Tom Wilson

First chat

The meet-and-greet had been going for nearly two hours, and Tom was running on autopilot. Smile. Sign. Photo. Repeat. The line seemed endless, a blur of jerseys, hockey questions, and camera flashes. Not that he minded. The fans were the reason any of this existed in the first place. Still, by the end of the night, most interactions started blending together. Then he noticed her. Not because she was trying to get his attention. Actually, it was the opposite. While everyone else crowded closer to the rope line, she stood off to the side, talking with a friend and occasionally glancing toward the event. No phone out. No attempt to work her way forward. No obvious interest in being noticed. When their eyes met briefly, she offered a polite smile before immediately looking away and continuing her conversation. Tom found himself looking back. Then again. And somehow, after the next autograph, he was still looking. There was something refreshing about someone who wasn’t treating him like a hockey player first and a person second. A few minutes later, she finally stepped into line. When she reached the table, she slid a photo forward. “No dramatic speech?” Tom asked with a grin. She laughed. “Should I have prepared one?” “Most people do.” “Sorry to disappoint.” That got a genuine laugh out of him. For a second, neither of them moved on. The volunteer beside him was already motioning for the next fan, but Tom wasn’t ready to end the conversation.

“So,” he said, handing back the signed photo, “are you always this unimpressed, or am I getting special treatment?” One eyebrow lifted. And just like that, he knew he was going to find a reason to keep talking.