Need Your Number: Tampa Thunder Series

I wake up on Friday filled with dread about the flowers.  I wish I could have hidden the card from the team, mainly Luke and Zane.  They are not going to let this go and I already know it’s going to be an issue going into the game tomorrow.  But I still have a job to do, so I get ready to head to work.

By the time I am out of the shower, Zane is up.  I blow dry my hair and put on my makeup.  I pick a Miller shirt and leggings for the day.  I don’t usually wear Zane’s name at work because I don’t need to.  Today though, I feel comfort wearing it.  He smiles, dropping a kiss on my cheek when he notices.  With that I head out, determined to make today a good day.

The rink is busy with everyone trying to complete last-minute plans for tomorrow at the Thunders’ rink.  The players I run into don’t act weird to me, which I was worried about.  They all respect me the same now as they did before the flowers.  There are no looks of pity, either.  I hate nothing more than being looked at with pity.  Tonight we all plan to have an early drink at Slapshots to celebrate the end of the season together.  Coach has them all arriving later than normal tomorrow, so they will be fine.

Heading home to get ready to go to Slapshots, I straighten my hair, letting it hang down my back, taking advantage of the low humidity in March.  I put on a cute green romper that makes my skin look amazing.  I do some light makeup and throw on my yellow Converse.

“Damn girl, you look amazing!  Your legs look so fucking good in that!” Zane says.

I smile, about to respond, but he picks me up, pressing me against the wall with my legs wrapped around him.  He kisses my neck.

“We don’t have to go.  We can stay here.  You in this outfit is more than worth missing tonight.  I am ready to get you into bed,” he murmurs.

I kiss him and then say, “We need to go celebrate the season with the team before tomorrow.”

He whines and sets me down, grumbling while walking to grab his keys.

Arriving at Slapshots, it is super busy with the entire team here.  I go hug Celisa behind the bar and she gives Z and me a drink.  Joining the team, we all share memories of the season.  We take tons of pictures together, posting them across our respective socials, and sharing the celebrations.

Lucy shows up shortly after and we head to the bathroom.  On our way out, a hand darts out, grabbing me hard around the bicep.  Looking up, I see Justin. “We need to talk,” he commands.  Lucy goes to step in, and I shake my head. “It’s fine,” I tell her.  She walks away reluctantly.

“Stop with the bullshit, Fiona.  He is only with you to help boost his popularity before the draft.  He doesn’t actually love you.  No professional athlete is going to settle for a Converse-wearing, loudmouth, “career-wanting” girl.  He’s going to be swarmed with puck bunnies and models soon, then he will leave you.  Just stop embarrassing us both.  You and I both know we are going to end up together.  I am the only one willing to settle for you,” he says, trying to pull me into him.

“Stop!”  I pull away.  I step on his foot as hard as I can, and rush back to Zane’s side. Tears are falling down my cheeks when I arrive back at the table.  Zane immediately stops his conversation. “Who the fuck made you cry?” he demands.

“More importantly, who the fuck grabbed you and left those marks?” Davis asks, looking at my arm from across the table.

Luke walks up.  “Why the fuck did Lucy just come to tell me that Justin grabbed you and then demanded you talk to him, AND YOU AGREED?” he yells.

Zane lowers his brows.  “First of all, watch how you talk to her.  Fiona, you better start talking, starting with the moment he grabbed you, leaving those marks,” he says, pissed.

I tell all of them about him grabbing me and just figuring it was better not to fight it.  When they ask what he said, I just tell them that he was making a big deal over embarrassing him by not wearing his number.

“No, that wouldn’t make you cry.  I saw you tell him off last time.  You wouldn’t cry over that, so you need to just tell us the truth,” Zane says.  He knows me too damn well.

I tell them everything he said about my Converse, my career, the models, and puck bunnies.  I tell them about him saying I was being used to boost Zane’s popularity for the draft.  I finish by saying that he told me that he was the only one who would be willing to settle for me, that no one would lower themselves enough to actually marry me.

Everyone starts threatening to kill him and they all start looking around.

“It’s fine, and he probably was smart enough to leave before I told you,” I say.

“Fiona, none of that is true,” Luke says, pulling me into a hug.

“Luke, even you make fun of my shoes.  I am weird.  He is right.  Who would want a weird girl like me?  I don’t wear lots of makeup or dress fashionably.  I am not a model, I am just a run-of-the-mill girl who happens to be good at boosting a team and a player’s fan base,” I say, tears falling down my cheeks.

“Fiona, please stop crying.  I am sorry I ever made fun of your shoes,” Luke says.

Zane goes to say something, but I shake my head, chest heaving with sobs.

Lucy grabs my hand.  “Zane, I promise she will be fine.  I am going to take her home, though.  Right now, she needs her sister.  She doesn’t need the team’s pity looks.  She doesn’t need you telling her how much you love her.  She knows that.  She needs to drink wine and cry without judgment.  I promise you will see her at the rink in the morning,” she tells him, pulling him into a hug.

Zane looks at me with pure sadness.  Not pity, just sadness.

“Fiona, I love you.  I have known that, I think since the moment I met you.  I am sorry he hurt you.  Have a good night with your sister.  Please don’t let him break your spirit, though.  You are none of those things.  I love you so much,” he murmurs into my hair while he hugs me.

I lean up, kissing him.  “I love you too, babe.  I will see you in the morning.  I just need this time with my sister,” I tell him.

He nods, offering to walk us out.  I know shutting the car door and letting me leave with Lucy was hard on him.  I just need to be with Lucy and drink without having someone pump me full of compliments while they look at me with pity.

