“Tell me about the typical day of Shea Adler.” she said. He looked over at her. She was tearing apart a piece of bread. He smiled.

“I run in the morning, too, maybe we could do that together one time,” he suggested.

She laughed out loud.

“Please, you would smoke me!”

“I really don’t run that fast. I hate running.”

“You’re in shape, Shea. I am not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, really. I’m not. Anyway, go on with your day.”

He paused, giving her a look before saying, “Running in the morning and practice the rest of the morning. Lately, I’ve been having lunch with a beautiful girl.” She grinned at him before she threw a piece of bread at him.

“Stop, you’re making me blush!” He smiled.

“Then I usually go home and try to sleep for a little bit before doing some more team stuff. Right now I’m taking it easy, since the season is about to start and I’ll be busy all the time.”

“Yeah,” she said with a nod, “I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

“Why do you wear glasses when you’re not on the ice? Do you hate your contacts that much?”

“No, it’s just that my glasses are easy. Really, I’m just lazy.” She giggled as she laid back on the blanket. There was a nice breeze and the sun was shining. It was a perfect late summer day.

“I also hate putting my finger in my eye. I have big hands,” he said, holding them up.

Elli smiled at him. “I know. When you held my hand on the way here, yours swallowed mine.” Shea smiled as he reached over and took her hand in his.

“I think it’s a nice fit,” he said, looking at their hands. She looked down, then back at him.

“Maybe you’re right.”

“I’m always right.”

She giggled again, rolling her eyes. “Male ego…”

He smiled, as she giggled some more. He loved her giggle, her smile, shit, her everything.

“I have another question.”

“Ask away.”

“Did you always want so many tattoos?” she asked, looking at his arms. He also looked down at his arms. He had gotten both arms done over the last eight years. He added things that meant something to him, and he was about done. He had a little room on his left arm. But for the most part, everything was full.

“Yeah, I started them about eight years ago. What, you don’t like them?”

“No, I do. I just never knew you had them; your jersey covers your arms. When I saw pictures of you online, you were always wearing your blazer jacket.”

“Yeah, the league doesn’t like them much.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t care, though. I love them. They are a story about my life. My whole family has something on my arm.”

“Really? Where’s Grace?”

“Right here,” he pointed to two stick figures that stood with their arms around each other.

“Stick figures?” He smiled.

“She likes it; she has the same one on her hip.”

“Oh, cool,” she made a little face, and he laughed as he pointed to other things. His mom and dad’s part, which were their names. A hockey stick with a 6 above it, the date he was drafted, and the dates Ryan and Amelia were born. There was a lot of other stuff that didn’t stand for anything really, but looked cool.

“Do you have any tattoos?”

“I do, but I can’t show you because I’m wearing a dress. Remind me the next time I’m wearing jeans and I will show you.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll see,” she said with a sneaky smile. He smiled back, turning onto his stomach, holding her hand in both his. They stayed like that for a long time. Shea played with her fingers as they talk about everything: Elli’s time in college, along with his. They talked about their families, but she didn’t say much about her parents or brothers or sister. She mainly talked about the kids.

They were discussing the upcoming season when her phone rang. She dug into her purse until she found it.

“I’m sorry, I need to answer this,” she said as she pushed the talk button. “Hey Harp, is everything okay?” He watched as she listened and nodded at whatever the person was saying. “Alright, I’ll be back over there in a few. Go ahead and get started. Thanks babe,” she hung up and smiled. “My assistant and best friend, Harper”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, one of our clients needed some shots of her daughter for the Miss Tennessee Pageant. She hadn’t called to make an appointment and then called Harper for help. So Harper is down at the studio, getting started. I’ll go in and look at the shots and if there’s anything else I can think of to do, we’ll do it.”

“Do you need to go?”

“In a few.”

“Okay,” he said, and then he smiled to himself as she put her hand back in his.

“So I think your friend is dating my friend,” Elli said.

“Huh? Who?”

“Jakob Titov.”

“Um, no, Jakob isn’t dating anyone.” She gave him a look, as if she were saying “you’re being difficult.”

“Okay, he is screwing my best friend. Well Harper is screwing him, ah, whatever.”

Shea smiled.

“Harper is a very complex woman who is driving my best friend mad.”