Romance Trading Ice

Even though it didn't come as a complete shock, Max Tournet still found it hard to take when the GM of his team announced that he was being traded. It wasn't that he was a terrible player or no longer contributing. It had more to do with the dollars and cents and they just couldn't afford to keep Max any longer. At least the team he was headed for was in another division so he wouldn't be facing his old teammates right away.

Before leaving town, Sean and the other guys threw him a huge going away party at Sean's house. Quite a feat considering how fast trades came up and were followed through on. Sean's new wife, Amelia, a good friend to Max in her own right, was in tears by the end of the night.

"I just can't believe you're leaving," she sobbed, throwing her arms around Max.

He laughed to cover his own misty eyes. He knew that Amelia meant it even if she was being a touch overdramatic at the moment; that was because it was her first time drinking since giving birth to her son, Sean Jr.

"I know, Lia." Max patted her back. "But it's a good thing."

She jerked back and glared at him, tears streaking her cheeks. "How can you say that?"

"Well, the team here can get the guys they need and I get the chance to see a new city." He'd said the words to himself so many times before that he was almost starting to believe them.

Amelia tried to maintain her glare, but her lower lip began to tremble. She let out a sob and buried her face against Max's chest. With a sigh, he continued to pat her back until he met Sean's curious gaze over her head.

"Get over here, Kid." Max waved a hand at his former captain.

Sean strode across the room and smiled as he took in the sight of his wife hanging from Max's arms. "Your last night here and you're still hitting on my wife?"

A renewed sob burst forth from Amelia and both the men laughed.

"You've got to do something, man." Max tried to extract himself from Amelia's grip. "I love her but I just can't deal with this."

Sean held his arms out and closed them around Amelia as Max turned her to her husband. She cried into Sean's shoulder as Max met Sean's gaze. Sean nodded and blinked a few times before turning away with his wife in tow.

With a sigh, Max walked out onto the back deck for a few minutes of fresh air. Inside the house, the music pulsed and loud laughter filtered outside. He was having a good time with his teammates and friends but it made it that much more difficult to think of leaving them. His flight for Calgary left the next day and the day after that, he'd be skating in practice with the Flames.

At least I'll be playing for a Canadian team, he thought, knowing it was small consolation for leaving his closest friends and companions from the past four years. They'd been through a lot and succeeded where no one had expected them to less than a year ago in the finals.

"Max!" someone called out from the house. "Get in here!"

Pasting a smile on his face, he turned and walked inside to party one last time with his friends.

Oh man, another boring day at the coffee house, Mary Anderson thought to herself as she leaned against the counter. With a sigh she propped her elbow on the counter and rested her chin in her hand, staring out at the empty tables.

It was a small coffee shop near the downtown core of the city but it was still painfully obvious that their business had dropped in the past couple of weeks. She didn't know if it was because of the economy or not but she wished it would pick up. These slow days were very long days and she could think of a million things she'd rather be doing.

"Couldn't you be cleaning something, Mary?" Pete, her manager, asked as he passed by with some coin rolls for the cash register.

She scowled at his back but retrieved a cloth from the sink. She walked out into the dining area and began to wipe the surfaces of the already pristine tables.

Nothing exciting ever happens here, she thought as she absent-mindedly wiped a table down near the window.

Things had once been busy and exciting in Beans & Steam. The Flames used to come in all the time, before and after practices and before games, since the shop was just a few blocks away from the Saddledome. Mary had enjoyed getting to know some of the players and had even managed to score tickets one day from a player who was now no longer with the team. Now they rarely saw the hockey players. Mary guessed that it was because they were afraid of the ridicule since the team hadn't been doing so well of late. Flames fans were passionate; passionately supportive and passionately hard on them.

Maybe the new guy will help with that. Mary recalled the press conference yesterday to welcome the new player from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He wasn't a heavy shooter or a high goal scorer but he was affectionately referred to as a grinder; he gets the job done when it matters. And he was damn good at it. Everyone knew he'd been the star of the Stanley Cup final last year when it had counted.

A sudden blast of cold air brought her out of her silent contemplation and she shivered as she straightened. She turned her head to smile at the newcomer, grateful that there was some business at last.

"Oh, hey, Rebecca," Mary greeted her friend and co-worker.

"Hi!" Rebecca brushed the snow from her long black hair. "God, I just love this snow, don't you?"

