A Hockey Player's Proposal (Oh Captain, My Captain 2)

“I’ve heard great things about this place, but I’ve never been before. So I’m really happy that you like it.” He smiles, leaning over to plant a sweet kiss on my lips.

A waiter walks up, greets us, and asks if we know what we’d like to drink. Brody quickly answers that we would like a bottle of wine. Once he leaves, I take an opportunity to tease him.

“What if I didn’t want wine?”

Brody grins. “That never occurred to me because I already know what you want. Wine tonight is something you want.”

Leaning in to whisper, my lips graze his ear as I say, “What else do I want?”

“Me,” he answers with such simplicity. “Us,” he murmurs confidently, scanning the menu. I freeze unable to find words to respond, staring at the man next to me. Brody lifts his head with a chuckle, brings my hand to his lips for a kiss, and then tells me with a nod to my own menu, “Might want to look that over.”

“Right,” I mumble, the word tumbling from my mouth as I try to find something appealing. Brody rests a hand on my thigh, and I really try to focus. The words don’t mean anything to me as his thumb moves back and forth over the hem of my dress as half of his thumb touches my bare skin. My thoughts are focused on what he said. What that means. Because I’m pretty sure that I just fell further in love with Brody. Two two-lettered words rendered me speechless and helpless to this hockey player.

“Selene?”

My head lifts and I realize the waiter has brought us our drinks and is currently waiting on me to order. “Oh, sorry. I’ll have the same.”

Brody chuckles, shaking his head before giving the waiter his order. Oops. He hadn’t said his yet. I reach for my glass as he walks away and Brody asks with curiosity, “What were you thinking about?”

Mm. This is good wine. I take another sip before I say, “Just you. Do you realize that I’ve given you all the power tonight? You picked my dress, the wine, and dinner.”

Brody laughs. “Yet, the way I see it, you’ve always held the power.” Before I can comment, he asks, “Are you excited about the game tomorrow?”

A grin automatically appears on my face. “So much. I’m beyond ready to be back in the arena. I miss it.” God, do I miss it. That’s my sanctuary and I haven’t been there in what seems like forever. Too much has been going on. Watching games on TV hasn’t done anything for me. Tomorrow, I’ll get hockey back. For some reason, I feel like I’ve lost it. “It’s going to be a little weird sitting next to Bradley, but seeing your face on the screen.” I laugh softly. “Good thing I can tell you two apart. Do fans ever mistake him for you when he’s here?”

“Sometimes. His hair usually helps distinguish us. Once, a girl saw him and freaked out, thinking I cut my hair.” Brody laughs at the memory with a shake of his head. Our waiter brings us our food, and when he leaves, Brody smiles at me, taking a deep breath. “Are you going to wear my jersey, Selene?”

“Hey,” I start playfully, nudging his shoulder with mine. “You stay out of my hockey wardrobe.”

“You do realize that I play on your team, right?” he teases. “I’m your captain, in fact.”

I roll my eyes at him, having to pause my response as I eat. “I know that, but I can’t be obvious about my favorite. Have to share the love for the other players too.”

He leans closer. “I’m your favorite?” he whispers.

“You always have been, Brody.” He seems almost skeptical, so I continue. “I’ve been watching Mustangs since Stacy introduced it to me. When you started playing for them, you easily became my favorite. I observed you, was mesmerized when you were on the ice. You’ve always been a fantastic player, Brody, and I saw you grow into your role as captain. I admired the person I saw on the ice, in interviews, in pictures, and whatever else was put out there for fans. There’s something about the way you play that demands my attention and respect. Stacy would have loved you.”

Brody’s lips part, but he doesn’t say anything. My throat is tight at having mentioned my friend twice, tears wanting to form and fall at her memory. He gives me a kiss and rests his forehead against mine for a moment.

“That has to be one of the best things anyone has ever said to me. Thank you. I wish I could have met her,” he says softly.

“Me too.”

The piano player announces that he’s taking a quick break, ruining our moment, but I’m thankful. I take a deep breath as we go back to our meal. When the tears stop threatening to fall, I resume our conversation.

“Thank you for tonight, Brody.”

He smiles. “I wanted to take you out.”

Our waiter comes to check on us and Brody orders some chocolatey dessert. The pianist/singer returns for some background music, inviting people to come dance, as Brody turns towards me in his seat. He takes my hands in his, demanding my attention.

“There’s something I want to tell you. It never hurts to hear these things and I need to make sure you know.” I nod, propelling him forward. “Moving in next to you is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love your passion with hockey. It’s greater than my own and I’m a pro player. You have such strength. You named your dog Bonkers.” He shakes his head with wonder. “You are a remarkable person, Selene, and you’ve made my life so much better by being in it.”

His words move me, even as his comment on my “strength” nags in the back of my mind. No, I am strong. Being temporarily shaken and unsure doesn’t mean that I’m not. I want to lean over and give him a kiss that isn’t appropriate for a public place. I want to tell him how he makes me feel, how I feel about him. He should know, just like he’s made sure I know how much he cares about me. The waiter saves me from speaking, bringing us one bowl and two spoons. Brody doesn’t look away yet.

His voice is husky and quiet. “I love you. So much, Selene, so much.”

I remove my hands from his, place one over each cheek, and press my lips to his in a simple, but promising kiss. Promising more than what we have now without the words that I can’t say.