Islands
Rumor
December 2, 2010 Capitals 1 @ Stars 2
December 4, 2010 Thrashers 3 @ Capitals 1
December 6, 2010 Leafs 5 @ Capitals 4 (SO)
December 9, 2010 Panthers 3 @ Capitals 0
December 11, 2010 Avalanche 3 @ Capitals 2
December 12, 2010 Capitals 0 @ Rangers 7
December 15, 2010 Ducks 2 @ Capitals 1(OT)
December 18, 2010 Capitals 2 @ Bruins 3
December 19, 2010 Capitals 3 @ Senators 2
December 21, 2010 Devils 1@ Capitals 5
December 23, 2010 Penguins 3 @ Capitals 2 (SO)
December 26, 2010 Capitals 3 @ Hurricanes 2
December 28, 2010 Canadiens 0 @ Capitals 3
My arrival in Pittsburgh was about an hour and a half before the Capitals got there. I took a shuttle bus to the hotel and settled into my room. It was really all I could do because it was early evening and I didn’t know anyone in the Steel City. Nicky texted me a few times from the plane—because that was allowed on a chartered flight—while I watched Comedy Central.
I christened the room as my own while a repeat broadcast of The Colbert Report began. I only had the hotel room to myself for three nights but I took my time arranging what I’d brought with me in the small closet and in the bathroom. My suitcase was small, holding only a few days’ worth of outfits, a pair of heels, my skates for the Caps’ friends and family skate the next day, and bathroom essentials that couldn’t go in my makeup bag in my carry-on. I brought my sister’s Washington Capitals scarf with me as well, knowing that I would be a huge Caps fan for a day during the Winter Classic, in a mini cheering section with Stoffe Bäckström, a few of his friends, and Mike’s friends.
When Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue was over, I stripped down to my underwear and threw on a Georgetown Hoyas Pride shirt that I usually wore during the semester when I worked out at the campus recreation center, along with some yoga shorts, before crawling into the bed. The hotel wasn’t overly fancy but it was very nice. The bed and pillows were more comfortable than any that I’d ever owned and I sunk beneath the sheets. I was half paying attention to the television and halfway to an early evening nap. When I heard the knock on my door, I actually groaned, not wanting to move from my perfect spot. Regrettably, I got up and crossed the short distance to the door, turning the doorknob and pulling it open.
My boyfriend was on the other side, blond hair crushed under a beanie and clothed in casual attire. He entered the room and the door shut behind him, the latch clicking in place. “Hi Nicky,” I greeted him.
“Hi,” he answered, leaning in and kissing me quickly.
I took his hand and led him into the room. “I thought you were supposed to wear a suit when you traveled with the team.”
“I did,” he answered, looking down at his khakis and t-shirt. “The team is two floors up. I changed as soon as me and Mike got to the room.”
“Oh.” I took a seat at the edge of the bed. “Did you figure out where we’re going?”
“There are a few options,” he replied, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. I watched as Nicky got past the iPhone’s lock screen and tapped the screen a few times before pausing to read something. “Mike and his friends are going to a sushi bar. Stoffe is just going to the bar downstair with the guys from back home.”
“So then I should get ready either way, right?” I stood back up. “What time do we have to go? Just give me 20 minutes.”
I knew what the plan was: he would come and get me once the team got to the hotel and we would go for a meal somewhere. I probably should have been ready before Nicky knocked on my door. Instead I’d been too busy almost falling asleep.
“Uh…” he traded places with me, sitting down. A response never came and he just fell back against the bed, his big body causing a thud and a bounce.
“Nicky!” I put my hands on my hips.
He grunted but didn’t move or say another word.
“Do you not want to go?” I wondered, raising an eyebrow.
Nicky focused on a spot on the ceiling for a moment. He sucked his lips in, his mouth forming a straight line. He shrugged and looked back at me. “Not really.”
“Well why didn’t you say so?” I took a seat on the bed yet again, beside him. “We can just stay in.”
“I thought you’ll want to go since you spent your whole day getting here,” he explained.
He pulled on my elbow until I was lying against the mattress next to him. Our knees bent at the edge of the bed, our feet planted on the ground. “I’m going to see them all the next two days,” I spoke. “And besides, I came here for you.”
A smirk appeared on Nicky’s face. He shifted onto his side and rested a hand on one of my ribs, kissing my forehead. Then he was standing again. “Where’s the room service menu? We’ll have the food come to us.”
