Hockey Tickets

 “Dude. You. Me. New York Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden front row seats.” They’re playing the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kyle squawked as he showed Jason the Ranger tickets. Jason said in amazement “How in the hell did you get these? Theses tickets are impossible to get.” Jason grew up on the Rangers since he was five. “My boss gave them to me.” Jason needed this game tonight. He had been stuck at work all week dealing with acquisitions and mergers. Jason couldn’t wait to get to the game. He wore proudly his favorite Lundqvist jersey.

Jason just felt his night was going to be good. Jason drove to Kyle’s apartment and parked in the garage and went to wait for the elevator. As Jason stepped in he heard a females voice scream out “Hold the elevator please.” Jason put his arm out to block the doors as she ran in.
She smiled and said “Thank You.”
Jason nodded “What floor?”

She looked up, “Oh fifteen please.”

Jason smiled and pressed the floor number. Jason didn’t know what it was but he couldn’t stop sneaking glances at her. He noticed how her rich brown curly hair that hung down to her shoulders bounced when she ran for the elevator. Her smile. Oh my god her smile. He saw her eyes lit up when she smiled. Jason couldn’t help but take another glance. When he did she had looked up at the same time. He felt his heart beat out of his chest. It came to his stop and Jason quickly walked out of the elevator without looking back. Something about that girl made Jason feel like he knew her. He ran back to the elevator to try and say hi but the elevator doors closed leaving a glimpse of her face looking straight at him.

            Jason knocked on Kyle’s door dazed from the girl in the elevator. Kyle opened the door and noticed Jason spaced out.

“Dude you good.” Kyle asked.

“I just saw this girl in the elevator and I could’ve sworn I knew her from somewhere.”

“Was she pretty?”

“Gorgeous.”

“Dude seriously are you feeling good? I’m a little scared. In all my life knowing you, I’ve never seen you like this. But knock it off we got a game to go to.”

Jason shook his head clear “You’re probably right, its nothing.” She never left his mind. They both headed down to the parking garage and drove off in Jason’s car.

            When they arrived at the arena Kyle and Jason split up. Kyle went to get drinks and Jason went to find the seats. When Jason found his seats he couldn’t believe he was that close to the rink. Jason looked around in amazement as he looked to his left and saw the girl from the elevator. He couldn’t believe she was sitting next to him. “Say something, stupid.” Jason screamed to himself. Jason turned on his charms and turned to his left. “So I get the feeling that you’re following me.”          The girl from the elevator whipped her head around to face Jason and let out “Excuse me.”

Jason saw her face relax when she realized who he was.

“If I recall you’re the one who ran back to the elevator.”

So she did see me Jason thought. “I’ve been thinking about you all night and I just can’t get the feeling that we know each other.”

She laughed and told Jason “As flattering as that sounds, I don’t think we know each other.”

Jason knew he heard that laugh before. She snorted while she laughed and Jason just knew he knew her. Jason shouted, “That’s it.  Freshmen year Willman College you and Becky Jackson were roommates, she was dating my friend Kyle at that time.” Jason stared at her as he could tell she was starting to remember him.

“Oh you’re the tool’s friend.” It wasn’t want he wanted to hear but he accepted it because it was true.  

“Jason.”

“Kelly.”

He finally got her name and that smile. Jason knew this girl was going to become his life. Save him from his past relationship struggles and end his drought from the single life. She was his beginning.

           

 “Hello! Babe guess what I just won. Two tickets to the New York Ranger tonight at Madison Square Gardens front row seat. They’re playing the Toronto Maple Leafs.” Kelly called her boyfriend Brad to let him the good news. She could tell he was being fake on the phone but she didn’t care. She got front row tickets to see her favorite team play. She hoped this game would give her some time with Brad. She felt Brad was distant and just needed to get their relationship back on track. Before heading over to Brad’s place, Kelly went to her place to change into her favorite Lundqvist jersey. 

            Kelly made it in time to catch the uptown train. She made it Brad’s place and headed for the elevator. “Hold the elevator please.” She saw a tall handsome man stretch his arm to hold the door open. For as long as she has ever asked someone to hold the elevator, it never happened. Brad didn’t even do it. She gave the tall guy a warm smile and said “Thank you.” He gave her a nod. That was her opportunity to study his lovely sculptured face. His chiseled chin and high cheekbones made her melt at how gorgeous he was. Kelly didn’t know what she was feeling. She was on her way to her boyfriend but yet thinking about the man in the elevator. Kelly quickly shook her thoughts from her head and looked down. When she looked up she met his gaze and looked deep into his eyes. Kelly’s heart dropped to her stomach and was relieved when he got off at his floor. She didn’t realize she was holding in her breath until he got off. The elevator doors were taking forever to close. Just as the doors were closing she saw chiseled chin rush back to the elevator out of breath. She just stared at him wishing him to say something.

            Kelly blankly knocked and walked in without even noticing Brad holding the door open.

“Kelly you look like you seen a ghost.” Brad looked at her annoyingly.

A ghost was far from what Kelly had seen. “Um no I’m fine. Why aren’t you ready yet? The game is starting in an hour and I want to beat traffic. Let’s go please.” Kelly sighed. Brad walked off highly irritated and Kelly ignored it like she did every negative emotion he threw at her. When Brad came out ready, Kelly grabbed the car keys sensing that he didn’t want to drive. They headed down to the parking garage and drove off in Brad’s car.

            When they arrived at the arena, Kelly had split from Brad without even knowing and just went to her seat. Kelly had been to games before but never this close to the rink. Kelly had realized Brad had been gone for a while and hoped he didn’t abandon her at the game. It wouldn’t have been the first time Brad would abandon her when she wanted to spend time with him. She started texting Brad the seat section when she suddenly heard a warm voice say, “So I get the feeling that you’re following me.”

“Excuse me,” she replied. Kelly had never been talked to like that so her guard went up. As she whipped her head around to face the voice she visibly relaxed but was also in shock. “If I recall you’re the one who ran back to the elevator.” Kelly tried real hard to keep from laughing.

He looked into her eyes, “I’ve been thinking about you all night and I just can’t get the feeling that we know each other.”

Kelly couldn’t hold back and just let it ripped. She hadn’t laughed that hard in what seemed like a long time. “As flattering as that sounds, I don’t think we know each other.” Kelly let out a snort as she laughed and quickly stopped. She never snorted before. But she saw how he looked at her with adoration. She had longed to be looked at like that.

He yelled out, “That’s it. Freshmen year Willman College you and Becky were roommates, she was dating my friend Kyle at that time.”

Freshmen year clicked in her memories. Kelly went back to when Becky was dating that tool Kyle. Then she drifted to the drunken memory of making out with one of the tool’s friend at a party. She thought she had his name, Jack, John, Jordan, the name wasn’t coming to her. It was a memory she trained her brain to forget. But somehow the familiarity of that night was coming back. 

“Oh you’re the tool’s friend.” She cursed at herself for saying that. She saw him smile, figuring he didn’t care.

He smiled, “Jason”

Jason. Jason. Jason. Jason! It clicked to Kelly that he was her drunken kiss. Kelly found her self wanting more. She smiled back “Kelly.”

Brad never came to the seats that night. He didn’t call either, ever after that night. Jason saved her from the possible humiliation she would have faced. Waiting for her boyfriend- now ex- that would never show up. Kelly knew Jason would pay her the attention she craved and always wanted. She knew from their college days. Now she would get to know for forever.

That night they both saved each other from anymore hurt and loneliness.