The Game of Love
Meetings
“You didn’t have to do this you know?”
“Ha! Please! You’ve been nothing but mopey for the past two weeks. I did need to do this. Besides, these things are a lot more fun with you here. You know, when you’re not depressed or anything.”
I rolled my eyes playfully as Peyton pulled me by the arm back to the locker rooms. You see she’s a sports journalist, or hockey journalist to be exact. We both love hockey so she thought it’d be a dandy idea to bring me with her to cheer me up and make me feel better. She is considerate and…and unfortunately I couldn’t even finish my rare nice thought about her because she scared me.
“Come on!” She grabbed me the arms and shook me. “Pull it together! You just got dumped and this whole depressed my life is completely miserable bit is getting really old.”
I gave her a look. “Ouch.”
She laughed and pulled out her notepad and tape recorder. “You know I’m just joking and being bitchy. It’s our thing.” She smiled at me toothily.
I nodded and shrugged, “Yea, still kind of hurt though.”
“Well, you know what’ll make it better? The fact that you will soon be exposed to hot, hot, and very sweaty hockey players.”
“Oh yea, you’re right. Going into some very smelly locker room full of guys who were wishing they could get some privacy is my dream come true.”
“Whatever, let’s go.” She grabbed my arm and pushed passed the other cameras and reporters there earning glares and knocked on the door. The second the doors opened people went racing in, going to Sidney, of course. Peyton, being the smart one, went to the ones who had no one pestering them. I followed as she went to Max Talbot. “Excuse me Max?”
He turned around and looked down and smiled widely. “Hey! What’s up?”
We both were surprised by how happy he was, even considering the fact that he had just won the game with the Devils. She shook her head and tried not to get distracted. “Congratulations on the win tonight. So Max is there anything in particular you think you guys might need this season?”
As he started answering I slowly moved my eyes to the boys coming in and out of the bathrooms, some showered, some still sweaty. I looked over to Sidney as he spoke and he glanced over at me, but I hadn’t taken the time to really look. Once I did, I saw that he had been looking at me for a while by the corner of his eye and smirking. I blushed a bit but was quickly startled by a loud noise behind me. I let out a squeak by the loud bag being dropped on the floor. I turned to see a smiling Kris Letang staring at me.
He laughed, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
I smiled, “No, it’s fine.”
He bent down to put some things in his bag and came back up looking down at me running
a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I don’t think I’ve seen you before. I’m Kris.” He stuck out a hand and smiled.
I smiled sheepishly and shook it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Brooke.”
“Hello Brooke. So, what’d you think of the game?”
“I thought it was really great.” He sat down and started get things ready to head to shower. I slowly turned my head to see that Sidney was gone.
“Hey, is this yours?” I turned to see Max pointing nodding down at me. I opened my mouth to
say something but refrained when I saw his smile. Damn that smile.
Kris laughed ignoring his comment. “I just met her, I was assuming she was a reporter. She’s nice though.” He shrugged going back to his business.
Max grew confused, “Wait, then who’s are you?”
My eyes grew wide before Peyton interrupted and put her arm on my shoulder. “This beautiful creature is mine Mr. Talbot. I see Kris has already met the most wonderful woman in the world. You should really be nicer to her. She can hurt you if she wanted to.”
Kris and I laughed as Max pouted. “Oh she’s your friend. That makes more sense. And hi by the way, Peyton. It’s been a while.”
“Yea, hey. Listen, where can one find a bathroom around here? I am desperate for one.”
“You could just use the ones here. Help yourself. We’ve seen you long enough that we feel comfortable around you.”
“Thank you!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me with her.
“Uhm, I didn’t have to use the bathroom.”
“I know, but I just wanted to see how you were enjoying yourself.”
I laughed, “Apart from the awkwardness of seeing some guys shirtless fresh out of the shower, it’s good. Seriously, thanks for bringing me. Did you get all the interviews you needed to?”
“Yea.” She looked down at her hands without saying anything more.
I leaned against the sink, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
I raised my eyebrows, “Peyton?”
She sighed, “Ok, it’s just that, lately I’ve been sort of getting tired of all the interviews. I mean
don’t get me wrong I love doing them and talking to the players and what not, but I want to do something more. Not just an article about every game but an entire piece on someone or a team.”
