Appeal Denied

2017-NYC-37: Application for Prohibitory Order

April 16, 2017

Madison Square Garden was hopping for the third game of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Being a Pennsylvania girl, I always rooted for the Flyers, but they had played like shit at the end of the season and were out of the running. Nonetheless, I wore my Philly Flyers t-shirt to rep my team. Karl held my hand while wearing his Rangers jersey, so I was protected from too much heckling.

Karl is one of those guys who prefers to eat at the rink, so we were chowing down on hot dogs and sipping beers during the game when the Kiss Cam turned on us. Embarrassed, I put down my beer and shrugged before leaning over for a quick kiss from my boyfriend.

With a grin, he teased me when the camera was finally onto another couple. "That's it? Just a quick peck on the cheek? I might have been your brother for all the tongue you put into that one."

I laughed, wiping mustard from the corner of his mouth before I captured his mouth with mine, deepening the kiss now that the entire arena was no longer paying attention to us. Imagine my shock when I pulled away at the sound of the massive applause and found our faces plastered on the big screen for a second time. I wanted to hide, but Karl just wrapped his arm around me and tucked me close to his side, grinning like a hockey player who just scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal.

It happened during the intermission between second and third periods. I was trying to get the lip balm from the front pocket of my jeans when I felt Karl stiffen. When I looked at him, his eyes were on the screen. Swiveling my own view there, I was astounded. My jaw dropped.

I glanced back at Karl. This little muscle in his jaw jumped which is how I knew he'd clenched his teeth. Ugh. What the fuck?

"Did you know he was going to be here?" he asked me, the words clearly forced through his stiff lips.

Woodenly, I shook my head, still numb from spying my former partner on the jumbotron.

"Did he know you were going to be here?"

Biting my lip, I nodded. "He called early this morning."

"Mhm," Karl commented, "And he wore that shirt as a message to me."

Stunned, I considered Karl's words as I thought about the last time I'd seen that Harley Davidson shirt in Harry's hands as he walked out of my apartment a month ago. My first instinct was to defend Harry. He wouldn't do that, right? But the more I considered it, the clearer it became that, indeed, Harry had done exactly that.

"Do you want to leave?" I murmured. Never had I seen Karl so angry, and I couldn't tell if he was upset with me or Harry.

I watched as Karl drew in a deep breath, releasing it slowly as his body relaxed. "No. It's okay, Van. You're with me, and he's over there with some male friends. I would say I've got the better end of the deal." His next words made me want to cry though, "But I wish you'd told me the shirt was his and that you'd seen him to return it."

Swallowing hard, I took in his words, unable to speak for a few minutes because the tears that coated the back of my throat were threatening to fall. Finally, I twisted in my seat to look at him, "You're right, Karl. I'm sorry. That wasn't fair to you. Honestly, I haven't seen him or talked to him for the last month other than early this morning. Seeing him here tonight is as much a shock to me as it is to you."

"He wants you back," Karl commented, his eyes steadily on the faceoff that was happening below us.

"Tough shit for him, then," I replied, "Cause I'm with you now." With those words, I threaded my fingers through his, ready to take on the world for this guy next to me. Despite the male across the rink from us.