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“You like playing?” I ask, trying to get him to talk about his passion.
“Yeah, of course.” He offers me a one-shouldered shrug. “I love the game. Everything else I could live without, but the sport… I adore it.”
“Hockey, is it?” I know this is a bit sneaky, but Ididadmit that I’m a journalist. He doesn’t need to know that I’m well-versed in the sports world. It might help him relax.
“Yes, that’s right. Hockey.” His lips curl up into a half smile, revealing dimples that make my heart flutter slightly. Has no one ever seen this man smile before?
“That’s awesome. Did you always know that you wanted to be a hockey player?”
“Did you always know you wanted to be a journalist?” he snaps back without a beat.
I chuckle lightly. “Yeah, I guess I did, actually. I’ve always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps, and he was anamazingjournalist.”
Alex’s face loosens a little. The stress that he’s been holding on his shoulders seems to melt away. “I see. Well, yeah, I have always wanted to be a hockey player. But not because I want to follow in anyone’s footsteps. Just because it’s something I noticed I was pretty good at from a very young age and something that I loved as well.”
I raise my eyebrows in surprise. That might be the most that anyone has ever gotten out of him. Ever. It isn’t much, just a little snippet, but it’s enough for me to make a mental note of. Thank God I have a great memory. The amount of times I’ve needed to keep information in my head until I had a pen and paper handy…
“So, you went to college for it?”
He nods. “I did, but only because I always knew I was going to be drafted afterward. I don’t know if I could have gone through college otherwise.”
The annoyance that was flickering through his eyes at the situation we find ourselves in is vanishing a little as he thinks back on his life. I can’t believe he’s actually talking to me at all, but we’re trapped here for the foreseeable future, and I suppose we have to pass the time somehow.
I amdefinitelygoing to make the best of this while I can.
“Yeah, I have to admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of college either…”
“Where did you go… Sorry, I don’t think I caught your name.”
“Riley Anderson, and I went to Columbia University.”
He nods slowly. “Wow, that’s pretty cool. You must be good at what you do. Oh, and I’m Alex Barrett, by the way.”
I offer him my hand, and he shakes it before we both realize the absurdity of the situation and laugh. “Well, nice to meet you, Alex. Even if this is all a little weird.”
His eyes dart upwards at the ceiling as if there’s going to be some hatch up there to get us out. He might be willing to climb out, but not me. I’d much rather wait until someone who knows what they’re doing comes for us.
Because someone is coming… Right?
“So, how is hockey working out for you, anyway?”
“Yeah… not too bad.”
I grin as he answers this modestly. As far as I know, he’s the most decorated MVP of the season so far. He might even be heading for a scoring record. From my personal experience,most of the guys can’t wait to show off what they’ve achieved, but not Alex. He’s different.
“That’s good…” I bite down on my bottom lip for a moment before diving into something a little riskier. “I bet that helps you with your dating life, right? I can only imagine guys like you, with ‘not bad’ sports careers, have women throwing themselves at you.”
Thankfully, he laughs, taking this as the easy-going conversation that I want it to be. “Yeah, maybe. I think that’s just one of those side effects that comes with fame and success.”
“But a positive side effect, right?”
His eyes darken for just a moment, intriguing me. What have I landed on here? My spine stiffens a little as I realize that Idefinitelyneed to dig a little deeper. “It isn’t always positive. It’s hard to have anyone see me forme.”
Wow.
This man doesn’t talk toanyone.
I can’t believe he’s saying any of this to me; it’s insane. Getting into this crappy elevator might turn out to be the best thing to ever happen to me. I don’t know what magic I seem to be working on him right now, but I hope it doesn’t stop.
