Trading Ice

"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."

Mary laughed again. They chatted for a few more minutes, deciding that she would take him to Eau Claire Market downtown to begin with. Max let her go and they agreed that he would pick her up at Beans & Steam at noon the following day.

After that, Mary had no problem falling asleep.

****

The next day, Max showed up right on time and Mary shed her apron before leaving the restaurant with him. She ignored the knowing look Rebecca sent her way and hurried out the door.

"You sure you still want to walk down to Eau Claire?" Mary asked as the cold air outside sank in. She shuddered and tucked her scarf tighter around her neck.

"Why? Don't you?" Max looked down at her.

"It's a long walk from here."

"Hmm, maybe we can do something else then?"

"We're kind of limited for how far we can go," Mary said as they paused at an intersection.

"Why?"

"I don't have a car."

"I do." He grabbed her arm and started to drag her back towards the coffee shop.

"Max! What the hell are you doing?" Mary laughed and stumbled as she tried to keep up with his much longer stride.

With a chuckle, he stopped and waited for her to catch up. "I'm parked behind the coffee shop. We can go anywhere. If you don't want to go to this Eau Claire place, then we'll go somewhere else."

"I've already seen everything here. It's up to you, my friend." She followed him to the small parking lot behind the coffee shop.

He opened the door on his mid-sized crossover SUV for her. She clambered in and yelped when her backside hit the cold leather seats. He jumped in the other side and told her to hang on for a minute until the seat warmers could work their magic.

"Holy shit," she hissed out behind chattering teeth. "Get some seat covers!"

"OK," he agreed as he backed out of the spot. "Where's the nearest Walmart?"

Mary laughed and shook her head. Then she met his amused gaze and stopped. "Oh, you're serious?"

"Why not?" He shrugged. "You can't ride around with me all day on these frozen seats."

"No, but I'm not always going to be the one riding in here. This is your car."

"I want my friends to be comfortable."

"Max, you're already turning into a better friend than any I've ever had!"

Max laughed as they dodged through traffic. Mary just held on for dear life and wondered how this had all happened. It was amazing that someone like Max wanted to spend any time at all with her, even as a friend. She was just going to have to soak it all up and enjoy the ride.

They drove through town to a big mall and wandered around for hours. Max dragged her into just about every store. He tried on clothes, he played with toys and he made her listen to music. She laughed until her stomach ached and did her best to make him laugh in turn. By dinnertime, her stomach was growling and they were arguing about the best place to eat.

"I can't afford to eat out," Mary said, flushing in embarrassment.

Max slung an arm across her shoulders and pulled her close. "It's on me, Mary."