Author's Note: Chris Gotziman was a random player I picked out of the 1990 draft from Minnesota.
Casey sat in the bleachers of the Mariucci Arena, - home of the Minnesota Gophers, bundled up in a warm sweater. The sounds of skates slicing through ice and the sharp cracks of sticks hitting pucks filled the air.
It had been a long two months since she last saw Bombay. At first, it was supposed to be two weeks. Then it was a month, as the Waves had wanted to send Gordon to the East Coast for a conditioning stint with the Providence Reds before returning to Minnesota for the annual Tri-State summer showcase tournament. Most of the players invited were recruited by Division One college teams, but a few men in their early twenties were still trying to hold onto the dream of going pro.
The energy in the arena was infectious, and Casey and Charlie couldn't wait for the game to begin.
As she settled into her seat with a cup of hot chocolate, Casey noticed a group of teenage girls sitting a few rows ahead of her. They were chatting animatedly, their voices rising above the buzz of the crowd.
Most of the crowd was fixated on a player named Chris Gotziman, a recent NHL draft pick who went 29th overall in the 1990 draft.
"Did you see number nine? He's so cute!" one of the girls exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "He's going to be in the NHL one day!"
"Yeah, but Doug is so much better looking," another girl giggled. "He already had a scholarship to Boston College."
Casey smiled, remembering her teenage years and how her friends gushed over their favourite players.
She sipped her hot chocolate, enjoying the lightheartedness of their conversation.
The girls' commentary continued as the game began, providing an amusing backdrop to the action on the ice. Casey tried to focus on the game, but unlike Charlie, whose eyes were glued to the eyes, she was drawn to their enthusiastic chatter.
"Who's that guy in number 66?" one of the girls asked. "He's really good-looking!"
"That's Gordon Bombay," another girl replied. "I know he's older, but still a total hunk."
Casey's ears perked up at the mention of Gordon but said nothing.
"Yeah, I've always had a thing for older men," another girl added. "He's kinda hot."
Casey felt a pit in her stomach when she heard the girls talking about her boyfriend like that.
It was strange to hear people talking about Gordon like that, especially since they didn't know she was listening. It was almost as if Bombay was out of her league. Her mother seemed to think so, going as far as to complain that she wasn't trying hard enough in the relationship.
Casey could hear her mother's voice.
"You better not let this one get away," she would remind Casey. "There are only so many fish in the sea at your age, especially ones willing to overlook that you already have a son."
Casey tried to put her mother's comments out of her mind as the game progressed, but Gordon's performance on the ice only fueled the girls' comments. Every time Bombay made a great play or took a shot, their excited whispers grew louder.
"He's such a good player," one of the girls said. "And he looks so cool doing it."
"I wonder if he has a girlfriend," another girl mused. "I heard he used to be a lawyer. Must be loaded."
Casey frowned at the comment, ignored them, and turned her attention to Charlie.
"Charlie," Casey said, pulling a dollar bill out of her purse. "Do you want to get me a bag of popcorn?"
Charlie focused solely on the game and didn't want to stop watching it for fear of missing something.
"Can't it wait until intermission?" Charlie moaned, not wanting to miss one moment of the action.
Casey gave her son a look, which meant 'no argument.'
Sighing, Charlie took the money and went to look for the concession stand.
Once Charlie had left, Casey turned her attention back to the girls. "I heard he's single. Maybe I should go say hi after the game," one of the girls said.
"Good luck with that," another laughed. "You'll have to beat me to it. I bet he's great in bed. I want a real man. I'm tired of these boys."
Casey shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling embarrassed and irritated. She was older than these girls. Casey still had her figure but knew that she couldn't compete with them. Raising Charlie on her own had been a full-time job, and she had neither the time nor the inclination to spend hours in front of a mirror.
Once Charlie returned, the girls turned their attention to another player. The remainder of the game went by in a blur for Casey. Sure, Charlie was endlessly talking about this play and that play Bombay made, but Casey couldn't focus. All these other girls wore tight, revealing clothing, while she had opted to wear jeans and a sweater. She didn't feel very attractive.
"I knew I should have worn that dress," Casey muttered to herself.
Gordon had just come off the ice, exhilarated from a hard-fought hockey game. His team had won, and he'd played well, scoring the winning goal.
As he stepped out of the rink, still flushed with adrenaline, he met Casey, his date for the evening. She beamed at him while Charlie ran up to him and gave him a hug.
They decided to celebrate his first win at Mickey's Diner, where Gordon enthusiastically recounted the game, Charlie hanging onto his every word.
The evening was going perfectly, just the three of them until a familiar face appeared at the entrance: Tracy. She looked stunning, her presence immediately causing all the men to turn their heads.
Tracey's eyes locked onto Gordon, and he felt a mix of surprise and discomfort. Casey noticed the tension immediately but remained composed.
"Hi, Gordon," Tracey said, unsure of herself. "Great game."
Bombay could do nothing but nod. "Thanks."
