The Games We Play
Five
Even in a sea of blue and gold, there were quite a few Pens jerseys sprinkled across the arena. Being so close to Pennsylvania, Ali wasn't all that surprised. As she took her seat, her eyes scanned the arena, watching as fans filed down the aisles and found their place amongst the commotion. Ads for First Niagara flashed across giant electronic banners that stretched around the diameter of the arena. The chill of the ice could be felt the minute she walked in, but sitting in the ridiculously good seat James picked out for her, Ali was practically sitting on the ice itself.
On the jumbotron above her head, a digital clock ticked downward…3:45….3:44…..3:43….
Ali sighed. Three minutes seemed like a lifetime, and that was only the countdown until warm-ups. Glancing over, she wondered who would end up sitting next to her. Sabre fans? Other Pens fans? She wondered if either would be prepared for a girl who was about to yell at the refs, the plays, and the Sabres should it come to that.
A horn sounded. 0:32 seconds on the jumbotron, but the announcer’s voice could now be heard, introducing the Pens as one by one they shot out of the tunnel across the ice from where she sat. A chorus of light-hearted boos rose from the stands. Ali barely heard them as she finally saw James pop out of the tunnel and appear on the ice. Her heart skipped a beat seeing him out there. He had such a presence, as his height was made even more dramatic by his skates. As usual, he was helmetless; his hair fluffy beyond all control.
The voice overhead then announced the home team, and the Sabres spilled out of their own tunnel, skating on the other side of the rink. Pretty soon, the only sound heard was the punk punk of multiple pucks hitting plexi-glass.
Ali forgot how loud it was to sit that close to the glass. She even winced when a puck went her direction. Punk.Wince.She hadn’t sat this close in years…not since her dad had surprised her with tickets to one of the final Pens games at the Igloo. In fact, these seats were better. Again, James knew what he was doing.
The Pens continued to skate in a loose circle about the net, shooting whatever puck was available at Fleury. James took his turn, landed a lazy shot into the net, then skated in Ali’s direction. Rounding the corner, he passed right by her seat. His eyes met hers, and he flashed a grin at her. Ali gave him a wave before he turned the corner and went back toward center ice.
She felt like a schoolgirl. The big, popular jock about to impress his girl in the stands. It was foolish to compare the two, but that was the only way to describe how she felt as she watched James and his teammates doing their warm-up routine.
A few other players skated by. Sidney glided past, and upon spotting Ali in the stands, also gave her little wave. Ali waved back, feeling even more like a schoolgirl.
Another horn sounded. Cheers were heard, and the players skated off the ice, heading back to the locker rooms. 15:00 minutes appeared on the jumbotron, marking the countdown to game time.
Feeling antsy, Ali looked around. The seats were still filling up, fans talking excitedly all about her. Two rows to her right, slightly up from where she sat, she spotted two Pens fans; one wore 71, the other wore 18. Not far from them, a group of four were representing Pittsburgh as well; two were donning the number 87, the others 29 and 71.
Ali felt the pocket of her jeans vibrate. Fishing out her phone, she answered, hearing a very animated Brittany on the line:
“I SAW you!” she shouted, almost blowing Ali’s eardrum out.
“You did?” She quickly scanned the area around her, trying to spot any cameras that would be filming the game.
“Yes! It was before they went to commercial. Tyler and I figured we’d watch tonight, since you were going to be there. You look cute!”
A few seats down her aisle, Ali glanced over as a middle-aged couple checked their tickets, then made their way towards where she was seated.
“Well keep watching!” Ali told her. “If you saw me once already, I’m sure you’ll spot me again!” The couple took their seats immediately beside Ali. Suddenly, she didn’t want to appear as ‘that person’ who talked on their phone during a game. “I better get going, Britt…it’s gonna start soon.”
"Have fun!”
Shoving her phone back in her pocket, Ali’s eyes connected with the two that were seated next to her. Both the man and the woman had #18 jerseys on.
“You must be Allison,” the woman said. She turned halfway in her seat and extended her hand. “I’m Debra, James’ mom.”
Ali stared forward at the woman, eyes wide. Before the words even had a chance to fully sink in, the lights in the arena went out, and the final horn blew. It was game time.
* * *
It was a hell of a game, and the score ended in favor of the Penguins.
Ali stood in the hallway near the locker room the Pens were in, James’ mom and dad next to her. It was an interesting way to be introduced to a boyfriend’s parents, but she couldn’t hate on James. She had to give him credit, because it was a damn clever plan. She smiled to herself, knowing he had the whole thing planned.
It had been an easy bond, too. Debra and Peter took a very quick liking to Ali. In the hours during the game and both intermissions, Ali felt like she knew these people…and they, her. It was a gigantic weight off her shoulders. They’d laughed and cheered their way through the game, all three of them rooting for James and the team. When the final buzzer sounded, the score ended in an easy 4 to 1 win over the Sabres.
The sound of men’s voices could now be heard in the hallway as the wooden doors to the locker room opened. Media reporters and several players appeared, all dressed in suits. A few stopped and chatted with her and James’ parents, shaking hands with Peter and exchanging hugs with Debra.
