her arm over my shoulder and yelled into my ear. “He is so into you.”
My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I bit back a grin. It was difficult to deny that Corby was feeling something for me after he’d singled me out in the stands after each of his goals. My cheeks filled with heat as I shrugged. “Maybe.”
“There’s no maybe about it.” She pointed at the center of the ice where the teams lined up to shake hands. “That boy got a hat trick and pointed at you after each goal. No way would he do that unless he liked you a lot.”
I tilted my head to the side, feeling a little confused by the unfamiliar term. “What’s a hat trick?”
“That’s what they call it when a player scores three goals in one game.” It had been great to have Sarah sitting next to me in the stands. In addition to providing moral support, she’d also schooled Emily and me on hockey throughout the game. She had played soccer growing up, and apparently, many of the rules were the same. “Hat tricks don’t happen often, so it’s a big deal that Corby got one during his first game as a Cougar.”
I turned toward the ice and found Corby standing at the end of the bench area, staring at me through the glass that separated the players from the people in the stands. My blush intensified, but I resisted ducking my head and gave him a little wave instead. He grinned and mouthed, “Wait for me.”
I tried to keep my cool, but it was hard to do with Emily squealing behind me and Sarah nudging my side. But it was worth being embarrassed by how they were acting when Corby grinned even before I nodded. Once he got the answer he’d been waiting for, he turned around and stepped back onto the ice. I watched him skate across the rink and walk through the door, not looking away until he disappeared into the locker room.
The people who’d been sitting around us quickly left the stands. Emily and Sarah waited until we were almost alone to start jumping up and down. “I’d say we definitely confirmed that he wants to hang out with you.”
“Heck yeah, we did,” Sarah cried, doing a little dance that made me giggle.
My gaze darted around us as I hissed, “Chill out, you guys.”
“No can do, I’m already chilly enough,” Sarah teased.
“For some reason, I didn’t think the rink would be this cold.” Emily ran her hands up and down her arms and shivered. “I know they have to keep the temperature low enough for the ice and all, but since we’re indoors, I thought it would be a little warmer.”
I hadn’t really noticed the cold, probably because I’d been too focused on Corby to pay attention to how frozen my toes were until Emily mentioned it. “Maybe we should head down to the lobby, too.”
“Good call,” Sarah agreed with a nod as she started to scoot down the row toward the stairs. I followed her with Emily right behind me.
It wasn’t much warmer in the lobby area, and I felt bad that my friends were stuck waiting inside with me. Looking at Sarah, I asked, “Do you have any idea how long it takes to get changed after a game?”
She shrugged and shook her head. “My guess is that it won’t be quick. We might be cold, but I’d be willing to bet that the players still worked up a sweat.”
“Yeah, no way will Corby want to come out here all stinky with you waiting for him,” Emily added, wrinkling her nose.
Maybe I was a weirdo, but the possibility of him skipping a shower to get out to me faster didn’t bother me at all. Not after I’d spent so much time ogling him when he was sweaty from running. Plus, it would be flattering to know he was in a rush to see me. “If it’s going to be a while, do you want to wait for me in Emily’s car? It’ll probably be much warmer with the heater running than it is in here.”
“I vote yes,” Sarah cried, rubbing her hands together. “We can crank the seat warmers up to five, too, and then our butts will be toasty in no time flat.”
“Will you be okay by yourself?” Emily looked around the lobby with wide eyes.
She was so sweet to worry about me. “I’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure.” She gave me a