CHAPTER SIX
Aaron spent the night tossing and turning, missing the woman behind the smell on his sheets and pillow. He got up early to clean the sex off of his skin reluctantly and work out in his building, trying to get the blood flowing through his veins. He needed to be the owner of a team today, not a distracted man. He ran hard on the treadmill, still imagining Holly in his bed and on his couch as he sped up to escape the memory that wouldn’t leave his brain.
Once he was done, Aaron showered again and pulled out his black suit to hang against the bathroom door. He pulled on his boxer briefs and a white undershirt, sliding a new white shirt over it and buttoning up carefully. His hair was tousled but with product tonight and he slipped a blue tie on to honor the team. Aaron finished buttoning up his pants and slipped the coat on as he grabbed his keys, deciding to drive tonight.
He was nervous as the doorman wished him to have a good game and was aware of the eyes on him and the voices talking about him. Aaron flashed them his traditional smile, accepting their well-wishes as he went down to the garage to get his vehicle. He drove in the crowd to the arena just a few blocks away, seeing his team’s name in lights as his heart burst with pride. They were going to kill it this year.
Parking and entering the busy hallway, Aaron looked around as everyone greeted him. The level of adrenaline was overpowering as he soaked it all in, grinning as he remembered it from before. The team was just coming back in from practice and he high-fived them as they trudged by to shower and dress for the game in two hours, getting food in that time as well.
Aaron headed to his office, pausing in front of the therapy room as he glanced inside. Holly was there, dressed in dark blue workout pants and a white tank with the team jacket draped over the chair near her. She was choosing to watch the game, ready to head back when needed and she looked focused until she glanced up and met his eyes. Heat passed through them as well as sadness and he returned the look until somebody bumped into him and made him break away from her gaze. Aaron gave her one more look before stepping out onto the ice to confer with the coaches and referees, standing to gaze over the empty ice for a long moment. He weighed the love for the game over the possibility of love as he took in the view, watching as the Zamboni moved to clean the ice.
In just a little while, this place would be filled with fans of his team as well as the Bruins, all screaming and cheering their teams. The media would be interviewing him about this first game and the changes as he waited for one glimpse of the beautiful redhead that he craved already. He’d have to hide it from the team, the coaches, his family when they came to sit in his box seats and even the woman that he was protecting.
Aaron turned to go to his office for a few moments of peace, gazing down at the therapy room once again as he wished he could go in and kiss her. Tell her hello and that he missed her last night.
Aaron settled on sending her a text once he was alone. They’d exchanged numbers listed under fake names so nobody would be suspicious at a glance. Aaron doubted that she got it as she prepared for the night and he slid his phone into his drawer and paced across the room to the window to look out again.
He headed down for more interviews, straightening his tie and jacket before he stepped out near the bench. Aaron spoke about a positive ending to this game as well as the season and told them how good he felt about the team. He knew all too well what to say to the cameras and he smiled wearily as they moved on to talk to Pat.
Aaron stayed down as the team skated onto the ice to piercing screams and cheers, watching everything reverently as Pat moved next to him to lean against the wall. “Miss it?” His voice was loud enough for Aaron to hear but for it still to remain private.
“Yeah. I do.” Aaron admitted, looking over to see Holly securing her hair in a low ponytail as she stepped out to watch the team. She was wearing the jacket and covering her up her body that he’d loved last night, and he stared at her before turning his eyes back to the ice. It was a secret if there even was anything to hide now. It was hard to tell with the way they were having to act.
The game was fast-paced and everything that the fans wanted, with the Rangers scoring two goals in the first period to loud horns and cheers throughout the room. Aaron excused himself when it ended to see how his family was, pausing in front of Holly for just a moment as the team rushed by. “I should go see if they’re all okay.” She spoke in a monotone, her eyes dull and tired.
“I missed you last night.” His words were soft as she wiped her eyes and turned to leave him standing there, while the reporters rushed him to ask what he thought about his team in the first period. He responded on auto pilot before heading up to his family, greeting his young nephews and nieces with hugs as they ran towards him babbling about the man with the sticks. Aaron moved to his sisters next, hugging them and shaking the hands of their husbands as they congratulated him again.
Last was his mother after he hugged his dad, and he held onto her a little longer than normal. “Are you okay, Aaron? You look so tired.”
“That’s all it is, Mom. It’s a big day.” He took a seat in front of the window and chatted about the game with his family, unable to stop thinking about the empty look in Holly’s eyes.
****to be continued as PART 2***