Finally, James appeared, his lanky body dressed in a dark blue suit, gray shirt, and light blue tie. His hair was damp from the shower, but somehow still stood up in spikes.
His shit-eating grin reached from ear to ear as he came down the hall, and Ali knew why it was there. She met him in a tight embrace, feeling his biceps flex even through his suit coat.
“Heyyyyy." His voice was soft against her hair.
“I should slap you” Ali replied, breaking their embrace.
“Me? Now why on earth would you slap me?” He glanced over and saw his mom and dad standing nearby, waiting for their turn at their son. “Oh hey mom. Hey, dad.”
Both parents laughed as James hugged each of them.
“We love her,” Debrah said. “Absolutely love her.”
“She’s fun, and she knows her hockey” Peter added. “I can see why you two are together.”
Ali smiled, officially forgiving James for the surprise meet and greet. “Thanks, Peter.”
James placed his arm around her shoulders. “I just thought there wasn’t a better way to introduce you than at a hockey game where I couldn’t say something stupid and mess it up.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Ali’s forehead. She accepted it by lightly smacking him in the stomach.
“Good thing it worked out, or you’d be in the dog house,” Peter laughed.
He is as wise as he is fun Ali thought.
“So do you want us to disappear for a while, so you can go do whatever it is you do after an away game?” Debra asked her son. She knew very well what went on, but didn't want to suffocate James while he was with his girlfriend. “I’m sure your father’s hungry for something other than nachos" she followed up. Peter nodded in confirmation.
“Sure, how about breakfast though? Coach said we have ‘til noon before we have to be back at the airport and on our way to South Carolina.”
Peter took Debra’s hand and nodded. “Just call us and we’ll meet you anywhere. You two have fun.”
They both hugged Ali once more before leaving them in the hallway together. James glanced over at her sheepishly, but his face spoke of triumph.
“Sorry” he said.
“No you’re not” Ali slapped him again playfully. “You could have at least warned me!”
“Now what fun would that have been?” James asked, taunting her with those impossibly blue eyes. He leaned down and kissed her, his arms sliding around her waist, hands locking together at the small of her back. “I knew you would all get along, and my parents had planned on making the quick trip down anyway. Seemed like the perfect set-up.”
His smile was infectious. Ali just shook her head. “You win, James.”
“Get a room, Nealer.” It was Sid, walking next to Evgeni as they exited the locker room. Both were smiling at Ali. “Hey Ali, good to see you.”
“Same to you, Sid” she said, receiving a hug from him. It was followed up by a hug from Evgeni.
“You have fun at game, even though Lazy not score?”
Ali laughed. “It was tough, but I managed.”
“I saw you got to meet Deb and Peter” Sidney said. “How fun are they?”
“They’re great” Ali said, smiling up at James. “Nothing at all like their son.”
“Hey!” James did his best to look offended.
“Whatever, man – you owe her whatever she wants for springing your parents on her like that” Sid added. He and Ali exchanged a smile.
“So we on for later?” James asked, changing the subject. “Do we know where we’re all going?”
“Feruqi’s, downtown…I think it’s on 6th Ave?” Sid looked over at Geno, who nodded. “Does 11 sound okay?”
“Works for me” Ali replied. “Am I coming with you now or meeting up later?”
“I have to leave with these guys, but I’ll come to your hotel as soon as I can.” James gave her another quick kiss, and Geno groaned.
Ali watched as the threesome headed down the hallway. James looked back and winked at her, then turned the corner and was out of sight. This all feels way too comfortable to be real she thought to herself. She was never more grateful for a feeling in her life as she was for that one.
* * *
Around 10:30, James knocked on Room 208 of the Hyatt. He was still dressed in his suit pants, but exchanged the coat and button down for a black v-neck sweater. He heard the muffled sound of Ali's voice on the other side of the door.
“Password!”
James laughed. “Uhh…..I’m Amazing?”
“Wrong.”
“I have a great ass?”
“Try again!”
“You have a great ass?” He heard Ali giggle.
“Close.”
“You’re horny.”
“Yes, but that’s not the password.”
She opened the door anyway, and James' breath was caught in his throat. Completely transformed from when he saw her after the game, Ali now wore a form fitting red mini-dress. It was the color of the blood that was currently pumping at an increased rate through James’ body. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders in loose waves that begged James to run his hands through.
“Damn” is all he could say.
“You like?” She did a slow spin and James’ felt himself getting hard.
“More like I love” he replied, his arms once again finding her waist. The fabric left little to the imagination as it accentuated every one of Ali’s curves. Looking down at her, the rise of her breasts begged for his mouth.
“Good…I wanted to make sure I represented well at my first post-game bar meet-up” she said, gazing up.
Their lips met and James had to tell himself to stop before he forgot that people were waiting for them.
“We should go…” he breathed, but his voice wasn’t even convincing enough for him to believe himself.
“I know.” Ali’s hands ran the length of his chest up to his shoulders. Sore muscles from the game responded at her touch, while his dick was responding to just about everything else. He couldn’t get enough of the way she was looking at him, a mix of admiration and lust, a bit of pout in having to leave. Large brown eyes looked up at him again.
