After not quite making the cut for the final roster of the 2010 Canadian Olympic hockey team, you were ecstatic to hear that Dan had made the 2014 team. You and Dan had been together for almost six years and you were so proud to see him represent his country at the Olympics. And by ‘his country,’ that is of course referring to Canada, because your country and the country you planned on cheering for was always going to be your homeland of the United States of America. (Except for hockey of course, you got to stay with your Dan on that one). When you mentioned this to Dan, he smiled, that confident yet sweet smile you loved so much, and asked if you remembered the first time you met.
“Of course, Dan, I’ll never forget that day; it changed my life,” you smiled back at him, recalling the time you first crossed the Canadian border from the small town in Washington you had grown up in. It was your first time visiting Canada, your first time to the big city, and your first NHL hockey game. You and a few friends were going out to celebrate graduating from college and wanted to have a fun night. You started by getting all dressed up and getting dinner somewhere you’d never dreamed of going, but tonight was special. After dinner, you walked to Rogers Arena to watch the Canucks play the Nashville Predators. Growing up so close to Vancouver, you of course supported the Canucks, but you really didn’t know too much about the other team. After your team won (3-1) you and your friends hit the bars, hoping to run into some hockey players.
Not really interested in getting too drunk and hooking up with a stranger, you offered to be the designated driver. As you sat at the bar, waiting to pick up another round of drinks for your friends, someone sat down next to you. You tried to ignore him (and his rugged good looks) but he kept staring at you. Not in a creepy kind of way, but in the sense that he wanted to ask you something. You gave him a polite smile and turned back to the bartender to watch him pour your friends’ appletini’s or whatever girly drinks they’d ordered.
He took a deep breath, like he was working up the courage to say something, when he finally said: “I’m sorry, I don’t say this very often, but you look beautiful tonight.” You blushed and tried to think of something witty to respond with.
“I look beautiful tonight?” You asked him skeptically, and you could tell he was backpedaling. “I’m sure you look beautiful every night, I’m sorry. I just meant you look different from all the girls here,” and he smiled that wonderful smile you would eventually fall in love with. “And different in a good way, like you didn’t come here to meet some hockey player, like many of the girls here,” he glanced at a few of the girls sitting near you and you laughed, agreeing with him.
“No, I’m just here with some friends, I’m not trying to meet anyone,” you responded, trying not too get distracted by his eyes.
“Really? So if I asked for your name, or even your number, you probably wouldn’t give it to me?” He asked with a mysterious smile.
You shrug, “I’ll give you my name, and maybe I’ll give you my number, that depends.”
“I’m Dan,” he extended his hand and you took it. “(Y/N),” you replied, shaking his hand, taking note of how firm his grip was (but not too strong). “I’d offer to buy you a drink, but it looks like you aren’t drinking tonight.”
“No, I’m driving, but thank you,” you responded politely, and searched through your purse for a pen. “I’ve never done this before, but here’s my number,” you said as you wrote your number on a napkin and slid it over to him. “Will I actually be hearing from you?”
He smiled, “Sure, why wouldn’t I call a pretty girl like you? However,” he paused and tried to think of the best way to explain that he was a professional hockey player who played for a team over a thousand miles away. “I’m going to be out of the country for a while, but I spend my summers around here, so I’ll be back in a few weeks.”
Not expecting to hear from him, you were shocked when you got a text from him the next night. And things kind of went from there, so to speak. He’d text you cute things and you found yourself counting down the days until he was back in Vancouver for the summer. That was the best summer of your life, and when you found out a year later that Dan was being traded to the Canucks, you thought you couldn’t be happier. And now, six years later, you haven’t thought twice about what might have happened if you hadn’t given that stranger in a bar your number.
-Lila
