“I'm probably lucky he didn't make us all head to his house for a party last night, huh?”
“I think you should probably keep your voice down if you'd like to keep it that way.” I whisper to him, winking.
As the plane takes off, I dig into my bag for the small box wrapped in navy paper with a light blue bow.
“Uh, here. For you.”
He looks so surprised at the gift, almost afraid to take it.
“For me?”
“Yeah, Cap. C'mon, open it.”
He reaches out a hand and carefully takes it, looking at me with a question in his eyes, as if to ask if it'sreallyfor him. He slips a finger carefully underneath the tape, taking far more care opening the package than I took wrapping it.
He finally slides the box out of the paper, opening it to reveal an eReader.
“I, uh, thought that maybe you'd be interested in the books I read? I mean, I guess you sometimesseeminterested in them? But, like, I totally get that you wouldn't necessarily want anyone toseeyou reading them and so I thought that this was a good compromise. But also, if I'm totally off base here, that is absolutely fine and you can give it back and we'll never speak of this again.”
Way to keep your cool, Jamie.
“You got me...an eReader?”
“Well, I actually got you some books, but the eReader is the vehicle for the books, so I guess I got you that too? Sorry, I'm rambling.”
He chuckles under his breath.
“Maybe a little. You got me books? How do I turn this on?” He holds the device upside down in his hands, reminding me a little of my grandpa with his first cell phone.
I take the eReader from his hands, brushing his fingers with mine in a way that sends a chill up my spine. I show him the button on the bottom of the device and push it, the screen coming to life.
“Ok, I've got three choices loaded on here for you. I knew you wouldn't be wild about other people seeing what you're reading so we're using this.” He wiggles the eReader in his hand.
“If anyone asks, you're reading the latest David Goggins or whatever it is you read to be so intensely focused.”
“Mostly angry texts from my Dad.”
I catch his eyes and, not for the first time, want to know more. How did he get here? What was his family like, to make him feel he needs to be the way he is? Or rather,notbe the way he is?
“So what are my three choices?”
“Ok, first up: two hockey rivals get to know each other over the course of their fifteen-year careers and fall in love.”
His eyes go wide, then dart around the plane, looking to see if anyone is listening. But as usual, they're all focused on their own things – movies, books, games of cards.
“Uh...what's next?”
“Ok, book two: man gets cheated on by his fiancé and takes his straight best friend on their honeymoon instead. Except – oops! – he's not so straight!”
“They never are.”
This time, it’s my turn to be shocked, a laugh bursting forth. Still, Alexei is the only one to look our way, giving me a glance that can only be described as indulgent.
“Alright, last book – what's it got?”
I feel heat rising in my face. “Oh, uh, this one is about a veteran player who, uh, mentors a younger player. In more ways than one.”
His eyes hold mine, and I realize how close the situation is to our own. Oh, who am I kidding? I realized it when I bought the book for him, when I re-read it first to make sure he'd like it.