“I guess I did put in the effort to get ready…no sense in ruining the work without actually going out” she teased. Her voice was soft, even though they were the only two in the room. “Let me grab my phone and my purse.”
She parted from him and James’ eyes went directly to her ass, which lead down to toned legs, which lead down to black stiletto heels. He smiled at her when she was finished, locking her arm in his. Together, they headed to the bar where the rest of the team would be gathering.
* * *
By the time they arrived, most of the team was already in full force, first drinks down and more on the way. They ran into Tanner Glass at the door, and together they made their way towards the VIP area reserved on an open second floor that overlooked the rest of the bar.
Ali was lead by James, their fingers entwined as they made their way through the mass of people on the main floor. They took the steps leading up to the exclusive area. Ali was impressed by the very modern feel that Feruqi’s bar had. Above her, the glow of a cool electric blue light spilled out from the ceiling, casting a glow over all of the players who were gathered there.
James looked back at her. “Drink?” he asked, his voice loud to overcome the volume of the music. The blue of the room made his ocean eyes seem to glow.
“Tequila” Ali shouted back.
Both of his eyebrows rose.
“And make it a double” she added.
“You got it.” His hand lingered on her ass before separating from her. His body was immediately replaced by Joe Vitale and Marc-Andre Fleury.
“Nice to see you again, Ali” Joe said, hugging her. He motioned for her to follow him, and they moved to a farther corner of the VIP area. The music wasn’t as loud, and the bass wasn’t causing her heart to feel as though it was beating in double time.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much” she said with a laugh. “Thanks….Great game tonight, by the way.” She directed the compliment at both men. “Heard you had a good time the other night, Marc!”
“I had nothing to do with that” Marc laughed, albeit guiltily. “It was all Geno and Nealer’s fault.”
“Ohhhhhh, so it was their fault” Ali asked, feigning surprise.
“Don’t throw them under the bus, Flower…at least wait ‘til Neal’s back” Joe joked, nudging Ali in the side.
“I agree, because I wanna see the reaction.” Ali played along, genuinely enjoying the way they made her feel so comfortable in a completely foreign setting. She truly did enjoy these guys, and the more she got to know them, the more she liked them.
James arrived back from the bar, finding them in the corner. He handed Ali her double, keeping a beer for himself. As he went right into chirp mode with his teammates, Ali took the moment to sip some of the clear liquid, the burn filling her and calming the bit of nerves that still clung to her insides. She noticed a few other females in the room, but recognized none of them.
“Having a good time?”
Sidney Crosby’s voice drew Ali back to the circle of people near her.
“Sid, hey!” They hugged, and Sid stood back from her slightly, as if in approval.
“You look…..you look great” he stammered, his warm smile following. “Neal’s a lucky guy.”
Boom. Her heart once again went into double time, and it wasn’t from the music this time. Thank God she had the blue glow that bathed the room to hide the color of her cheeks turning red.
“Thanks” she said, “That’s sweet of you.”
Sid’s smile was genuine, but it was those eyes. So much could be told from the look in someone’s eyes, and she thought she caught a hint of longing in the deep brown color of Sid’s.
“Oh Captain, my Captain!” James reappeared, slapping his Sid on the shoulder. “Do you see this girl is drinking straight tequila?” His arm went protectively around Ali as he said this.
Ali lifted her glass in proof, smiling. “What can I say?”
Sidney laughed. “Go big or go home, I guess.”
It was that straight tequila that Ali took a much larger gulp of at that moment, feeling it beginning to do its job. Why the hell does Sid have to have those eyes she questioned the universe.
Raucous laughter rose from a table somewhere close by, and Ali saw two girls in equally revealing outfits draping themselves over Evgeni and Beau.
“Nealsy! Here!” Geno shouted over the music.
“Be right back” James whispered to Ali, then headed towards the table where the others were summoning him.
Ali followed him with her eyes, teeth chewing the lip of her glass. Sidney was still standing next to her, while Joe and Marc were in discussion over something. She tipped the glass and downed a little more of the drink, wishing the liquid courage would speed up.
“Don’t worry about him,” Sidney said, leaning in.
She looked over and saw those eyes again. The kid was good. The way he noticed her agitation already, it was no wonder he was so good at hockey.
“He has to do this….we all do, I guess” he continued.
“I know” Ali replied. “Still weird for me.” She looked over and one of the girls that had been hanging on Beau was now facing James. He was leaning in to hear what she was saying.
That old familiar sting returned.
“Just takes some getting used to” she finished, bringing her attention back to Sidney.
Laughter from the table rose again. This time, Ali didn’t bother looking over. Sidney watched her as she finished her drink.
“Shall we head to the bar?” she asked him, and was already on her way there before he had a chance to answer.
As Ali put in an order with the bartender, Sid glanced back at the table where James and Geno sat. What he saw instead made his mouth almost fall open. There were no longer just two girls at the table, but three….and the third was Kelly, the bar tender.
Drink in hand, Ali spun around and saw Sidney staring off in the direction of James’ table.
“Earth to Crosby” she said playfully.