Mary snorted and turned away, focusing her attention on the next table. From behind her, Rebecca laughed before crossing the shop to deposit her belongings in the office.

"Good morning, Pete!" Rebecca called out in a sunny voice and Mary couldn't quite hear the grumpy manager's grumbled response. Rebecca laughed at whatever it was he said.

Mary loved her friend but on occasion, her perpetually mood was grating. It didn't help that she was a classic beauty with long, silky dark hair that fell in perfect waves over her shoulders. Her eyes always sparkled sapphire blue and her full lips were often split in a brilliant grin. She was average height, a good five inches taller than Mary's five-foot- nothing stature, and it seemed like her legs went on for eternity. She was slender and voluptuous all at once, and some days Mary hated her for it. Then Rebecca would smile, or tell a joke, and Mary would forget about her envy. She would again feel somewhat content with her shorter, chubbier figure and her mousy brown hair and she would remember what a great friend Rebecca was.

"You need help out there, Mary?" Rebecca reappeared behind the counter as she tied her red apron around her middle.

"No, I've got it under control." Mary waved the cloth in her hand.

"How was your class last night?"

"It was fine." Mary shrugged as she moved closer to the counter. "We went over character development and Mr. Samuels made us come up with a profile in ten minutes that we had to present to the class."

"Oh, sounds exciting." Rebecca faced Mary with dancing eyes. "Who was yours?"

Mary laughed at her enthusiasm. It was one of the reasons she loved Rebecca. She was always so genuine. It was hard not to like her.

"I came up with Horace, a dock worker in the fifties," Mary replied, wiping her side of the counter with her cloth.

"Horace? What kind of a name is that?"

Mary laughed again and flicked her cloth at Rebecca. "It's a name that fit the era and his background."

Straightening, Rebecca grinned at her. "Let me guess; Horace is from Eastern Canada, has a penchant for playing hockey and is also a tortured soul waiting for the right woman to heal him."

Mary flushed and looked away, disappointed that she was so transparent. Rebecca reached out and clapped her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mary. I've never told anyone else about your dream guy."

"Horace is a figment of my imagination."

"Exactly." Rebecca fixed her with a firm look, her mouth quirking at the corner on a repressed smile. "Maybe it's time you forget about the guy who jilted you three years ago and move on."

"He didn't jilt me," Mary mumbled but moved away from the counter to wipe down more clean tables.

Thankfully Rebecca left her alone and Mary was left to dwell on her past in solitude. She knew that Rebecca was right, that she needed to put it all behind her. Mary just couldn't seem to let go.

Braden had been new in town three years ago and Mary had liked him right away when he'd started working at Beans & Steam. They'd become fast friends and when he'd pressed for more, Mary had been over the moon. No other man had shown so much interest in her. She'd had few boyfriends in her twenty-four years and Braden had been so exotic and exciting that she'd been too flattered to notice anything was wrong.

When he'd left to return to his hometown, and a fiance he'd never told her about, she'd been broken-hearted. It had hurt so much that she'd never even allowed herself to look at another man the same way since. She clung to the hope that Braden was taking care of things before returning to apologize and beg for her forgiveness. She'd even been foolish enough to confess this wild and ridiculous hope to Rebecca. Her friend had made it her mission to make Mary forget about Braden, but in two and a half years, she'd yet to succeed.

Mary stopped near the door and stared out at the falling snow, watching it twist and lift with each passing breeze. She wondered if she'd ever find another guy who was as attractive to her as Braden had been. Someone who made her feel like he had, however false it had turned out to be.

"You've got to find someone local, Mary." she heard Rebecca's voice echo in her mind. "That way you won't have as far to travel to make him pay for hurting you." At the time, her friend's words had made them both laugh.

Now, Mary wondered if she'd ever have the courage to fall again.

Max loved the bracing cold of his new city. He strolled down the street away from his second practice at the Saddledome and grinned when he pulled the collar of his heavy jacket up. He loved the air sweeping down from the mountains and he loved the snow that drifted into piles along fences and roadways.

Sure, it could get cold in Pittsburgh, but not like this. And the one thing other cities he'd played didn't have were the Chinooks: intense winds that blew through this part of the world in the dead of winter, raising the temperature to daily averages that the city normally only sees in the spring. They made the cold snaps that much more bearable.

He paused at a street light, waiting for it to change, and looked around, taking in the nearby sites. There were a few shops in this part of the city, some bars and restaurants that looked quiet at the moment. Then he spotted a coffee shop called Beans & Steam across the street.

