Page 80 of Tainted Love

Sascha’s head whips around to him as she snaps, “You, Landry. Zip it!” causing him to shake his head and laugh. She turns back to me with a serious expression, “As I was saying, I owed him something and was never able to settle my debt.”

“You also tried to have me killed with a psychotic farm bird,” I remind her.

Kerri’s hand lands on my arm. “Let’s not speak ill of the dead, Michael Tazman,” she drawls in my ear.

Sascha rolls her eyes and snaps again, “Can you people please let me get through this?”

As I motion for her to continue, the boisterous chatter in the room dies down. “I recently faced off against Taz once again in a mighty rematch,” she announces. “And once again, I was defeated.”

The crowd lets out a collective, overexaggerated gasp. “So listen up,” she continues, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she mimics air quotes, "Taz is not just the ‘Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of our time,’ but also ‘the best number 23 in sports, including Michael Jordan.’” Her eye roll and dismissive gesture show her clear lack of appreciation for my greatness.

“Thank you for that impromptu and very impartial opinion, Sascha,” I add. “But there’s more. Right?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.

Her eyes flicker with annoyance. “Yes, Michael. Thank you for the reminder,” she replies, her voice laced with heavy sarcasm. “I also need to tell you all that Taz is my boyfriend and the love of my life.”

The people who don’t know us must think we are completely nuts, but those who do are laughing hysterically at this point.

Emotions brimming, she confesses, “I’ve loved him since I can remember.” Her voice holds a sincerity and depth that surprises even me. “I will now field questions for exactly five minutes.”

The excitement radiating from Ivy is palpable as she bursts out, “Are you really moving to Denver?”

A smile creeps across her face as she confirms, “Yes, I am moving to Denver. I’ll be living with Michael Tazman again. May the Lord help me. Next question.”

Kerri’s eyes light up with excitement as she asks, “Are the two of you planning on getting any adorable pets together?” Always the damn animals with this woman.

“Yes, we’re thinking of getting a dog. We have our hearts set on a Golden Retriever, which we will name Cindy Clawford or something equally dorky and adorable, as a nod to Grammie Ida.”

Corey’s mother leans forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Will you be working with the Mountaineers?” she asks.

“It’s a possibility. I’m currently in the midst of an ad campaign for them, and who knows what opportunities will come up after that.”

Landry leans against the wall, his brow furrowed. “How long has this been going on?” he inquires.

“Christian Landry,” she scolds, a hint of exasperation creeping into her voice. “You know damn well this has been in the works since eighth grade.”

“Are you going to be around to offer him consolation when Edmonton inevitably beats him?” Corey taunts.

Sascha’s eyebrows jolt upward, and a mask of indignation settles over her features. “Like you could even come close to keeping up with my boyfriend on the ice, Hoser.”

A loud guffaw bursts from my chest as I watch Delzy stand shell-shocked, surrounded by his new teammates, whom I have yet to meet but who now will be gunning for me.

She declares with an air of authority, “The question and answer period has come to a close.” My heart swells with pride as I watch my girlfriend confidently stride toward me.

“Baby, that was awesome!” I tell her, wrapping her in a hug. Watching her stand before everyone and declare her love for me was all I wanted when we were younger. When we made the bet, I fully intended to let her out of it once we got here, but she was adamant about following through.

“Guess the secret’s out now, huh?” She playfully smacks a kiss on my lips.

“Guess so,” I reply, as our friends close in around us, all smiles.

“Congratulations, you guys! I’m so happy for you.” Kerri beams.

“Good job, Taz,” Landry says, playfully slapping my back. “Only took you a decade.”

“You’re one to talk,” I say, nodding toward where Kerri is now animatedly talking with Ivy, Sarah, and Sash.

A sly grin flashes across his face but quickly disappears as he reverts back to his usual stoic expression.

“What are you hiding from me?” I press, noticing the subtle twitch in his fingers. “It’s nothing,” he dismisses with a shake of his head, but the guarded look in his eyes reveals more to the story. He smirks briefly and then turns to his normally stoic face.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I ask.

“Nothing, man,” he says with a shake of his head, but he’s not telling me everything, and I will find out eventually.

We huddle together in a tight circle, the six of us. As we talk and laugh, I feel Sascha’s warmth pressed against my side, her head leaning on my shoulder. Her familiar scent fills my senses, and I’m reminded of all the times she has been there for me and all of the times we will be there for one another in the future.

These people may not be my biological family, but they are the ones I have chosen to call my own, this group, along with Sascha and her parents. We’ve been through so much together, and I know we will always have each other no matter what happens.

A sense of peace washes over me, a feeling of belonging that I have never felt anywhere else. And as I look at Sasha, my heart swells with love and gratitude. She is my home, no matter where we are in the world or what challenges we may face. Gram was right, just like always.