Hat Trick 3: Penalty Shot (28 page)

“I swear I’ll never cut another burger,” Zack said.

“At least you soaked up the juice,” I said. “Was it bad that I made a joke about how you ate in jail?”

“Didn’t bother me. Thought it was pretty clever actually. So, how’s Alex doing?” he asked, taking the conversation in a new direction. “I hoped he’d join us tonight.”

“He’s coming to breakfast. He wanted us to have some time. But more to your point, he’s doing okay. Of course, we talked about you visiting and he was good with it.”

He nodded. “I’m glad. I don’t want to come between you guys. He looked solid on the ice today. He having any issues?”

“So far, so good. The doctors are pleased, which is good ‘cause it’s the only way they let him on the ice.”

“That’s good.”

It was my turn to change topics. “How’s it feel being full time with the master’s work?”

“It’s great. I like being in the classroom instead of doing everything online. My advisor’s been great as I’ve changed from being online to in-person. We’re not only working together on my thesis, but also looking at what it’s going to take to get me licensed. It’s going to be a challenge because of my felony record, but there are ways to appeal without waiting ten years.”

“I hadn’t even thought about your licensing. It’s good to know it’s possible.”

He nodded. “The school’s being great, as is Dr. Alger at the prison. They all seem to believe in me.”

“With good reason, I think.”

His phone buzzed on the table. “My turn to call in. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“I’ll order dessert?”

“Seriously?”

“Oh yeah.”

“I’m not going to make it back home because you’re going to kill me with food.”

“There are worse ways to go.” He shook his head while smiling. “Go make your call. I’ll be here.”

He made his way out of the restaurant and I sat back. While we started a bit awkwardly, we seemed to be having comfortable conversation now. I hoped it would be this good with Alex tomorrow morning. I expected some hesitations, but hopefully with Zack and I at ease, Alex would be less on guard. I got the molten chocolate sundae ordered before he came back, ordering only one so we’d share. I could eat a whole one myself, but I realized that he may not be used to eating this much.

We ate on our dessert, drank coffee and talked hockey and football for another hour before we started to yawn, and decided to call it a night.

It was a beautiful morning so we walked to the place we met Zack for breakfast. Two hours later, he was on the road and Alex and I were headed back to campus. We planned to spend a few hours holed up in the room studying together before I had to go into the Center for a couple hours and he went to the Rainbow High practice.

We were both in jeans and Michigan sweatshirts, our usual weekend attire. I carried my jacket because I was warm while Alex wore his open. Our hands were intertwined as we walked down the sidewalk.

“I’m glad we did that,” Alex said after we’d walked for a while in peaceful silence. “I figured out what you meant yesterday, about it being weird to be with him without others around. It was strange for a little bit, but it turned out really good.”

I smiled. It was great they clicked so well this morning. I didn’t need them to be best buds, but it sounded like they were going to be able to get along.

“Where’s that coming from?” Alex asked, stopping us.

“The violin?”

“Yeah. Good. You hear it, too. I worried I was starting to hear things, which is the last thing I need.”

We stood, listening. “Sounds like it’s coming from over there.” I pointed to our left. “Felch Park, maybe?”

We were quiet as we walked, taking in the music. It got louder as we approached the park, but we couldn’t see who was playing. There was no mistake it was live music because of the starts and stops. It was beautiful, and had a romantic vibe that I liked. I could imagine Mimi dancing to it. Appropriate that it was coming from this park, too, since it was in front of the performing arts center.

“I don’t recognize it,” Alex said. “Do you?”

“No. I mean it’s not a pop song that I’d recognize as an instrumental. And it’s not a classical piece I know.”

We crossed into the park and saw a lone guy, dressed warm. It looked like he had more layers on than Alex and I combined. He stood next to a light post, under the mostly bare trees. The violin was at his neck and he moved the bow over the strings as his body moved to the music. His long dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his glasses seemed like they might slip off his nose if he moved much more.

If he saw us, he was ignoring us.

“I feel like we’ve walked in on something very private,” Alex said, his voice just above a whisper as if we were in a concert hall and he didn’t want to disturb anyone else.