Changing direction, he crossed the street and hurried the last few feet to the door. As he stepped inside, the smell of espresso hit him in the face and he paused with his hand on the door, taking a deep breath.

"Holy crap, that's freaking cold!" someone exclaimed and he glanced over to see a short woman standing by the window.

"Oh, sorry." He stepped inside, letting the door fall shut behind him and grinned at the woman. "I didn't mean to let all the warm air out."

"Holy shit." Her bright hazel eyes widened. "You're Max Tournet!"

He laughed at her shell-shocked expression. It was his first recognition since arriving in Calgary.

"Yes." He leaned close, looking at her name tag. "And you're Mary."

"I can't believe you're here."

"Sometimes, neither can I."

"Mary," a feminine voice called from the counter. "Stop harassing the customers and let him get a drink."

Mary blushed crimson and looked away. "Sorry. Go ahead and order a coffee. I didn't mean to keep you."

"No worries," he assured her but moved towards the counter anyway, taking in the dark-haired beauty standing there.

The shorter woman hurried behind the counter and she started to grind the beans for his drink. He watched her work with a smile, enjoying the stardom, however brief it might be.

"Are you a hockey fan, then?" he asked as she steamed the milk.

"Oh, yes." The taller woman leaned her hip against the counter and smiled at him. "Mary here has got to be the biggest fan in Calgary. She hasn't stopped talking about some new player coming to town for days!"

Max chuckled and winked at Mary who only blushed. "Oh? Some new player, eh? Is he good-looking or something?"

Mary laughed and swore as she just about dropped the milk.

"Mary! You're going to make a mess." She sent an apologetic smile in Max's direction and he smiled back.

Mary stood aside with a frown as the taller woman took over for her. Mary was cute, with messy brown hair pulled into a ponytail and a petite, curvy figure. Max leaned against the counter and crooked a finger at her, beckoning her closer.

"I'm guessing she's not into hockey?" he asked in a quiet tone, nodding his head in the other woman's direction.

Mary fought to hold back a smile and lost. Max grinned back at her, glad to have found a fan so soon after his move.

He straightened and placed his palms on the counter. "Are you a Flames fan?"

"Oh yeah," Mary replied. "Born and raised here so I had no choice."

"Do you go to games?"

"Whenever I can. I don't make enough money to afford a lot. Plus, I'm taking a couple night courses at Mount Royal College."

"You're still in school?" Max was surprised. "You look too mature for that."

Mary laughed and shook her head. "Whatever. I'm not young, if that's what you were wondering."

"Neither am I."

"You're only twenty-six!" she blurted and then gaped at him. "Oh God."

His eyebrows went up and he laughed. "You do know your stats, don't you?"

She shook her head, her cheeks coloring.

"I bet you know more about me than I do, right?"

Still, she wouldn't respond. She hid her face behind her hands and shook her head. Her co-worker saved her from further embarrassment by handing him his finished drink.

"There you are, sir," she said with a broad smile.

"Thank you. I wish I could stay and chat more, but I have to go see someone about a house. I'll be back soon."

"We'd be happy to see you back," the taller woman said.

"Oh yeah," Mary added under her breath and flushed when she met Max's gaze.

He turned to go. He paused at the doorway and turned back to see the taller woman looking curiously after him before glancing down to her co-worker. Mary was already walking away from the counter, shaking her head, her cheeks still pink.

Grinning, Max pushed open the door and headed back out to the blustery day.

Max had been telling the truth about going to look at a house. He'd been staying at a hotel since the trade and wanted a more permanent residence. If he was lucky, he'd be staying for a while, so he looked for something to purchase instead of rent.

After deciding on a house in one day, he was on the road with the team for three games. They did well, winning one in regulation, one in overtime and losing the third in overtime. He gelled well with the team and they were a good bunch of guys. He wasn't feeling so sad anymore about the move and was looking forward to heading to his new place in Calgary following the road trip.

After a morning, game-day practice, he recalled the little coffee shop a few blocks from the Saddledome. He hurried down the street, heading for where he thought it was. He wasn't familiar with the city just yet, but he was learning. Then he spotted the Beans & Steam sign across the street and hurried over.

The smell of caffeine washed over him and he smiled as he inhaled. Looking around, he spotted a few people seated at tables talking in low tones or reading newspapers. It was busier this morning than when he'd last been in and he remembered that it was a Saturday.