By the time the food came, Nicky’s wristwatch, beanie, pants, and socks had all come off. With the television still tuned to Comedy Central, we were comfortable in bed, cuddling. He informed me that the schedule in Pittsburgh was less lax than he thought it would be. We were still going to be able to spend plenty of time together, but there was a lot of team activity, too. I laughed and shook my head at him when he went to answer the door in nothing but his boxers.
We kept dinner light: pasta and Buffalo style chicken tenders along with iced tea. The main course we ate on the tiny table in the room, but we shared the dessert—a piece of apple cobbler—with the tray between us as we sat in bed. It went mostly untouched. Nicky only had a few bites because he wasn’t really supposed to be eating pools of sugar and I only ate half because I didn’t think it was sweet enough. Once the tray was out of the way, we were back in each other’s arms, watching television.
I wondered if we were on par with those disgustingly cute couples in the first week of their relationships. For all the fuss I made over not being ready to be Nicky’s girlfriend, I was certainly enjoying the role. We’d only been together officially for two days but I was taking it in stride. I didn’t have to think about mixed signals or the pace at which we were moving. We could just be together.
“You know,” Nicky said, “this is what I do before I met you.”
“Cuddle with girls you hooked up with?” I asked, half serious. He was a fantastic cuddler.
“No.” He laughed, throwing his head back against the pillow. “I used to watch TV, home alone.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” I replied, touching his neck.
Around Christmas I’d seen the interview with him talking about his favorite American TV shows to watch. I didn’t think that he would just sit at home by himself though. Before me, he was a single, attractive, European guy in his 20’s. The fact that he was quiet and understated didn’t work against him; those things were part of his appeal. He certainly wouldn’t have trouble getting girls’ attention on a night out on the town.
“Really, I did.” Nicky’s eyes shifted to me. “Everyone’s so busy at home with families and girlfriends. Mostly we hang out and go out when we are on the road.”
I squinted at him. “Then why didn’t we go out with Mike tonight?”
“We gonna see him all day tomorrow,” he responded. “Besides, I rather stay and watch TV this time. Is better with you.”
He always did that. He was so careful with his words, yet his flirtations always seemed genuine and natural. Sometimes when he said things to me I wouldn’t want to talk anymore. I just wanted him to kiss me.
We kissed softly a few times. We had the same breath—apples and iced tea. He had my bottom lip between both of his before I broke the kiss. I moved my hand from his neck and reached for the remote control, powering the TV off. I could think of something we would both enjoy more than comedy.
Nicky had barely adjusted his arms on me when I moved on top of him. I kissed him with fervor and asked, “What time do you have to go?”
“I don’t. I’ll stay with you tonight.” His tone was promising. He moved his hands over my shorts at the backs of my thighs, pulling me forward so that I was straddling him, a knee on either side of his hips. “I’ll go back to my room before practice in the morning.”
My mouth was at his earlobe in the next instant. “Well what time is practice?”
“Eleven,” he breathed. His palms were stable pressure on my shoulder blades, beneath the fabric of my shirt. “Why?”
I pulled back just long enough to look at him for a moment. His sepia eyes stared back into my eyes of blue. Nicky didn’t wait very long for an answer. He tugged at the hem of my shirt and didn’t stop until his intention was fulfilled, the shirt over my head and arms, tossed off to the side. I was left in my bra as he brought my mouth down to meet his.
“I think,” I finally answered between kisses, “we’re going to be up for a while.”
“Can I get a quick interview with you, Nicklas?” It was the third time we’d been stopped by a member of the media since Nicky and I had been together on the ice at Heinz Field.
When I’d made my way to the ice at the beginning of the skate, he had a camera in his face and I stayed clear until he was done. I met the friends Stoffe had brought and Nicky skated over once he’d answered all the questions posed to him. I was still nervous about making our relationship public around so many people. He didn’t share the same sentiment; he just took my hand and we began looping around the open air rink.
“Okay,” he nodded at the person who’d asked. It was a man with a well-maintained goatee, his black jacket donning the ESPN logo in white embroidered letters.
Nicky turned to me. “Give me five minutes?”
Even though the friends and family skate had already started, he obliged to yet another interview request. I knew he would leave my side a few more times before we left the football stadium. He was one of the leaders on his team and part of his role was to address the media without complaint. I smiled. “Sure.”
I let go of his hand and strode away slowly, careful not to crash into anyone as they were going by. The ice was packed with the Capitals and their friends and family. The Alexes—Ovechkin and Semin—were even tossing a football back and forth. Rachel Fehr called out to me over her shoulder as she and Eric went by. I waved at her just as I spotted Mike flying toward me. He made a hard stop, shaving into the ice with the blades of his skates and sending a snow shower in my face.
