Empty Net
Page 65
“If you did get a cupcakery, what would you call it?”
Audrey smiled shyly, and Tate lost his breath, he loved that smile. She moved her fingers slowly along the label of the water bottle before looking up at him, “It’s so cliché.”
“What?”
“Audrey Jane’s,” she said without looking at him.
Tate smiled fully, “It is perfect.”
She looked up quickly, her cheeks a bright red as she looked at him like he had just held the Lord Stanley Cup above his head. “You think?”
“Hell yeah, it suits you. I bet the shop would be bright pink with sparkles huh?”
She giggled as she nodded, “I found these amazing tables that are actually made to look like high heel shoes! Amazing, right?!”
Tate shook his head as he chuckled, “You really should do it Audrey, I for one, would be there every day.”
Audrey smiled, smacking his arms softly as she rolled her eyes, “It’s a pipe dream.”
“That could be a reality; you’ve just got to believe in yourself.”
Audrey stopped smiling as she laid her bottle on the counter, “I do believe in myself.”
“Then do it.”
“I can’t, I’ll disappoint my dad and--”
“Who cares? This is about you, what makes you happy.”
Audrey didn’t answer as she looked down at the counter. Tate felt like he had crossed the line, but he was a blunt person, and he believed in Audrey. She had this amazing talent and she was wasting it, sitting behind a desk. She could do so much more if she would let herself do it.
“Question,” she whispered.
Tate looked up, “Yeah?”
“What would you do? If your dad didn’t want you to play hockey but be a part of the family business?”
Tate eyes never left hers as he said, “I would do what makes me happy. Call me selfish, if you must, but I’m not living this life for anyone but me right now. My dad did what made him happy, and encouraged me to follow my dreams.”
“You know what you want, huh?”
“Oh yeah, always have.”
“I wish I could be like that,” she said sadly.
“I think you could be. You should give it a try.”
“Maybe.”
Tate smiled as he came around the counter, “Come on, let me show you what my mom wanted me to do with my life.”
Audrey gave him a bright grin before he turned heading up the stairs. He showed her the bathroom, which was extremely plain, then his bedroom that was done in a soft beige color with black accents. Grabbing a t-shirt off his bed, he threw it on, before walking across the hall. Looking over at Audrey, he said, “I think this is the room that is connected to your closet. By the way, how do you like it?”
Audrey’s eyes went wide and glossy as she nodded in delight, “Oh my God, I love it. It took me hours to put up my shoes, but man, was it worth it.”
Tate chuckled before opening his door, “Good, so this is the room that keeps me for hours when I’m not at the rink.”
He watched as she walked past him, and stood in the middle of the stark white room. Along the middle of the walls was a large musical staff that started with a large treble clef before heading into the notes of his favorite classical song. In one corner were Matilda’s and his violins. In another were his acoustic and bass guitars and in the middle of the room was his vintage piano that had been passed down from his great, great, great, grandma. It was a dark wood finish, with bright white keys that he had just had redone. It was a beauty, and his favorite thing, other than his goalie helmet that Matilda had designed for him.
“Wow.”
Tate smiled as he glanced over at Audrey, “This is my favorite room.”
“It’s spectacular. What song is that?” she asked pointing to the wall.
“Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, it’s my mom’s favorite,” he said as pain ripped in his chest. How many times had he played the sonata for his mother? Millions?
God, he missed her.
“That’s so cool, can you play it?” Tate only nodded as she looked around the room, “You play violin too?”
“Yeah,” he answered again.
“Wow,” she said again, running her fingers along the strings of his violin, “Will you play it for me?”
Tate didn’t even think, he just nodded, picking it up, along with the bow. He shot her a grin before bringing it to under his cheek and slowly moving the bow along the strings. Audrey watched his every move, but he was too lost in the music to be affect by her intense gaze. His eyes drifted shut as he hit the crescendo of the song, moving his bow as quickly and efficiently as he knew how. When he finished, he opened his eyes to Audrey clapping for him.
“That was fantastic. Grenade right? By Bruno Mars? Fallon loves that song, but I’ve heard it so many times because of her, that I hate it,” she said with a laugh, “but no joke, I could listen to you play it over and over again. That was awesome.”
“Thanks,” he said. His grin couldn’t get any bigger as he laid the violin softly down before stretching his arms out in front of him. When he heard the bell, Audrey looked over at him.
“Food’s here, come on,” he said before heading for the door.
“You’ll need to play that piano for me,” she said behind him.
“Sure, why don’t you stay up here, and I’ll go get the food. We’ll eat and then I’ll play for you.”
