Leo

I knew that Bob Pankowski was getting released from the hospital this week, so I figured I should drop by and see him one last time. It was bound to be unpleasant, but it was the right thing to do.

I got to Vancouver General Hospital and waited at the bottom of the elevator bank. Prominent dispensers encouraged everyone to sanitize their hands, so I did that and moved closer to two young women who were talking angrily. Hospitals were full of emotion and much of it was on display in the hallways and waiting rooms.

“I don’t see why it’s my responsibility,” the taller woman declared. “Lucy, why can’t you take him?”

“Because I’ve got Grady, and Mom comes over to babysit every week. He’s not going to want to be in the same room as she is.”

“Maybe he could babysit....”

They both snorted at that idea. The elevator opened and we all got in. They continued talking in low tones.

“After the way he treated us, he’s lucky we’re even talking to him.”

“Come on, it’s not that bad. He was there in the beginning.”

Lucy snorted. “Only because Mom was covering for him. Did he ever make one of our events? He missed all my birthdays, and he barely made it for Christmas.”

“You sound like a child. Have you been saving up your grievances all these years? Dad can’t live alone now.”

“He has insurance. He can move into an assisted living place or something.”

The elevator dinged, and we all got out on the tenth floor. The two women stayed near the elevators and continued to argue. I made my way to Panner’s room.

“Oh. It’s you,” he said unenthusiastically. I was surprised to see two of the players in the room: Marty Devonshire and Rico Aleppo. They rose as soon as I entered.

“Hey, Coach,” they said to me in unison.

Lepper turned back to the bed. “Er, well, Coach Panner, I guess we’ll be going now. Take care of yourself.”

Devo stood and patted the older man on the shoulder. “My grandfather had a heart attack, and he was back to work on the farm in a couple of months.”

“Thanks, doctor. I’ll keep that in mind,” Bob replied sarcastically. Then he softened a little. “Good of you two to come by.”

The two of them left. I sat down in one of the still-warm chairs.

“Have a lot of the players been coming to see you?” I asked.

“Naw, and that’s the way I prefer it. If you’re friends with those guys, you can’t coach ’em.”

“Well, we’ve been on the road,” I explained. I should have reminded more of the guys to stop by. Too late now. There were reasons why some guys were revered and others were not.

Bob scowled at me. “Have you got the team on a winning streak?”

“Are you allowed to talk about hockey now?”

He sniffed. “I’m leaving the hospital soon, so I better be able to handle a little hockey talk. Besides, how can you avoid hearing about hockey?” He motioned to the TV, which was tuned to a muted sports channel.

“We lost our games to Texas and San Antonio,” I replied. A coaching change wasn’t going to make a difference in a few weeks. The new season was when you could really measure what effects I was having.

The expression on his face showed me that he already knew exactly how the team had been doing.

“Not as easy as you thought, eh, Hot Shot?” he asked.

I smiled. “Nope. So, I understand you’re getting released from the hospital soon. What are your plans?”

“Well, I’ve got to take it easy for now. But once I’m healthy again, we’ll see. I’ve been talking to management about what’s next.”

Amanda had been advocating for Bob to get a role in the team’s organization. The likeliest spot would be scouting or some position he could work on his own. Frankly, nobody on the team wanted anything to do with him, but she was insistent that the Vice should look after everyone in “the family.”

The two women from the elevator walked in. Their eyes swept over me, but they didn’t recognize me as the witness to their heated discussion.

“Hey, Dad,” the taller one said. “How are you feeling today?”

“Better. Ready to get out of here,” he grumbled. “Leo, these are my daughters, Lucy and Claire.”

I nodded at them. Maybe Bob was still on painkillers, but the tension in the room was obvious even to an outsider like me. I’d distanced myself from Bob, from his crappy coaching practices and his unfortunate medical situation. But now all I felt was pity. His daughters might be willing to do their duty and look after him temporarily, but nobody in the world really cared about him. Did he know that?

I left the hospital feeling unsettled. I pulled out my phone, and there was a reminder about a date with Jackie. She didn’t have the kids tonight, and she had offered to cook me dinner. That was an offer I wasn’t going to turn down.

