Ice Hockey 101 Ch. 01

She hadn't been expecting a kiss but she didn't think she'd have protested. She didn't know what surprised her more; the fact that he almost kissed her or that she almost kissed him back.

***

"So how was the blind date?" Sean asked Josh as they walked out of the locker room following a practice.

"It wasn't a blind date," Josh replied, giving Sean a narrow look.

Sean chuckled and slapped his friend on the shoulder. "I know Max," he said. "He may not have said it was when he called, but I'm sure it's what he intended."

"Are you guys talking about Josh's blind date?" Someone else called from behind them and they turned to see their older teammate Bill hurrying up to them.

"It wasn't a blind date!" Josh snapped but he smiled at his friends anyway.

"Fine, it wasn't a blind date," Bill replied as he exchanged a wide-eyed look with Sean. They chuckled as the three of them started walking together again. "But you can still tell us about her. About how it all went."

Rolling his eyes, Josh shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. He could easily describe Rebecca to his friends. Ever since spending the afternoon and evening with her, he hadn't been able to get her face out of his mind. He went to sleep each night and immediately fantasies of what he'd really wanted to do that night with her rushed through his dreams. More often than not, he'd wake up aching for release.

It made traveling with the team awkward.

Luckily it was only a short road trip this time. They'd be returning to Pittsburgh tomorrow. And tomorrow, Josh could call Rebecca, maybe even see her. The prospect made him almost giddy.

"Come on," Sean spoke up and nudged Josh with one shoulder. "Tell us about her."

With a heavy sigh, Josh started to talk about meeting Rebecca. "She's a student and pretty shy for the most part," he began. "Her and Mary, Max's girlfriend, are really good friends."

"Yeah, but what does she look like?" Bill interjected.

Josh scowled at him. "She has two heads and a butt as wide as a bus."

Bill and Sean howled with laughter. Bill threw an arm around Josh's shoulders and gave him a squeeze.

"Wow, she really made an impression, huh?" Bill commented.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Josh asked, trying to shrug off his arm.

"You don't want to tell us about her because you like her," Bill said with another laugh.

From his other side, Sean was trying to hide his laughter but he wasn't being very successful. Bill slapped Josh on the back once more before leaving him alone.

"Fine. You want me to tell you about her, I will," Josh replied. He didn't like what Bill was saying. It sounded too much like what he'd said after Max's phone call a few days ago. He liked her, sure, but it didn't mean he was going to ask her to marry him. He wasn't about to let anything get serious. They were just friends.

"She's about five six, dark hair and blue eyes," Josh began to describe her. "She blushes a lot and doesn't say much but she can sure pack away the food. Oh, and she doesn't have any idea what hockey is."

Neither of his teammates had much to say after that and he looked over at each of them to gauge their reactions.

Have I said too much? He wondered. Lord, I'll never hear the end of this.

"She's Canadian?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I've never met anyone from Canada who didn't know what hockey is, man or woman," Bill said.

"Neither have I," Sean agreed.

Josh shrugged. "She's not into any sports. It's not just hockey. So we watched a football game at a pub and then a hockey game later. She said she likes hockey but she still doesn't understand it. We're going to meet up for another game later this week if we can." Just saying it out loud made him want to be home that much more. Only one more day.

It was a minute later when he realized his two companions had fallen silent again. He glanced at each of them before throwing his hands up in the air out of frustration. "What now?" He demanded.

"Nothing, man," Sean replied, giving him a weird look. He glanced briefly at Bill who only lifted his eyebrows in reply.

Josh's head swiveled around to look at Bill instead. "What's with the look?"

"Nothing," Bill echoed Sean.

Josh decided he really didn't want to know what they were thinking. Shaking his head, he strode ahead of them towards the waiting bus and tried to forget about the conversation. He thought about the game that night and he thought about Rebecca.

***

Later that week she spoke on the phone with Mary, who spent much of their conversation apologizing for Max.

"Don't worry about it, Mary," Rebecca told her with a laugh. "It was a little awkward but Josh is really nice. And it's nice to know I have at least one friend here."

"I just couldn't believe he'd force one of his friends on you," Mary said. "He means well but he doesn't know how shy you really are."