As he went over to stand in line, he looked for Mary, wondering if she was working. He had a couple tickets for the game in his pocket that he'd been given for friends or family. Even though he'd just met the woman, he knew Mary would appreciate the gift. She was the closest thing he had to a friend right now in this strange new city.

"Hi there." The woman behind the counter was the same one who'd been working with Mary last time. "I was wondering when we were going to see you again."

He grinned at her. "I was out of town for a few days. I promise, this is the first chance I've had to come back."

She laughed, the sound throaty and rich and Max felt himself leaning forward in spite of himself. She was very pretty. He took note of her name on her name tag; Rebecca.

"What can I get for you?" she asked.

Max ordered a drink and as he handed his cash over, he glanced around. "Can I ask you something? Is that other girl, Mary, working today?"

Rebecca nodded as she counted his change. "She starts in a couple hours."

"Oh." He was disappointed that he wouldn't see her. Still, he could ask Rebecca to give the tickets to Mary. "I've got some tickets to tonight's hockey game and I thought she might like to have them."

"You're kidding!" Rebecca laughed. "Mary will love you forever!"

Max laughed with her and was inordinately pleased to hear her say that. "So will you give them to her?"

"Yes, I will. I'll even cover her shift so she can go."

"That's awfully nice of you." He reached into his jacket to pull out the tickets.

"I would never be able to live with myself if Mary had a chance to see a game and couldn't go," Rebecca replied and Max believed her.

"She's lucky to have a friend like you."

Rebecca grinned, pleased with the compliment. "I'm lucky to have her as a friend too, believe me. She's great."

"Well, thanks for doing this and I'll see you next time." Max waved as he walked off with his drink.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! OHMYGOD!" Mary clutched the precious tickets to her chest. "I can't believe this!"

Rebecca laughed and reached out to tug her hands. "Careful, Mary. You'll rip the tickets and not be able to go at all."

Mary loosened her grip and stared at the tickets. She couldn't believe her day was taking this incredible turn. She'd woken up feeling stuffy and watery-eyed. She'd then endured a hellish transit commute to work, ending up soaked by a passing car on her walk from the nearby train station. After grousing to Rebecca and toweling herself off in the staff room, her friend had presented her with two tickets -- two awesome tickets! -- to that night's hockey game.

"Do you have any idea how amazing these seats are?" She read the words over and over. "They're playing Edmonton tonight, which is always a fantastic game." God, how she loved the good old 'Battle of Alberta.'

Rebecca just smiled and shrugged, clueless about how wonderful it was, other than that it made her friend happy. "Well, I told that guy that you'd be super excited."

"What guy?" Mary tore her gaze away from the tickets.

"That one who was in last week during that blizzard." Rebecca led the way out of the staff room.

Mary tucked her precious gift into her pocket and followed her friend as she tied her hair up into a semi-presentable ponytail.

"He was kind of cute, a little scruffy." Rebecca wrinkled her nose at the memory. She didn't like guys who didn't shave smooth every day.

"Max Tournet?" Mary scoffed. "No way." No way had the newest addition to the Calgary Flames stopped in at Beans & Steam just to give her hockey tickets. He was a superstar, for crying out loud. Why would he care if she came to a game?

She recalled his smile and twinkling eyes from that first visit and felt her stomach give an involuntary flip. She'd always thought he was one of the more attractive players, even with the Grizzly Adams playoff beard he'd sported last year.

"Was that his name?" Rebecca picked up a cloth and began to wipe the counter down.

"Max," Mary repeated. "Yes, that was him. He was here? When?"

"Just this morning, about two hours ago." Rebecca turned to face her with a grin. "He was disappointed that you weren't here."

Mary snorted. "Yeah, right. I bet he was just disappointed that his stalker fan wasn't here to moon over him."

"Fan? Why are you his fan?"

Sighing, Mary moved past Rebecca to pick up a cloth. "Honestly, Rebecca. I can't believe you know so little about hockey."

"Is he a hockey player?" Rebecca laughed. "No wonder you were acting so weird when he first came in."

Mary nodded, feeling heat creep up her neck again at the mere memory. She'd felt like an idiot that day, stammering at him and then blurting out his age like she was his best friend or something. With a sigh, she pushed it from her mind and vowed to thank him whenever she saw him again.

"So who are you going to take to the game?" Rebecca asked.

"I'll just call John and see if he's free." Mary's older brother, John, was almost as big a fan as she was, and wasn't one to turn down a free game.