Sid looked back at her, forcing a smile. “Maybe we should rejoin Joe and Marc—“
Another round of laughter, this time much louder. The sound of a female laughing and giggling was pronounced, even over the bass of the music.
Ali glanced over, only to see a new girl…leggy, blonde, gorgeous…with her arms actually wrapped around James’ neck. His hands were on her waist.
She felt sick. Whipping around, she faced the bar again. Anything to avoid what was going on. Sid turned with her.
“He has to do it, huh?” she asked him, her eyes meeting his.
Sidney didn’t have a response.
* * *
James was pissed at Geno. What in his fucking mind made him think inviting Kelly to Buffalo was a good idea? He wanted to kick his Russian ass.
Kelly’s blonde hair blocked James’ view as she flung herself at him, attempting to grind her hips drunkenly into his.
“Kelly, really” he said, trying to pry her off him.
“Come back with me” Kelly pleaded. There was a lust in her heavily mascara’d eyes. “I’ll let you have me any way you want” she whispered. She bit her lip the same way she did that night at the bar.
If this wasn’t a twist of fate, James didn’t know what was. A year ago, he’d already be getting her off for a second time, but here he was, attempting to get a chick to loosen her grip on him.
“Hey Geno, some help here?” He looked over at his drunk friend for assistance. “You invited her, right?”
“Kelly! Come on, Kelly” Geno said, his accent beginning to slur. “Lazy have girlfriend. See?”
He pointed opposite to where they were seated. Kelly didn’t bother looking over, but James was finally able to separate himself from her.
“He’s right, Kelly. I have a girlfriend, okay? Probably hard to believe…”
“You?” Kelly said with disgust. “I thought you were the easy one?”
What the fuck? James would kill Geno. What the hell did he tell her? Or was his reputation worse than he thought?
“I came here just for you….” Kelly continued, her voice changing back into a more persuasive tone. “I was hoping I’d at least get to suck—“
“Hi!”
James and Kelly looked over to see Ali standing in front of them. Sid appeared a short moment later. He glared at James, knowing Ali couldn’t see him do so.
Ali stood smiling, drink still in hand. She looked from the girl to James, and then back to the girl. “My name’s Ali, I’m James’ girlfriend. You must be….”
The girl hesitated. “Kelly.”
“And you were just going over to see Geno, yes?” James said. He looked over and pleaded to Ali with his eyes. Please don’t take this the wrong way, please, please.
Geno appeared magically, his arms hugging Ali from behind. “Lazy no like Kelly, Ali…so no worry” He kissed Ali on the side of her face.” I very much like Kelly, though.” He loosened his grip on Ali, trading it for Kelly.
James’ blue eyes darkened as he stared at Geno leading Kelly away. When he met Ali’s gaze again, she seemed to have calmed down some.
“So was that the pay stub girl?” she asked him.
“What?” It took him a second. “Wait, you saw—“
“It was face up in the trash, James.”
He hesitated. In his periphery, he could see Sid cross his arms over his chest.
“Listen to what you’re saying, Ali” James replied. “It was in the trash, wasn’t it? Meaning I didn't care about it?” He watched as her shoulders relaxed. She rubbed her forehead, looking at the floor.
With an eye on Sid, James took Ali in his arms, tightening his hold on her. “You okay?”
The feeling of James’ arms combined with the buzz that was amplifying, Ali surrendered. She just wanted to have a good time. She wanted to impress his teammates the way he impressed her on a daily basis. If she let this whole huge hockey scene get to her, she’d be missing out on a seriously amazing guy. But to ignore that it didn’t have a huge affect on her and their relationship would be a lie.
“Yes” she answered finally. She broke the hug and smiled. “She can’t suck your dick the way I can anyways, so I’m totally fine.”
Sid’s eyes went wide, and James laughed, taking Ali in for another tight embrace.
* * *
Thankfully for James, the rest of the night went on without a hitch. Geno was able to keep Kelly interested in himself and not James, so James was able to keep his attention directed at Ali. By 1 am, everyone was in full party mode; some more than others. This wasn’t a new thing to James, but he watched as Ali did a round of shots with five of the guys, fully enjoying herself in the process. At one point, her and Beau had made up a new handshake. They kept doing it throughout the night, finishing in a fit of drunken laughs.
James caught Ali looking at him, and he shook his head slowly.
“What?” Ali scooted across the couch cushion, closing the distance. “What’s that look for?”
James had a buzz going the size of Quebec, but he was nowhere near wasted. He was, however, extremely turned on by the red dress that kept taunting him all night, and the fact that his girlfriend was fitting in so well with the crew only heightened his arousal.
Ali smiled at him, scooting even closer. “You’re drunk.”
“Not even close.”
She giggled, her breasts bouncing gently in her dress. “Okay, maybe I am.”
“Bingoooo.” He was loving this. They won their game, his plan of getting his parents to meet Ali had gone almost too well, and their time at the club was improving greatly. He hoped Ali wouldn’t remember Kelly or what happened. It looked worse than it was. A slip-up, really…one he’d blame on Geno.
“Let’s go back,” James said to her. He fingered one of the loose waves of her hair.
“You sure?” Her face turned more serious. “If you wanna stay out with your frie—“
“I want to go.” He tugged gently on the piece of hair he had been fingering.