Rebecca flushed even though they weren't face to face. "You know how shy I am with guys?"

"Oh please, Rebecca," Mary scoffed. "You're my best friend and I love you, but even I've noticed you've never been in a real relationship and barely make conversation with guys at work."

Well, Rebecca just didn't know what to say to that. She'd always thought she did pretty well with all the customers at the old coffee shop. Apparently not good enough.

"It doesn't matter, Rebecca," Mary offered quietly when she didn't respond right away. "Any guy who's put off by it doesn't deserve your time anyway. Anyone good enough for you is going to put in the effort to get to know you."

Rebecca's mind immediately flew back a few days to Josh's comfortable presence in her apartment. He'd offered to teach her about hockey, something she never would have been interested in before. He'd even wanted to see her again, not at all bothered by her inane comments or her constant blushing.

"Thanks Mary," she said. "You're a great friend. And Max is all right too. Tell him I'm not mad for what he did."

Mary laughed. "I will tell him. After he's been properly punished."

Rolling her eyes, Rebecca promised she'd email again after the next time she saw Josh and ended the call. The phone was still in her hand when it started ringing again.

"Hello?"

"Rebecca, it's Josh," came a deep voice over the phone.

Rebecca's stomach immediately clenched and she felt something else twinge within her. Blushing hotly, she sat back on her couch and tried to think of something to say.

"Hi," she breathed and smacked an open palm to her forehead. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Josh's deep chuckle traveled over the phone line and Rebecca had to squeeze her thighs together.

"Hi," he replied. "Are you busy?"

"No, I just got off the phone with Mary," she said. "When did you get back to town?"

"This afternoon."

"And you're calling me already?" Rebecca said and squeezed her eyes shut as more color flooded her face. She was going to have to end this call before she said something even more demented.

But again, he merely chuckled, setting off more chemical reactions within her body. "I wanted to make sure we're still on for tonight."

"Oh yeah," she replied. "I watched a couple games without you and it just wasn't the same."

"I'm flattered," Josh said with another light laugh.

Rebecca giggled and shook her head. "I just didn't know what was going on half the time. I needed someone sitting with me, explaining it all."

"Ouch. You really know how to bruise an ego."

"You're a big boy, I'm sure you can handle it," she replied and wondered immediately what had possessed her to say such a thing. She didn't usually flirt with guys, even over the phone.

Josh didn't respond right away but she could hear his sharp exhalation. She wondered then if she'd gone too far.

But guys like it when women flirt with them, she thought and bit her lower lip anxiously. Don't they?

Unfortunately her knowledge of the opposite sex was woefully shallow for someone her age.

"I, uh, so should I come over to your place again?" He asked and Rebecca was more relieved than she would have expected.

"Sure," she replied quietly. "What time?"

"I can be there in a half an hour," he said quickly.

Rebecca laughed and covered her mouth with one hand. "OK."

Neither of them spoke for a second. Then she heard Josh exhale heavily.

"Rebecca?" His voice was soft.

"Yeah?" Hers equally so.

"I... uh, I didn't mean... to sound so..." his voice trailed off.

Rebecca pressed her hand to her mouth, stifling the sudden urge to giggle. "It's OK. I'm happy you're coming over too."

"Good," he breathed and then laughed. "So I'll see you in a bit?"

"OK."

"OK. See you."

Rebecca hung up the phone and shook her head in wonder. Then she smiled and couldn't wipe it off her face, no matter what she thought of. She was still grinning broadly when someone knocked on her door.

"Hi," she greeted Josh shyly as she opened the door. Lord, but he is just as handsome as I remember, she added silently as the heat crept up her neck.

"Hey," he said, sounding out of breath.

"Are you all right?" she asked, cocking her head to one side.

He laughed and nodded. "Yeah. I just ran up the stairs."

"Why?" Rebecca asked and laughed as he walked inside. She shut the door and led the way into her apartment.

"Why not?" was his casual response.

They stood just inside her front room and smiled at each other. Rebecca felt warm all over again but it wasn't just from the color suffusing her face. This warmth was radiating from much lower on her body.