Mike laughed as I touched my hair, the feeling of frozen wet powder on my fingers. I grimaced. “Jeez, Mike. It’s nice to see you too.”
He threw his arm over my shoulder and moved forward, forcing me to glide my feet to stay with him. “I heard a rumor about you.”
“Oh yeah?” I queried. “What’d you hear?”
“I heard that Nicky got himself a girlfriend.” Mike’s tone was hushed, as if it was secret he wasn’t supposed to be sharing. “I heard it was you.”
“Who’d you hear that from?”
“From Nicky.”
I laughed. “How is it a rumor if he told you himself?”
“I don’t know.” Mike shrugged as he released me from his grip and we started skating beside each other. “I just wanted to say that.”
“Oh, I get it,” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Did you come over here to tell me ‘I told you so’?”
Just over a week had passed since I met Mike in person for the first time. He had told me very simply that Nicky and I were going to end up being exclusive.
“No, I don’t like to gloat,” Mike responded. “Besides, I’m glad that he has somebody. Don’t think I didn’t notice what time it was when he showed up to our room this morning after you guys totally ditched us last night.”
“Oh God,” I cringed.
It had been nearly 9 when Nicky left my hotel room. I knew that the team couldn’t easily impose a curfew or road rules for their players because they were professional athletes, not juniors, and also because the circumstances for the Winter Classic were different. Everyone on the team had a wife or girlfriend or at least a family member on the trip with them. But I could imagine Mike teasing his best friend about where he spent the night and the lack of time there was before the late team bus left for the stadium.
“Actually I think it’s great,” Mike smirked. “Nicky’s way more relaxed now that he’s getting laid.”
Mike giggled at his own words and I was left speechless. Was I really having a conversation with one of Nicky’s friends about his sex life?
“Just don’t wear him out tonight,” Mike went on. “I really want to win the Winter Classic.”
December 4, 2010 Thrashers 3 @ Capitals 1
December 6, 2010 Leafs 5 @ Capitals 4 (SO)
December 9, 2010 Panthers 3 @ Capitals 0
December 11, 2010 Avalanche 3 @ Capitals 2
December 12, 2010 Capitals 0 @ Rangers 7
December 15, 2010 Ducks 2 @ Capitals 1(OT)
December 18, 2010 Capitals 2 @ Bruins 3
December 19, 2010 Capitals 3 @ Senators 2
December 21, 2010 Devils 1@ Capitals 5
December 23, 2010 Penguins 3 @ Capitals 2 (SO)
December 26, 2010 Capitals 3 @ Hurricanes 2
December 28, 2010 Canadiens 0 @ Capitals 3
My arrival in Pittsburgh was about an hour and a half before the Capitals got there. I took a shuttle bus to the hotel and settled into my room. It was really all I could do because it was early evening and I didn’t know anyone in the Steel City. Nicky texted me a few times from the plane—because that was allowed on a chartered flight—while I watched Comedy Central.
I christened the room as my own while a repeat broadcast of The Colbert Report began. I only had the hotel room to myself for three nights but I took my time arranging what I’d brought with me in the small closet and in the bathroom. My suitcase was small, holding only a few days’ worth of outfits, a pair of heels, my skates for the Caps’ friends and family skate the next day, and bathroom essentials that couldn’t go in my makeup bag in my carry-on. I brought my sister’s Washington Capitals scarf with me as well, knowing that I would be a huge Caps fan for a day during the Winter Classic, in a mini cheering section with Stoffe Bäckström, a few of his friends, and Mike’s friends.
When Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue was over, I stripped down to my underwear and threw on a Georgetown Hoyas Pride shirt that I usually wore during the semester when I worked out at the campus recreation center, along with some yoga shorts, before crawling into the bed. The hotel wasn’t overly fancy but it was very nice. The bed and pillows were more comfortable than any that I’d ever owned and I sunk beneath the sheets. I was half paying attention to the television and halfway to an early evening nap. When I heard the knock on my door, I actually groaned, not wanting to move from my perfect spot. Regrettably, I got up and crossed the short distance to the door, turning the doorknob and pulling it open.
My boyfriend was on the other side, blond hair crushed under a beanie and clothed in casual attire. He entered the room and the door shut behind him, the latch clicking in place. “Hi Nicky,” I greeted him.
“Hi,” he answered, leaning in and kissing me quickly.
I took his hand and led him into the room. “I thought you were supposed to wear a suit when you traveled with the team.”