He was right. The violinist seemed to be sharing a very intimate moment with his instrument. It was odd finding him out here. People practiced stuff outside all the time, especially in the warmer months, but this was a lone violinist on a sunny, crisp morning when most of the campus was still asleep. Alex and I stopped, keeping our distance. We’d broadened our music tastes while we were in school, and enjoyed symphonies as much as current popular stuff. So while this seemed private, I wanted to hear it, too.

The music rose to a climax and then fell off quickly to silence. After a pause, the violinist laid his instrument in its case and pulled sheet music out of his bag. He pushed up his glasses before he scribbled notes.

I squeezed Alex’s hand and when he looked at me, I jerked my head back the way we’d come. It was a good time to retreat and leave the artist in peace. Alex nodded and we were on our way, but we were spotted before we’d taken more than a couple steps.

“Oh, sorry,” came the voice behind us, “I didn’t mean to disturb.”

We turned back. “We should be the ones apologizing,” I said. “We didn’t mean to intrude on your playing.”

“You didn’t,” he said, picking up the violin and bow. “I needed to make some notes. But I can stop.”

“I wouldn’t mind hearing it again,” Alex said as we walked towards him. “We followed the sound because it was good.”

“You liked it?” he asked, sounding unsure. He fidgeted with the violin, tuning it.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Very much,” Alex added. “I think the setting adds to it, too. Gorgeous morning, the park.”

“Exactly,” the violinist said excitedly. “I’ve been working on this in a practice room for weeks. I was headed there, but it was such a spectacular morning. Coming through here I decided I
wanted
to play it here. I study under these trees a lot, and kinda always wanted to play here, so I just went for it since no one was around.” I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Sorry, sometimes I babble.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “Any chance you’d play it for us again? So we can hear it all?”

“I gotta get ready for an audience at the end of the month. It’s due for class.” He pointed to the sheet music that was laid across the case. “So, sure, you can be my first official audience, I guess.”

“Very cool,” I said, taking a few steps back and sitting on the grass. I patted the ground for Alex to join me.

The musician looked uneasy again as he put the violin to his neck and plucked a couple strings, adjusting the tuning pegs further.

“We can go, if you’d rather practice alone,” Alex said, picking up on the apprehension. “It’s okay.”

“If I can’t do it for you guys, no way am I gonna be able to do it for twenty people I know in class. It should be easier to play for strangers, right?”

I had no idea. Luckily he didn’t wait for an answer. The first chord of the music was harsh and loud, but it quickly softened into a beautiful melody that had complex rises and falls to the tempo. It seemed like the violin was singing words in a language I simply didn’t understand. There was a story in this song, there had to be. I just didn’t know what it was.

The violinist became lost in the music. His eyes closed as he swayed to the music. Alex leaned against me, his foot moving to the rhythm. He really liked what he heard since he didn’t move to just anything.

I nudged him gently off my shoulder and motioned for him to get up. I stood first, dropped my jacket on the ground, and offered him a hand up. He looked confused but stood. Luckily he didn’t say anything because I feared the music would stop if there was a distraction. I pulled Alex close and started to slow dance us to the music as best I could since I didn’t know the song. My musicality was okay when it came to repetitive pop songs, but for this I was winging it.

Alex surrendered himself to me. Anyone else who came into the park would likely be surprised to find a violinist and two hockey players awkwardly dancing. We swayed and turned, sometimes with a bit of a flourish, to the notes that flowed from the man’s fingers. It was times like this that I wished we’d let Mimi give us the dance lessons she always offered. It’d be amazing to really move with Alex in a waltz or something lushly romantic.

The music hit the same ending climax again before silence fell over the park.

“Um, wow,” the musician said quietly as Alex and I separated. Alex’s eyes were moist. “I didn’t expect that.”

“We got caught up in the moment.”

“I only saw the end. I tend to play with my eyes closed, so I miss a lot.” He looked at the ground before he looked back to us. “It’s cool that it moved you to get up and dance.” He smiled, and even had a bit of pride in his voice.

“I’m Simon, by the way. This is my boyfriend, Alex.”

