I fought a smile. She was cute.Where the heck has she been for the last three years?
“Do you frequent Ackerson’s often?” I asked.
“Daily. At least. I’m addicted to iced vanilla lattes and theirs are great,” she said, taking a sip. Her shoulders dropped slightly, and I couldn’t stop my smile as she continued, her guard slightly lowered. “It’s not as good as my stepmom’s café back home, but it’s the best one I’ve found here.”
“Oh really?” I asked. “And what’s so great about your stepmom’s café that Ackerson’s lacks?”
Sophia lifted her eyebrows. “What are you, their market researcher?” She chuckled. “I grew up in Oahu, Hawaii. My stepmom uses a unique, locally sourced, organic, fair-trade blend, and it’s unparalleled. You’ll just have to trust me.”
“Unparalleledis a big claim. I happen to know the coffee at Ackerson’s is also organic, fair-trade, and sourced directly from one of the most sustainable farms in Colombia.” I smirked at her. “They’ve won sustainability awards every year for the last two decades.”
She took another sip of her latte and eyed me suspiciously. “You know a lot about their coffee.”
“Yes.” I chuckled. “I know a lot about the business my parents have been running since before I was born.”
Her eyes widened and she froze with her straw in her mouth. “Wait.” She slowly lowered her plastic cup to the table. “Your parents own Ackerson’s? That means they own…”
“Our current location?” I took a sip of water and leaned back. “Yes, that’s why my name’s on the door. They also own The Cohen Club, a speakeasy a few blocks away.”
“Oh shit,” she grumbled, letting her head fall back against the booth. “When you said you eat here for free, I just assumed it was another one of the many perks you receive for being a hockey player. I didn’t even notice the name.”
I laughed at her obvious annoyance that there wasn’t a nefarious reason for my free meals. “Sorry to disappoint you, it’s simply a result of good ol’ fashioned nepotism.”
“Do your parents work here?” she asked, looking around.
“No, not anymore. My dad’s a paramedic and when he’s not on shift he’s managing the business that comes with owning three restaurants—usually from Ackerson’s, since it’s my mom’s favorite place tosit and work. Jackson is the head chef here and he’s been managing operations for years. My parents did meet here though, once upon a time.” I looked around at the bar that I knew as well as my own home.
“Well now I feel like an ass,” she said with a sigh. “I had several questions planned based on my assumption that you got ridiculous perks like free meals in the city.”
I laughed heartily as Olivia returned, setting a turkey burger in front of me and a salad in front of Sophia. I thanked her and she went back to the bar.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Hawaii. You’ll need another angle for your article, I’m afraid.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Hawaii?”
“You’re the only person I’ve ever met from Hawaii.”
“I see. And that warrants a nickname? Or does everyone get one of those from you so you don’t have to remember our actual names?”
“No.” I shook my head and bit into my burger. I swallowed and smiled at her over the bun. “No one gets nicknames from me.”
She took a bite of her salad and when she’d finished chewing, she said, “Okay, well, in the interest of moving forward with the interview, when did you start playing hockey?”
“When I was five.” I took a bite and swallowed quickly. “My aunt got me a pair of skates for Christmas, and I never took them off.”
“Were you pressured by your parents to play?”
“Not at all,” I said. “My dad and my aunt are huge Bruins fans, so I was watching hockey with them as soon as I was old enough for my eyes to focus on the TV. We went to a few games at TD Garden each season too.”
I took a sip of water. “When Aunt Lavi got me skates, I fell in love. I pushed myself to learn and get better. My parents spared no expensein getting me access to private lessons and hockey camps. Whatever I wanted or needed to get better, they were willing to provide. I don’t think they ever had hopes or expectations that I’d go pro, they just wanted to help me do what I loved doing at the time. I was very fortunate to be raised in an environment with both the financial means and the emotional support necessary. But I could have stopped playing any day, and they would have been fine. Heck, my mother would have probably been thrilled not to be constantly worried about me getting a concussion.”
“That’s a valid concern, isn’t it?” Sophia asked, scribbling notes.
“It is. Though I’ve had very few injuries thus far beyond fractured ribs. I’m sure I’ll have plenty in the NHL. But I know the risks and I love the game. It’s worth it to me. It’s hard for most people to understand, I guess.”
She stopped writing and looked at me carefully. “I understand. I’ve been surfing since I could stand on the board by myself. People around here are always asking why I’d want to risk being eaten by a shark or swept out to sea.”
I laughed. “That’s also a valid question. What’s your answer?”
