Chapter 8
Stephanie’s point of view

I sat down on the bleachers at the practice rink. I remembered watching hockey as a small girl but never at this level. The language coming off the rink was terrible. I had never heard Sid cuss that much. I guess shouting profanities at each other was part of the game. They were intense even though Sidney had told me that is was just a friendly skate. You could feel the season in the rink. They were adamant to be winners and it was obvious. I even saw Max Talbot on the ice with his old teammates.

I watched sitting by myself. I was wearing a Malkin jersey, that i knew had been sent as a dig at Sid. Geno was Geno and I had a warm place for him in my heart. I sat for about an hour honestly enjoying myself. The way Sidney skated made him seem like an entirely different person. He was confident and proud on the ice. He always seemed awkward and scared when he was with me.
“Fuck Sid you’re like a fucking teenage boy all over the hole and cant get it in.” Talbo shouted.
“At least i chose where i shoot.” Sidney yelled back.
“You been dating that surfer chick for months now and you haven’t laid pipe, what kind of man waits that long?” Talbo spoke again.
“She inst that girl Talbo. She is better, different. I respect her.” Sid said making my heart swell.
“Once again Respect is overrated.” Talbo smirked

I watched them skate around for a little longer and then Geno noticed i was sitting in the stands. He slapped Sid across the chest with stick “She look good in 71 sweater.”
I watched as Sid glanced around the stands until he found me sitting by myself. I raised a tentative hand waving to him. he pointed at his sweater then at me and laughed. he mouthed “Geno?” at me and I nodded, smiling.

He skated over the the glass waving me down. I stood walking down the stairs.
“Hey, I am glad you are here.”
“Me too.”
“We should be done in a few. Walk around to the other side and i will pick you up as I am leaving the ice.” he said through a smile.
“ OK.” I followed the glass around to the other side and sat on the first seat by the tunnel. There were reporters on this side which is why I originally sat on the other side.
Sid reached for me as he stepped off the ice. He hugged me close and kissed my forehead. I heard the clicks of the cameras and shied away from him. He smiled down at me understanding and pulled me along to get us into the locker room and waiting area. “I am going to shower, i will make it quick.” he pulled away from me and disappeared through the door.
“You here!” I heard Geno yell
I turned just as I was swept up into a big hug.
“Its good to see you Malkin.” i laughed as he twirled me around.
“I wait long time to see kid smile. You special lady.”
I couldn't help but laugh. He was a good guy and sweet. I always referred to him as my Russian when I talked to Sid, which usually got me a laugh.
“You too Russian, I have missed your smile.”
“Me Russian yes.”
he sat me down and turned to go in the locker room. “Lunch. yes?”
“Ask Sid, he was in a hurry so I am not sure what we are doing today.” I told him. he shook his head laughing.

Sidney's point of view.