A knowing smile came to Ali’s face, and she reached for her purse. Without saying a word, she stood and pulled him up with her. James didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to a single person there.
* * *
On the jumbotron above her head, a digital clock ticked downward…3:45….3:44…..3:43….
Ali sighed. Three minutes seemed like a lifetime, and that was only the countdown until warm-ups. Glancing over, she wondered who would end up sitting next to her. Sabre fans? Other Pens fans? She wondered if either would be prepared for a girl who was about to yell at the refs, the plays, and the Sabres should it come to that.
A horn sounded. 0:32 seconds on the jumbotron, but the announcer’s voice could now be heard, introducing the Pens as one by one they shot out of the tunnel across the ice from where she sat. A chorus of light-hearted boos rose from the stands. Ali barely heard them as she finally saw James pop out of the tunnel and appear on the ice. Her heart skipped a beat seeing him out there. He had such a presence, as his height was made even more dramatic by his skates. As usual, he was helmetless; his hair fluffy beyond all control.
The voice overhead then announced the home team, and the Sabres spilled out of their own tunnel, skating on the other side of the rink. Pretty soon, the only sound heard was the punk punk of multiple pucks hitting plexi-glass.
Ali forgot how loud it was to sit that close to the glass. She even winced when a puck went her direction. Punk.Wince.She hadn’t sat this close in years…not since her dad had surprised her with tickets to one of the final Pens games at the Igloo. In fact, these seats were better. Again, James knew what he was doing.
The Pens continued to skate in a loose circle about the net, shooting whatever puck was available at Fleury. James took his turn, landed a lazy shot into the net, then skated in Ali’s direction. Rounding the corner, he passed right by her seat. His eyes met hers, and he flashed a grin at her. Ali gave him a wave before he turned the corner and went back toward center ice.
She felt like a schoolgirl. The big, popular jock about to impress his girl in the stands. It was foolish to compare the two, but that was the only way to describe how she felt as she watched James and his teammates doing their warm-up routine.
A few other players skated by. Sidney glided past, and upon spotting Ali in the stands, also gave her little wave. Ali waved back, feeling even more like a schoolgirl.
Another horn sounded. Cheers were heard, and the players skated off the ice, heading back to the locker rooms. 15:00 minutes appeared on the jumbotron, marking the countdown to game time.
Feeling antsy, Ali looked around. The seats were still filling up, fans talking excitedly all about her. Two rows to her right, slightly up from where she sat, she spotted two Pens fans; one wore 71, the other wore 18. Not far from them, a group of four were representing Pittsburgh as well; two were donning the number 87, the others 29 and 71.
Ali felt the pocket of her jeans vibrate. Fishing out her phone, she answered, hearing a very animated Brittany on the line:
“I SAW you!” she shouted, almost blowing Ali’s eardrum out.
“You did?” She quickly scanned the area around her, trying to spot any cameras that would be filming the game.
“Yes! It was before they went to commercial. Tyler and I figured we’d watch tonight, since you were going to be there. You look cute!”
A few seats down her aisle, Ali glanced over as a middle-aged couple checked their tickets, then made their way towards where she was seated.
“Well keep watching!” Ali told her. “If you saw me once already, I’m sure you’ll spot me again!” The couple took their seats immediately beside Ali. Suddenly, she didn’t want to appear as ‘that person’ who talked on their phone during a game. “I better get going, Britt…it’s gonna start soon.”
"Have fun!”
Shoving her phone back in her pocket, Ali’s eyes connected with the two that were seated next to her. Both the man and the woman had #18 jerseys on.
“You must be Allison,” the woman said. She turned halfway in her seat and extended her hand. “I’m Debra, James’ mom.”
Ali stared forward at the woman, eyes wide. Before the words even had a chance to fully sink in, the lights in the arena went out, and the final horn blew. It was game time.
* * *
It was a hell of a game, and the score ended in favor of the Penguins.
Ali stood in the hallway near the locker room the Pens were in, James’ mom and dad next to her. It was an interesting way to be introduced to a boyfriend’s parents, but she couldn’t hate on James. She had to give him credit, because it was a damn clever plan. She smiled to herself, knowing he had the whole thing planned.
It had been an easy bond, too. Debra and Peter took a very quick liking to Ali. In the hours during the game and both intermissions, Ali felt like she knew these people…and they, her. It was a gigantic weight off her shoulders. They’d laughed and cheered their way through the game, all three of them rooting for James and the team. When the final buzzer sounded, the score ended in an easy 4 to 1 win over the Sabres.
The sound of men’s voices could now be heard in the hallway as the wooden doors to the locker room opened. Media reporters and several players appeared, all dressed in suits. A few stopped and chatted with her and James’ parents, shaking hands with Peter and exchanging hugs with Debra.
Finally, James appeared, his lanky body dressed in a dark blue suit, gray shirt, and light blue tie. His hair was damp from the shower, but somehow still stood up in spikes.
His shit-eating grin reached from ear to ear as he came down the hall, and Ali knew why it was there. She met him in a tight embrace, feeling his biceps flex even through his suit coat.
