Page 26 of Hard to Get

“It’s true. I’d bring my laptop to the games and track things to make it interesting. At first, I made a spreadsheet, but then I started working on a program that made it easier.”

“Jesus. And you were a teenager?”

“Yeah. I got really into it. I started selling my hockey stats services to local teams. It…” She hesitates, dropping her gaze. “It made me some money. I went to Simon Fraser and got an undergrad degree in math and computer science, and then an MBA. Some of my courses were on entrepreneurship and when I graduated, I decided I wanted to do my stats business full-time.” She shrugs. “So I did.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s been a lot of work. A lot. There were definitely some hard times. But I love what I’m doing.”

“That’s what matters.”

“Did you always want to play pro hockey?”

“Mmm… no. It wasn’t until I was about thirteen, fourteen that people started talking like I could actually do it. I was lucky; my parents just wanted me to have fun. They didn’t push the idea on me or anything.”

“That’s great. I knew lots of parents who did that. Like the only reason they wanted their kids to play hockey was to someday make it into the NHL. I saw some crazy hockey parent shit.”

“While you were sitting in the stands with your laptop.”

She smiles. “Yeah.”

“Just for the record, the image of you doing that is hot as hell.”

A laugh springs from her. “Oh my God. I was definitely not hot.”

“I have no proof that you weren’t. And since you’re fucking fire now, I think it makes sense.”

She really is. I’m not blowing smoke. I’ve been watching her across the table from me. The soft lighting out here from the small bulbs strung across the patio highlights the gold in her hair, while the breeze teases strands back from her face. Her skin glows and her smile is mesmerizing.

Now, she’s trying not to smile. “Do you have siblings? Brothers who play hockey?”

“I have two sisters. Both older than me.”

“Oh right. You mentioned that at the park when you were babysitting. I mean, you mentioned one sister.”

“Two is even worse.”

She chuckles again. “That bad, huh?”

“I love them to pieces, but it was hellish. They were close in age but very competitive with each other. The only thing that brought them together was picking on me.”

“Oh no.”

“I’m exaggerating. They were actually pretty good, but sometimes, it was like I had three mothers. They were so damn bossy. They dressed me in girl clothes and made me play house and Barbies. Ashley busted me to my parents when she found my porn folder on the family computer.”

Stella covers her mouth, eyes dancing. “Yikes.”

“It wasn’t all bad. They insisted on me learning what they called “girl stuff”, like dealing with asshole misogynistic guys and periods and cramps.”

Stella blinks. “Wow.”

“Once they pretended to beat me up so I would learn how to fight. They were worried about me since I didn’t have a brother.”

She rolls her lips in. “Were they good at fighting?”

“Not really. And they had way too much fun “pretending”,” I add. “Anyway, I always had lots of girl friends,” I say, emphasizing the two separate words. “I guess I learned how to be comfortable around girls from my sisters.”

Stella’s giving me a weird look that I don’t get.