I felt a stick rap across my chest as Geno came up beside me.“She look good in 71 sweater.”
I saw her in the stands and i was done with practice. I wanted nothing more than to grab her up and hug her to me. I skated over the the glass waving her down. She stood walking down the stairs.
“Hey, I am glad you are here.”
“Me too.”
“We should be done in a few. Walk around to the other side and i will pick you up as I am leaving the ice.” I told her through a smile that i couldn't control any longer.
“ OK.” She followed the glass around to the other side and sat on the first seat by the tunnel.
I reached for her as I stepped off the ice. I hugged her close and kissed her forehead. She pulled away from me and i knew it was because of the reporters. I grabbed her hand pulling her along as i walked towards the locker room. “I am going to shower, I’ll make it quick.” I wanted to lean down and kiss her but it could wait.
Geno came around the corner stripping out of his clothes. “Lunch, yes?”
“I really want to see her now. I don't want to share any time I have.”
Geno laughed at me and I heard Tanger and Talbo laughing too.
“You go it bad Sid.” Tanger laughed
“Yup i sure do.” i shook my head.
I rinsed the soap off and dried off the best i could. I pulled on my shorts and t shirt and exited the locker room. she was standing there reading on her iPhone. She looked up from her phone and smiled. I couldn't help myself, i crushed her to the wall. I kissed her hard trying to make up for the two weeks I hadn't been able to touch her. She responded to my touch and leaned into me.
“Get a room.” Flower shouted as he waddled by in his gear.
“Block the puck next practice.” she shot back at him. he chuckled and disappeared behind the door.
I wanted her so bad. I wanted her with me all the time. I had so many things i wanted to say to her but first i had something i had to give her. I reached into the back pocket of my pants and handed her a small box.
“Sidney you got me something?”
“Yeah i couldn't help myself.”
she ripped the top off and there was a small white gold chain with a penguins logo attached to it.
“Just wanted you to have something to remind you of me.”
“Thank you its perfect.” It was small and dainty and looked perfect settled in the soft dip of her neck. i lean down and kissed it then kissed her again.
“Wanna get out of here?” i asked
“I think Malkin is wanting to get lunch.”
“You want to go or just go to my house?”
“Either is fine, but you know he isn't going to stop until we meet up with him. Why not do lunch then we can hang out the rest of the night?”
“That's cool.”
I opened the door to make sure the guys were dressed and led her in.
“Hey guys this is Stephanie Proulx.”
There were several Hellos from around the room and Tanger walked over and hugged her along with Flower and Talbo.
“You can still catch a ride on the Talbo train. Anytime you want to I will be ready.”
“I seriously doubt that is ever going to happen. Just take your Talbo ass over yonder. There are plenty of ladies out there waiting on you.”
Talbo smiled at her bowing again. She had a lot of fun with him and she became animated as she talked to all the boys. It was nice to have her here with me. How did i get so lucky.
“Malkin what's for lunch?” she asked him
“Food good,” he laughed
By the time we hit our favorite little hole in the wall restaurant most of the team was there.
The talk over the table was mostly about the upcoming season and Tanger’s girlfriend. The pregnancy was going well and he was ecstatic.
We said our goodbyes and she climbed into my Rover and settled in for the drive back outside of the city. I pulled in the driveway and parked in the circle.
“You ready?”
“Why do you have such a big house if it is only you?” she questioned me.
“I don't know I plan on being here for a while and who knows what the future holds.”
We walked into the foyer and she looked up at the open ceiling and the walkway over the living room. I loved the openness of this house. I probably shouldn't have torn down the one that was here but I wanted to make it my own so I started over. I built exactly what I wanted. she stopped looking at all the pictures of me. I liked simple pictures. she got a special hoot out of the one with me asleep with the Stanley cup.
“You slept with the cup?”
“yeah but I wasn't the first.”
she slapped me on the arm and continued to watch the wall. She saw a picture of me in my Oceaniac Sweater.
“You know I saw you play when you were there. My dad insisted I go with him, telling me that you were going to be a star.” she shrugged. Her dad had an eye for hockey and i knew that. She had told me on one of our late night talks that he watched the leagues picking his players. He had followed Lemieux for a long time. He just really liked me. I guess that was one check in the good boyfriend box.
I had explained that i have lived with him when I came to Pittsburgh. I was 18 living with a hockey legend, it had been rough though. Mario never gave me a break, always pushing me to be better.
“You saw me play there?”
“Yeah I guess it was 2003-2004?” I just remember him telling me you were going high in the draft.”
I leaned in and kissed her. she laughed swatting me away. “Stop i am trying to look at all of these silly pictures of you.”