I called her. “Hey, I’m heading over now. Sorry, I’m a little late.”

“No problem. I heard there’s an accident on the Second Narrows Bridge. You might want to change your route.”

“I’m not at the rink. I’m at the hospital, so I’ll take the Lions’ Gate anyway.”

“Oh, are you okay?”

“Yeah, just visiting our former coach.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll see you when I see you.” I liked Jackie’s casualness. Although she got unnecessarily nervous about certain things—like sex—in general, she was pretty relaxed.

As I drove to Jackie’s place, I tried to roll away the low-grade tension in my shoulders. Seeing Pankowski and his daughters had triggered something in me, something dark and distracting. It was important to stay focused on things I could control. When Sophie and I split up, it had been the worst time in my career. I made unnecessary mistakes because I spent too much time wondering and worrying. What was important was staying focused on the now—not the past or the future.

I knocked on the door, and it flew open. Jackie stood there, smiling up at me, and I was stunned by a sense of nostalgia for something I didn’t even know I was missing.

Once again, I was walking into my house after school to the smell of fresh, baked bread. With six kids and only one income, my mother was always looking for ways to save money. She never bought packaged foods and baked six loaves of bread at one crack. I’d rush into the kitchen and sniff the warm loaves cooling on racks. Our snack on bread days would be a thick slice with butter. But nobody baked bread anymore.

“Hey, Jackie.” I kissed her on both cheeks.

“It’s great to see you again.” Jackie looked great—as usual—in her dark jeans and fitted shirt. I put my arm around her, and we followed the good smells into the kitchen.

“Are you baking bread?” I asked.

“Oh no, there wasn’t time for that. It’s only biscuits.”

She sounded apologetic, so I reassured her. “Homemade biscuits sound great. The smell of them reminded me of my mom’s bread.”

“Mmmm, I know. I’m a total carb fiend. I can smell fresh bread from miles away.” She motioned me to the kitchen counter. “You’re earlier than I expected, so give me a few more minutes and then I can relax too.” She poured me a cold beer without even asking.

I looked around. Jackie’s house resembled the set of a family sitcom with beautiful furnishings, a scattering of toys, and even a fat cat snoozing on the family room couch. A place where all problems got solved in thirty minutes.

She finished stirring something on the stove and smiled at me across the counter. “You had a tough day?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“I could hear it in your voice.” She put a plate of crackers, carrots, and dip in front of me. “Did you want to talk about it?”

I shook my head. “I’d rather focus on the beautiful woman in front of me and the good dinner I’m about to eat.”

Jackie flushed, as she did whenever I complimented her. “I’m afraid it’s going to be another fifteen or twenty minutes until we eat.” She bent over to look inside the oven. The sight of her curving ass in dark jeans gave me an idea of how to shake that unsettled feeling before it grew.

In two steps, I was behind Jackie and turned her around to face me. “That sounds like just enough time….”

I kissed her hard. Her eyes widened in surprise, but her mouth was warm and yielding. My tongue thrust inside and met hers in a messy choreography. I kissed her cheek wetly, then muttered, “Want you bad.”

“Now, Leo?” she breathed.

“Sure. It’s okay, right? No kids, no interruptions?”

Jackie nodded, her lips parted. I had smeared her lipstick, and I reached out to wipe the excess off the corner of her mouth. She turned her head and captured my finger with her mouth, sucking on it hard. What a naughty cock-hardener she was.

“You’re so hot,” I told her, as I unbuckled her leather belt and unzipped her jeans. I pulled them down, and she wriggled out of them. Then I picked her up and carried her over to the kitchen table. I swept off the papers with one hand and then laid Jackie onto the tabletop. I unbuttoned her shirt and opened it. She was lying before me in a lacy bra and panties.

I pulled off her panties and tossed them aside. I was propelled by this urgent need to be inside Jackie and wash away every other thought in my mind. I reached between her legs to caress her soft folds, and Jackie breathed loudly. She was moist, but not really wet enough for the hard fucking she was about to get. And I was too impatient for regular foreplay.