"Uh, you can go on in and find a game," she said. "I'll make some popcorn."

"Sounds great," he said, his face lighting up at the mention of a snack.

Rebecca walked into the kitchen with a smile on her face. When she came back out to the main room, Josh was still flipping through the channels with a small frown on his face. Smiling, Rebecca set down the drinks and bowl of popcorn before joining him on the couch.

"Can't find a game?" She asked.

"There's one on somewhere, I know it," he said. "I checked the listings when I got home."

Smirking, Rebecca popped open her can of soda. "Are you sure you're not playing tonight?"

He turned his face towards her and grinned. "Pretty sure. But maybe that's what the coach was trying to yell at me before I left..."

Rebecca laughed and gave him a light shove, surprising herself even as she made the move. Flushing, she sat back and propped her feet up on the table. Josh watched her for a second before turning back to the television, making her feel that all over warmth again that had her pressing her thighs together. She grabbed the bowl of popcorn and held it in her lap in an effort to look casual.

Finally Josh clicked on a channel with the bright white ice glowing front and center. Settling back beside her, he reached without looking for some popcorn and Rebecca flinched when his hand brushed against her knee.

"Oh, sorry," he said, turning his head to smile at her. His blue eyes glinted at her as he reached inside the bowl this time.

"It's OK," she breathed and took a long sip of her soda. She nodded at the screen, feeling a flush creep up her neck under his continued gaze. "So what's happening right now?"

Josh's eyes went back to the television screen and he explained. "The puck went out of play above the boards and now they're facing off again."

"I didn't think the puck could go out of bounds," she replied, turning her attention to the television. She'd been telling the truth earlier on the phone about watching games. However much it had confused her, she'd still enjoyed watching the men skate. She found the sounds of the game to be almost hypnotic; the slice and scrape of blade and stick on the ice and the frantic shouts of the teams. She'd finished two reports while half-watching a couple games and suspected she'd be earning top marks for both of them. She'd even listened enough to start picking up some of the lingo.

"It doesn't usually but every once in a while someone will hit it high enough or it'll ricochet higher than the boards," Josh replied. He pointed at the screen. "You see that netting behind the goalies? If the puck lands up there, it's considered out of play."

Rebecca nodded and balanced the bowl as Josh reached for more popcorn. He winked at her as he munched on the pieces in his hand, lifting yet another blush to her cheeks.

"So how come they don't start again from the middle?" Rebecca asked in another minute when play was halted again for some reason; she thought it might be that offside issue. The announcer's voice confirmed it a second later.

"They only start in the middle after a goal or at the start of the period," Josh answered. He went on to explain why they started from different spots depending on which team caused the offside or icing.

The game went on and Rebecca fell silent for a bit, watching the men skate back and forth. Josh injected a few comments here and there, explaining the reason for the stops in play or why the players lined themselves up a certain way. The more she watched, the more Rebecca liked it. And the more she appreciated the skill it took to play, the more she respected Josh and Max for being among these players.

At the first intermission, they fell into easy conversation about topics other than hockey. After a short while she found out that Josh was from Ontario and had three brothers, all of them hockey players. She was impressed and jealous.

"I never had any brothers or sisters," she confessed when he asked her why she was so envious.

"I can't imagine not growing up without my brothers," Josh said with a smile. "As much as they sometimes pissed me off, I wouldn't trade them for anything."

"That's really nice," Rebecca said honestly. "I'm glad I have friends like Mary and Max. They make up for not having siblings."

After that, they fell silent again. Rebecca took the opportunity to stand up with the empty bowl and she carried it back to the kitchen. When she turned around at the counter, she was startled to find Josh standing close behind her. She didn't quite know what to say

"Can I ask you something?" he asked as he leaned against the counter beside her and crossed his arms.

Rebecca nodded though she was transfixed by the sight of his muscular arms folding in front of his chest.

"Are you... seeing anyone?"

Rebecca's eyes flashed to his face and she saw the slight color high in his cheeks. Smiling, she looked away and shook her head.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I don't... have time," she replied, hesitating. She didn't want to confess that she could hardly hold a conversation with a guy. Anyone at school or work who'd started to chat with her had quickly given up when all she responded with were sounds and monosyllabic words. "I came here to focus on my school work."

