He still hasn’t texted me back by the time we pull up to the restaurant. I reread my text and wonder if I’ve been too harsh. Did he feel like I was bugged about him having my number?
We walk in and sit down at a booth. It smells good here. Fresh seafood is something I’ve missed since moving back to Utah, not that I could afford it aton, but I would splurge every once in a while in Seattle.
“Are we ready for this trip?” Fred asks, taking a sip of his drink.
The rest of us nod.
“It’s going to be a good one, I think,” Jerry says. “I didn’t know if we’d make it to the playoffs, to be honest. Hopefully we can pull off a win here.”
“It was touch-and-go there for a while. Sometimes I wish we’d just won a bunch more at the beginning, so we’d have more breathing room,” Daphne says.
“What do you think, Laney?” Fred asks
I smile, trying to buy myself some time to form an adequate response. “The playoffs have been awesome. The team I reported for in Seattle never made it this far. And the Yetis are a great group of guys and deserve it. Besides, that means more time working with you all.”
Jerry lets out a whoop and holds out his drink. The rest of us follow, clinking the glasses together.
They smile and continue the conversation, but I’m distracted as I haven’t gotten a response from Burton yet.
Are you at your cardboard lacrosse game?
I grin, remembering his irritation when I called it that this morning.
That’s supposed to be tonight, if I remember correctly. Or tomorrow night? What day is it?
Still Tuesday.
Sometimes my brain doesn’t keep all the information it gathers while running. It’s why I struggle to listen to audiobooks when working out.
There aren’t any dots on the phone screen popping up to let me know he’s responding. Why am I so bugged about it? Maybe I’m not the most patient person in the world, but I need to relax and enjoy the evening with my co-workers.
I turn the phone over and look up, trying to drop into the conversation.
“But he needs more points. He’s going through a big dry spell. If he scores, we win consecutively.”
I’m not sure which “he” Jerry is referring to, but I can imagine it’s a player from the top line of the Yetis.
Our food comes, and I’m able to focus on the group as the conversation goes from the games and the team to other topics. As much as I love reporting for sports teams, it’s only healthy to broaden the conversation and get to know the people at the table.
We wrap up dinner and get in the rideshare to head back to the hotel. I take advantage of the large tub in my room and fill it full. Of course, the moment I get in is when my phone pings with a text.
Instead of rushing for it, I close my eyes and try torelax, hoping I’ll be able to ignore it for as long as possible. Call it a test of my patience.
I last probably ten minutes, but it feels like at least thirty. After wrapping a towel around me, I walk over and check the phone.
Do I smile when I see that it’s from the same number as before? Maybe. But that means nothing.
Just got done. My team won.
At least he wasn’t trying to act all cool again. Sure, I’ve only met him a few times, but I already knew that was way off for how he usually is.
Congrats. I’m sure they’re happy. Did you score any goals?
Two. Got a couple assists, but overall, our defense played well.
I put the phone down, needing to put on some clothes so I’ll stop shivering with the cool air in the room. It might help to turn up the heat as well.
Is your box lacrosse team a professional thing?