We stop at our apartment first to get clothes for tomorrow.  I also needed to grab all my equipment for walk-ins.  Being here, though, reminds me that I want Zane and he wants me.  If I was a pawn, he never would have treated me as well as he has been.  Zane has loved me since the beginning, I know that.  To be sure he knows that though, I send him a quick text before we leave.

Zane, I love you.  I know you love me.  We are forever, regardless of models or the draft.  So please don’t stress about me being with Lucy.  I just need sisterly support.  I will see you in the morning.  DO NOT QUESTION WHERE MY HEART IS AT.  I left it with you, so take care of it. XOXO- your sunshine.

When we get to her apartment, I take a quick shower and put on some sweats.  She has the wine ready for me.  I spend the night alternating between crying and being so angry I can’t cry.  I don’t understand why Justin had to show up.  I can’t stand how he thinks he has any rights to me.  Or that he thinks he knows anything about Zane and me.  I decide to be petty as fuck after my fourth glass of wine.

Lucy and I laugh as I post a picture I have of Zane holding me in bed, obviously naked, and we both have sex hair.  Our smiles show the absolute bliss we are in.

The caption says, With happiness like this, I guess I can keep you forever.

We giggle and know Justin will see it soon.

Zane comments saying. Forever doesn’t sound long enough to be with you.

My face flushes.

“FUCKING SWOON!” Lucy says, taking my phone to pin the comment to the top.  Not long after, the comments are flooded with Zane’s teammates supporting us.

One of them even wrote That post sex bliss making you blind to Zane’s stinky hockey gear?

I laugh so hard. It’s easy to ignore when you are that satisfied!

I giggle, showing Lucy my response. “You just confirmed you are in bed, post-sex in that pic, and you confirmed how amazing the sex is.  Who is this drunk Fiona?” she questions, laughing.  We head to bed shortly after our comment fun.

I get up and am super relieved I am not hungover.  I do my hair in loose curls, but I put the top half up in a cute bun.  I wear my makeup a little heavier, but mainly because pictures will be taken regardless of if we win.  Putting on my navy bell bottoms that hug my ass and yellow Converse, I smile at myself.  I put on my white jersey with Zane’s name and number.  It fits me perfectly, hugging me in all the right places.  I ordered it online specifically for today.  Lucy and Celisa tell me how hot I look and then let me know they will see me at the game.

I am waiting in the hallway with two assistants.  I’m fancy, I know!  But not a single person from our team has entered. I am about to text Zane when I hear footsteps.

Walking down the tunnel is the entire starting lineup, all in Converse.  Everyone is hugging me and giving me an Airhead.  Luke whips his phone out, taking pictures, laughing at my face.

I look at Zane, pulling a face paint pen from my pocket.

“Hey, handsome. I need your number.”

I smile, handing him the pen.  He adds the traditional 27 on each cheek before kissing me and dipping me low.  I hand him his Airhead and I stand there thinking I couldn’t be happier.

Then it gets better when the entire coaching staff walks in with Converse on, nodding to me while they walk by.

“You did this?” I ask Z, with tears filling my eyes.

“Actually, it was Luke,” he says.

“I realize you deserve all the support for always supporting the team,” Luke tells me and pulls me into a hug.

The rest of the walk-ins are filled with Converse-wearing hockey boys in suits.

Luke posted the video of Zane and me online.  That is going viral now, with everyone saying they want to be as in love as we are.  I post the walk-up montage of everyone in their Converse and suits.  The team floods the comments saying, We stand together against abuse and bullying.  Being a hockey player doesn’t excuse you. They just took a public stand without calling me out.

I am crying when Lucy finds me.

“Have you seen the response to their comments?” she says.

I say no and open my phone.

The comments are full of support against abuse.  People are duetting in their Converse.  Fans are tagging us in their game day outfits of them wearing Converse.

“This is amazing,” I tell her, wiping my tears.

I can’t believe the outpouring of support.  I look down, seeing her Converse, and tears start falling again.

“Just a heads up, our whole family and Zane’s are also in Converse.  You single-handedly just boosted the Converse stocks,” she says, laughing.

Coach walks up.  “Fiona, today is going to be hard on the team, and you.  I want you to know that I was told about last night, and I am just as pissed as the team.  I will also be contacting Justin’s coach after the game to tell him about his behavior.  I already told a few scouts I know who were interested in him, just to warn them.  No one wants a player who hurts women in any way, but especially in a way that might be violent and cause them negative press.  Thank you for this season.  You have done amazing!  There will be a championship ring with your name on it,” he says, then walks away before I can respond.

Interns don’t usually get championship rings, so that is huge for me.

“Holy shit, he is going to ruin Justin’s career!” Lucy says.

“No, he isn’t. Justin ruined his own career. Honestly, he deserves it” I say, shrugging my shoulders.  I prepare mentally for the game ahead.  I know things are going to be more violent than normal, so I take a deep breath and then head to our seats.

We are seated with Penny and Luke’s parents to one side, and Lucy, Celisa, Charlie, and my parents on the other, all in Converse.

“Thank you, guys,” is all I can say without crying.  They don’t push it: everyone just claps my shoulder or nods at me.  I am grateful for their support more than they know.  Admitting how I allowed Justin to treat me was hard.  I was terrified of being judged for being weak.  But everyone around me has continued to remind me how strong I am for getting out.

When the lights flicker and the starters’ pictures start showing up, Georgia skates out.  Justin heads straight to us, and Lucy and Penny both grab my hand.  I turn my head, so I don’t look at him.

He hits the boards and yells, “Whore!” before skating off to warm up.

I focus on not crying.  Zane cannot see me crying when he comes out.  Our group of families are all grumbling about how nasty and shitty Justin is.  I use that energy to help me collect myself.  Then the lights flicker and the Penguin’s starters show up on the Jumbotron.