It was Saturday night and I was getting ready for the Pens party when I realized that I wouldn't be able to zip up my dress so I called James in to help me.

"James can you come here for a minute?" I said. A few seconds later I heard light knocking at the door before it opened.

"I can't zip it up. Will you please do it for me?" I asked with my back to him holding up the dress the best I could. The zipper cut down low in the back and I wasn't really someone who liked to show off much skin so it made me a bit self-conscious.

When he walked up and took the zipper in his hands I heard his breath hitch but I didn't pay much attention to it, I just stared off thinking about the party. I was excited but nervous to meet the rest of the guys, but I got along well with the ones I'd already met so I was hoping things would go just as well with the others.

Once I was zipped up and James asked me if his hair looked okay three or four times, we headed to the front door to put our shoes on and go.

"Are you sure it looks good?" He asked as we walked out the door. He locked it behind us then turned around to meet my eyes to make sure I was telling the truth.

"How many times do I need to tell you it looks fine for you to get it?" I asked hoping he would just stop with his obsession.

"This is serious business Cass, it can't just be 'fine' it has to be perfect!" He said turning around to put the keys back in the door so he could go to the bathroom and fix it.

"Turn around." I demanded. He did, and looked at me with an expression of confusion and a raised eyebrow.

"It looks perfect the way it is, now can we go?" I said hoping he would believe me so we could finally make our way to the party.

"Yeah I guess so." He breathed a heavy sigh. I could tell he wasn't totally convinced but I was just glad we were finally leaving. I was ready to go and have a good time with my new friends.

As we started walking I quickly remembered why I shouldn't have bought high heels to wear that night. I was wobbling all over the place, I just couldn't keep myself stable in those things.

"You alright there Cass?" I heard James ask as he walked up next to me and hooked his arm in mine.

"Me and heels are a bad combination." I groaned as we entered the elevator down to the parking garage. He just laughed and we continued on to his car in silence.

He opened my door for me and helped me in, then walked around to the driver's side of the car. I glanced out the window looking at my beat up old car next to us. No more than a week before I was breaking down just like it was, but in that time I'd gotten better with James' help and just like that, I was almost like his car, a better, happier version of me.

As I was thinking I realized that the car hadn't started so I turned my head to see James staring at me.

"What?" I asked, curious as to why he was looking at me so intently.

"You look amazing." He said with a smile. I smiled back like an idiot and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

"Thanks." I looked back out the window and hoped that he hadn't noticed how red my cheeks had turned.

On our way to the hotel where the party was being held, the car was filled with our singing. Neither of us were great but when a song came on that we knew, we belted it out and let everything go.

Never in my lifetime did I ever think that I would be in a car with James Neal, but there I was, and I definitely didn't think that I would ever fall for him, but with every moment that I spent with him I fell even further. The term falling for someone didn't make any sense to me before I met him. When my stomach started to lurch every time he smiled or said a sweet comment to me, that's when I understood. It was like being on a roller coaster. When you start the descent downwards, your heart feels like it's in your throat and the rush you get just makes you even more excited for the next drop.

I knew how I felt but what I didn't know was if I had the courage to risk it all and tell him.

The hotel wasn't too far from my apartment and we were there in 15 minutes. James helped me out of the car and led me inside with his arm around my waist to make sure I stayed on my feet until we got inside.

We walked up to the front desk and were immediately directed to a luxurious dining hall that the Penguins organization had rented out for the party. It had beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and gorgeous marble flooring. There was a table set up to the side with tons of different desserts laid out along the length of it as well as many brands of wine and champagne. The amounts of food seemed suitable considering the large gathering of people that were already there when we arrived.

Josie and Brandon were the first to greet us and they were by far the cutest couple I'd ever seen. They were always touching each other in one way or another to reassure the other person that they were still there by their side, whether they were talking to each other or not.

It was a great feeling to be around new friends with the conversation just flowing naturally. Josie and Brandon were the sweetest people I'd ever met. When I talked to either of them, I got their undivided attention as if I was the most important person in the room at the time. It was nice to have people who actually listened no matter how stupid the conversation was, it made me more comfortable in my surroundings than I had been when I first walked in and saw the large group of people in the room.

Halfway through the night, James and I were chatting with Dan Bylsma. He had asked me a few questions about school and how my arm was doing, in an attempt to get to know me. It made me feel welcomed and I was sweet of him to make an effort to do so.

We were talking about the Penguins' upcoming game against theCapitals when Ray Shero joined us. James introduced me to him and he greeted me with a smile.

"Sorry for interrupting but if it's okay with you all, I need to speak with Dan for a minute." He said, James and I both nodded our okay.

"It was nice meeting you both!" I said before they left.

"It was nice to meet you too Cassie." Ray said for the two of them.

"Don't be a stranger!" Dan said with a smile and they both disappeared into the crowd.

Shortly after they departed, the void they left was filled with the faces of three boys I hadn't seen all night. Sidney, Geno and Kris.

"Hey!" I greeted them and Sid gave me an awkward sideways hug, still trying to be careful of my arm.

We all chatted for a minute and then Ray was in front of everyone tapping his glass to get the room's attention. The large group was silent seconds later, everyone listening intently to his speech.

"I just wanted to thank everyone for their hard work so far this year. It's been a great one for the boys thus far but they couldn't do any of it without you all. I couldn't have asked to be a part of a better organization. Thank you." He finished off by pointing his glass to the crowd and we all raised ours with him and took a drink. We erupted with cheers and whistles as he left his spot in front of us and walked through the crowd to talk with his wife.