“I did,” he answered, looking down at his khakis and t-shirt. “The team is two floors up. I changed as soon as me and Mike got to the room.”
“Oh.” I took a seat at the edge of the bed. “Did you figure out where we’re going?”
“There are a few options,” he replied, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. I watched as Nicky got past the iPhone’s lock screen and tapped the screen a few times before pausing to read something. “Mike and his friends are going to a sushi bar. Stoffe is just going to the bar downstair with the guys from back home.”
“So then I should get ready either way, right?” I stood back up. “What time do we have to go? Just give me 20 minutes.”
I knew what the plan was: he would come and get me once the team got to the hotel and we would go for a meal somewhere. I probably should have been ready before Nicky knocked on my door. Instead I’d been too busy almost falling asleep.
“Uh…” he traded places with me, sitting down. A response never came and he just fell back against the bed, his big body causing a thud and a bounce.
“Nicky!” I put my hands on my hips.
He grunted but didn’t move or say another word.
“Do you not want to go?” I wondered, raising an eyebrow.
Nicky focused on a spot on the ceiling for a moment. He sucked his lips in, his mouth forming a straight line. He shrugged and looked back at me. “Not really.”
“Well why didn’t you say so?” I took a seat on the bed yet again, beside him. “We can just stay in.”
“I thought you’ll want to go since you spent your whole day getting here,” he explained.
He pulled on my elbow until I was lying against the mattress next to him. Our knees bent at the edge of the bed, our feet planted on the ground. “I’m going to see them all the next two days,” I spoke. “And besides, I came here for you.”
A smirk appeared on Nicky’s face. He shifted onto his side and rested a hand on one of my ribs, kissing my forehead. Then he was standing again. “Where’s the room service menu? We’ll have the food come to us.”
By the time the food came, Nicky’s wristwatch, beanie, pants, and socks had all come off. With the television still tuned to Comedy Central, we were comfortable in bed, cuddling. He informed me that the schedule in Pittsburgh was less lax than he thought it would be. We were still going to be able to spend plenty of time together, but there was a lot of team activity, too. I laughed and shook my head at him when he went to answer the door in nothing but his boxers.
We kept dinner light: pasta and Buffalo style chicken tenders along with iced tea. The main course we ate on the tiny table in the room, but we shared the dessert—a piece of apple cobbler—with the tray between us as we sat in bed. It went mostly untouched. Nicky only had a few bites because he wasn’t really supposed to be eating pools of sugar and I only ate half because I didn’t think it was sweet enough. Once the tray was out of the way, we were back in each other’s arms, watching television.
I wondered if we were on par with those disgustingly cute couples in the first week of their relationships. For all the fuss I made over not being ready to be Nicky’s girlfriend, I was certainly enjoying the role. We’d only been together officially for two days but I was taking it in stride. I didn’t have to think about mixed signals or the pace at which we were moving. We could just be together.
“You know,” Nicky said, “this is what I do before I met you.”
“Cuddle with girls you hooked up with?” I asked, half serious. He was a fantastic cuddler.
“No.” He laughed, throwing his head back against the pillow. “I used to watch TV, home alone.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” I replied, touching his neck.
Around Christmas I’d seen the interview with him talking about his favorite American TV shows to watch. I didn’t think that he would just sit at home by himself though. Before me, he was a single, attractive, European guy in his 20’s. The fact that he was quiet and understated didn’t work against him; those things were part of his appeal. He certainly wouldn’t have trouble getting girls’ attention on a night out on the town.
“Really, I did.” Nicky’s eyes shifted to me. “Everyone’s so busy at home with families and girlfriends. Mostly we hang out and go out when we are on the road.”
I squinted at him. “Then why didn’t we go out with Mike tonight?”
“We gonna see him all day tomorrow,” he responded. “Besides, I rather stay and watch TV this time. Is better with you.”
He always did that. He was so careful with his words, yet his flirtations always seemed genuine and natural. Sometimes when he said things to me I wouldn’t want to talk anymore. I just wanted him to kiss me.
We kissed softly a few times. We had the same breath—apples and iced tea. He had my bottom lip between both of his before I broke the kiss. I moved my hand from his neck and reached for the remote control, powering the TV off. I could think of something we would both enjoy more than comedy.
Nicky had barely adjusted his arms on me when I moved on top of him. I kissed him with fervor and asked, “What time do you have to go?”
