Chapter 3
I wondered around the house the whole next day looking at myself in every outfit I had. I felt like I was in high school. Talbo had given me shit all day, so I hid in my room until around five thirty. I chose a Nike t-shirt and jeans. I was taking her to play putt putt whether she liked it or not.
I arrived at the bar and walked in. She was wearing a yellow sundress and rainbow flip flops. It took everything in my body not to just stare at her simple beauty. Her dad popped up in front of me and took my hand in his again.
“Welcome back Mr. Crosby.”
“Sidney my name is Sidney.”
“Come on let’s get this over with.” She walked by us and never looked back
I watched her for a moment taking in the tans lines along her exposed shoulders and the way she had her hair up in a messy bun.
I walked around the car and opened the door for her. “Your chariot awaits my lady.”
Sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut. The scoff I received from her told me she wasn’t impressed. I walked around the car fumbling the keys and dropping them. I leaned over and picked them up. “Breath Sid just breath.” I spoke to myself.
I climbed into the Rover and headed back toward the end of the island.
“I thought we were going to Wilmington?”
“I thought we would grab pier food and play putt putt.”
“Stick time right, I forgot.”
“I just wanted to do something simple. Maybe eat play then walk on the beach.” I spoke quietly suddenly not so sure of myself. This Sidney Crosby isn’t one most people get to meet. My boys know me but not really anyone else other than my family. I tend to shy away from the media. I like playing hockey, but I am not so sure of all of the attention.
“Don’t get any ideas Mr. Crosby.” She smirked over at me.
“Me ideas never.” I laughed
“I am going to kick your ass at putt putt. Just wait.”
We pulled into the parking lot of the Jolly Roger Pier and jumped out trying to get to the door before she could make her way out.
We ordered our food and sat at a booth overlooking the beach. The silence was a bit unnerving, but not awkward.
“So, what does Sidney fucking Crosby do for fun?”
“Please don’t call me that. Sid works just fine.”
“I just don’t really know why I am here. I mean you live in Pittsburgh, I live here what do you want from me?”
Well there it is. I knew she wasn’t a fling and I had no intention of it being like that.
“I don’t know? I like you Stephanie. You are different from anyone I have ever known.”
“Different how, that I don’t lose my panties when you look at me?”
“Wow, do I even get a chance to try and show you a nice evening?”
“I just don’t want to get hurt and you are Sidney… you are who you are and I am just a surfer chick from a small beach town in North Carolina. I just don’t understand the fascination.”
“I just want to enjoy your company. No strings and no promises. Ok?”
“Of course no strings and no promises, I figured that out already.”
“That is not what I meant and you know it. Quit trying so hard to make me an ass. I am sure I could do that on my own if I chose too.”
“Sorry.” She looked down at her hands as her fingers wound around themselves.
“So do you surf?”
“Yeah I have for years. I tried to break into the professional scene but the waves here in North Carolina are just not what I needed to practice on. When my mother died about 5 years ago I was 17, it put a hold on all of my plans. Max’s was my father dream, so I stayed.”
“Does your dad know why you stayed?”
“He thinks I just couldn’t make it on the big waves.”
“He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that would want you to give up your dreams.”
“My dreams died along with my mom.”
“Yeah sorry about that, I guess it would be hard. I really am sorry about your mom.”
“Thanks Sidney.”
I saw the sparkling of a tear on the edge of her eyelid. She wiped her face and sniffed.
“Ok enough about that subject or I am going to be a blubbering mess, What kind of date would I be then?”
“A beautiful one.” I have no idea why I said it, but I flowed off of my lips so easily.
“Thank you.” She smiled back at me.
The guy brought over our food and I looked at what she had ordered. I poked at a basket and asked what it was.
“Fired pickles.”
“You can fry pickles?”
“Of course you are in the south we fry everything. Candy bars, Oreos, Twinkies and pickles, just to name a few. Try one.”
I reached over into the basket and popped one in my mouth. “SHIT” I spit it back into my hand.
“Hot?” she laughed at me. I loud clap of laughter that had her covering her mouth and laughing harder.
“What? It was hot.”
“It just caught me off guard. I mean you get slammed into the glass and checked on the ice all the time and you let a little ol’ pickle get the best of you. Big bad Sidney Fucking Crosby isn’t that tough after all.” She laughed again and I couldn’t help but laugh right along with her all at my own expense.