“One second.” I patted Jackie on the tummy, and she relaxed back onto the table. I reached for my jacket and got out the condom in my wallet. As I headed back to her, I spotted a dark bottle on the kitchen counter and grabbed it.

“Turn over,” I told her and Jackie obediently flipped. I pushed up her shirt so her ass was fully visible. Then I poured a stream of olive oil on her and began to massage her ass cheeks and between her legs as well. Soon she was slick and glistening.

I pushed an oiled finger inside her pussy.

“Unnnh,” she moaned. I began an in-and-out motion, appreciating the big reaction I was getting. Jackie wriggled her ass and made sexy grunts each time I pushed further into her.

I stopped, took off my pants and put on the condom on. I pulled Jackie to the edge of the table, spread her legs wide, and then eased my cock into her. The feeling of being inside Jackie was so good. I grasped one shiny ass cheek in each hand and fucked her with a steady rhythm. In and out. In and out. Not a single thought in my head except how fucking incredible this felt.

“Leo, ohhhh...” Jackie moaned, pushing her arms out and throwing her head back. Her feet were barely touching the ground and each thrust lifted her body off the table.

“Oh my God,” she cried out and wriggled hard against my cock. The friction was so incredible, I had to pause so I didn’t come right away like a horny teenager.

“Fuck, Jackie. You feel good,” I muttered. I pulled out and flipped her over. I spread her legs wider, and her shiny folds glistened invitingly.

“So pretty,” I told her. She watched me through half-open eyes. I ground my cock into her once more and then fucked her harder than ever. Her whole body was jumping with every thrust. Now I could finger her clit easily. Her little button was slippery with oil, so I frigged it hard and watched her face tense and her eyes close tight. When she came, she made these strained moans that turned me on even more. Jackie was made for sex. Her soft body, her yielding nature, and her responsive reactions made me want to fuck her nonstop.

But for now, I needed to come. I thrust in and out and felt her squeezing me in her warm sheath. One last push and then I lost myself in the rush of my own orgasm.

I opened my eyes. Jackie and I were lying half-dressed on her kitchen table. I raised my head, and she was watching me.

“Merde. Sorry. Is dinner burning or something?”

“Not yet. You passed out for a moment there.”

I smiled. Sex was the cure for so many ailments, including an overactive mind. “Okay, let’s get up then.”

As I raised myself on one elbow, Jackie put a hand on my chest. “Leo, not that I mind, because I like it, but are we always going to do it that way?”

“What way?”

“With you being all dominant.”

I laughed. “Of course not. Sex should be fun and different all the time.” I didn’t say it, but sex was like playing hockey. You had to be creative and do the right thing in the right situation. But the situation was always changing.

“So, the first time was because I was so nervous?”

“Partly.”

She smiled. “And what was the other part?”

“Because I wanted to do it like that,” I confessed. Having Jackie do exactly what I wanted was beyond mind-blowing. Seeing those stained lips around my cock, her head bobbing back and forth as I fucked her mouth was beyond hot. And tonight, fucking her from behind with her oiled ass cheeks squeezed in my hands was incredible. These were images I’d be jerking off in the shower to for weeks. Or at least, whenever the real thing wasn’t available.

“Maybe sometime, I can dominate you?” she asked.

I laughed. “No way. I like to be in control.”

“That’s not fair,” she huffed and tried to roll away. I held her down by her waist.

“Jackie, we can try your fantasies too. But my sense is that you like to relax and lose control. That’s why we fit together.”

“You’re so smart about people. It’s like you know all me and I know nothing about you.”

“It’s not a contest. Understanding people is my job, so I’d better be good at it.” I ran a finger down her tummy and tickled her pubic hair.

“Am I okay down there?” she asked.

“What?”

“Would you prefer if I got rid of my hair? Is that what you’re used to?”

Oh, this again. Jackie sure got stressed about sex. I leaned over her and kissed her on the nose. “Stop it. You’re very sexy, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you. If I didn’t have work and you didn’t have your responsibilities, what I’d really like to do is take you to a hotel for the weekend and fuck you in every way imaginable.”

