6. Bennett

Bennett

It took me years to feel at ease hosting our team"s podcast. Over time, my delivery had improved – if I do say so myself. But tonight was different; it was my first time co-hosting with Xander.

He was already adjusting the microphone and sinking comfortably into his seat before I"d even managed to find my bearings. His face lit up with an infectious grin.

The room was cozy yet functional, with soundproof walls adorned in hockey memorabilia. Our team"s logo was proudly displayed on posters and banners. In the middle of the room, a circular table served as the broadcast command center. Microphones were poised and ready for action. Behind them, a large monitor displayed the podcast"s logo. The room hummed with the presence of electronic equipment.

"Welcome back to Roaring Success, your favorite hockey podcast," I began, glancing at Xander. His eyes sparkled. "I"m Ryan ‘Bullet' Bennett, and with me is the ever-charming Alexander… er… ‘X-Man' Harrison."

"Charming?" Xander scoffed, rolling his eyes. "More like intimidatingly handsome."

"Ah, so humble," I deadpanned. "Anyway, the Grizzlies' three-game home stand starts tonight as we host Calgary."

"Indeed," Xander agreed, leaning forward. "We're back in LA and taking our three-game winning streak into tonight's contest against the Comets on home ice, which means our odds are good." Xander"s fingers drummed out a rapid beat on the table.

"Let"s break down our recent victories against Phoenix."

As we analyzed the key plays, Xander"s enthusiasm bubbled over. He was a natural, settling into this gig as if he"d been born for this very thing. I had to hand it to him, the guy knew how to keep things interesting.

We got into the nitty-gritty of our impending showdown with Calgary next. "Here"s to hoping the fellas don"t get amnesia mid-game and actually pass me the puck this time," I quipped, shooting a sidelong glance at Xander.

A sly grin began to stretch across his face. "Ahh. Let"s hope Bennett doesn"t trip over his own skates like he did during practice." His voice was filled with amusement as he recalled the comical scene of my stumbling and flailing on the ice to our listeners.

Xander"s quick-witted joke caught me off guard, and I erupted into a fit of hearty laughter. My stomach ached from the force of it, but I couldn"t stop. His eyes widened as if he was taken aback by my outburst of laughter. Even I was surprised by how much his humor affected me.

I started feeling a bit self-conscious at my unexpected display of mirth, but he put me at ease when he smoothly transitioned to a new topic.

"Speaking of skating blunders," Xander began with a twinkle in his eye, "I think we should do a segment on Bennett"s Greatest Hits next time."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Oh trust me, there would be enough material for a whole series."

"Well, let"s see what our wonderful listeners have to say," Xander announced, scrolling through messages on his phone.

I watched as his eyes lit up, a grin spreading across his face. "Listen to this one: "@RoaringSuccess, Bennett"s game face could probably scare away a grizzly bear.""

I rolled my eyes, but couldn"t keep a small smile off my lips. "It"s called focus."

"Can you imagine what it"s like for his teammates who see his face every day?"

"Yeah, yeah, Sunshine. Keep ‘em laughing."

"Whatever you say, Grumpleberry." Xander chuckled before answering a call from a young fan named Timmy. "Hey, Timmy, what"s your question?"

"What"s your favorite pre-game snack?" Even from across the line, I could tell that Timmy was barely able to contain his excitement.

"Great question, Timmy." Xander launched into an animated explanation about his love for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, practically bouncing in his seat.

My mind wandered to my own pre-game routine: coffee, black as sin. Because who needs luck when you've got caffeine?

Xander turned to me, an eyebrow raised. "And what about you, Bennett?"

"Me? I prefer a nice cup of coffee to wake me up... and scare away the sleep demons." I flashed Xander a playful wink.

And yeah, he seemed taken aback by that wink too.

We read a few more messages and took some more of our fans' calls, and then moved on to the next segment.

"So, Bennett, any rituals or superstitions you want to share? You know, aside from your grumpy bear game face?"

"Very funny." I feigned a serious expression. "I"m not one for superstitions, but I do have a ritual of checking and rechecking my gear before every game." I demonstrated, my fingers miming the motion of tightening straps. "Gotta make sure everything"s in place."

"Ah, so that"s why you"re always the last one out of the locker room," Xander teased, then launched into his own ritual. "I listen to "Can"t Hold Us" by Macklemore Ryan Lewis on repeat." With a grin, he mimicked playing air guitar, complete with headbanging and exaggerated facial expressions.

Air guitar to "Can"t Hold Us"… only Xander, I mused, watching my co-host"s demonstration. I'd seen him doing it in the locker room before games. At least he"s got the energy for it.

"Some players carry lucky charms around. Do you have one, Grumpleberry?"

"Actually..." Bennett reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn-out hockey puck, holding it up for the camera. "This is my lucky charm. It's from my first professional goal twelve years ago. Not that it did much for me last season. Seems like it's working again now." I turned the puck over with my fingers.

"Wow, didn"t expect that from Mr. Practical over here." Xander chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"Alright, time for some predictions for tonight"s game," I declared, steering the conversation back on track. "What are your thoughts, Xander?"

"I predict we"ll score within the first five minutes and Calgary won"t even see it coming."

"Optimistic as ever," I mused. "I think it"ll be a tight game, but we"ll pull through in the end."

Xander groaned playfully, sticking his tongue out at me.

"Careful, Xander. You might just jinx us with all that confidence."

He shot me a playful glare. "Oh, come on, Bennett. Where"s your sense of optimism?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Buried deep beneath all that sunshine you"re radiating, I suppose."

As the podcast continued, we bantered and disagreed on hockey strategies, and I thought of my own game and what I needed to improve. I gotta put in some extra time at practice to get my shots on target. Maybe lay off the caffeine before games.

It was nice to hear fans reacting in real-time, their comments ranging from heartfelt messages to teasing remarks about our on-ice chemistry.

But a thought suddenly struck me and I was surprised I hadn't noticed before now. Xander had managed to coax out a version of me I barely recognized. Our exchanges were peppered with light-hearted banter and punctuated by the rich sounds of our laughter around us. It was so different from the usual silence or serious discussions that marked my daily routine.

Before this, playfulness had been an alien concept to me, like a word in a foreign language I hadn"t bothered to learn. My life revolved around the ice – training, competing, and striving for perfection with unyielding focus. Off the rink, I was wired for discipline and intensity; there was no room for frivolity. I even had a no-hookup rule this season. It was going to be 100 percent hockey because I had a league to get promoted to: the NAPH.

But there he was, Xander with his infectious grin and effortless charm, gradually chipping away at my self-imposed rigidity. His presence was like a warm sunbeam melting away my icy exterior layer by layer. I found myself engaging in playful teasing, laughing freely at his jokes and even initiating some of our sillier conversations.

It was strange yet liberating at the same time. Like stretching out muscles that had been tensed up for too long or taking off a pair of tight skates after a long day. The more time I spent with him, the more these unfamiliar feelings began to seem natural.

And the more I thought about it, I realized that aside from my family, Xander was one of the few individuals who could draw me out and make me laugh so freely.

I marveled at the man; it was as if Xander held up a mirror reflecting back an image of Bennett that knew how to relax and have fun. And surprisingly enough, I liked what I saw.

"Alright, that"s it for today." He flashed me a grin. "Thanks for tuning in to Roaring Success; we"ll catch you next time."

"Stay fierce, everyone," I added with a smile, feeling the warmth of camaraderie between us as we signed off.