“Heyyyyy." His voice was soft against her hair.
“I should slap you” Ali replied, breaking their embrace.
“Me? Now why on earth would you slap me?” He glanced over and saw his mom and dad standing nearby, waiting for their turn at their son. “Oh hey mom. Hey, dad.”
Both parents laughed as James hugged each of them.
“We love her,” Debrah said. “Absolutely love her.”
“She’s fun, and she knows her hockey” Peter added. “I can see why you two are together.”
Ali smiled, officially forgiving James for the surprise meet and greet. “Thanks, Peter.”
James placed his arm around her shoulders. “I just thought there wasn’t a better way to introduce you than at a hockey game where I couldn’t say something stupid and mess it up.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Ali’s forehead. She accepted it by lightly smacking him in the stomach.
“Good thing it worked out, or you’d be in the dog house,” Peter laughed.
He is as wise as he is fun Ali thought.
“So do you want us to disappear for a while, so you can go do whatever it is you do after an away game?” Debra asked her son. She knew very well what went on, but didn't want to suffocate James while he was with his girlfriend. “I’m sure your father’s hungry for something other than nachos" she followed up. Peter nodded in confirmation.
“Sure, how about breakfast though? Coach said we have ‘til noon before we have to be back at the airport and on our way to South Carolina.”
Peter took Debra’s hand and nodded. “Just call us and we’ll meet you anywhere. You two have fun.”
They both hugged Ali once more before leaving them in the hallway together. James glanced over at her sheepishly, but his face spoke of triumph.
“Sorry” he said.
“No you’re not” Ali slapped him again playfully. “You could have at least warned me!”
“Now what fun would that have been?” James asked, taunting her with those impossibly blue eyes. He leaned down and kissed her, his arms sliding around her waist, hands locking together at the small of her back. “I knew you would all get along, and my parents had planned on making the quick trip down anyway. Seemed like the perfect set-up.”
His smile was infectious. Ali just shook her head. “You win, James.”
“Get a room, Nealer.” It was Sid, walking next to Evgeni as they exited the locker room. Both were smiling at Ali. “Hey Ali, good to see you.”
“Same to you, Sid” she said, receiving a hug from him. It was followed up by a hug from Evgeni.
“You have fun at game, even though Lazy not score?”
Ali laughed. “It was tough, but I managed.”
“I saw you got to meet Deb and Peter” Sidney said. “How fun are they?”
“They’re great” Ali said, smiling up at James. “Nothing at all like their son.”
“Hey!” James did his best to look offended.
“Whatever, man – you owe her whatever she wants for springing your parents on her like that” Sid added. He and Ali exchanged a smile.
“So we on for later?” James asked, changing the subject. “Do we know where we’re all going?”
“Feruqi’s, downtown…I think it’s on 6th Ave?” Sid looked over at Geno, who nodded. “Does 11 sound okay?”
“Works for me” Ali replied. “Am I coming with you now or meeting up later?”
“I have to leave with these guys, but I’ll come to your hotel as soon as I can.” James gave her another quick kiss, and Geno groaned.
Ali watched as the threesome headed down the hallway. James looked back and winked at her, then turned the corner and was out of sight. This all feels way too comfortable to be real she thought to herself. She was never more grateful for a feeling in her life as she was for that one.
* * *
Around 10:30, James knocked on Room 208 of the Hyatt. He was still dressed in his suit pants, but exchanged the coat and button down for a black v-neck sweater. He heard the muffled sound of Ali's voice on the other side of the door.
“Password!”
James laughed. “Uhh…..I’m Amazing?”
“Wrong.”
“I have a great ass?”
“Try again!”
“You have a great ass?” He heard Ali giggle.
“Close.”
“You’re horny.”
“Yes, but that’s not the password.”
She opened the door anyway, and James' breath was caught in his throat. Completely transformed from when he saw her after the game, Ali now wore a form fitting red mini-dress. It was the color of the blood that was currently pumping at an increased rate through James’ body. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders in loose waves that begged James to run his hands through.
“Damn” is all he could say.
“You like?” She did a slow spin and James’ felt himself getting hard.
“More like I love” he replied, his arms once again finding her waist. The fabric left little to the imagination as it accentuated every one of Ali’s curves. Looking down at her, the rise of her breasts begged for his mouth.
“Good…I wanted to make sure I represented well at my first post-game bar meet-up” she said, gazing up.
Their lips met and James had to tell himself to stop before he forgot that people were waiting for them.
“We should go…” he breathed, but his voice wasn’t even convincing enough for him to believe himself.
“I know.” Ali’s hands ran the length of his chest up to his shoulders. Sore muscles from the game responded at her touch, while his dick was responding to just about everything else. He couldn’t get enough of the way she was looking at him, a mix of admiration and lust, a bit of pout in having to leave. Large brown eyes looked up at him again.
“I guess I did put in the effort to get ready…no sense in ruining the work without actually going out” she teased. Her voice was soft, even though they were the only two in the room. “Let me grab my phone and my purse.”
She parted from him and James’ eyes went directly to her ass, which lead down to toned legs, which lead down to black stiletto heels. He smiled at her when she was finished, locking her arm in his. Together, they headed to the bar where the rest of the team would be gathering.
