We head back to the hotel 2 hours later. I bought a new pair of converse that I had never seen before, I actually found ones with the NHL logo on it. They must only be made during the hockey season. I also bought a crop top with the NHL logo on it.
Cole, Noah, and I head to my room first. We say goodbye to the others, since they need to meet down stairs before they leave for the rink. I change into my #19 Toews Blackhawks jersey, and my new NHL converse. I follow the guys out of my room just in time to find Jonathan leaving his room.
"Hey, Johnny, Good luck. I won't be rooting for you", Johnny laughs as I walk up to him for a hug. His arms are at the awkward place that they wrap around my head. I don't mind.
"Thanks' I'll look for you when I get that hat trick", he replies.
We all get into the elevator. It brings us up to Cole's level first, then brings Jonathan down. We head down the hallway to the guy's room. We head in and and the guys change. They pull their shirts off, and I might have blushed when they did. They literally have no shame, besides the fact that I've been dating one of them for almost 2 years. Noah smirks, throwing on his Bruins' Mcquaid jersey on. Cole puts on his Toews Jersey.
"Hey, what about some Chicago Love, Noah?", I ask sarcastically.
"Oh, Princess, you know I can't do that. Boston has always been and always be my team. Unless, you magically get onto an NHL team within the next few years, it will always be my team", Noah says as he runs his hand through his hair.
I check my phone, 3:50. We have to be at the Garden at 6:00, the game starts at 7:30. "We still have two hours until we should be at the rink, but if we want to go early, Jonathan said he would let us in the back door. We should go to the aquarium", the guys look at me with small smiles. "I went once when I was little. It was really cool".
The guys agree, so we head downstairs and find a taxi. It takes us across town. Noah pays the fare, even though I told the guys I would pay it. So I demand to pay for the tickets into the aquarium, even though the total won't even come close to the fare.
By the time we finish at the aquarium, Noah has selfies with penguins, a shark, a sting ray, an eel, a sea turtle, and a super tiny frog. Not to mention the picture I had to take of him, looking like he was kissing a fish. I know I keep saying it, but he is a small child trapped in a college aged man's body.
T.D. Garden is only about 5 blocks away, so we walk. It's only 5:30, so I text Jonathan to get us in the back door. We stand outside for maybe 5 minutes, before Kane opens the door for us. He leads Noah, Cole, and I to the visiting team locker room. Well, I guess it wasn't the locker room itself, it was a lounge connected to the locker room.
It has huge couches, and huge chairs. A table with food lines the back wall. "Hey", the team yells as we walk into the room. A few guys give me high fives. Noah and Cole both get slaps on the backs and shoulders or bear hugs. The team is really pumped for the game. It's the first preseason game of the year.
An hour later, coach Q orders us out of the locker room for the guys to get ready. We head into the lobby and get our tickets from the check in line. We find our seats, which are really good, and we wait for the game to begin. We have about 45 minutes.
"Come on, Princess", Noah grabs my hand. "I want food".
"Noah, you always want food", I groan. Noah gets up, pulling at my hand. "Fine, lets go".
"Hey", Cole yells as Noah pulls me from my spot and up the stairs to the door leading us to the concession stand. "Get me something!"
The line is huge. We stand and wait, the only we thing can do. Finally getting to the counter, Noah orders a hot dog, 4 bags of chips, 2 bottles of pop, and cotton candy. But I guess it isn't all for him. A bag of chips for each of us, then the extra one, and Cole and I would share a bottle of pop. Cotton candy is for whoever wants any. The total comes out to 45 dollars.
The game starts right on time. Jonathan takes center ice. Him and Patrice Bergeron face-off, Bergeron wins. A Blackhawks defense man rushes to Bergeron and fights for the puck, finally hitting it away from him, just before Bergeron was to pass the puck to his teammate.
3 seconds left in the last period, the score is still 0-0. Kane and Toews travel up the ice on a power play. Our defense men rush to the pairs side to block the Bruins players. Kane has the puck, passing it back and forth with Toews. Tuukka Rask, the Bruins goaltender, gets on his knees, bracing himself for the shot on goal. Kane shoots at the net, sending the goalie on one knee, it hits off the left side of the net.
1.2 seconds. Kane skates around the net, stopping himself from hitting the goalie, leaving Toews to save the puck from the goalies glove.
.4 seconds. Toews lifts his stick behind his leg, for a little power. Rask is on his butt from falling over.
.2 seconds. Toews take the shot. The puck travels into the back of the net.
0 seconds, the Blackhawks save the game from overtime. The horn blares. We win!
YOU ARE READING
One More Day (Counting on Hockey #2)
Romance*book two of the Counting On Hockey series. Read Just Another Goal prior to this book* Meredith and Cole are going into their Senior year of high school. They are inseparable together. Now both playing hockey, and being together for now more than a...
