Life on Another Planet Ch. 10-13

Chapter 10 A First Date and More

Monday, September 5, 2011

"So you played baseball in high school," Kirsten said as they sat on the sun drenched third base side bleachers.

"I've been playing baseball since I was Mica's age," Jesse said with a smile. "Little League, then Babe Ruth League, then high school. I've been lucky. I got to play a lot early on and I never had to sit on the bench and watch other guys play."

Kirsten nodded. "I am thinking that I might have to sit on the bench and watch others play in my place this year."

Jesse couldn't help but notice the note of resignation in her voice.

"Do you think you should be playing regularly?" he asked.

"Yes, but I am first year, so I cannot expect that. I just want a fair opportunity. I am not a scholarship student, therefore I do not come with a reputation. Perhaps they will take pity on me and let me play a few shifts."

"Don't get down on yourself, Kirsten," Jesse said. "If you think you're good enough, then you have to make sure the coaches know you are good enough. You have to make them notice you whenever you can."

"I do not know how to do that, Jesse. All I can do is do what the coaches say and practice hard each time I get the chance. I hope that will be enough."

"Maybe a couple of good hard body checks would say something," he grinned.

"We are not allowed to body check. Some players are sneaky and find ways to do it, but according to the rules in women's hockey, there is no body checking."

Jesse laughed. "Then I guess you'll just have to get sneaky now and then."

"I can think of two girls I would like to body check," she said with a scowl.

"Oh ... oh ho! Well, the next time you get the chance, take a shot. You can always say you're sorry," he grinned.

Kirsten laughed and elbowed Jesse in the ribs. "You would do that?"

"Sure. You don't have to kill them, just let them know you're on the ice and they were getting in the way. Who are these two girls, anyway?"

"They are from Quebec. They are very good skaters and one of them is a good scorer. But they are not very nice to the other players. They say nasty things in French when they think no one will understand."

Jesse looked at her and then grinned. "But you understand, don't you?"

She nodded. "It is different French than I know, but I understand most of it."

"How many languages do you speak?" he asked.

"English, French, Swedish ... and I can often make myself understood in Norway, and Denmark."

"Wow. That's really something. I wish I had been better at French in high school. I just scraped through. I envy you," he said.

Kirsten beamed at his compliment. She could easily tell it was sincere, and that just confirmed her opinion of Jesse Peterson.

The ballgame began and Jesse was happy to explain some of the nuances of the game as they occurred. He talked about strategy and how the infield and outfield were positioned according to the strengths of each batter. It was short-season single 'A' ball, but there were a lot of talented young players on each team and they were all trying to make it to the major leagues. Jesse smiled as Kirsten obviously was enjoying the game and appreciated his insight.

"Is your sunscreen still okay?" he asked as the game progressed. They were sitting exposed to the sun and it was strong that afternoon.

"Yes, I made sure it is 50 and I brought some extra with me. I burn easily if I am not careful."

She was wearing a yellow short-sleeved blouse and tan knee-length cargo shorts with stockings almost up to her knees. Her arms and head were the most exposed parts of her body. She had turned the collar up on her blouse to protect the back of her neck. Jesse was confident she was taking all the necessary precautions. He was also unabashedly admiring her as they sat beside each other, and he wasn't the only one. Several of the men in the vicinity had taken a good look at the beautiful blonde. Jesse could almost feel their envy.

He was hoping this would be the beginning of something more than friendship. That she was beautiful was one thing, but she was also much more. Graceful, kind, thoughtful, and yet ... troubled. He wondered how he could find out what was behind her reaction to the aggressive young drunks in the Whistler town square that today. He had a hunch what it might be, but he was not willing to risk their budding relationship by pressing her on the subject. He would just have to wait and be patient, hoping that she would reveal what caused her to be so nervous.

Kirsten was relaxed and enjoying herself. The ballgame was interesting, and Jesse's informed comments helped her understand the game better. She was watching him as much as he was watching her. She was sure he had questions about her ... mostly about her reaction to the three men in Whistler. She recognized he was being very cautious around her. She wasn't ready to talk to anyone about it ... anyone outside of Eve or her parents. She knew, however, that there would come a time when she would have to reveal what had happened to her and why she was so reticent around men.