"Well, you'll have to come right back here afterwards and tell me all about it."

Mary laughed at her. "It's a game, Rebecca. Not a social call. You're hopeless."

Rebecca just gave her a smile and a raised eyebrow. "Mary, darling. You are the hopeless one."

"Why?"

"This guy came all the way to this shop--"

"We're three blocks from the Saddledome, where he works," Mary interrupted.

Rebecca carried on as if she hadn't said a word. "--Just to give you those tickets. And you didn't see his face when I told him you weren't here."

Rolling her eyes, Mary turned away. "It must have been a look of relief that he had the chance to talk to you instead of me."

"Mary, that's not true."

"Rebecca, it's fine. I'm so happy that I have these tickets and I love you so much for taking the last half of my shift so I can go. You don't need to worry about me."

"You're my friend. I worry about my friends whether they need me to or not."

Tears pricked behind Mary's eyelids and she turned to give Rebecca a quick hug, grateful to have such a friend. The taller woman hugged her back with a laugh and they returned to their work.

John was excited to see the game when he showed up at Beans & Steam to meet her. He and Mary hurried down the street towards the Saddledome and John quizzed her about how she got the tickets.

"Just one of the regulars," she lied, not sure why she did. "He has season tickets and couldn't go tonight so he gave them to me."

"You get the best tips, Mary." John gave her shoulders a squeeze.

She laughed with him and they continued on their way, blending with the rest of the crowd heading into the arena.

The game was fantastic. Their seats were in the lower bowl, on one of the corners where they could see everything happening on the ice. The Flames played with a passion that Mary hadn't seen in months. They won and Mary was hoarse by the time she and her brother made their way through the crowds leaving three hours later.

"That was awesome. Thanks for taking me." John gave his sister a hug before heading home on the train.

Mary continued on her way to Beans & Steam and greeted her friend with an elated grin as she walked in from the cold.

"How was it?" Rebecca asked, all but bouncing up and down on the spot.

Mary let out a happy sigh. "It was amazing. I can't thank you enough for working so I could go."

"It's no problem. There was nothing going on here. I've just been reading a magazine." Rebecca held up the evidence.

Mary's eyebrows lifted. "Pete's OK with that?"

"Oh, he left hours ago when Moe showed up."

"Where's Moe?"

"Asleep in the staff room. He said to wake him if it gets busy."

"Well, the Flames won so we might get a few people in." Mary removed her heavy winter coat and stowed it in the office.

"Cool."

When Mary strode out from the office, Rebecca was perched on the edge of the counter, flipping through the magazine.

"Rebecca, I don't think I've ever seen you look so casual." Mary laughed as she walked past her friend to straighten the cup stacks. Then she grabbed a cloth and bottle of cleaner before walking out to clean the tables off.

"So..." Rebecca's sing-song voice carried through the empty place towards her. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"What do you mean?" Mary rubbed at a sticky spot on one table.

"At the game." Rebecca's tone was exasperated. "What happened?"

Mary gave her a bemused look. "You mean, aside from grown men chucking each other into wooden panels in between skating and flicking long sticks at a frozen piece of rubber?"

Rebecca wrinkled her nose. "Is that what hockey is?"

Mary laughed and shook her head. "Only you wouldn't know that, Rebecca."

"Well, I think I understand the technical side but when you put it like that, I don't understand what the appeal is."

Mary shrugged and turned back to cleaning the tables. "Besides the game, nothing happened. Just like I told you nothing would happen."

Rebecca made an annoyed sound and dropped the magazine on the counter. "I still think you're the hopeless one, Mary. How am I ever going to get you hooked up with a guy when you won't even try?"

"Try what?" Mary replied around a laugh. "He was busy, Rebecca, playing a hockey game!"

"There must have been something you could have done."

"Short of streaking naked across the ice, I doubt it." Mary looked over to see Rebecca giving her a considering look. "Not going to happen! Ever!"

Another moment passed and then they both burst out laughing. Rebecca came out from behind the counter and together they organized the tables and chairs, wiping everything down as they went along. They moved behind the counter just as a few people came in the front door. They were boisterous and in good moods, ordering hot drinks all around. They sat down and more people came in, these ones wearing Flames jerseys.

For a short while, the little shop was bustling. Rebecca even had to go and wake up Moe to help. By the time the rush was over, it was close to midnight and Mary was exhausted. It had been such an eventful day. She was going to sleep well tonight.