“Have you told your boss?”
“Yea, but he says not to worry. That my time will come when I’m ready.” She ripped a piece of paper towel and dried her hands. “Anyway, I just want to forget about it. Let’s go I’m almost done here.”
“Ok, be right there.” I looked myself over in the mirror fixing a few strands of hair and trying to straighten my shirt. I heard a noise behind me and looked at the mirror towards the floor. I pulled my phone out to check the time and it slipped and fell to the floor. I bent down to pick it up and got up hearing a stall open. I turned around to see a very tall boy drying his hair with a towel, his clothes sticking to his still wet body. It was Sidney. Sidney Crosby.
He quickly turned around and gave me a strange look. I stood there frozen before composing myself and stood up straight. "I'm sorry," I quickly said. Feeling all the heat rush up to my cheeks, I picked up my phone and immediately paced out of there.
“Brooke, you took so long. What’d you do in there?” Peyton, Kris and Max laughed. She eyed me then looked up to Sidney who came running after me. I felt the large presence towering over me so much that I could almost feel his breath on me. She kept looking back between us while Kris and Max looked at her. I narrowed my eyes and sent her a look so she knew not to say a word and make the situation more uncomfortable.
“Oh, hey guys.” Sidney came scratching the back of his head. He stood awkwardly next to me while I crossed my arms using my right hand to rub my temples as I was getting a throbbing headache from the awkwardness.
Max looked at us confused but shrugged and walked away.
Kris gave us an awkward look. “So, uhm, I’m just going to go shower. But it was nice to meet you Brooke. See ya’ around Peyton.” He gave us a nod and walked away.
My mind tried to come up with any sort of explanation or excuse but no words were coming out of my mouth. I had been staring at the floor for a while before sighing and looking up at him. “I just went to use the bathroom," I told him. "With Max's permission. I didn't mean to be in there," I apologized.
He nodded giving me a small smile. "It's okay."
Peyton cleared her throat and put her hand on her hip. “Well, uh, we should be going since I’m done with all the interviews. It was nice to see you Sidney and again great game.” She grabbed my arm and started to pull me away.
“Wait. I think I can help you with your problem.”
Peyton furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head. “I’m sorry what?”
“I think I can get you to write an actual piece on hockey.”
“Really? And how exactly will you do that?” She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
“Well I think that I could get you guys into every one of our practices this week and follow us to every media related thing and ask us questions. Sort of an inside look into the Penguins kind of thing. I mean,” He paused looking down. “If you want.”
When I turned to look at her, her eyes were so big I thought she was in a trance of some sort. I shook her until she gave her head a slight shake. “Wow, I think if you did that I would be indebted to you for life.”
He laughed slightly and shrugged, “It’s no problem, really. Just run it by your boss and you can start tomorrow. I’ll leave you guy’s passes at the front door.” He smiled picking up his bag and pulling it over his shoulder.
“After all these years in knowing you Crosby and you finally pull through," she smirked. "Thank you so much! I’m going to brag to him right now. That douche.” She ran out dialing that she almost hit the wall.
I laughed turning back to Sidney smiling. “Thanks for that. It really meant a lot to her, you have no idea."
"It's no problem really. The whole team here knows her and she's one of the only reporters who we all like so I'm just glad I could help out," he explained.
I smiled. "Well, I should go, make sure she doesn’t scream too loud or completely embarrass herself.”
He nodded. “Yea, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I get to come?”
He shrugged, looking at me cautiously. “Well if you want.”
“Yes, I want.” I let out a small laugh realizing I had answered to eagerly.
“Then I will see you tomorrow.” He gave me a slight smile.
I crossed my arms and nodded lightly. “Okay.” I spoke softly and smiled before turning around to go look for Peyton.
“Wait.” I looked over my shoulder raising my eyebrows. “I didn’t catch your name.”
I smiled and stepped a few feet back to stick out my hand. “I’m Brooke.”
He took my hand and shook it. “I’m Sidney. Nice to meet you Brooke.”
I nodded, a smirk growing on my face. “Yea, it is nice to meet you.” I slowly let loose of his grip and once again walked away. I got out the door and stepped aside to stand against the wall, letting my head lean on it. I sighed and slowly raised my hand to my face feeling the warmth of my cheeks. A grin grew on my face and it wasn't going away.
