Stacey looked out the window of the airplane. It was a few weeks later and she was on her way to Biel/Bienne, Switzerland with Tyler. Her friend’s voices still rang in the back of her mind.
“You don’t know him that well!” Sammie had yelled
“What if things don’t work out…you’re getting too close to him too soon…”Jade had warned, but Stacey knew what she wanted to do and that was get away.
Stacey had been dismissed from her team and just wanted to get away. Her father hadn’t been too happy with her for not “discussing it with him” before she packed all up and moved half-way across the world with a guy, who, he hadn’t even met and who Stacey had only been dating a short while. None of that really even mattered.
“You ok?” Tyler asked
Stacey nodded “Yeah…just nervous.”
Tyler nodded “Me too, but I’m glad you’re with me.”
Stacey smiled and looked out the window, dozing off. Tyler woke her up when they landed in Biel/Bienne. Stacey grabbed her carry on and a voice called to them.
“Hey!” a sort of familiar looking guy with curly dark blonde hair came running up.
“Hey, Pat.” Tyler said with a smile “Stacey this is Patrick Kane. Pat this is my girlfriend, Stacey.”
Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks shook her hand and smiled “Nice to meet you.”
“You too!” Stacey replied smiling back
“Pat is going to drive us to our apartment since the rental car is there.” Tyler explained
Stacey nodded and smiled following Tyler and Pat to Pat’s car. Tyler’s mom had some of their things, furniture and food already in the house. They didn’t know how long the lockout would last, but Gary Bettman had already canceled a few games and the talks were nowhere near a resolution or agreement on the Collective Bargaining Agreement. After a short drive, they arrived at a small apartment complex.
Tyler led her up to the apartment and opened the door. “Here we are!”
Stacey looked around it was rather nice. “This is nice. It’s small and cozy.”
Tyler smiled “I know.”
“We only have one room…” Stacey stammered
Tyler nodded “Well I figured that I’d sleep on the couch. It’s a hide-a-bed and you can have the room.”
Stacey looked at him and smiled “You can have the room if you want.”
Tyler shook his head “Nope. You get the room.”
Stacey smiled and took her bag to the room, laying it on the bed. It was a queen sized bed with Black and Yellow sheets. No doubt in reference to the Bruins, Tyler’s mom must have intentionally done it for him. She folded her clothes and placed them in the drawers.
“Good thing Biel is bi-lingual Switzerland.” she heard Tyler laugh
“What’s that, babe?” she asked peeking out the door
“This part of Switzerland is bi-lingual. I ordered us a pizza and luckily they had English speaking employees, because I only know basic Swiss.” Tyler smiled.
“Pizza sounds good.” Stacey said going into the small kitchen and looking in the fridge. It was stocked with Coke, water and lunch meats. “Your mom is great.”
Tyler smiled “She loves you.”
Stacey smiled “Really?” she had met Tyler’s mom three days earlier when Tyler informed his mom that she would be going with him. Mrs. Seguin, his younger sisters Candace and Cassidy, and his dad had a small going -away party for Tyler. Stacey loved them. His family was so nice. Stacey learned that Tyler had come from a hockey family. His parents and sisters had all played hockey.
Tyler nodded “She was happy that I’d have someone to watch me.” he laughed. Stacey laughed and sat down on the couch before the door buzzed. “Pizza!” Tyler exclaimed hoping up, grabbing his wallet and buzzing the delivery man in. Within a few minutes, Tyler sat the pizza down on the coffee table. “Sausage and pepperoni.”
Stacey smiled “Yummy.” she took a slice and bit into it. “What’s the strangest topping you’ve ever had on a pizza?”
Tyler smiled as he took a bite of his slice “Mushrooms.”
Stacey laughed “Seriously? Me too! Sausage and mushroom pizza.”
“That’s what I get!” Tyler laughed before looking Stacey in the eyes.
She looked back at him and smiled. “What?”
He smiled softly before leaning in to kiss her. Stacey closed her eyes and kissed him back, pulling him into a hug as their lips locked. Tyler brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her again. Stacey bit her lip and looked away. “What’s wrong?” he asked
Stacey sighed, contemplating what she was about to say, “Ty, I have something I feel I should tell you…”
Tyler held his finger to her lips “If it’s anything about your past relationships, Stace, I don’t need to know. You had a life before me and I understand that…but some things, I think, we can keep to ourselves. I mean there is a reason that our past is the past.”
Stacey looked at him and smiled, pulling him into her arms “You’re the best.”
“I know.” he teased, handing her another slice of pizza.
After pizza, Stacey decided she’d head to bed. After kissing Tyler goodnight, she went into her new room. She changed into her pajamas and settled in to bed, looking at her phone. No messages. Not one of her former teammates had texted to ask how she was or even if she was OK. Not even Sammie had texted her. Stacey sighed and laid her head back on the pillow. If they really were your friends they’d always support you. She remembered Tyler saying when they had just started talking. Stacey repeated the phrase to herself before she drifted off to sleep.