"Not this again.." Sidney groaned as I tuned back into the conversation.

"Not what?" I asked curiously and I noticed that James had left us and was headed for the food table.

"Wait." The three guys remaining said all at the same time. We kept looking on as James was approaching the table. I didn't see what was wrong with the picture before us. That was, until I saw what he was actually headed that way for, or should I say who.

She was wearing a not-so modest dress, of course her boobs were front and center, no wonder James went straight to her. I guess I should have expected it because of his past but I was surprised that he would just leave me alone at the party he invited me to.

"Oh..." I said trailing off, unsure of what to say.

"Typical James." Sidney muttered. I wondered what he meant but I wasn't sure that I wanted to hear the answer.

James eventually disappeared with the girl hanging off his shoulder and I stayed with the guys. For most of the time James was gone, we chatted and laughed at Geno. When he spoke it could go one of two ways: he would say the complete wrong word, or he would say the perfect little comment at the right time and make us erupt with laughter.

"So you and Nealsy?" Geno asked me after a pause in the conversation.

"No. There's nothing going on between us." I said with a hint of annoyance in my voice.

"Come on Cassie you're lying. You didn't look too happy when he went off with that girl." Sidney chimed in and took a swig of his drink.

"That's because he left me with you goons." I said and glared at the three of them. They all feigned hurt and turned their backs to me and stuck their noses in the air.

"What are you doing?" I asked, looking at them with the confusion evident in my face.

"Say you're sorry." Kris replied without turning around.

"I'm sorry now turn back around and talk to me like normal people." I said.

"That wasn't very sincere but we'll take it." Sid said joking around as the three of them turned back around to resume the conversation.

"I can't believe he just ditched you like that though, I don't get it." Sid said shaking his head.

"Nealsy not gentleman, asshole." Geno added clearly frustrated that he'd left me. Kris and Sid nodded in agreement.

"Yeah and look at Cassie, she looks way better tonight than that slut. How did she even get in here? I've never seen her before and if she was one of the girlfriends she wouldn't be with Nealer." Sid commented.

"I haven't seen her before either. Maybe she snuck in somehow. Pucks these days, they'll do whatever they can to get in someone's pants." Kris added.

"Don't look now but they're on their way over." I said as I saw her and James walking toward us.

"Fuck this." Geno stated.

"Hey sorry I disappeared earlier." He said as they reached the four of us.

"Whatever" Geno replied, unhappy with his friend. He downed the rest of his drink then announced he was going to get another one.

"Cassie, want something?" He asked and I told him I'd have whatever he was having then he was gone.

"Sid, Kris, Cassie, this is Amber." He said trying to break the ice between us.

"Hey." She said, with a blank expression. It seemed like she didn't really want to talk to us.

"Hi" The three of us said in unison. We didn't really want to talk to her either but at least we tried, she treated us as if we were a waste of her time.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Sid asked her politely.

"Sure." She said then started looking around the room, clearly uninterested.

"So Amber where are you from?" I asked trying to get some sort of dialogue going but once again, to no avail.

"Pittsburgh obviously." That saucy little bitch, I thought. Just because she was in Pittsburgh at that moment in time didn't mean she's from there. Some people just had no goddamn manners.

After that, an awkward silence ensued and I noticed the looks on Kris and Sid's faces. They did not look pleased whatsoever and I felt the same way. James however seemed completely oblivious to what she was like. I had no desire to stay there any longer so I used Geno as my scapegoat.

"I'm going to go find out where Geno went off to with my drink." I said and got out of there was quick as I could.

It had been 5 minutes and I still couldn't figure out where he'd gone so I stepped outside just to get away from the crowd for a little while. Coincidentally, there he was. He was sitting down outside the door with his drink in his hand and mine on the ground next to him.

"I knew you come find me." He said as I sat down next to him and stretched my legs out in front of me.

"Thanks for the drink." I said and took a big sip of the champagne he'd poured me.

There was a few minutes of comfortable silence between us. We were just sitting there, looking up at the night sky. It was beautiful out and the moon was like a saucer, round and full.

"She's pretty horrible." I commented.

He turned his head and looked at me as if to say 'go on' so I continued.

"She was acting like she'd rather be anywhere but there, she gave short answers when we tried to start any sort of conversation with her and she was saucy." I said taking another sip of my champagne.

"Bitch. She no good for James." He commented and shook his head.

I laughed at how blunt he was. "No, she's not." I agreed.

"But you, you good for James. He better with you." He said, pointing at me.

"I don't know G, but it doesn't matter who's good for him anyways. He's probably going to date her now." I said, suddenly very interested in my shoes, that I'd surprisingly gotten accustomed to as the night went on.

"Maybe, maybe not if you tell him." He said as he grabbed the door knob and hauled himself up off the ground. He wiped the little bit of dirt that had accumulated on his pants while we were out there, and waited for me to answer.

"It could potentially ruin our friendship, I'd rather have him as a friend than not at all." I said and held out my left hand for him to grab and he helped me up.

"Never know what could happen." He said trying to convince me.

"If he liked me he wouldn't have left me to go flirt with Amber." I stated matter-of-factly. Geno didn't know how to respond to that and before he had a chance to think of something I spoke again.

"Now let's go back in before the party's over." Geno nodded his agreement and we went back inside.

We slowly made our way back to the boys and girl, relishing the little bit of time we had left before we rejoined them.

Notes

Sorry it took me so long, it's hard to write often with school and work. I hope you like it nonetheless! Comments are always appreciated! I love to hear what you guys think :)