"So, what's up?" Gordon asked, trying to keep his tone casual. Tracey must have asked his teammates about his plans after the game.
"I wanted to see how you're doing," Tracy began. "I know things ended with you at Ducksworth, but I'm sure they'd be willing to take you back."
Gordon shifted uncomfortably. "Tracey, I'm a player now."
"I know." She wanted to say more. A lot more. But she could tell between the looks exchanged between Casey and Gordon that this wasn't just some casual dinner. They were on a date. Even though they weren't entirely alone with what Tracey surmised was Casey's son in tow.
"I just..." Tracey had to think quickly on her feet. "I saw the case involving Ted Orion on the docket. I thought you'd wanted to know. I don't know what Ted means to you, but the only case you ever took was pro bono."
Tracey had to lie about Ted Orion being on the docket, but it was the only excuse she could come up with.
"Look, I appreciate you telling me about Ted, but could you call my voicemail and leave all the details there?" Gordon suggested. "I'll give Ted a ring in the morning."
Tracey nodded slowly. "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have interrupted."
Gordon watched as she left, feeling relieved.
Casey and Bombay's eyes met. "Someone I used to work with at Ducksworth," Bombay said defensively. " And Ted's a friend from high school."
Casey looked unimpressed. There was too much tension between them to be just colleagues.
"Who is she, Gordon?" Casey demanded.
"She's the spokesperson for Ducksworth, Savor and Gross," Bombay insisted.
"That's all?" Casey said, unimpressed.
Bombay felt the floor sink below him. He glanced over at Charlie before meeting Casey's eyes. This was not a conversation to be had in front of a ten-year-old.
Understanding what Bombay was trying to convey, Casey immediately said, "Charlie, would you go outside for a bit?"
Charlie started to whine, but then Casey shot him another look. Begrudgingly, Charlie stood up and left, but not before casting a sad look back at Bombay.
Casey waited until Charlie was out of earshot before asking Bombay again, "Who is she?"
Bombay exhaled. He didn't even know how to explain it to Casey. "She's someone I used to know," Bombay said carefully. "Used to."
Casey raised an eyebrow. It wasn't the answer she expected. "So she's not your ex-girlfriend?"
"Not exactly," Bombay said.
Casey frowned. "Then who is she?"
Bombay was careful with his words. 'This is my old life,' he told himself. 'You're not that man anymore.'
"We were casual and occasionally saw each other," Bombay said delicately. He grabbed Casey's hand. "I'm with you now."
Casey forced a smile. It was all she could do. Tracey was stunning. She had the body; if she worked for a firm like Ducksworths, Savor and Gross, she must also have the brains. Casey couldn't help but feel inadequate and frumpy with her minimum-wage job as a waitress dressed in jeans next to Tracy. Tracy looked like she could have walked off of a magazine cover.
Bombay noticed that something was wrong. "Casey, what is it?" he asked concerned.
Casey closed her eyes. It was Tracey, but it was more than Tracey. It was those girls in the stands as well. Casey knew she couldn't compete with either of them. Not with a son who was becoming a man more and more every day. She knew it wasn't fair to judge Bombay on his past.
"It's just... I really like you, Gordon," Casey began, her words coming out in a rush. "But sometimes, when you get all this attention from other women, I guess I get jealous sometimes."
Bombay softened. He had heard some girls catcalling him and the other players from the stands, but he never gave it a second thought. "I never knew it bothered you," Bombay confessed.
"It's stupid," Casey admitted. "We all have pasts. I mean, I got pregnant in high school with Charlie. I should be the last one to judge..."
"It's not stupid," Bombay assured her. A smile formed on his face, and he reached into his bag to produce a file folder. "Here."
Casey was intrigued. "What's this?"
Casey opened the file folder and saw the following: forms ADO202, ADO203, ADO208, ADO209, ADO210, and ADO211. Although Casey was no lawyer, she could tell these were adoption forms.
"Gordon, this is too much," Casey said, overwhelmed. "We haven't even been together that long."
"I told you I'd look into this," Bombay said, unsure what to say next. "We can do this as fast or as slow as you like. I wanted to show you how serious I was about this."
Gordon paused for a moment when Casey didn't say anything. "About us."
Casey was speechless. She couldn't talk. This is what Casey had always dreamed of. A chance at a family. A man who was kind. A father to Charlie. It didn't seem real. It all seemed too good to be true.
"You're serious," Casey breathed.
Bombay sensed that this was a lot for Casey all at once. "We can take one step at a time," Bombay promised. "We can go as fast or as slow as you want."
Casey didn't want to take it slow. Although she knew that taking it slow would be smart, her heart wanted something else. It had been some time since she was with someone.
"I don't want to go slow," Casey confessed, her eyes full of lust.
Bombay knew what Casey was insinuating. But Charlie was just outside. "Now?"
Casey sighed. Bombay was right. They couldn't. Not with Charlie waiting outside.
"Next time," Casey said seductively, biting her lower lip." Let's leave Charlie at home."