“As long as I’m with you, I don’t care where we are, Birdy.”
We both knew things were about to change. He’d be on the West Coast for about nine months out of the year.
“Counting the days til we play Boston,” he’d say. “I’ll get you the most public seat on the ice so I can see you screaming for me, Kitty.”
“And I’ll try to come see you with the Rangers, Isles, and Devils,” I promised. “It’ll depend on school.”
“I’ll personally write your professors. Say your grandma died or something,” he’d joke.
As soon as his jersey number was settled, he got me a Seattle jersey with his name on it.
“So everyone knows you’re mine,” he said.
“What about all the other people who will wear your jersey? Are they yours, too?” I teased.
“I’ll let you lead the harem,” he joked back. “You know it’s only you.”
Guy did his best to stay present in the early days of our long distance. He sent me a rat plushie to snuggle in his absence, and he got one for himself, obviously naming it “City Kitty.” He never actually called me that, but he loved messing with me about his rat friends. We FaceTimed every night, but it was pretty challenging. The time difference, his training schedule, my classes, and shows all added up to give us pretty small windows to talk. Somehow, it was harder to juggle than figuring out how to see each other when we were on campus.
And, as I’d predicted but hoped wouldn’t happen, we ran out of stuff to talk about. We’d tell each other the details of our days,just like we did when we were together, but it didn’t feel the same. The physical connection wasn’t everything in our relationship, but it was important. I remembered how he acknowledged that things wouldn’t be the same when he moved back to Quebec, and we’d just parted ways. There were days when I wished that was the choice we’d made this time around.
Fortunately, his first game lined up with my fall break, so he flew me out to see his NHL debut. He added a checked bag to my ticket so I wouldn’t have to leave my favorite hairspray at home. Little details like that made my heart do weird things. It was a turbulent flight, but that swoopy stomach feeling remained when I got off the plane. I stopped in the bathroom to freshen up. I hadn’t seen Guy since June, other than on my phone or computer screen. I was worried I’d somehow smell weird or something during my first time seeing him in four months.
I could see his smile at the arrivals gate from yards away. He’d texted me a picture of him in his outfit since he said he’d be “incognito.” Hard to miss the tall skinny muscly guy with a baseball cap on. He stood right in the last spot where he wouldn’t legally be required to go through security to get to me. He started prancing around as I got close, unable to contain himself. He really was a golden retriever, wagging his tail for me coming home to him. I ran the last few steps to get to him, jumping into his arms and wrapping my legs around his waist. I don’t know if I’ve ever hugged someone so hard in my life.
“I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without you,” he whispered in my ear.
“Me either,” I gasped under his crushing embrace. “I’m so happy to see you, baby.”
I put my nose in his neck, burying my face and breathing him in. He was still the same Guy.
A woman walked by and mused, “Young love,” as Guy pulled back and smashed his lips to mine. I turned his hat around backward to get it out of the way and rested my hands on hischeeks, feeling a little stubble.
“Let’s go get your bag so I can get you home,” he said, eyes sparkling.
He took me to his Tesla, a new purchase since becoming a pro, putting my bag in the trunk. He attacked me once we were in the car, kissing the living daylights out of me. His hands roamed my neck, my ribs, my waist, anywhere he could grab.
“I didn’t even ask how your flight was,” Guy laughed.
“We’ve talked enough, don’t you think? I just want to touch you and smell you and taste you and do all the things we can’t across the country.”
Guy put the car in gear, drawing my hand to his lips as we got on the highway. I don’t remember a single song on the radio on the drive to his place. I just stared at him. He was really next to me, finally.
Stepping into his huge Belltown apartment in Seattle was like walking into another world. We’d lived in actual filth in New York, and now he had this sexy, swanky bachelor pad. His fridge was stocked with healthy food and there was a bowl of fruit on the counter. His sheets were nice, with City Kitty sitting on top of his pillows. It was like suddenly, Guy was cosplaying as a grown-up. His entry-level contract had been generous, so he had the money. Why not use it?
Guy gave me the official tour of the condo, standing behind me in every room as I took in his new space, anxiously pacing from foot to foot. He’d obviously taken me on tours on FaceTime, but it wasn’t the same as actually being in his place and catching all the little details.
“You’re quiet,ma puce,” he said as we looked out over Seattle. “What do you think?”
“It’s great, Guy,” was all I could manage.
He deflated for a second. “Great?”
“I’m so proud of you. I am. This is amazing. I just . . . I feel like I don’t know you anymore,” I said, tears choking my speech.
“Birdy,” he said, wrapping me up in his arms and stroking a thumb over my cheek. “I’m still me.”
“I know, but your life is so different than mine. How are we going to keep doing this? I’m already struggling with school and keeping up with you, and the season hasn’t even started yet.”
