Watching as Stevie keeps her head down, I stay a fair distance away. With no issue, she slips through the crowd, my doorman opening the large glass lobby door and ushering her inside.
Waiting another minute to separate us, I eventually make my way through the mass of bodies with my hands in my pockets, my head down towards the ground, and my winter layers covering me up.
But it’s no use.
“EZ!”
“Evan Zanders!”
“I knew he lived here!” someone calls out as I’m rushed and bombarded right there on my front steps.
“Can I get an autograph?” someone else begs, and I do my best to sign as many as I can as I continue my quick strides towards my door.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve been attempting to separate my bad guy hockey image from my real-life one. If Chicago wants me to be a dick on the ice and protect my guys when needed, I’ll gladly fill that role. But the more I’ve settled into a relationship and recognize the way it feels to have Stevie like and want the real version of me, the more I want to be that guy to the rest of the world. And I hope that’s enough to get resigned by the only team I want to play for.
I offer a quick wave over my shoulder to the mob outside as my doorman ushers me into the lobby.
“More people come by here every day,” he says. “The further you guys get in the season, and the higher you guys rank, the more everyone wants a piece of you, huh, Mr. Zanders?”
“I typically love this shit, but this season, not so much.” My eyes wander past the glass doors where fans are pointing and waving like I’m some kind of animal in the zoo, here to do tricks for them.
And for the first time in my career, I wish no one was looking at me.
“Miss Shay is upstairs.”
I give him a thankful pat on the shoulder before riding my private elevator to my floor.
“Zee, you’ve got to stop feeding me.” Stevie stretches out on the couch, trying to get comfortable. “My pants aren’t going to fit soon. Shit, even your pants aren’t going to fit soon.”
She’s not wrong. Regardless that I work out every single day and burn more fuel than the average person, Stevie and I get takeout almost every night, and I fucking love seeing her all happy while we scarf down on our favorite junk food. There’s not many other choices when I’m a shit cook, and we’re staying in hotels every night on the road.
“I like feeding you, though.” I take a seat on the couch, urging her head up before Stevie drapes her chestnut curls over my lap, resting on my thigh. Rosie joins in, jumping on the sofa opposite my girl, curling up with her big head on my lap.
“I can’t even think about food right now,” Stevie groans. “But if I were able to think about food, I’d tell you we need to try that pizza place on twenty-eighth, then I want to try that new taco truck that parks down on the pier on Tuesdays. Then after that, we should check out that new Indian restaurant that’s opening up next to the arena.”
My laugh shakes both Stevie and Rosie in my lap.
“Make a list.” I hand her my phone, unlocking it. “In the Notes app, let’s start a list of all the takeout we want to try.”
Stevie perks up with that. Taking my phone, she opens the app to create a new folder, but before she does, she pauses, her thumbs ghosting over the screen.
“What is this?”
She scrolls down, every city we visit in the NHL listed in my notes.
I’m not one to lie, especially to her, so I don’t. “I used to keep a list of the girls I would see in those cities so that when I was back in town, and they hit me up, I would know who they were.”
Stevie stills before reacting exactly how I expected.
My girlfriend bursts into a fit of laughter, right there on my couch. “You’re shitting me!” she howls. “Oh my God, this is ridiculous. Zee, you really were a little man-whore.”
“Little,” I scoff. “Nothing little going on here, sweetheart.”
“Well, at least you were an organized and honest fuckboy.” She wipes the corners of her eyes. “Can I read them?”
“Sure.”
She scrolls through them, contemplating which to open first, an utterly amused smile on her lips.
“Oh, Nashville. This one is going to be a long list.” She stops on her hometown and clicks on it.
I watch as Stevie’s blue-green eyes narrow in confusion, her mouth slightly parting and her amusement shifting to sentiment.
“You can even read them out loud, Vee.”
She swallows. “Stevie. Curly hair and amazing ass. Won’t sleep with me, but I hope she changes her mind.”
Scrolling to the Denver tab, she clicks on it. “Stevie. Has an attitude. Likes basketball and is down to eat burgers.”
She exits out, finding Washington DC next. “Stevie,” she continues. “Best sex of my life.”
She keeps going to Calgary. “Stevie. Snuck her into my hotel room to watch movies with me all night.”
San Jose. “Stevie. Insane blowjob in the shower. Wore my T-shirt to bed.”
Next, she finds Vancouver. “Stevie. Came to my game. My favorite person to hang out with.”
Finally, she looks up at me. “What is this?”
“I told you. It’s the list of girls I see in those cities. It’s a little different now, but the concept is still the same.”
She focuses back on my phone, opening Los Angeles and then Seattle, finding them both blank. “There’s nothing in these.”
“That’s because we haven’t been there yet.”
She drops my phone on her stomach before crossing her arms over her face to hide. “Jesus. How are you real? Even when you’re caught being a fuckboy, you’re caught in the cutest way possible.”
She looks up at me, her eyes a little glossy.
“You’re my first choice, Vee. My only choice.” I brush her curls away from her freckled face. “Whether that’s in Chicago or any other city. It’s just you.”
She sits up, pulling my neck down at the same time her warm lips close around my mouth. I trail kisses across her jaw, cheek, and temple as she buries herself into my shoulder. My arm snakes around her, holding her tight as I continue to pet a sleeping Rosie on my other side.
“I’m obsessed with you, Zee.”
“That makes two of us.”
After a few minutes of stroking Stevie’s side, I feel her body get heavy in my grasp as she starts to doze off. Resting my head on hers, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would have this. I never thought I would feel as protected to be myself as I do with this girl. She allows me to be blunt, honest, and unapologetic and does so with absolutely no judgment along the way.
I never thought I would have my own family, but between the Doberman on her back who has quickly become my sidekick, and the curly-haired flight attendant under my arm, I’d venture to say I’ve got a little family of my own.
And as that realization sinks in, I’m hit with the reminder that I’ve had a family.
One that I miss.
“Vee?” I whisper, testing to see if she’s still awake.
She shifts, wrapping both her arms around my neck and burying her head in my chest. “Mm-hmm?”
I hesitate before blurting out, “I miss my dad.”
She stills in my grasp before tightening her arms around my neck. “You should tell him that.”