KENO
I shoota puck across the ice to Morgan Rivera and push off toward the goal. Morgan sends it back to me and I shoot it at Horny. He has just enough time to shift his attention from the previous puck to mine, but somehow manages to stop it. I have half a mind it’s just reflex that had him hit the puck with his stick more than intentionally succeeding.
Circling the goal, I skate to the end of the line on the opposite side of the ice to perform the same move against our second goalie. I’m standing beside Julian. He glances at me, giving me a smile, and turns back to the ice.
“Hey, do you think hockey is a lame theme for a wedding?” I ask.
Patrick McEllen stops beside me as Julian glances my way again. “I mean… I feel like maybe it’s a little… obvious. Is that the right word? Like,of course, hockey will be their theme. They’re hockey players,type of thing.”
I sigh.
“Struggling with a theme?” Hilt asks from across the ice.
I nod. “Honestly, everything feels stupid and not us. It’s getting exhausting, but we can’t just ignore it and hope it goesaway. This is holding us up, and we’ve been stuck for, like, two weeks!”
“You could do something like Prince Charmings,” Patrick says. “You know, without the princess. A twist on the whole princess thing.”
I nod. “Friends of ours did that.”
“Yeah, the other hockey player who got married last summer from L.A.,” Julian says. “They did princes.”
“They did a fairy tale,” someone further down the line corrects. “How about something with ice in it? That way you can tie in hockey without being so kitschy.”
“Ohh. Like an ice fort! That would be so cool.”
“Or just an old military fort.”
“Aren’t they all in ruins?”
“You’re a sad, sad man.”
“Hey, a ruined fort could be just as cool.”
“If you’re going ruins, head to Europe. In the shadows of a ruined castle or abbey would be absolutely breathtaking.”
I listen as my teammates throw random ideas back and forth.
“Underwater.”
“Sea world.”
“Orcas.”
“Space! Not in a childlike way, but you could totally elevate it. Imagine the stars overhead or maybe the milky way.”
“Oooor… Martians.”
I laugh.
“We’re totally doing that for a Halloween party next year. Seriously. Your best Martian costumes.”
“It’s on.”
“Antarctic wedding. I just saw something about two guys going down in history as the first people to marry in Antarctica.”
“You could be the first to marry in the Arctic.”
“North Pole!”