"That was a great game," the captain, Jason, said to Max as they changed in the locker room.

Max nodded in agreement and pulled a shirt over his head. "I had a great time out there."

The guy on his right, Craig, nudged him with his shoulder. "You did a good job, man."

"Thanks." All the guys had said the same basic thing to him since the game had ended. He hadn't scored but he'd been a key player in some major plays and in the end, the Flames had come out on top. Before the trade, he'd had no idea what the rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton was like. Now that he'd lived through his first Battle of Alberta, he could hardly wait for their next opportunity.

"What did you used to do after a win?" someone else asked from across the room.

Max shrugged and leaned down to pull his fresh socks on. "It depends. If I was on the road, probably just go back to the hotel. At home, maybe go to a bar, or coffee shop."

"Hey, we should go to Beans & Steam!" Dion suggested.

Max leaned forward to look at him. "I know that place!"

"Have you? Isn't it great? We used to go there all the time."

"Why not now?" Max asked.

"No real reason," Craig said. "Just got out of the habit, I guess. Man, now that I think about it, I really miss the place."

"There's the hottest chick working in there," someone else spoke up and several of the guys laughed. "I used to go just to see her!"

Max's mind flicked to the women he'd met and he was curious which one his teammate was talking about. Rebecca was the obvious beauty but he'd found Mary more appealing.

"I always liked Mary." Craig bent to lace up his shoes. "She's funny."

Max grinned and found himself nodding in agreement. He wanted to talk to her again and see if she was just as fun without being surprised to meet him.

"Yeah, too bad she can't come to more games," Dion added. "I know how much she loves to be there."

"Well, let's go now," Max said as a silence fell. "I could use a coffee and it's just down the street."

A few of the guys agreed to go and they headed off together, walking through the brisk night towards the small coffee shop. They chatted and laughed, answering the whistles and waves of a few fans across the street. They reached Beans & Steam and Max paused when he saw Mary sitting near the window, holding her head in her hand. He wondered if she'd been working all night, unable to get away to the game.

"There's Mary!" Craig knocked on the glass.

She jumped up, startled, and looked out the window. When she took in all their faces, hers relaxed into a grin and she darted over to the door to open it for them.

"Hey!" she exclaimed as they came in from the cold. "I wasn't expecting to see you guys here after that win!"

"Where else would we go?" Craig asked with a smile. "All the young guys go to the bars, but us senior citizens like to take it easy."

"Oh please." Mary rolled her eyes and laughed.

Max stopped just inside the door as it swung shut and grinned down at her. "Hello again."

"Oh jeez." She flushed under his gaze. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate the tickets you left for me."

"Don't worry about it, Mary." He waved a hand at her. "I had the tickets and you love going to games, so it's nothing."

"It was something," she insisted. "I hardly ever go to games and those seats were unbelievable."

"I'm glad you got them. You went to the game then?"

"Oh yes. Rebecca covered my shift so I could go." Mary glanced over at the counter where her friend was taking orders from the other guys. "I owe her too."

"You don't owe me anything," Max said but she was already darting away.

"Coffee is on the house for all of you!" Mary announced as she hurried behind the counter.

The guys cheered and Rebecca turned to gape at her friend.

"It's the least I can do," Mary said.

"Wow, we need to win more games," someone commented and they all laughed.

"Mary was so excited to go to the game," Rebecca spoke up as she marked more cups for their orders.

"Mary, you were there?" Craig asked and moved down the counter to where Mary had started to grind some beans.

Mary looked up with a grin. "Yes, Max gave me tickets."

Max felt the weight of all his teammates' gazes turn to him and he grinned in return.

Dion smirked. "Well, that's awfully generous, Max."

Max shrugged it off, knowing his teammate was just trying to get a rise out of him. So far, no one had made him do anything but laugh. He never took himself seriously enough to rise to their jabs.

"It was." Mary said, slid the first coffee across the counter. "That's why buying coffee for you all is the least I can do."

As the others moved away from the counter with their drinks, Max lingered, watching Mary move around. She was cute, maybe five feet tall with wavy light brown hair that fell to just past her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright hazel color, rimmed with a thick fringe of lashes. She wasn't exactly petite but she carried herself with assurance, as though she knew herself, and knew herself well.

"You don't owe me anything, Mary," Max repeated in a quiet tone.

She met his gaze and shook her head. "You have no idea how much it meant to me to go. I owe you much more than a simple coffee, Max."