Her eyes widened at that, and she put her arms around my neck. “I wish we could do that too. Sex with you is incredible.”

The oven timer dinged. Jackie disentangled herself and retrieved her panties and jeans from the floor. She wriggled into her clothes, which was almost as much fun to watch as undressing her. I went to the bathroom to get cleaned up and dressed.

By the time I emerged, dinner was on the table. Jackie was pouring glasses of red wine.

“I made a beef Bourguignon, then I realized that you’re French.”

I laughed. “It doesn’t mean I’m an expert at French cooking. Besides, that’s from France, not Quebec.”

“Well, I’m never going to be making poutine, which is the only Quebec dish I can think of.”

We sat down to eat. Everything was delicious.

“You’re a fantastic cook, Jackie. Of course, I knew that after the tuna melts, but this is on another level.”

She beamed. “Thank you. I do enjoy making a nice dinner.”

“It’s working out perfectly. I like to eat, and you like to cook.”

She pushed the biscuits and salad towards me. “I was thinking, since it’s been hard to find times to get together, maybe you’d like to make these Wednesday night dinners a regular thing?”

I hesitated. Jackie was getting pretty serious pretty fast. I had no problem being with her, and the sex was great, but she was really into scheduling. Of course, dating a single mom meant that she didn’t have the freedom to get together at the last moment. I respected that she was a good mother. But we hadn’t really discussed where we were at yet.

“Wednesdays may not always work out for me,” I hedged.

“No problem.” Jackie quickly changed the subject. “So, how’s the team doing?”

“Not much has changed yet. You can’t change a leopard’s spots right away.”

I checked my watch; I’d have to leave soon. But things were so comfortable here that I didn’t really want to leave. Especially to face my mountain of work with that lingering tension.

“Listen, can I ask you something about your kids?”

Now her eyes were wary. She was a protective mother. “Okay.”

“Has their relationship with their father changed a lot since you guys split?”

Jackie nodded. “Well, naturally. He’s not here all the time anymore. But to be honest, Brent’s worked really hard to maintain things. And when they see him, he tries to do special things.” She paused. “When he was home before, he was always working or unwinding from work, so maybe he didn’t give them his full attention. Not that I’m criticizing him, that’s the way life is.”

“Yeah.” That was true: if you were physically there all the time, maybe you weren’t mentally there. And I liked the fact that Jackie didn’t trash her ex.

It was tough to broach the subject of what was really bothering me. I sipped my wine and stared outside. There were shadowy trees visible in the evening light.

“Leo, did something happen with you and Charlotte?”

“No, it’s not that. But it’s tough to be so far away. She’s not happy about not seeing me for so long.”

“You talk to her all the time, right?”

“Yeah, we Skype or FaceTime twice a week.”

“Oh, that’s great.” Jackie continued. “I’m not sure if this is what’s bothering you, but here’s the deal with my kids. When Brent left, it made them worried, like they weren’t sure if they could rely on anything in their lives. So what’s been really important is for us to have a routine. They get more upset about Brent cancelling than if he’s not there all the time. So you have to keep your promises. Feeling like a priority is almost more important than the quantity of time.”

“Makes total sense,” I agreed.

When I took this job, I came right away because both Lucky and I agreed the situation was urgent. But I could have insisted on taking a few days off between jobs and gone to see Charlotte. Or maybe figured out a way that she could have come here for her March break. I said that she was the most important thing in my life because I loved her so much. But did I act like she was?

I could make her my priority. We could set up times to chat that would be sacrosanct. I felt better already.

I stretched. The tension in my shoulders was gone. It was like a sitcom here. My issues got solved at Jackie’s Place.

 “You know, even if I can’t do every Wednesday, I could let you know ahead of time which ones will work out.”

Jackie’s bright smile appeared again. “That would be great, Leo.”

“At least let me bring something. How about the wine?” Although the Malbec that she had chosen tonight was a great one.

“Deal,” she said. “But next time, I’m on top.”

I laughed. “We’ll see.”