Jesse was an exception. He was kind, polite, and handsome ... all the attributes of the ideal boyfriend. If she could judge by his reaction to the situation in Whistler with the drunks, he had courage as well. Could she risk allowing herself to become attracted to someone? It would be easier with Jesse. She could tell he was attracted to her. Still, it took confidence on her part even though she felt safe with Jesse.

As Jesse drove them back to the apartment building, he took a chance.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself this afternoon, Kirsten. I'd be very pleased if you'd like to go on another date with me."

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "We can talk about what we can do later on. I was going to ask you if you would like to come to one of my hockey practices, but they are very early in the morning right now. Soon, they will be at a more sensible hour."

"I really would like to attend a practice and a game," he said quickly. "I don't think I've ever seen a women's hockey game. That would be interesting."

"We will wait until they change the practice schedule. I think a proper game would be more interesting to you than our practices."

"Yes ... I suppose, but I would like to see you play ... even if it is just a practice."

She laughed. "Okay. We will talk about this later when I have started classes."

Wednesday, September 7, 2011 9am

"Coach wants to see you in her office," the trainer informed Kirsten after their usual morning practice.

Kirsten had a feeling of impending doom as she nodded her acknowledgement of the summons. She walked slowly to the office and knocked on the glass. The coach was not alone and there was a man sitting in a chair with his back to her. A wave from the coach signalled Kirsten to enter.

"You wanted to see me, Coach?" she said as she entered.

"Yes, Kirsten, I'd like you to meet Mr. Frank Millhouse," Harriet Hillman said with a smile.

Kirsten turned toward the man as he stood and her jaw dropped and a look of total surprise and shock overcame her. The man was smiling at her, but she stood frozen in front of him, not taking his offered hand. At length, she began to breathe and carefully held out her hand. The man was the same one who had been coming to her practices and watching her. She was sure he was the same one. Finally, she found her voice.

"Uhhm ... it is nice to meet you, Sir," she managed with an unsteady gasp.

"Very nice to meet you too, Kirsten," he smiled. "Please sit."

She did, carefully, her eyes fixed on this man who she had worried about for some time. Who was he and what did he want?"

"Mr. Millhouse is the local scout for the women's national team, Kirsten. He's been watching our practices to see if there are any potential candidates to join the national team. I'll let him tell you about it," Harriet Hillman said with a big smile.

Kirsten willed herself to relax. This was not what she expected. Why would he want to talk to me, she wondered?

"Kirsten, I've been watching your progress with the team and I've been very impressed with you. You work hard, you are obviously very fit, your passes are quick and accurate, and your shot appears to be hard and heavy. You've had a good teacher in your father I imagine. You play your position very well for someone who hasn't had a lot of experience. We will be watching your progress this year as you play for UBC. I just wanted you to know that all your hard work has been noticed by Coach Hillman and me."

"Oh ... uhhm ... does that mean I have made the team," she said hesitantly, turning to her coach.

"Yes, Kirsten, you have made the team," she smiled warmly. "I agree with Mr. Millhouse's assessment, and you will be on a regular shift to begin the season. I hope you can earn the right to stay there and become one of our best players."

Kirsten was stunned. Considering she had almost quit the team in frustration, she was now being told she was not only on the team, but would be starting on defence. It was almost too much to absorb.

"Thank you. I had no idea that you thought I was good enough," she finally managed.

"I know," Harriet said with a smile. "I could tell you didn't have any expectations of getting a spot, but you worked hard, you were at every practice, you listened to the coaches, and you learned. You've earned the opportunity. The rest is up to you."

"Thank you," she repeated. "I will try not to disappoint you."

"That's all we can ask," the coach said.

"You looked shocked when you met me," Frank Millhouse said. "What was that about? Am I that ugly?" he chuckled.

"No! No! I apologize. I thought you were someone else. I did not know you were a scout," she finally said, relieved.