Max grinned. "All right, then you can work it off."

She let out a nervous laugh as she poured his drink into a cup. "Oh really? And what kind of work did you have in mind?"

The images and suggestions that bombarded Max's mind suddenly were beyond graphic and he had to look away as he cleared his throat.

Where the hell did all that come from? He smiled at Mary who was watching him with a curious look on her face.

"Nothing terrible." He smiled. "I don't know anyone here and I don't know the area."

"So you want me to be your tour guide?"

"I was thinking more that I'd like a friend." Max realized as he said it that he really did miss his friends and family. Not just his teammates but his friends, the guys and girls he used to call up at any hour for a chat. He liked his new teammates but they were a long way from being close enough to be able to do that.

"You want me to be your friend?" Mary sounded unsure.

Max grinned. "Yeah. Sad as that sounds, I'd like to have a friend here."

"And you want me?"

Several of the same images from a moment ago flashed through his mind again and he shifted on his feet. "Yes."

She stared at him, looking back and forth between his eyes, probably trying to figure out if he was pulling her leg.

"Max, leave Mary alone and come sit down," Craig called.

Max did as his teammate asked and walked over to join them at their table. For the next little while they talked, laughed and told jokes. Mary and Rebecca were dragged into their conversation but laughed along with them all.

After an hour or so, the guys decided they'd had enough and stood to leave. They called their 'good-byes' to the girls, who waved back. Before leaving, Max hurried to the counter to speak to Mary.

"If you're going to be my friend, I should get your number." He spoke in a low tone, like he was sharing a secret.

Mary laughed and then covered her mouth with one hand. Her eyes danced at him and he grinned.

"You have got to be kidding me," Rebecca spoke up.

They both turned to look at the other woman who was grinning. She met Mary's eyes and winked. "If you don't give him your number, I'll give it to him."

Mary relented and jotted her number down on a coffee cup warmer. He tucked it in his pocket before following his teammates out the door. He couldn't quite figure out why he felt like he'd just won something better than a game.

Mary never expected to hear from Max. She'd only given him her phone number because she knew Rebecca meant what she'd said about giving it to him anyway. She passed her time as she always did, working and going to her evening classes at Mount Royal. A whole week passed before she even saw another member of the team in the coffee shop again.

Another week passed and she was growing tired of Rebecca's inquiries. She just kept telling her friend, and herself, that he was busy with practice and games. The final push before playoffs was on and the Flames were back in a position to make the post season.

"I don't think he's ever going to call, if you want the truth," Mary said to Rebecca on the phone one evening as she took a break from studying.

"Mary, don't be stupid," Rebecca replied. "He was obviously into you."

"All he did was ask to be friends, Rebecca." Mary slapped her textbook closed. She was getting nothing done while she watched the highlights from the Flames' game the previous night anyway. "There didn't seem to be any other meaning behind that."

Rebecca disagreed. Eventually Mary managed to get her off the phone and she began to get ready for bed. It was her one night a week that she had to herself and she always enjoyed wrapping up in bed with a good novel.

Though disappointed to have not seen Max in the past two weeks, she wasn't wholly surprised. So when her phone rang just as she was changing into her pajamas, she was shocked to hear Max's voice on the other end.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked.

Mary laughed. "Like what? It's nine o'clock. If I was doing anything at all, I wouldn't have answered the phone."

"Well, that's good. Not that you're not doing anything, but that I'm not interrupting.

Mary laughed again and sat down on the edge of her bed. "You guys had another awesome game last night."

"Yeah, we did." Max sounded tired but happy. "I can't believe how well it's all going."

"I think it's been great since you joined the team."

"You're just saying that because I gave you tickets."

"Am I that obvious?"

Max laughed and the sound sent a strange shiver through her.

"So, to what do I owe this honor?" she asked.

"Well, we're back in town now and I've got the day off tomorrow. Do you want to do something?"

"Could you be any more vague?"

He chuckled. "I could try. Are you busy?"

"I have to work for four hours in the morning, but then I don't have anything planned."

"Great. I'll come by the coffee shop when you're done and you can take me sight-seeing."

"'Sight-seeing?'" Mary echoed. "What do you want to see? There are a ton of different places I could take you."

"Oh yeah? How about we start downtown and work our way out?"

Mary laughed. "In one afternoon? You're crazy."

"Yes! And it's only taken you this long to figure it out."
​