Page 63 of The One Timer

“This has to be the most exciting and fun hockey game I’ve been to,” Kathleen says as people file out around us.

“How many games have you been to?” Walt says. “A dozen tops.”

She gives him a scowl. “More than that. Especially when he was a kid and Mom and—never mind.” She clams up then. I can’t help myself and reach for her hand, giving it a squeeze. She darts a glance at me and I see the moisture in her eyes.

My heart goes out to her because she’s closeted her feelings, like Chase and I can see her pain clear as the Jumbotron above the ice flashing the score.

That’s when I see Chase in the middle of his teammates waving at the crowd and searching until he sees me and his family. He waves and I wave back. Kathleen and Walt sit down so I’m standing there waving like mad, like a total goofball at the man on the ice while my heart beats wildly, sending me a message I’m trying to ignore. Not now. I need to stay in the moment and enjoy his attention.

Then as the team exits the ice, not far from our third-row seats, he looks straight at me and blows a kiss.

“Are you kidding me?” Kathleen leans forward in her seat as I sit. “Did Chase just blow a kiss at you?”

I look up at the Jumbotron again and see Chase caught on camera throwing his kiss and I laugh. Because all I can do is laugh, right? Then the camera goes to the crowd and aims at me. My face isn’t only on the jumbotron, but the TV camera is aimed at me too, the cameraman pointing directly at me from the tunnel where the team filed off the ice.

Somehow, they find out who I am because the next thing I know, they announce my name.

“Here’s the lucky recipient of Chase Whittier’s kiss, Miss Emery O’Keefe.” Luckily the crowd is thinning most of them heading for the exits and there’s a smattering of applause and a few whistles and catcalls.

“Shit.” I mutter.

Kathleen laughs. “That’s so crazy. I don’t think he’s ever done anything like that before. I bet he’s taking a ribbing from his teammates. “

Walt snorts. “He deserves it for that stunt.” He gives me a sideways glance. “Nothing personal.”

We leave our seats and go down to the tunnel area to wait outside the dressing room for Chase.

Kathleen grins at me and winks, whispering. “Never mind Uncle Walt. I think it’s fantastic.”

“That my face has just been plastered on the jumbotron? Hardly.” I purposely deflect her meaning. A mob buzzes outside the locker room, including dozens of media types. “I hope no one says anything, that they don’t recognize me.”

Kathleen shrugs. “No big deal. Just ignore the little people.”

Maybe I shouldn’t take her seriously, but my emotions run high right now and my horror shows instantly on my too expressive face. Little people? I’m one of the little people and I want it to stay that way because that’s where I live, where I’m comfortable.

And I’m not about to be ashamed of it. “I don’t make a habit of ignoring people no matter who they are, or aren’t.”

Kathleen widens her eyes, “Don’t take me seriously, Em—” She doesn’t finish her sentence because Uncle Walter interrupts.

“There’s the star now. Talking to reporters.” He grins, truly proud. I can relate to that.

“As soon as Chase is finished with the media, I’m going to take us all out to dinner to celebrate. I’ll call the chauffeur to bring the limo around now.”

The chauffeur. Here I am hiding from sports reporters waiting for a freaking chauffeur driven limo. Who am I and what happened to my life? Because this is not my life.

I slip my phone out and text Merry. I need her to ground me, to remind me what real life is about because this doesn’t feel right.

Me: I feel lost.

Merry: WTF? Where are u—Lol! Give me a clue and I’ll come find u.

Me: Lol. Not literally. Metaphorically. I’m waiting for a freaking limo while I duck the media. Who lives like that?

Merry: Srsly? Um Lucky pple? Rich pple? Is this a trick Q?

Me: Srsly. I feel lost. Like I’m not myself. Like I don’t belong.

Merry: Oh. It probly won’t help to tell u that u belong wherever u want to belong but Truth.