"Get used to it. I'll likely be at most of your games. I cover B.C. and Alberta, so I'm at almost all the CIAU games. Good luck, Kirsten. I wish you well. Listen to Coach Hillman and I'm sure you'll do well. I wouldn't be surprised if you got an invitation to the national team development camp someday soon."

Kirsten was almost dizzy with what she had just heard. Not only was she on the UBC team, she was being watched to see if she might be on the national team. How little she realized just what she had accomplished.

"That's all, Kirsten," Harriet Hillman grinned, recognizing just what a surprise they had sprung on the young woman.

"Yes ... thank you again ... for your confidence in me," she said as she rose and opened the door to leave. It would be a while before she would calm down and be able to absorb everything that had just happened in the last ten minutes. Two people had just turned her world upside down. She couldn't wait to tell her parents.

~*~

"I cannot believe it, Mother. I just cannot believe it. I have not only made the team, they plan to use me regularly. And the national team will be watching me. It is a dream I never imagined," Kirsten gushed excitedly as she relayed the meeting with her coach and Frank Millhouse.

"I'm very happy for you, Kirsten," her mother beamed. "You have worked so hard for this opportunity and now you'll have it. I am very proud of you, and I know your father will be as well. You should call him and tell him."

"Yes ... yes ... right away," she giggled. "I am so happy, Mother," she repeated as she reached for the phone.

Tomas was no less happy for his daughter. He was well aware of just how much she wanted to succeed and he was also very aware of how hard she applied herself. She had doubts about her ability, but she persevered and now she was being rewarded. He was very proud of her and told her so several times.

Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011 7am

"Jesse," she said excitedly the next morning as she entered the exercise room. "You will never guess what has happened."

Jesse chuckled at her enthusiasm and had an idea of what it might be.

"Tell me," he said with a big smile.

"I made the team. Coach Hillman told me I would play regularly."

"Oh, congratulations, Kirsten. You've worked hard and earned it. Well done," he beamed.

"Thank you," she smiled in return. "And do you know what else? A national team scout was watching me too. He thinks I have potential to make their team. He is going to be watching me when I play. Is that not amazing?"

"It is, but I'm not surprised. You are getting the opportunity you've deserved. When I see how hard you work here in this room, I have some idea of how hard you work in practice. That's how all this has come about. Congratulations," he said.

"Thank you, Jesse. Oh, I am so excited I can hardly wait for our first game."

Jesse laughed as he watched her obvious joy. For someone who wasn't sure she would even get to play, the news of her success set off the emotional fireworks. He was happy for her. She'd earned the right to celebrate.

Monday, Sept. 12, 2011

With Kirsten now attending classes at UBC, and her frequent practices with the team, Jesse didn't see her very often. He missed her. She was the spark that kept him working hard in the exercise room. Her first game was coming up on the weekend and he planned to be there. After that, she would be travelling to Alberta for two road games. He missed her presence in the morning and when they got together on weekends. They weren't dating, but Jesse now knew that it was possible. Her hesitancy around him had disappeared and she was at ease being with him. If it hadn't been for the hockey team, he would have asked her for a date earlier. Now, it appeared that he'd missed the opportunity.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 6pm

It didn't take Jesse long to become a fixture at Norwood Books. His polite way with the customers was accompanied by some knowledge of the authors people were interested in. He also never failed to mention Grant's collection of used books which the owner bought at auction when a reasonable collection became available. It was a side business that produced a handsome profit and supplemented the modest income from new titles.

"You've taken to this business very well, Jesse," Grant said as they closed up the store one Wednesday evening. "I like the way you handle the customers. It was a lucky day for me when Ellen Coultard introduced you to me. We should talk about your future at some point. I can add some hours to your income if you can find the time. I don't want to interfere with your studies, but if I lose Sue next year, I'll need someone to replace her and I doubt I'll find anyone better than you."

"Oh ... gee ... thanks Grant. I'm glad you're happy with me. I really like working here. I'd be happy to talk to you about it. I haven't decided how I'm going to catch up and meet the entrance requirements yet. I know I'm going to try, but I might be doing a lot of it with home study or maybe evening classes at City College. Dr. Mikeska has volunteered to help me and I'm counting on that. She knows how things work at the university."