* * *
By the time they arrived, most of the team was already in full force, first drinks down and more on the way. They ran into Tanner Glass at the door, and together they made their way towards the VIP area reserved on an open second floor that overlooked the rest of the bar.
Ali was lead by James, their fingers entwined as they made their way through the mass of people on the main floor. They took the steps leading up to the exclusive area. Ali was impressed by the very modern feel that Feruqi’s bar had. Above her, the glow of a cool electric blue light spilled out from the ceiling, casting a glow over all of the players who were gathered there.
James looked back at her. “Drink?” he asked, his voice loud to overcome the volume of the music. The blue of the room made his ocean eyes seem to glow.
“Tequila” Ali shouted back.
Both of his eyebrows rose.
“And make it a double” she added.
“You got it.” His hand lingered on her ass before separating from her. His body was immediately replaced by Joe Vitale and Marc-Andre Fleury.
“Nice to see you again, Ali” Joe said, hugging her. He motioned for her to follow him, and they moved to a farther corner of the VIP area. The music wasn’t as loud, and the bass wasn’t causing her heart to feel as though it was beating in double time.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much” she said with a laugh. “Thanks….Great game tonight, by the way.” She directed the compliment at both men. “Heard you had a good time the other night, Marc!”
“I had nothing to do with that” Marc laughed, albeit guiltily. “It was all Geno and Nealer’s fault.”
“Ohhhhhh, so it was their fault” Ali asked, feigning surprise.
“Don’t throw them under the bus, Flower…at least wait ‘til Neal’s back” Joe joked, nudging Ali in the side.
“I agree, because I wanna see the reaction.” Ali played along, genuinely enjoying the way they made her feel so comfortable in a completely foreign setting. She truly did enjoy these guys, and the more she got to know them, the more she liked them.
James arrived back from the bar, finding them in the corner. He handed Ali her double, keeping a beer for himself. As he went right into chirp mode with his teammates, Ali took the moment to sip some of the clear liquid, the burn filling her and calming the bit of nerves that still clung to her insides. She noticed a few other females in the room, but recognized none of them.
“Having a good time?”
Sidney Crosby’s voice drew Ali back to the circle of people near her.
“Sid, hey!” They hugged, and Sid stood back from her slightly, as if in approval.
“You look…..you look great” he stammered, his warm smile following. “Neal’s a lucky guy.”
Boom. Her heart once again went into double time, and it wasn’t from the music this time. Thank God she had the blue glow that bathed the room to hide the color of her cheeks turning red.
“Thanks” she said, “That’s sweet of you.”
Sid’s smile was genuine, but it was those eyes. So much could be told from the look in someone’s eyes, and she thought she caught a hint of longing in the deep brown color of Sid’s.
“Oh Captain, my Captain!” James reappeared, slapping his Sid on the shoulder. “Do you see this girl is drinking straight tequila?” His arm went protectively around Ali as he said this.
Ali lifted her glass in proof, smiling. “What can I say?”
Sidney laughed. “Go big or go home, I guess.”
It was that straight tequila that Ali took a much larger gulp of at that moment, feeling it beginning to do its job. Why the hell does Sid have to have those eyes she questioned the universe.
Raucous laughter rose from a table somewhere close by, and Ali saw two girls in equally revealing outfits draping themselves over Evgeni and Beau.
“Nealsy! Here!” Geno shouted over the music.
“Be right back” James whispered to Ali, then headed towards the table where the others were summoning him.
Ali followed him with her eyes, teeth chewing the lip of her glass. Sidney was still standing next to her, while Joe and Marc were in discussion over something. She tipped the glass and downed a little more of the drink, wishing the liquid courage would speed up.
“Don’t worry about him,” Sidney said, leaning in.
She looked over and saw those eyes again. The kid was good. The way he noticed her agitation already, it was no wonder he was so good at hockey.
“He has to do this….we all do, I guess” he continued.
“I know” Ali replied. “Still weird for me.” She looked over and one of the girls that had been hanging on Beau was now facing James. He was leaning in to hear what she was saying.
That old familiar sting returned.
“Just takes some getting used to” she finished, bringing her attention back to Sidney.
Laughter from the table rose again. This time, Ali didn’t bother looking over. Sidney watched her as she finished her drink.
“Shall we head to the bar?” she asked him, and was already on her way there before he had a chance to answer.
As Ali put in an order with the bartender, Sid glanced back at the table where James and Geno sat. What he saw instead made his mouth almost fall open. There were no longer just two girls at the table, but three….and the third was Kelly, the bar tender.
Drink in hand, Ali spun around and saw Sidney staring off in the direction of James’ table.
“Earth to Crosby” she said playfully.
Sid looked back at her, forcing a smile. “Maybe we should rejoin Joe and Marc—“
Another round of laughter, this time much louder. The sound of a female laughing and giggling was pronounced, even over the bass of the music.
Ali glanced over, only to see a new girl…leggy, blonde, gorgeous…with her arms actually wrapped around James’ neck. His hands were on her waist.
She felt sick. Whipping around, she faced the bar again. Anything to avoid what was going on. Sid turned with her.
