Off Sides

keeps pushing me to do it. She has faith that, with time, my mother will come around. I wish I could be more like Danny. Her unwavering belief in the human spirit is boundless.
    She doesn’t say anything more nor does she try to push the subject. I hold her gently while watching TV and before long, I’ve forgotten all about my parents.
    Just as the Sports Center episode is finishing, there is a knock at our door. I look down at my watch.
    Right on time.
    “Do you mind getting the door, honey?” I ask her as I stand up from the couch, dislodging her from my lap. “I’ll start making some breakfast.”
    I smile as Danny grumbles at me but she gets up and walks to the door. I stand just outside the kitchen, my body leaning up against the wall and I watch her. She unlocks the deadbolt and swings the door open. I watch as stunned disbelief slides over her face. Standing on the other side of the threshold is her best friend, Paula. I flew her in from Boston to spend the weekend as a surprise for Danny.
    Danny finally comes to her senses and lets out a piercing shriek. Paula answers her with an equally loud squawk of her own. I wince. These two women both put nails on a chalkboard to shame.
    Now they are hugging each other and rocking back and forth with joy. It’s been almost six months since we moved here and I know Danny misses Paula a lot.
    Before I realize it, Danny is releasing Paula and hurtling across the room to me. She jumps in my arms, locking those gorgeous legs around my waist and hugs me tight. Lust shoots through me having her pressed up against my groin and I try to think of something gross to prevent me from getting a hard-on while Paula stands there and watches us. Slugs, vomit, snot. Yup. That works.
    “You are such a sneak, Ryan Burnham,” Danny accuses me. “How did you pull this off without me knowing it?”
    I chuckle and kiss her lightly, squeezing her ass because...well, I can and she’s all mine. “I hate to tell you, babe, you’re not that observant. It was easy enough arranging this.”
    I let Danny slide to the floor and then Paula gives me a big hug. She doesn’t scare me as much as she used to. We’ve sort of bonded over our mutual love of and need to protect Danny. I turn and leave them to their reunion and head to the kitchen to make us all breakfast.

    Danny

    I love Madison Square Gardens. There’s an actual vibrating buzz of excitement in the air as over 17,000 fans wait for the game to start. Paula is sitting next to me, happily chewing on a hot dog. I still can’t believe Ryan flew her here for the weekend. Just when I didn’t think it was possible to love him anymore, he goes and does this crap. He’s impossible and he’s mine.
    Normally, when I come to Ryan’s home games, I sit further up in the stands, but I guess Ryan wanted to make it special with Paula being here. Tonight, our seats are on the ice, just to the side of the Rangers’ bench. Now I can get a close up view of my honey at work.
    We’re still waiting on Ryan’s sister, Emily. She usually goes with me to every home game. She’s in her first year at Columbia and totally loves New York. I don’t see her ever leaving it. And it’s amazing how much our relationship has grown. Those girlfriend/sister lunch dates I had once fantasized about have come true. I mean, Emily still has her issues, and she’s actually trying to break away a bit from her mother’s domineering ways. Overall, she’s actually a very sweet girl but sometimes I can see a little of Celia Burnham peeking through. The fact that she and Ryan have grown closer over the past few months makes my heart sing.
    I look at Paula. God, I miss her so much.
    “So how have you been doing?” I ask her.
    “Just peachy. Work at the record store is...well, boring as shit but what’s a girl to do. How about you?”
    I sigh. My life is freakin’ fantastic and I keep waiting to wake up from this dream. “There are no words, Paula. I’m studying music again and I’m with the man of my dreams. I don’t think the English language has enough adjectives to describe my feelings.”
    “You are such a dork,” she replies.
    “Harpy.”
    “Rhinoceros.”
    “Bilbo Baggins.”
    I think I have her with this one but she remains stone-faced. Then she gets me when she leans over to me and starts singing...really, really loud.

    “Why do you build me up
Buttercup baby just to
let me down
And mess me around
And then worst of all
You never call baby
When