Audrey smiled shyly, and Tate lost his breath, he loved that smile. She moved her fingers slowly along the label of the water bottle before looking up at him, “It’s so cliché.”
“What?”
“Audrey Jane’s,” she said without looking at him.
Tate smiled fully, “It is perfect.”
She looked up quickly, her cheeks a bright red as she looked at him like he had just held the Lord Stanley Cup above his head. “You think?”
“Hell yeah, it suits you. I bet the shop would be bright pink with sparkles huh?”
She giggled as she nodded, “I found these amazing tables that are actually made to look like high heel shoes! Amazing, right?!”
Tate shook his head as he chuckled, “You really should do it Audrey, I for one, would be there every day.”
Audrey smiled, smacking his arms softly as she rolled her eyes, “It’s a pipe dream.”
“That could be a reality; you’ve just got to believe in yourself.”
Audrey stopped smiling as she laid her bottle on the counter, “I do believe in myself.”
“Then do it.”
“I can’t, I’ll disappoint my dad and--”
“Who cares? This is about you, what makes you happy.”
Audrey didn’t answer as she looked down at the counter. Tate felt like he had crossed the line, but he was a blunt person, and he believed in Audrey. She had this amazing talent and she was wasting it, sitting behind a desk. She could do so much more if she would let herself do it.
“Question,” she whispered.
Tate looked up, “Yeah?”
“What would you do? If your dad didn’t want you to play hockey but be a part of the family business?”
Tate eyes never left hers as he said, “I would do what makes me happy. Call me selfish, if you must, but I’m not living this life for anyone but me right now. My dad did what made him happy, and encouraged me to follow my dreams.”
“You know what you want, huh?”
“Oh yeah, always have.”
“I wish I could be like that,” she said sadly.
“I think you could be. You should give it a try.”
“Maybe.”
Tate smiled as he came around the counter, “Come on, let me show you what my mom wanted me to do with my life.”
Audrey gave him a bright grin before he turned heading up the stairs. He showed her the bathroom, which was extremely plain, then his bedroom that was done in a soft beige color with black accents. Grabbing a t-shirt off his bed, he threw it on, before walking across the hall. Looking over at Audrey, he said, “I think this is the room that is connected to your closet. By the way, how do you like it?”
Audrey’s eyes went wide and glossy as she nodded in delight, “Oh my God, I love it. It took me hours to put up my shoes, but man, was it worth it.”
Tate chuckled before opening his door, “Good, so this is the room that keeps me for hours when I’m not at the rink.”
He watched as she walked past him, and stood in the middle of the stark white room. Along the middle of the walls was a large musical staff that started with a large treble clef before heading into the notes of his favorite classical song. In one corner were Matilda’s and his violins. In another were his acoustic and bass guitars and in the middle of the room was his vintage piano that had been passed down from his great, great, great, grandma. It was a dark wood finish, with bright white keys that he had just had redone. It was a beauty, and his favorite thing, other than his goalie helmet that Matilda had designed for him.
“Wow.”
Tate smiled as he glanced over at Audrey, “This is my favorite room.”
“It’s spectacular. What song is that?” she asked pointing to the wall.
“Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, it’s my mom’s favorite,” he said as pain ripped in his chest. How many times had he played the sonata for his mother? Millions?
God, he missed her.
“That’s so cool, can you play it?” Tate only nodded as she looked around the room, “You play violin too?”
“Yeah,” he answered again.
“Wow,” she said again, running her fingers along the strings of his violin, “Will you play it for me?”
Tate didn’t even think, he just nodded, picking it up, along with the bow. He shot her a grin before bringing it to under his cheek and slowly moving the bow along the strings. Audrey watched his every move, but he was too lost in the music to be affect by her intense gaze. His eyes drifted shut as he hit the crescendo of the song, moving his bow as quickly and efficiently as he knew how. When he finished, he opened his eyes to Audrey clapping for him.
“That was fantastic. Grenade right? By Bruno Mars? Fallon loves that song, but I’ve heard it so many times because of her, that I hate it,” she said with a laugh, “but no joke, I could listen to you play it over and over again. That was awesome.”
“Thanks,” he said. His grin couldn’t get any bigger as he laid the violin softly down before stretching his arms out in front of him. When he heard the bell, Audrey looked over at him.
“Food’s here, come on,” he said before heading for the door.
“You’ll need to play that piano for me,” she said behind him.
“Sure, why don’t you stay up here, and I’ll go get the food. We’ll eat and then I’ll play for you.”