“He has to do it, huh?” she asked him, her eyes meeting his.
Sidney didn’t have a response.
* * *
James was pissed at Geno. What in his fucking mind made him think inviting Kelly to Buffalo was a good idea? He wanted to kick his Russian ass.
Kelly’s blonde hair blocked James’ view as she flung herself at him, attempting to grind her hips drunkenly into his.
“Kelly, really” he said, trying to pry her off him.
“Come back with me” Kelly pleaded. There was a lust in her heavily mascara’d eyes. “I’ll let you have me any way you want” she whispered. She bit her lip the same way she did that night at the bar.
If this wasn’t a twist of fate, James didn’t know what was. A year ago, he’d already be getting her off for a second time, but here he was, attempting to get a chick to loosen her grip on him.
“Hey Geno, some help here?” He looked over at his drunk friend for assistance. “You invited her, right?”
“Kelly! Come on, Kelly” Geno said, his accent beginning to slur. “Lazy have girlfriend. See?”
He pointed opposite to where they were seated. Kelly didn’t bother looking over, but James was finally able to separate himself from her.
“He’s right, Kelly. I have a girlfriend, okay? Probably hard to believe…”
“You?” Kelly said with disgust. “I thought you were the easy one?”
What the fuck? James would kill Geno. What the hell did he tell her? Or was his reputation worse than he thought?
“I came here just for you….” Kelly continued, her voice changing back into a more persuasive tone. “I was hoping I’d at least get to suck—“
“Hi!”
James and Kelly looked over to see Ali standing in front of them. Sid appeared a short moment later. He glared at James, knowing Ali couldn’t see him do so.
Ali stood smiling, drink still in hand. She looked from the girl to James, and then back to the girl. “My name’s Ali, I’m James’ girlfriend. You must be….”
The girl hesitated. “Kelly.”
“And you were just going over to see Geno, yes?” James said. He looked over and pleaded to Ali with his eyes. Please don’t take this the wrong way, please, please.
Geno appeared magically, his arms hugging Ali from behind. “Lazy no like Kelly, Ali…so no worry” He kissed Ali on the side of her face.” I very much like Kelly, though.” He loosened his grip on Ali, trading it for Kelly.
James’ blue eyes darkened as he stared at Geno leading Kelly away. When he met Ali’s gaze again, she seemed to have calmed down some.
“So was that the pay stub girl?” she asked him.
“What?” It took him a second. “Wait, you saw—“
“It was face up in the trash, James.”
He hesitated. In his periphery, he could see Sid cross his arms over his chest.
“Listen to what you’re saying, Ali” James replied. “It was in the trash, wasn’t it? Meaning I didn't care about it?” He watched as her shoulders relaxed. She rubbed her forehead, looking at the floor.
With an eye on Sid, James took Ali in his arms, tightening his hold on her. “You okay?”
The feeling of James’ arms combined with the buzz that was amplifying, Ali surrendered. She just wanted to have a good time. She wanted to impress his teammates the way he impressed her on a daily basis. If she let this whole huge hockey scene get to her, she’d be missing out on a seriously amazing guy. But to ignore that it didn’t have a huge affect on her and their relationship would be a lie.
“Yes” she answered finally. She broke the hug and smiled. “She can’t suck your dick the way I can anyways, so I’m totally fine.”
Sid’s eyes went wide, and James laughed, taking Ali in for another tight embrace.
* * *
Thankfully for James, the rest of the night went on without a hitch. Geno was able to keep Kelly interested in himself and not James, so James was able to keep his attention directed at Ali. By 1 am, everyone was in full party mode; some more than others. This wasn’t a new thing to James, but he watched as Ali did a round of shots with five of the guys, fully enjoying herself in the process. At one point, her and Beau had made up a new handshake. They kept doing it throughout the night, finishing in a fit of drunken laughs.
James caught Ali looking at him, and he shook his head slowly.
“What?” Ali scooted across the couch cushion, closing the distance. “What’s that look for?”
James had a buzz going the size of Quebec, but he was nowhere near wasted. He was, however, extremely turned on by the red dress that kept taunting him all night, and the fact that his girlfriend was fitting in so well with the crew only heightened his arousal.
Ali smiled at him, scooting even closer. “You’re drunk.”
“Not even close.”
She giggled, her breasts bouncing gently in her dress. “Okay, maybe I am.”
“Bingoooo.” He was loving this. They won their game, his plan of getting his parents to meet Ali had gone almost too well, and their time at the club was improving greatly. He hoped Ali wouldn’t remember Kelly or what happened. It looked worse than it was. A slip-up, really…one he’d blame on Geno.
“Let’s go back,” James said to her. He fingered one of the loose waves of her hair.
“You sure?” Her face turned more serious. “If you wanna stay out with your frie—“
“I want to go.” He tugged gently on the piece of hair he had been fingering.
A knowing smile came to Ali’s face, and she reached for her purse. Without saying a word, she stood and pulled him up with her. James didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to a single person there.
* * *
@Lolo2020
Thank you so much! Amazing people still read it and enjoy it so much. That was my goal :)
2/6/17