As if I wasn’t exhausted enough from the day’s activities, the game goes into overtime. Montreal decided that me being fucking kidnapped was not a reason to go easy on me or my team. This game has been brutal. We each scored one goal in the first period and not another since. Three minutes left on the clock for the first OT and fuck, we need to score. I’m resting on the bench between shifts, willing my muscles to keep working,convincing my lungs they have a little more space left to keep breathing.
“You alright, Bougie?” Tay asks, sliding down the bench next to me. “I know it’s been a day and if you need someone else to swap out, we all understand.”
I take a sip from my water bottle as I debate his question. My body is tough, but even I’ll admit this game has been rough on me after not having my full pre-game routine.Maybe I should—Out of the corner of my eye, I see something sparkle from one of the suites above.
Kennedy.
The WAGs all have jackets for the playoffs, but she went and got hers bedazzled for me. Shehatesbling like that, but she said it was an homage to my sparkly personality and ‘the damn leopard’ in her apartment.She still refuses to call him Neil.But seeing her up there cheering for me is theonlymotivation I need to keep going.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just got my second wind. Let’s fucking do this.” We pound our gloves together as we wait for our teammates to skate to the bench for a line change.Go time.Hopping over the boards, I race toward the back of our goal where Vladi has the puck waiting. I pass to Zack, following him up the ice into the offensive zone. He sends it over to Larsy, who gets a good shot off but it’s blocked before a full-on scuffle for the rebound breaks out. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tay creeping up to the other side of the goal where no one is looking.Fucking genius.I can tell Larsy sees it too, gaining control of the puck and shuffling it over to Tay, who pulls back his stick and aims for the goal. Montreal’s goalie tries to shift across to stop it.
But he doesn’t.
The puck hits the back of the net, and the entire arena explodes. We clobber Tay as the entire team flies off the bench. Gloves, helmets, sticks, everything goes flying as we scream.Wefucking did it!We fucking won the whole enchilada. We hug, scream, and slam each other against the boards in excitement, the weight of the moment truly sinking in.
“Fuck yeah! Colton Taylor with the game-winning goal!” I shout, pulling him in for a hug.
“TAY!!!!” EJ screeches as he comes running over to him. “You fucking won us the Cup! My best friend won us the Cup!” he whoops as he cups Tay’s face and kisses him right on the lips with a hugemwah, then disappears to continue celebrating with the rest of the team. Tay stands stunned, his hand shaking against his lips.Yikes bikes.
“Boucher!” Coach Cal walks over in his suit and dress shoes on the ice. “I told you no more pre-game antics, and you just couldn’t resist getting yourself kidnapped on the day of the fucking Stanley Cup final game?” I narrow my brows.Is he really upset about this?“I’m fucking kidding. Pull all the antics you want after this damn game…you’re a Stanley Cup champion!”
“Jordan!” Vladi wraps his arms around me, pulling me in for the world’s biggest hug. From the world’s biggest hug hater?Nobody pinch me.“Now we celebrate. We celebrate as teammates and friends, yes?”
“Fuck yeah, Vladster. Fuck yeah.”
69
kennedy
“Drinks on the house for the Stanley Cup Champion Riders!” Walt yells as the boys file in with the Cup. They’ve been up all night partying, going to various bars in Milwaukee, and being treated like the royalty they are. I was lucky enough to go home and get some rest after an extremely long day. Jordan refused to let me stay by myself, so Maggie invited Olivia and me to her place for a sleepover. Before we left the arena, though, I finally got the chance to meet all of Jordan’s family after the game. They are the loveliest people in the world, and I can’t wait to get to know them more. Even more than that, I’m excited to tell them, along with my own family, that we are starting one of our own.
But right now, my focus is all about celebrating this team. More specifically, Jordan. My boyfriend. My partner. My love.
They parade the Cup through the bar and set it on a giant table in the middle of all of us. Everyone tells me this is the most difficult trophy to win in all of sports, and yet—it seems to be at home here. The wood paneling on the bar and the year-round multi-colored Christmas lights found in nearly every Milwaukee bar give a feeling of history. The things this bar has seen, thethings this trophy has seen, all seem to mesh together like it was meant to be here all along.
I can relate.
My heart flutters as my boyfriend drops into the seat next to me. Despite the fact that he’s barely able to stand upright, I still want to hold onto him and never let him go.
But, if I’m being honest, he could maybe use a shower.
“It’s 11 in the morning, pretty-boy, how many drinks have you had?”
“Kenni, baby…I’m…I forgotten…forgetting…” He lets out a deflated sigh. “I lost count. All I know is I almost lost you yesterday, and now I’m losing count of drinkies.”
I can’t help but laugh at his ridiculous, drunk speech. This is the first time I’ve seen him hammered. I would normally be irritated, but as all the other WAGs clued me in, this is what they do when they win the Cup. Party hard all night, then crashhard. There will be a parade in a few days, and the whole town will celebrate, but right now, these guys are a bunch of drunken fools. Walt’s was the first and last stop on this tour of debauchery, and we WAGs get the distinct privilege of driving all their drunk asses home.
I couldn’t be any happier.
“Kenni…I’m gonna just lay my head on your shhhoulder for a minute. I’m sooo tired,” Jordan mumbles as he collapses into me.
“Okay, you do that.” I snort as soft snores rumble in my ear. “I think maybe it’s time we head home.”
He jolts up. “Not yet! I gotta ask Maggie something,” he says, reaching across the table toward her. “Did Kenni tell you we got kidnappered?”
Neither Maggie nor I can hold back our cackles, our grins identical as our eyes lock.
“Yes, Jordan, she told me what happened. I’m glad you’re both alive.”