“Ha! Please! You’ve been nothing but mopey for the past two weeks. I did need to do this. Besides, these things are a lot more fun with you here. You know, when you’re not depressed or anything.”
I rolled my eyes playfully as Peyton pulled me by the arm back to the locker rooms. You see she’s a sports journalist, or hockey journalist to be exact. We both love hockey so she thought it’d be a dandy idea to bring me with her to cheer me up and make me feel better. She is considerate and…and unfortunately I couldn’t even finish my rare nice thought about her because she scared me.
“Come on!” She grabbed me the arms and shook me. “Pull it together! You just got dumped and this whole depressed my life is completely miserable bit is getting really old.”
I gave her a look. “Ouch.”
She laughed and pulled out her notepad and tape recorder. “You know I’m just joking and being bitchy. It’s our thing.” She smiled at me toothily.
I nodded and shrugged, “Yea, still kind of hurt though.”
“Well, you know what’ll make it better? The fact that you will soon be exposed to hot, hot, and very sweaty hockey players.”
“Oh yea, you’re right. Going into some very smelly locker room full of guys who were wishing they could get some privacy is my dream come true.”
“Whatever, let’s go.” She grabbed my arm and pushed passed the other cameras and reporters there earning glares and knocked on the door. The second the doors opened people went racing in, going to Sidney, of course. Peyton, being the smart one, went to the ones who had no one pestering them. I followed as she went to Max Talbot. “Excuse me Max?”
He turned around and looked down and smiled widely. “Hey! What’s up?”
We both were surprised by how happy he was, even considering the fact that he had just won the game with the Devils. She shook her head and tried not to get distracted. “Congratulations on the win tonight. So Max is there anything in particular you think you guys might need this season?”
As he started answering I slowly moved my eyes to the boys coming in and out of the bathrooms, some showered, some still sweaty. I looked over to Sidney as he spoke and he glanced over at me, but I hadn’t taken the time to really look. Once I did, I saw that he had been looking at me for a while by the corner of his eye and smirking. I blushed a bit but was quickly startled by a loud noise behind me. I let out a squeak by the loud bag being dropped on the floor. I turned to see a smiling Kris Letang staring at me.
He laughed, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
I smiled, “No, it’s fine.”
He bent down to put some things in his bag and came back up looking down at me running
a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I don’t think I’ve seen you before. I’m Kris.” He stuck out a hand and smiled.
I smiled sheepishly and shook it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Brooke.”
“Hello Brooke. So, what’d you think of the game?”
“I thought it was really great.” He sat down and started get things ready to head to shower. I slowly turned my head to see that Sidney was gone.
“Hey, is this yours?” I turned to see Max pointing nodding down at me. I opened my mouth to
say something but refrained when I saw his smile. Damn that smile.
Kris laughed ignoring his comment. “I just met her, I was assuming she was a reporter. She’s nice though.” He shrugged going back to his business.
Max grew confused, “Wait, then who’s are you?”
My eyes grew wide before Peyton interrupted and put her arm on my shoulder. “This beautiful creature is mine Mr. Talbot. I see Kris has already met the most wonderful woman in the world. You should really be nicer to her. She can hurt you if she wanted to.”
Kris and I laughed as Max pouted. “Oh she’s your friend. That makes more sense. And hi by the way, Peyton. It’s been a while.”
“Yea, hey. Listen, where can one find a bathroom around here? I am desperate for one.”
“You could just use the ones here. Help yourself. We’ve seen you long enough that we feel comfortable around you.”
“Thank you!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me with her.
“Uhm, I didn’t have to use the bathroom.”
“I know, but I just wanted to see how you were enjoying yourself.”
I laughed, “Apart from the awkwardness of seeing some guys shirtless fresh out of the shower, it’s good. Seriously, thanks for bringing me. Did you get all the interviews you needed to?”
“Yea.” She looked down at her hands without saying anything more.
I leaned against the sink, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
I raised my eyebrows, “Peyton?”
She sighed, “Ok, it’s just that, lately I’ve been sort of getting tired of all the interviews. I mean
don’t get me wrong I love doing them and talking to the players and what not, but I want to do something more. Not just an article about every game but an entire piece on someone or a team.”
“Have you told your boss?”
