Em
“Wow, this is perfect,” I said. “Our three boyfriends are playing hockey, and we’re cheering them on.”
Abby and I had gone to every game in the new year, but Sophia was never here. Henry was usually away or busy. His music career was booming. Sometimes I worried that success might change Henry or his relationship with Sophia, but they remained as devoted as ever. Not all rock stars were dissipated and promiscuous.
Ian would say that even hypothesizing about this meant I was borrowing trouble. He had a common-sense way about him that I was starting to rely upon. Ironically, my most relaxing relationship seemed to be the one with a built-in end date. We’d never agreed on when that date would be, but I was in no hurry to dive back into the dating pool.
“Isn’t it strange that Ian and I get along so well?” I asked as we watched the guys warm up.
“Not to me,” Sophia said. “I’m a firm believer in opposites attracting.”
“Really? You and Henry seem to be so much in sync,” I said. They had a certain telepathy. I often caught them exchanging amused glances.
“But Henry’s creative and right-brained. He’s zen. And athletic too.” All things Sophia felt she wasn’t, although I thought she was a very creative problem-solver and had a calm demeanour. Maybe it was a matter of degree. I was reasonably coordinated, but Ian was on another level.
“Mason and I are opposites too,” said Abby. Well, that was more obvious. Although the longer they were together, the more they began to resemble each other. Mason was more outgoing and confident now, and Abby was more reliable and responsible.
I watched Ian skate around the ice. He was a beautiful skater. “I’ll be really sad when we break up.”
Sophia’s eyes went wide with sympathy. “Oh no. Is something wrong?”
I shook my head. “It’s part of our deal. We’re only going out for fun. It’s never going to be serious.”
Abby snorted loudly. “You and Ian make a great couple. It’s like the greatest con of all time. You tell each other it won’t last and suddenly you’re both all in. Is it possible for people to scam themselves?”
“You sound upset about this,” I said.
“Yes, I am. I love fixing people up and I would never in a million years have put the two of you together. It would have been my greatest triumph.” Then Abby delivered an evil cackle, which meant she was kidding.
“You actually warned me off him. You said he was too sexually experienced for me,” I said.
More cackling. “I was right, wasn’t I?”
I smiled. “Yes. But it turns out that’s not a bad thing.”
We all giggled.
“The three of us together again is so much fun,” Sophia said.
I twisted the bracelet on my wrist. “Everything is so different with Ian. I mean, I really like him, but...”
“But what?” Abby asked.
“Well, obviously we don’t have a future together.”
“Why not?” Abby continued.
“We’re so different—everything, our families, our careers, our personalities.”
Sophia smiled. “Dating someone exactly like me would be boring.”
But Ian and I were not a little different, we were from-different-planets apart. Why did I have to keep explaining this? “Look at our education. I have a Masters degree, and Ian only graduated from high school.”
A sharp hissing sound from Abby made me realize that I had really blundered now.
“Just like Mason and me but reversed. But you never saw anything wrong with me dating him. Isn’t that sexism?”
“It’s completely different. You read all the time and now you take real estate courses,” I said, backpedalling as fast as I could.
“What about me and Henry?” Sophia asked. “We’re in exactly the same situation, and I would never look down on him for not going to university.”
Excellent, I’d managed to offend both my friends at once. “Henry’s different. He’s a successful musician and songwriter.”
Abby frowned at me. “Em, you sound like a big snob. Ian is a good guy. He works hard and brings home a decent wage. He’s attractive, and from what little you’ve said, he’s amazing in the sack. But you won’t even consider a future with him because he hasn’t gone to university? That’s pretty dumb—even a mere high school graduate like me knows that.”
To keep the other foot out of my mouth, I didn’t say another word about my mismatch with Ian. Had I been underestimating Ian’s intellect because he hadn’t gone to university? Sure, Mason was a lot smarter than Abby on a purely academic basis, but Abby was smarter in all the other ways—emotional intelligence, practical life skills, and social interaction. Mason declared that Abby made him feel more comfortable in the world. What better reason could there be together?
