Chapter 9

Starla

I’m working on a new display when Aaron walks into the store. He looks distraught, as if someone has run over his puppy. I’ve never seen him look so sad before and I’m not sure what to do.

“Hey there, fancy meeting you here,” I tease, hoping that puts a smile on his face.“Hey, Starla. Can we talk?” His eyes are cast down at the floor. No good conversation has ever started with ‘Can we talk’ so I have no idea what to expect. I lead him to the private viewing room, asking Poppy to watch the front for a few minutes. Since she doesn’t have any clients right now, she doesn’t mind. I follow him in and shut the door behind us.

“Aaron? What’s wrong?” I ask tentatively.

“It’s my dad. He had a heart attack and had to be rushed into emergency surgery.” I don’t exactly know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.

“Oh no. I’m so sorry, Aaron. Is there anything I can do?” I gasp and reach for his arm.

"He's stable, but it was a close call." He winces and I can tell he's struggling to hold back his emotions. "He thinks I should quit being a paramedic and just focus on hockey. He's always thought that way, but now it feels like there's more pressure than ever."

"Is that what you want?" I ask gently.

"No, I love both. I don't want to give up either." His gaze moves down to the floor.

"Then don't," I say firmly. His eyes pop up to meet mine. I take his hands in mine, looking him in the eye. "You don't have to choose between the two if they both make you happy. You're strong enough to handle both if they are your passions and your dad should respect that."

"You really think so?"

"Absolutely," I confirm. "You're an incredible athlete and a dedicated paramedic. I've seen how much you love helping people, both on and off the ice. Don't let anyone, even your dad, take that away from you."

"Thank you," he says with a soft voice. "I really needed to hear that." He steps to me wrapping his arms around me. We sigh as we stand there, holding each other. His arms feel safe to me, as if while I am in them nothing can get to me or hurt me.

"We're all fighting battles of our own, and it's important to support each other." I tell him, pressed against his chest. He pulls back and places a kiss to my forehead. With one final sigh, he moves away.

“I hate to do this, but I’ve got to run. Thanks again for everything,” he says with a small smile.

“Anytime, tiger,” I reply, the new nickname making the corners of his mouth kick up into a wider smile.

Aaron nods and turns to walk out as I enjoy the few of this fine man with such a huge heart. However, as soon as the front door closes, it reopens with him peeking his head back in.

"Hey," he says. "I was wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime soon? You know, just the two of us, away from all this... stuff." He gestures vaguely around the store, encompassing the stress of life.

"Sure," I answer without hesitation. "We could all use a break sometimes."

"Great! How about tomorrow? I'll be visiting my dad in the hospital, but afterwards, I'd really like to see you again."

"Sounds perfect," I agree, we exchange numbers, and I watch him leave again.

***

I hear a truck pull out in front of my apartment and pull the curtain back to see Aaron’s black Ford. I’m excited and a little nervous to be hanging out with him tonight in public. There’s a lot of people who know him for the good he does around the community, and a lot of people who know me for the so-called trouble I cause.

Still, I race outside to meet him at the passenger side of the truck.

"Hey," I greet him, as he opens the door to invite me in. "How's your dad?"

"Better," he whispers. "He's still got a long road ahead, but he's improving."

"Good," I rest a hand on his arm. Aaron smiles and gently shuts the door, gets in himself, and takes us the few blocks to the arcade just off Main Street.

Once inside the building, the bright lights and sounds of the games wash away the troubles of the past few days. Aaron leads me through the maze of machines. With him being so tall, he has no problems navigating.

"It’s going to be nice to just have fun tonight and forget about everything else for a while," he admits.

"Completely agree. How about we start here?” I point to an air hockey table.

"Prepare to be defeated," he teases, grabbing a paddle with an exaggerated movement.

"Bold words." I laugh as I take my position opposite him. "But let's see if you can back them up."

The air puck glides across the top of the machine and hits the sides with a thud, and we're immediately immersed in our game. Each goal scored is met with playful competitive taunts and chuckles.

"Is this all you've got?" I joke after scoring another point, raising an eyebrow.

"Guess I'll have to step it up a notch," he replies with a wink. As he sends the puck flying towards my goal, I notice how his muscles tense with every movement.

Despite my best efforts, Aaron scores the winning goal. I’m out of breath, and his athletic self seems to not even be exerted in the slightest as we laugh at our match.

We continue playing other games, trying our hand at both the classics and newer virtual reality ones.

The hours fly by, and the freedom of being worry free for the short time was so much fun.

"Thank you for tonight, Aaron," I say, our fingers brushing as we exchange tokens for one last round of skee-ball. "It's exactly what I needed."

"Me too," he agrees, his eyes meet mine, making my core tingle. "It's nice to forget about everything else for a while and just... be."

We leave the arcade, and as Aaron is opening the truck door for me once again, he surprises me.

"Hey, would you like to come over to my place? We could have a drink and just relax."

"Sure." I like the prospect of getting to know him better.

The car ride to his apartment is filled with comfortable conversation and soon we are stepping through his front door. At first sight, there’s a well-loved poker table taking center stage in Aaron's living room.

"Wow, nice table," I comment, running my fingers along the smooth edge. "Do you have poker nights often?"

"Whenever we can." Aaron grins. "My teammates and I try to get together as often as possible. It's a great way to unwind."

He leads me to his kitchen and offers me a selection of drinks. I opt for a glass of red wine while he pours himself a bourbon. We settle into his cozy living room, sipping our drinks and continuing our conversation from earlier in the night.

"Tell me more about your dad," I ask tentatively out of curiosity. "How did he end up becoming such a big part of your life when it comes to hockey and your career choices?"

Aaron hesitates for a moment, swirling the amber liquid in his glass before answering. "Well, he played professionally himself when he was younger. He had to retire early due to an injury, but his love for the game never faded. I guess he saw potential in me and wanted me to succeed where he couldn't."

I nod, understanding the weight of such expectations. "That's a lot of pressure to carry," I acknowledge. "But it's clear that you're incredibly passionate about both hockey and being a paramedic. It's rare to find someone so dedicated to not just one, but two demanding careers."

"Thanks," Aaron says, his eyes meeting mine with a mix of gratitude and vulnerability. "It isn't easy, but I can't imagine giving up either one. They're both a part of who I am."

As the night wears on, our conversation flows effortlessly, moving from family and career aspirations to lighter topics, like our favorite movies and experiences growing up.

As I take another sip of wine, I realize that we come from opposite worlds, but Aaron and I share more common ground than I ever could have anticipated. It’s a relief being with him, some place that I can relax and be myself, free from judgment.

"Starla," Aaron starts, "I think it's amazing how you've created Tiger's Den to help people explore their sexuality. You're making a real difference in their lives."

"Thank you. It hasn't been easy, especially with some of the conservative views around here. I still believe in what I'm doing and I won't let anyone hold me back."

"Good," he says with a fire igniting in his gaze. "You should never compromise your dreams for anyone else's narrow-mindedness."