Josh nodded slowly as she replied, a strange look on his face. "So you don't do anything except go to school and work?"

"And watch hockey with you now," she added with a smile. He responded in kind, the grin easily lighting up his entire face. Her stomach did that flippy thing again and she had to look away. "I guess this isn't what you had in mind when Max called you. We're supposed to be sight seeing."

"I don't mind watching hockey instead of going out," Josh replied quickly. "You just let me know when you want to go sight seeing and I'll take you."

"I wouldn't make you do that," Rebecca said. "This is enough. I know what a busy schedule you must have and I wouldn't want you to mess up at work because you're tired or something."

Josh's smile curved up wickedly at the corners of his mouth and Rebecca was caught by the sparkle in his eyes. He shifted from the counter and stepped closer to her. She didn't notice until he was practically on top of her. She leaned against the counter, tilting her head back to keep his face in her view.

"Sometimes being tired is the best feeling," he said, his voice softer than before.

"What?" she asked, confused suddenly. He was standing too close to her and - heaven help her - he smelled fantastic. A musky mixture of man and light cologne.

He lifted one hand and brushed the hair off her forehead. The brush of his fingers across her forehead was warm and that warmth seeped all through her body, making her practically throb.

"If you're tired for the right reasons," he went on, looking into her eyes. His looked suddenly very dark to her, as though his pupils had expanded to blot out all the bright blue. "I think I can manage it now and again."

"Oh?" She breathed, thinking she really sounded simple now.

Then Josh was leaning closer, his face dropping to hers. She had the brief thought that he was going to kiss her and then he was doing it. His lips brushed against hers and she exhaled sharply. His eyes were so dark before her, his face so close. She sensed him shifting but couldn't move. She was held immobile by his intense gaze and shivered when she felt his hands close on either side of her face. Then he was kissing her again, his lips firm against her own and she put her hands on his chest to keep from falling over.

Her head was spinning from just this light touching of his lips on hers. His chest was so firm under her palms and she could just feel the patter of his heartbeat under the fabric of his sweater. Slowly one of his hands slid around to the back of her head and he was tipping her head up. She felt the slick brush of his tongue against her lips and she jumped, startled by the contact.

He lifted his head and smiled down at her, his thumb stroking the line of her jaw. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No!" Rebecca exclaimed breathlessly.

Josh's smile grew wider and he dropped one arm to circle her waist, bringing their bodies closer together. "So you won't mind if I do it again?"

Biting her lip, Rebecca shook her head. Still smiling, Josh leaned close again, gently pressing his lips to hers. Rebecca was just getting used to the feeling of his lips on hers when he traced her lips with his tongue. She sucked in a breath and he deftly slipped his tongue inside her mouth as she parted her lips.

She was warm all over again, leaning into Josh and moving with his lips. She could feel the stroke of his tongue on hers all the way down to her toes. Of their own accord, her hands ended up around his shoulders and she was holding on for dear life as Josh pressed her back against the counter.

Suddenly the phone was ringing and they were jumping apart as though they were teenagers caught by their parents. Rebecca looked over at Josh who was breathing as hard as she was and she laughed breathlessly. She hurried from the kitchen to grab her phone from the front room.

"Hello?" she said as she picked up, watching from the corner of her eye as Josh strode into the room and sat back down on the couch. Rolling her eyes, she hung up the phone, cutting off the digital recording before it got very far. "Telemarketer," she said to Josh as she set the phone down.

She stood next to the couch, looking awkwardly between the television set and the couch, studiously avoiding looking at Josh. "Is the game back on?" she asked.

"Looks like it," Josh replied.

Nodding, Rebecca perched on the edge of the couch, wondering how she felt about that kiss they'd just shared. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him; he was an extremely attractive man. And friendly, nice, with a good sense of humor. But she'd only known him for a few days.

"Is everything all right?" Josh's deep voice broke into her thoughts and she jumped, facing him with a blush.

"Yeah," she replied in a whisper and cleared her throat. "Uh, I think I'm kind of tired actually. Would you mind if we caught up on... uh, my hockey lessons later?"