“Cooper.” As we all traded greetings, he studied Alex’s jacket. “Simon and Alex, as in captains of the hockey team? No way.” We nodded. “I didn’t know I was playing for celebrities.”

“Not hardly,” Alex said.

“Tell that to the hockey fanatics around here.”

“This morning we’re just two guys who happened to discover some beautiful music,” I said.

“I appreciate that.”

“So, we’ll go and let you get on with your practice,” Alex said. “If you ever play publicly, please let us know. Drop us an email.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup.” I grabbed my jacket off the ground.

“It was great meeting you both.”

“You, too, Cooper,” Alex said. “Hope to see you around.”

We headed out of the park as Cooper started playing the song again, although this time he stopped and started and it sounded like he made some adjustments.

“That was awesome,” Alex said. “I’m glad we made the side trip.”

“Me, too.” We walked in silence for a while. “You okay? You don’t usually tear up over music.”

“Saw that did you?” I nodded. “Just in the moment. The music, dancing with you. It was perfect and it just kinda hit me. We don’t get perfect moments like that all the time. I mean, we have a lot of great moments, but that one was exceptional. I don’t want you…”

I put a finger on his lips. “Shhhh. It was a perfect moment. You don’t have to explain any more than that.”

He smiled. “I’m glad you know what I mean even when I can’t say it right.”

“Come on,” I said. “I’m feeling cuddly. Let’s get back to the room, put on some nice music, and relax for a bit before we have to do stuff.”

We had things to do this afternoon. I knew it and so did he, but I loved that he simply nodded and took my hand as we started walking towards the dorm. There’d be time for the work later. Extending the perfect moment a little while longer was more important.

Most evenings I was at the community center doing something, but tonight I was home. It was so odd that I kept checking to make sure I wasn’t supposed to be somewhere. Alex would be home soon, too. He’d spent the afternoon in Detroit for EdgeTech meetings.

I was working away on a psych paper when the door opened. I jumped up from my desk and met him in the middle of the room. Our hug turned into a twirl as he lifted me up and spun me around.

“Um, wow,” I said as he put me down, “sweep a boy off his feet why don’t you? It’s good to see you, too.” He kept me in an embrace, and he wore a smile that threatened to stretch his face out. “So what’s got you so happy?”

“Let me show you.” He pulled his tablet from his pack and tapped it a few times before showing it to me. “This showed up in my email today, along with a conversation with my team lead.”

I read the tablet for a few moments.

Damn. This was huge.

We still had most of the semester left and he was being courted for a full-time position at EdgeTech. They were forming a new team to work on a project for GM and they not only wanted him to transfer to that team, but continue after graduation in the role of assistant engineer. The email detailed salary, which to me was an astounding amount of money, and benefits. Not to mention they’d pay for a master’s degree, too, as long as he committed to two years with them post-grad.

“Congratulations!” I said, forgetting my indoor voice. “This is incredible.”

“Right?” He asked, giddy with excitement. “Even if I don’t take it, it means they’re likely to give me an incredible recommendation if I decide to go somewhere else.”

He hugged me as I processed that last comment.

“Not take it? Why would you not take it?” I asked, eyebrow raised. It made no sense.

“Well, we haven’t talked in a while about what your plans are after graduation. I don’t want to lock us in here if there’s somewhere else you need to be. I told my boss I had to talk it over with you, and that I’d get back to him in a few days.”

“He was okay with that?”

“Of course, he said he already knew I couldn’t make a snap decision, and that I’d probably want to talk to my advisor, too, just to cover all the bases.” He released the hug and went through his usual routine of putting things away. “I didn’t admit that I hadn’t thought about the advisor part.”

“Okay, I phrased that wrong. I mean, of course we’d talk about it, it just sounded for a moment there like you didn’t want it.”

“Oh no,” he said, sitting down in his desk chair. “I want it. It’s an incredible opportunity. I’ve heard about this project for a few weeks, but I didn’t know I was being considered for it. So to be invited to the team at the start is awesome.” I took a seat on the corner of his desk. “But, I can’t commit us to this without talking to you, especially since we’re still months from graduation. I mean, you’re not even looking for anything yet, are you?”