"Well, let's leave that discussion for another day when you know how you are making out with catching up. Is your memory coming back yet?"

"No, not really," Jesse said carefully. "I'm going along just assuming that it won't any time soon, so I'll have to make do with whatever I have."

"That's a shame," Grant said. "But, as far as I'm concerned, you don't lack anything here in the store, so there's no reason you can't become a more regular employee."

"Thanks again, Grant. I'm getting a pretty good education right here as I go through some of the older books you buy."

Grant chuckled. "Well, you won't find many math or physics books in the mix, but with your interest in literature, it's probably a treasure trove for you."

As he rode the bike toward the apartment building, Jesse thought about just how lucky he was to find a job with someone like Grant Norwood. He was doing something he enjoyed and there was a chance it could grow into something better still. He barely knew Sue Chen, the other part-timer, but she was a nice, attractive, young Chinese student who was obviously intelligent. If she was going for her Master's in Marine Biology, she would have to be very bright.

If there was any downer in his life right now it was the distance that Kirsten's hockey and school schedule put between them. He barely saw her enough to say hello in the past ten days and it didn't look like it was going to get any better. Now that the hockey season had started, she was doing her exercises under supervision at the university. He attended her first game as a T-Bird and was impressed. The T-Birds won, 5-3, in front of a lightly attended crowd, with Kirsten recording an assist and generally making no mistakes that Jesse could detect. He wanted to congratulate her and made his way down toward the bench, but she was surrounded by her team-mates before heading to the locker room, and he didn't get to see her at all.

Monday, September 26, 2011 12:45pm

What brought him out of his funk occurred the following Monday when he was approached by Sue Chen.

"Hi, Jesse," she greeted him as he arrived just before one that afternoon.

"Hi, Sue. What are you doing here today?"

She didn't appear hesitant or shy. "Well, actually, I came to see you. I need a favour, and I was wondering if you could help me."

"What do you need?" Jesse half expected her to ask him to cover her shifts at the book store for a period of time. That didn't turn out to be the case.

"I'm writing a paper for my finals in English Lit 404. I really need an editor to go over it and see if it reads properly and that there aren't too many mistakes in the copy. Would you be willing to help me? I can pay you for your time," she said, the look indicating hopefulness.

"Uh ... well ... I guess I could. What's the topic?"

"The influence of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley on modern writers."

"Huh. Well, that's a pretty good topic. They were certainly born into opposite circumstances. How did you choose it?"

"Well ... to be honest ... I heard you talking to someone about Orwell and Huxley one day and you seemed to know a lot about them. It sounded interesting to me, so I looked Orwell up and read several of his stories. I remembered Huxley from reading Brave New World in high school."

"So, you thought I'd be the ideal person to edit and proof your paper," he grinned.

She smiled shyly in return. "Yeah ... well, that and Grant told me you were thinking of journalism at UBC. I hope you'll read my paper because I know you'll see anything that doesn't look right. I really need this final mark to get the grade point I need for my BSc."

"Well, okay, let's give it a try. How many words in your paper?"

"I'm not sure ... but I'd guess it's over fifty thousand," she said hesitantly.

"How do you want to do this?" he asked.

"I was thinking, I could send it to you via e-mail and you could read it, and then we could get together and go over it as you see things that need to be fixed."

Jesse nodded. "That sounds reasonable. Why don't you send it to my e-mail address and I'll get started. If it's just proofing and the like, I can send it back to you as I go through it. If it's something more than that ... like maybe I don't agree with you on some point, then we can discuss it on the phone or in person before we go further. That okay with you?"

"Jesse, that would be great. Thank you so much for helping me. English Lit is my weakest subject and I know you'll make my paper better."

Jesse smiled. "You're welcome, Sue. I hope you're right. Just send it along and I'll get started on it. It's not like I've got a lot of other things to do."

Sue left shortly thereafter and Grant returned from his lunch break.

"Well, did Sue seduce you into helping her?" he grinned.

"Yeah ... well ... I never could say no to a pretty girl. Besides, the topic she chose is something I'm familiar with, so I think I can help her."