“My mouth burns just the same as yours.” I looked at her and she stopped laughing and looked directly at me. The moment was nice and she looked away all too soon.
We walked across the road to the putt putt.
“What kind of course is this?”
“The kind or course, that I will beat you on.”
“Who the hell puts a dog with a leg that makes it look like it is peeing on a putt putt course?”
“This one does. You ready for a beat down?”
By the 9th hole I was losing by 11 strokes. She was good but I assumed she had played here before. I had never seen such crap in my life. As I walked over to the loop d loop on the course. “How does this work?”
“Here I will show you.” She dropped her ball and hit it. It followed the loop and rolled out onto the other side, rolling right into the hole.
“Woot Hole in one number four for me!” she shouted at me. I smile my lopsided smile over at her. She was fun. I have enjoyed myself more tonight than ever before. I didn’t want to leave on Wednesday. Maybe I could spend a few more days with her and then see how it went.
“I am going get one before the night is over.”
“Sure you are.” She taunted me.
I hit the ball and it hit the block at the bottom of the loop and came right back at me.
I tried again and did the same thing.
“You would think that I would be able to play this fucking game.”
“Here I will help.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist and showed me the stroke. The feeling of her pressed up against me was unnerving. Her body was tight but soft in all the right places.
“You hit it like a puck. It’s a ball hit it firmly but not hard.”
She pulled back my hands and we hit the ball together. It rolled into the loop and dropped into the hole.
“Yes two for two.” She laughed
“I had a hand in that one.” I laughed.
“Nope all mine Mr. Crosby, all mine.”
We played the rest of the course and I watched her tally her scores.
“How do you get three sevens on the back nine? Geez you are really awful at putt putt.”
“No I am horrible at this course of putt putt. I want a rematch.”
“What can’t stand to lose Sid?”
“Only to you Steph.”
I grabbed her hand and walked her across the street to the ice cream shop and bought her a cone and watch her eyes light up as she took the first taste.
“I had forgotten how much I love this death by chocolate ice cream. Wanna taste?”
She leaned the cone over to my mouth and I leaned in to taste it and got a cone pushed into my face. She hooted with laughter and I reached over pulling her against me and kissed the laugh right out of her mouth. I pressed my lips softly to hers tasting the chocolate covering her lips. She groaned into my mouth and pressed even harder to me. I ran my hand down her back and then I heard someone clearing their throat behind me.
“Oh sorry” she said turning 50 shades of red.
“Just keep it G rated there are little kids everywhere.” The lady behind the counter said to both of us.
I took her hand after cleaning off my face and we walked over to the beach. The moon was full so there was a blue haze over the water and sand. There were several people walking and I reached over taking her free hand into mine. She stiffened then relaxed against me. I had hoped she wouldn’t push me away.
“So you grew up here?”
“Well yeah I guess.”
“Well you either did or didn’t.” I smirked over at her.
“I was born in St. John, right outside of Nova Scotia. We moved to Surf City when I was seven. It was a drastic change but my mom was tired of being cold. I don’t really remember my time up north, though.”
“No kidding that is like 4 hours from where I grew up. Small world.” I pulled her close to me enjoying the warmth of her body. I wondered if this was something that I could continue, if she would date a hockey player? OK sid lets be honest. She hates Hockey players.
“Would you ever consider coming to a game in Pittsburgh?”
“Ummm I don’t think so.”
“Ok well I wont take no for an answer. I could just send your dad tickets, I am sure you wouldn’t let him go to the big city of Pittsburgh all by himself. Would you?”
“You really are an ass.” She laughed
“I will do whatever I have to, to make you like me, even using your dad’s love for the Pens.”
“I like you Sidney I think you are a really nice guy, but I have known you for five minutes. I don’t know who Sidney Crosby is. I don’t think this could ever work. You live twelve hours away. I have my life here and I don’t think you would ever fit into it. I mean, lets be honest. There is no ice here, ever.”
“I just want to get to know you. I want to spend time with you. Would you at least consider coming up and visiting me?”
“Sidney, lets just get through this night. You are making plans for a future that I don’t think could ever exist.”
I shrug “you never know, what the future holds.”
We walk a little further down the beach and she drops to the sand pulling me down with her.
“Look at all those stars.” She speaks under a soft breath. If I hadn’t actually been listening I probably would have missed it.
“They are amazing. Look!” I half shouted as a star fell across the black sky.
“Make a wish Sidney.”