“Yea, but he says not to worry. That my time will come when I’m ready.” She ripped a piece of paper towel and dried her hands. “Anyway, I just want to forget about it. Let’s go I’m almost done here.”
“Ok, be right there.” I looked myself over in the mirror fixing a few strands of hair and trying to straighten my shirt. I heard a noise behind me and looked at the mirror towards the floor. I pulled my phone out to check the time and it slipped and fell to the floor. I bent down to pick it up and got up hearing a stall open. I turned around to see a very tall boy drying his hair with a towel, his clothes sticking to his still wet body. It was Sidney. Sidney Crosby.
He quickly turned around and gave me a strange look. I stood there frozen before composing myself and stood up straight. "I'm sorry," I quickly said. Feeling all the heat rush up to my cheeks, I picked up my phone and immediately paced out of there.
“Brooke, you took so long. What’d you do in there?” Peyton, Kris and Max laughed. She eyed me then looked up to Sidney who came running after me. I felt the large presence towering over me so much that I could almost feel his breath on me. She kept looking back between us while Kris and Max looked at her. I narrowed my eyes and sent her a look so she knew not to say a word and make the situation more uncomfortable.
“Oh, hey guys.” Sidney came scratching the back of his head. He stood awkwardly next to me while I crossed my arms using my right hand to rub my temples as I was getting a throbbing headache from the awkwardness.
Max looked at us confused but shrugged and walked away.
Kris gave us an awkward look. “So, uhm, I’m just going to go shower. But it was nice to meet you Brooke. See ya’ around Peyton.” He gave us a nod and walked away.
My mind tried to come up with any sort of explanation or excuse but no words were coming out of my mouth. I had been staring at the floor for a while before sighing and looking up at him. “I just went to use the bathroom," I told him. "With Max's permission. I didn't mean to be in there," I apologized.
He nodded giving me a small smile. "It's okay."
Peyton cleared her throat and put her hand on her hip. “Well, uh, we should be going since I’m done with all the interviews. It was nice to see you Sidney and again great game.” She grabbed my arm and started to pull me away.
“Wait. I think I can help you with your problem.”
Peyton furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head. “I’m sorry what?”
“I think I can get you to write an actual piece on hockey.”
“Really? And how exactly will you do that?” She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
“Well I think that I could get you guys into every one of our practices this week and follow us to every media related thing and ask us questions. Sort of an inside look into the Penguins kind of thing. I mean,” He paused looking down. “If you want.”
When I turned to look at her, her eyes were so big I thought she was in a trance of some sort. I shook her until she gave her head a slight shake. “Wow, I think if you did that I would be indebted to you for life.”
He laughed slightly and shrugged, “It’s no problem, really. Just run it by your boss and you can start tomorrow. I’ll leave you guy’s passes at the front door.” He smiled picking up his bag and pulling it over his shoulder.
“After all these years in knowing you Crosby and you finally pull through," she smirked. "Thank you so much! I’m going to brag to him right now. That douche.” She ran out dialing that she almost hit the wall.
I laughed turning back to Sidney smiling. “Thanks for that. It really meant a lot to her, you have no idea."
"It's no problem really. The whole team here knows her and she's one of the only reporters who we all like so I'm just glad I could help out," he explained.
I smiled. "Well, I should go, make sure she doesn’t scream too loud or completely embarrass herself.”
He nodded. “Yea, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I get to come?”
He shrugged, looking at me cautiously. “Well if you want.”
“Yes, I want.” I let out a small laugh realizing I had answered to eagerly.
“Then I will see you tomorrow.” He gave me a slight smile.
I crossed my arms and nodded lightly. “Okay.” I spoke softly and smiled before turning around to go look for Peyton.
“Wait.” I looked over my shoulder raising my eyebrows. “I didn’t catch your name.”
I smiled and stepped a few feet back to stick out my hand. “I’m Brooke.”
He took my hand and shook it. “I’m Sidney. Nice to meet you Brooke.”
I nodded, a smirk growing on my face. “Yea, it is nice to meet you.” I slowly let loose of his grip and once again walked away. I got out the door and stepped aside to stand against the wall, letting my head lean on it. I sighed and slowly raised my hand to my face feeling the warmth of my cheeks. A grin grew on my face and it wasn't going away.
Ahh please continue this it's really good!
2/5/21