“I don't want to talk Hockey. I want to talk us. I want to.” i stopped myself cause i knew what i wanted but I wasn't sure if she did.
“You want to what?”
“I want you.”
She leaned up and kissed me. The feel of her mouth on mine sent all kinds of tingles through my body which in turn cause my pants to tighten.
“Sidney, I want you too. I just don't know I mean in actuality we have only spent like 7 days together.”
“I know but it doesn't change how i feel.”
“I feel the same, I am just not that kind of girl.”
“I know and I am OK with that.”
I loved that she was so honest. She always said things that made me smile.
We curled up on the couch and watched the tv for a while and i ordered in pizza from my favorite restaurant.
“You wanna skate tomorrow?” I asked her.
" I don't think I should. I am not very good."
I have her a side ways smile " that doesn't matter to me."
The thought of holding her close made me feel tingly Inside again.
"I am really bad. I just don’t want you to be embarrassed having me skating beside you. I am sure you are used to women who can skate."
"Don't discount your self love, I will help you."
She feel asleep on my chest. I carried her to my room tucked her into the bed.
I brushed my teeth and climbed in bed behind her. She snuggled against my bare skin running her hand over my muscled chest.
“I love you Sidney Crosby. Damn it I do.”
“Why say it like that?”
“Cause I know you are going to hurt me and it scares me to death.”
“I won't hurt you. I promise I will never hurt you. I love you too much.”
She kissed me softly and ran her hand down my chest. I moved to cover her with my body and she didn't flinch. Maybe we could just make out. I thought about it for a minute and realized I have never made out. I mean yes I had fooled around with girls when I was a teenager, but never with someone I loved. I kissed her running my hands over her bare stomach. I lifted her shirt a little to gain access to her skin.
“Your skin is so soft.” I spoke between kisses.
She nuzzled into me and reached down taking me into her hands. I almost exploded then.
“You don't have to do this.” I pulled back looking into her eyes.
“I want to. I love you and this is, well this is nice.”
I cupped her breast molding it to my hand and trailed soft kisses down her neck to her shoulder where I gave her a playful bite. Her hips bucked off of the bed against me.
She pushed at my pants, trying to get my clothes off. Pulling her shirt over her head had made both of us giggle.
When I had her naked and laying before me, I realized for the first time how incredible she really was. Her curves were soft and subtle. Just enough to show she was healthy. She covered herself under my prying eyes “Don't hide from me.”
“You just look like you want to eat me.”
“If i could I would consume you for the rest of eternity. I want the rest of my eternity to be with you.” I spoke softly as i leaned in to take her mouth in mine.
She guided me to her and as I slowly entered her I exploded. I knew this was going to happen.
“Fuck” I shouted as I released myself inside of her. “Mother fucking son of a bitch.”
She smiled wiggling under me. “Calm down you are so worked up.”
“You have that effect on me.”
She reached for me pulling me down to her. I was still hard and moved slowly inside of her. Enjoying the feel of her body with mine. We fit together so well and it felt right. I don't know how to make it sound any better, just right.
I made love to her slowly and softly.
I fell over the bed hugging her to me.
“That was incredible.” she whispered over to me.
“Yeah it was.”
“Want to do it again.”
“Please love. please.”
My body responded to her words and my dick twitched over my belly.
I had no self control when it came to her. I would lay down my life if it meant she would be happy. Even if it meant giving her up. The sharp pain that crossed my chest made me regret that thought.
She pushed me onto my back and sat astride me. Raising up I felt her slowly taking me inside of her again. She moved over me slowly enjoying the feeling, the closeness.

I rolled over when the sun was peaking through the windows.
“Shit” I shouted jumping from the bed.
“I have to be at all skate in 30 mins.”
I ran around the room grabbing my gym shorts off of the floor pulling them on. then stopping taking them off and grabbing a clean pair of boxer briefs out of the drawer.
“Skating this early?”
Practice starts at 8 and it was 7:32.
“Yeah get up lazy bones we have to get going. Unless you want to stay here.”
She sat up in bed and smiled at me. “ I wouldn't make you miss practice for anything. Plus you owe me a tour of this fine city.” she hopped out of the bed pulling on clothes.
Once we were in the car i drove like a maniac. I hit the locker room reaching my stall just as the coach walked in.
“This is going to be a quick drills practice and then your families and loved ones can join you on the ice. I want you boys to take a few days off after this. Real Practice starts on Wednesday. We have our first game in a little over a month so be ready to go.” Dan walked out of the locker room in skates.

We ran drills for a little over half an hour, most of them fun just getting ourselves ready for the long haul we were about to make.