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I nod. “Glad to hear it.”
Hayes’ dog had been having some constipation issues, and I’d given him a couple of tips my parents had used with their older dog with the same troubles. Yes, I talk to my players about more than hockey. Most of them are young, away from home, just starting out trying to be adults. And they’re not always getting it right, in part because they’re running into issues for the first time. I don’t want them to only look to me for guidance when they’ve got skates on.
Crew is up on the couch now making a toast, because of course he is, and he calls out his sister’s name.
My attention is immediately back on the tiny blonde.
Luna goes over to her brother for a hug and the second she moves away from Alexsei, I say, “See ya’ later,” to Hayes’ and bee-line for my star defenseman.
“Hey, man,” I say to Alexsei, quietly so no one else really pays us any attention.
He grins. “Hey, Coach.”
“So you’re dating Luna?” I ask. I don’t have a lot of time before she’s probably headed back over here, so I don’t bother with small talk.
“Uh.” He glances at the woman in question. “Not…exactly.”
“I’m just wondering because it could get sticky with McNeill. Crew I mean,” I say. That’s not untrue. But also not the reason I’m here at the moment.
“Yeah. I know.” He shoves a hand through his hair. “I like her, but no, we’re not dating.”
“Why not? Because of Crew?” I hadn’t thought of giving Luna that reason, but that would make sense.
But Alexsei shakes his head. “Nah, because of Luna.”
“She said no?” Had he finally asked, and she was now going to make him regret making her wait? For some reason that seemed like her style.
“I didn’t ask,” Alexsei says.
“Don’t you think you should?”
“Luna isn’t the kind of girl you just take to dinner and the movies and have a little fun with,” he says. He’s watching her now.
She didn’t come straight back to his side after her brother’s toast. She’s moving through the room, talking and laughing, seemingly having forgotten Alexsei.
“What kind of girl is she?” I ask, following her with my gaze.
I know what he means, but it’s more of a feeling than something I can put into words, so I’d love to hear him articulate this.
“She’s the kind of girl who will change your life,” Alexsei says.
I jerk my head to look at him. He said it with a strange wistfulness.
“So,” he goes on. “You have to be damned sure you want your life changed.”
“You’re serious about her,” I say, watching him. “You want more than just dating?”
He’s young. Does he really know what he wants? And what’s my role here? I definitely play the role of an advisor to the guys on a whole range of topics, but I’m not the best one to talk about relationships.
He shakes his head. “I do. But even a night with her reset every bar and expectation I had. She ruined me for anything less.” He meets my eyes. “But I’m letting her figure it out.”
“You’re waiting for her to come to you,” I say. “Isn’t that risky?”
“I’ve gotta be the guy she needs me to be.”
“The one who doesn’t even ask her out on dates?”
“The one who wants her to be whatever and however she wants to be.”