I wished that she would give us a shot, a chance well just time. I knew with certainty that she was under my skin. I didn’t want this night to end. I enjoyed her more than I had ever enjoyed any woman.
“Sidney?”
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t break my heart. Please just leave and let well enough alone. I like you and my dad is in love with you. I just don’t know that this could go anywhere.” She waved her hand between our chests. Which in turn caused me to get an eye full of her breasts, I had been so good all night. Not looking just keeping my eyes on her face. I had noticed the curves under her dress, but had made sure she was facing away from me when I went all creepy teenage boy on her.
“I can promise not to break your heart, but I cannot promise to just leave well enough alone. I haven’t felt this comfortable with anyone in a long time. I like you a lot.”
I lean over and kissed her softly on the lips. I knew what my kisses did to her, but I kissed her anyway. She ran her hand up my arm and wrapped her fingers into my hair. I pushed her down on the sand and deepened the kiss. My tongue played at the entrance of her mouth. She gave me access and I dove in. She moaned into my mouth and we kissed for several minutes.
“Sidney please.” She pushed at my chest trying to wiggle out from under me.
“Just enjoy it. Just be in this moment, right here with me. Nothing else matters.”
She leaned up capturing my lips again.

I closed the door on the car, not wanting to leave but it was close to one in the morning.
“I had a really nice time Sidney. Thank you.”
“Thanks for taking a chance on me.”
Her swollen lips spread into a wide smile.
“Can we meet again tomorrow?”
“Sidney I have to be at the bar around three and I need to clean house.”
“You can clean house on Thursday, Tomorrow you are meeting the boys.”
“There’s more of you guys here?”
“You could say that, but I must warn you Talbo is an ass for sure.” He had text me several times throughout the night typical Talbot style.
“Who all is with you?”
“The Staal brothers, which you have met, Kris Letang, Max Talbot, and Geno Malkin.
“What like the entire Pens team?”
“Not the whole team but my boys for sure. Wait I thought you didn’t follow Hockey?”
“I try not to but I know the sport. We always watched Hockey never football only Hockey. I know most of the players at least for the Pens. Wait I thought Talbot played for the Flyers?”
“Screw the Flyers.” I gained a laugh for that one.
“Oh you don’t like the Flyers?”
“No, almost as much as I don’t like the canes. Pennsylvania is a small state, maybe too small for two NHL teams.”
“You are still tight with Talbot right?”
“Yeah of course, he will always be a Pen in my book.”

The conversation was easy. We chatted about nothing in particular. She asked about the lock out talk and that her dad would be devastated if there was no Hockey. I reminded her that if there was no Hockey I would probably be able to get away a little more. She smiled over at me.
“I just don’t get it Crosby. I just don’t understand.”
“Understand what?”
“You have known me for a day, yet you keep talking about the future.”
“You surprise me, every turn you challenge me, call me out and push me on. You know who I am but you treat me like any other guy.”
“You are just a guy, Sidney. You are a hockey player by trade and I know that you love to play. You are just Sidney Crosby to me. Not The Sidney Crosby, not Sidney Captain Canada Crosby. Just Sidney.”
“Not even Sidney Fucking Crosby?”
I got a punch in the arm for that one.
“Nope not even that.”
It was nice that she didn’t drool all over me. She was actually trying to push me away. I was not her golden ticket. She had demanded to pay for the putt putt since she was going to whip my butt. I had let her even though I had asked her out and I thought I should pay for everything.
“Can I pick you up around 10?” I asked her as I pulled into the parking lot at Max’s.
“Sidney, I had a really great time, I just don’t know if we should…” I cut her off.
“Ok I will take that as a yes and see you in the morning.” I reached over opening her door kissing her on the cheek as she wrestled out of the seatbelt.
“SO I don’t get a choice in this?”
“Nope I am Sidney Crosby.” I smirked at her she rolled her eyes stepping out of the car.
She closed the door and walked around to my window. I rolled it down and smiled at her.
“You want back in?”
“Nope.” She leaned in and kissed me gently. “Thanks again.”
I ran my hand up to the base of her messy bun and captured her mouth with mine. She was trembling right along with me when I released her.
“If you wore a wet suit what size would you wear?”
It was such a strange question.
“I don’t know, I have never worn a wet suit.”
“I got you covered. See you in the morning, Bring Malkin.”
She wants me to bring Geno?
“Malkin?”
“Yeah he has girlfriend so at least I will know he wont try to get in my pants.”
“touché’” I laughed.