How did Ian complete me? Sex between us was incredible, but that alone wasn’t enough to build a relationship upon. And unlike my parents, I lived in a brand-new apartment, so Ian’s home repair skills weren’t important to me.
What else was he good at? Hockey. Then a disconcerting thought occurred to me: if Ian had played in the NHL, would that make a difference to me? Well, it would be proof that he had excelled at something. But it would also be proof that I was a great big snob just as Abby had said.
“Why don’t you stop worrying about tomorrow and just enjoy what you guys have today?” Abby suggested. It sounded exactly like something Ian would say to me. He took everything in stride.
The game started, and the Jacques Straps were dominating. When I dated Lucas, he bragged about playing at the highest level of recreational hockey. He told me I should be proud that my boyfriend was one of the top players in the league. But Ian was a far better player and he didn’t care. I always commented on his goals or good plays after each game, but he sloughed off my praise. “It’s just beer league. Nobody gives a shit.”
To be honest, that was an attractive quality: being really good at something but not caring. Although he did care about not making the NHL. Everything was relative. Ian hid his vulnerabilities. He wasn’t the kind of guy who cut his finger and then made you wait on him for the next week. He was more likely to limp around pretending his leg hadn’t been severed off like the Black Knight in Monty Python. A denier of pain.
Then Ian scored a goal. A beautiful rising shot after Mason sent him into the offensive zone.
The three of us stood and cheered. There were a couple of other girlfriends applauding a few rows back.
“I get to go home with the team superstar,” I bragged.
“Lucky you,” Abby said with a giggle. “Is he going to score later too?”
“Definitely.” Sex was still a big part of our relationship, but we were moving beyond that. We liked each other’s company, and we had fun together. What if I relaxed and let myself care about Ian? Would he reciprocate? Or would he see me as one more woman who was trying to tie him down?
“Have you ever seen Ian get serious about a girlfriend?” I asked Abby.
She pretended to adjust her watch. “23 minutes, 38 seconds. Ladies and gentlemen, the next world record has just been set.”
“What are you going on about now?” I asked.
“The world record for going from ‘we’re not serious’ to ‘he’s a keeper.’ To be fair, I’ve always thought that you would be the Olympic champion at this event.”
“Very funny,” I said. “I was just wondering.”
“My answer to your question is no. And my answer to your unspoken question is the same as before: relax and enjoy what you have now. If it happens, it happens and there’s nothing you can do.”
“It’s harder for me because my job is all about forecasting,” I complained. Making life goals came naturally to me, and marriage and children had always been in my plans. But I could try to follow her advice. I sat back to enjoy the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that exciting because our team was so much better.
“Have they been this good all season?” Sophia asked.
“Not really,” I told her. “Our usual goalie lets in a few softies, so the guys have to score a lot. But Henry is stopping most of the shots.”
“It’s almost unfair,” said Abby.
I was too competitive to agree with that. “If we have Henry for the playoffs, we could win the league. Are you guys around in March?”
“Part of it. We’re going to the Junos. Henry’s band is nominated for two awards.”
Abby and I both congratulated her.
“Well, it’s not like the Grammys or anything, but apparently it’s a big party. It’s in St. John’s and I’m flying in for the weekend. Henry’s going early because they have a hockey game with musicians. They sell tickets and raise money for music charities.”
“Your life is so glamorous. What are you wearing to the awards show?” asked Abby.
“I have the perfect black sequin dress,” said Sophia. “I got it at an after-Christmas sale.”
Then Abby regaled us with tales of her shopping bargains. She got a designer coat that was reduced from $700 to $9.99, which I didn’t even know was possible. Knowing Abby, it was probably some crazy colour like neon orange or chartreuse.
I watched Ian glide gracefully across the ice. I was sure that he liked me a lot too. He’d never come right out and say it, but I sensed it in our intimate moments together. I needed to shed my prejudices and treat him with more respect. Why shouldn’t he come to my work functions? I would invite him to Aisha’s going away party. And if that worked out, I’d ask him to the awards luncheon.
Then we all cheered as Ian set up Mason for yet another goal.