“I don’t. I’ll stay with you tonight.” His tone was promising. He moved his hands over my shorts at the backs of my thighs, pulling me forward so that I was straddling him, a knee on either side of his hips. “I’ll go back to my room before practice in the morning.”
My mouth was at his earlobe in the next instant. “Well what time is practice?”
“Eleven,” he breathed. His palms were stable pressure on my shoulder blades, beneath the fabric of my shirt. “Why?”
I pulled back just long enough to look at him for a moment. His sepia eyes stared back into my eyes of blue. Nicky didn’t wait very long for an answer. He tugged at the hem of my shirt and didn’t stop until his intention was fulfilled, the shirt over my head and arms, tossed off to the side. I was left in my bra as he brought my mouth down to meet his.
“I think,” I finally answered between kisses, “we’re going to be up for a while.”
“Can I get a quick interview with you, Nicklas?” It was the third time we’d been stopped by a member of the media since Nicky and I had been together on the ice at Heinz Field.
When I’d made my way to the ice at the beginning of the skate, he had a camera in his face and I stayed clear until he was done. I met the friends Stoffe had brought and Nicky skated over once he’d answered all the questions posed to him. I was still nervous about making our relationship public around so many people. He didn’t share the same sentiment; he just took my hand and we began looping around the open air rink.
“Okay,” he nodded at the person who’d asked. It was a man with a well-maintained goatee, his black jacket donning the ESPN logo in white embroidered letters.
Nicky turned to me. “Give me five minutes?”
Even though the friends and family skate had already started, he obliged to yet another interview request. I knew he would leave my side a few more times before we left the football stadium. He was one of the leaders on his team and part of his role was to address the media without complaint. I smiled. “Sure.”
I let go of his hand and strode away slowly, careful not to crash into anyone as they were going by. The ice was packed with the Capitals and their friends and family. The Alexes—Ovechkin and Semin—were even tossing a football back and forth. Rachel Fehr called out to me over her shoulder as she and Eric went by. I waved at her just as I spotted Mike flying toward me. He made a hard stop, shaving into the ice with the blades of his skates and sending a snow shower in my face.
Mike laughed as I touched my hair, the feeling of frozen wet powder on my fingers. I grimaced. “Jeez, Mike. It’s nice to see you too.”
He threw his arm over my shoulder and moved forward, forcing me to glide my feet to stay with him. “I heard a rumor about you.”
“Oh yeah?” I queried. “What’d you hear?”
“I heard that Nicky got himself a girlfriend.” Mike’s tone was hushed, as if it was secret he wasn’t supposed to be sharing. “I heard it was you.”
“Who’d you hear that from?”
“From Nicky.”
I laughed. “How is it a rumor if he told you himself?”
“I don’t know.” Mike shrugged as he released me from his grip and we started skating beside each other. “I just wanted to say that.”
“Oh, I get it,” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Did you come over here to tell me ‘I told you so’?”
Just over a week had passed since I met Mike in person for the first time. He had told me very simply that Nicky and I were going to end up being exclusive.
“No, I don’t like to gloat,” Mike responded. “Besides, I’m glad that he has somebody. Don’t think I didn’t notice what time it was when he showed up to our room this morning after you guys totally ditched us last night.”
“Oh God,” I cringed.
It had been nearly 9 when Nicky left my hotel room. I knew that the team couldn’t easily impose a curfew or road rules for their players because they were professional athletes, not juniors, and also because the circumstances for the Winter Classic were different. Everyone on the team had a wife or girlfriend or at least a family member on the trip with them. But I could imagine Mike teasing his best friend about where he spent the night and the lack of time there was before the late team bus left for the stadium.
“Actually I think it’s great,” Mike smirked. “Nicky’s way more relaxed now that he’s getting laid.”
Mike giggled at his own words and I was left speechless. Was I really having a conversation with one of Nicky’s friends about his sex life?
“Just don’t wear him out tonight,” Mike went on. “I really want to win the Winter Classic.”
Notes
ESPN may have terrible, minimal coverage of the NHL on their network, but Pierre LeBrun does a great job covering the NHL for ESPN.com. The idea of Nicky being interrupted during the skate came from this picture of him and LeBrun. Note the goatee and jacket that Erin mentions.I know the previous chapter probably seems like it could have been a reasonable to end the story, but there are a few more chapters until the story is wrapped up. I wanted a proper dénoument. I worry that some people will think the previous chapter is better than the place that I chose to end the story. But I like it, and I hope you will, too, when you read it. Anyway, the New Year's Eve chapter will be up sometime in the afternoon on New Year's Eve. :)
Great story!
11/16/18