that she had indeed noticed blankets covering everyone else. "Always time to learn."
"You're coming back?" She sounds shocked.
"Yes."
"We'll have to sit together next time, then."
"Okay."
They reach the bottom of the stairs and can hear the loud chattering already. Children commending their fathers, fathers laughing at their children's recount of the game. Sydney stands slightly off to the side; she can see Michael slapping the back of one of his teammates. He looks up and sees her, gives her a huge grin.
"Sydney! You made it!"
She walks up to him. "Of course I did. Grown men making fools of themselves on ice skates? No one wants to miss that!"
He laughs and pulls off his mask. "Was I that bad?"
"No, you were amazing. At least, I think so..."
They both laugh. He grabs her hand with his glove-less right hand. "Hey, Brian, this is Sydney."
Someone tall from Michael's team turns and smiles. "Sydney the magic coffee babe that we've all heard about for so long? I admit, it is nice to finally see you."
Sydney shakes his hand and asks, "He talks about me that much?"
"More," puts in another guy. "Jack," he adds, shaking her hand. "You planning on coming to another one of these?"
"If Michael asks me to." She glances at him with a smile.
"After what you said before, I highly doubt it." The group of them laugh.
"A bunch of us are going to a bar and grill later," Brian says. "Care to join us?"
"I'd love to. Can Michael come?" They laugh again.
"Just wait for us in the lobby. You can follow me." He heads toward the locker room, and Sydney notices that she and Michael are the only people left near the rink.
"Thanks for coming, Syd."
"It was definitely my pleasure." She smiles and he kisses her. Several lifetimes later, he adds, "You riding with me?"
"Yeah; still no car."
"No need: you've got me."
"Well, that's good." He kisses her one last time and leaves her alone next to the ice. She gazes at it for a few moments, then makes her way to the lobby to wait for Michael and his friends.
She sits alone at the bottom of the bleachers; just three rows above her are the wives and children of the men playing. From there she watches Michael for almost twenty minutes, watches his sharp turns and effortless strides. He is in his element, and she can tell.
A buzzer sounds signifying the end of the shortened second half; these are working men playing, they don't have enough time to play a full game. Women flock to the exits, leading their children to their fathers for a five-minute smile session before the men make their way to the locker rooms. Sydney follows, mildly amused by the bottleneck created by these families.
A lone blonde comes up to her and speaks. "Makes you want to laugh doesn't it?"
Sydney chuckles. "Yeah."
"I'm Alice."
"Sydney." They shake hands briefly. Their conversation continues as they make their way down the stairs.
"Is it your first time?"
"How did you know?"
"No blanket."
Sydney suddenly realizes that she had indeed noticed blankets covering everyone else. "Always time to learn."
"You're coming back?" She sounds shocked.
"Yes."
"We'll have to sit together next time, then."
"Okay."
They reach the bottom of the stairs and can hear the loud chattering already. Children commending their fathers, fathers laughing at their children's recount of the game. Sydney stands slightly off to the side; she can see Michael slapping the back of one of his teammates. He looks up and sees her, gives her a huge grin.
"Sydney! You made it!"
She walks up to him. "Of course I did. Grown men making fools of themselves on ice skates? No one wants to miss that!"
He laughs and pulls off his mask. "Was I that bad?"
"No, you were amazing. At least, I think so..."
They both laugh. He grabs her hand with his glove-less right hand. "Hey, Brian, this is Sydney."
Someone tall from Michael's team turns and smiles. "Sydney the magic coffee babe that we've all heard about for so long? I admit, it is nice to finally see you."
Sydney shakes his hand and asks, "He talks about me that much?"
"More," puts in another guy. "Jack," he adds, shaking her hand. "You planning on coming to another one of these?"
"If Michael asks me to." She glances at him with a smile.
"After what you said before, I highly doubt it." The group of them laugh.
"A bunch of us are going to a bar and grill later," Brian says. "Care to join us?"
"I'd love to. Can Michael come?" They laugh again.
"Just wait for us in the lobby. You can follow me." He heads toward the locker room, and Sydney notices that she and Michael are the only people left near the rink.
"Thanks for coming, Syd."
"It was definitely my pleasure." She smiles and he kisses her. Several lifetimes later, he adds, "You riding with me?"
"Yeah; still no car."
"No need: you've got me."
"Well, that's good." He kisses her one last time and leaves her alone next to the ice. She gazes at it for a few moments, then makes her way to the lobby to wait for Michael and his friends.
