The Compromise

"Do you think he will like it?" Jess asked as she and Sarah walked out of the Ross Park mall, securing an anniversary present for Sidney. Jess was excited to share with him what he got him, but she wouldn't see him for a couple days. He had flown up to New York just the day before for some more meetings with the league.

"If he is as technologically inept as you claim he is, I'm afraid it could go either way. But at least he will be able to FaceTime you when he is gone," Sarah said as the pair got to Sid's SUV. He left her a spare key to use because the weather forecast predicted snow while he was gone and he didn't like the look of Jess's little corolla.

"I'll show him how to use it! And I will load it up with all the apps I know he will love." Jess gingerly placed the bag from the apple store in the back seat before climbing into the driver seat. She hadn't told her friend or anyone for that matter, that she recently did a boudoir session with a photographer friend at home and showed Jess how to set a private app up just for Sidney so he could view all the photos. She got a chance to see the photos already and was completely blown away by how classy they turned out. She had hesitated doing it at first, but her friend was just starting out on see types of photo sessions and begged Jess to use her as a test. She obliged and figured Sid would get a kick out of them in the end.

Sarah was already in the passenger seat rubbing her hands together to get warm. "Why didn't you start him off small, like a phone?"

"Because he just added me to his plan but I'm not an authorized user. Plus if he gets a feel for the iPad, which I already know he uses sometimes in the arena, maybe he will warm up to graduating from the stupid phone to a smart one."

"Stupid phone?"

"That's what I call flip phones. It annoys him." The girls laughed. They decided lunch was necessary and went to Panera for some warm soup.

When they found their seats Sarah asked, "What are you two doing for your anniversary anyways?"

"I have no idea. He said I don't need to worry about it, that he has it all planned out. Of course I am slightly skeptical. But he isn't short of romantic so whatever he does, I am sure I'll love."

"God I wish I could find someone that treats me like Sid does with you! I mean, he stood by your side when you didn't even remember him. Your relationship was so new and yet he didn't give up."

Jess smiled bashfully at her friend. She was right; Sid could have just walked away and washed his hands of her. He chose to stick it out and that meant more to her than anything.

"You think he will propose?"

"What?! No! I mean...no. I don't think so."

"But what if he does?"

Jess didn't hesitate, "I'd say yes."

"Ugh you make me sick! That is so adorable! Did you think a year ago you'd be saying that?"

"It's just that easy with him. He's the one. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. If he were to ask me right now I wouldn't hesitate."

"Alright, I'm incredibly happy for you two but I need to stop asking you about this. Just makes me realize how lonely I am."

"You want to date a penguin?" Jess asked, half joking.

"Girl, if date any man on two legs at this point. Hell, he doesn't even need to have two legs! Just as long as he treats me nicely."

"You'll find someone. I know it. You are young and hot. It will happen." Jess studied Sarah and thought how compatible she would be with any of the single guys on the team. She knew several of them would find her attractive, but would it go beyond a first date? She wasn't sure, and didn't know if playing matchmaker was a good idea.

*********

Sid got comfortable in the king sized bed and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He was frustrated, yet again, and wanted to hear Jess' voice. He knew she would calm him and put him at ease over everything going on. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hey you, how's it going up there?" Jess said quietly.

"Awful, I just want to come home. What have you been up to?" He muted the television in the background so he could hear her better.

"I'm putting the finishing touches on my midterm exams and preparing to watch the football game. Only thing on TV. Oh I went shopping with Sarah today. It was nice."

"Oh yeah? Get me anything good?" Sid asked.

"I'll never tell!" She giggled. He missed that giggle. It had only been a couple days, but he missed her. He missed her whenever she isn't near him.

"Anyone there to keep you company?" She asked.

"A couple, but this place is so crowded. Especially now," Sid sighed. He was going back to his old ways, staying holed up in his hotel room, ordering off the room service menu, watching television all night. And it wasn't because of the crowds in NYC, but how much he missed Jess and wished she were with him. "You'd love this place right now. The tree at Rockefeller Plaza is all lit up. The window displays are phenomenal, and Christmas music is everywhere."

"I'd love to see New York at Christmas sometime. I'm sorry I couldn't come with you. But I've already taken enough time off for the next five years!"

Sid chuckled, he knew she was right. This was why he intended on surprising her with a trip to the big apple for New Years. He already had the hotel booked and they wouldn't have to leave the comfort of their room in order to see the ball drop. He hoped she liked the surprise.

"Oh well, so how is Sarah?"

"She's completely jealous of us. It's almost sad how she obsesses over our relationship."

"Ugh! What do you mean?"

"Not over I am dating Sidney Crosby, hockey god, more like you have the perfect relationship. How do I get one of those?"

"Ah, I see."

"She doesn't seem fazed by me dating you."

"Dating sounds weird. It sounds almost like I pick you up and take you out to places. I think we are well beyond dating, don't you think?" Sid interjected.

"I don't think I understand."

"It's like you date someone when you are working towards a relationship. Before you establish that you are involved with that person. You're my girlfriend. We live together, we are establishing a life together, a future together. You're my love." Sid sounded a bit melancholy at the end. Jess could sense the sadness in his voice.

"I like thinking about our future," Jess spoke softly.

"Yeah?" Sid asked. He shifted to a lay on his back, cradling his phone between his ear and shoulder.

"Yeah."

"What do you think about?"

"How many kids we will have, where we will end up living once you retire as a player. If we stay in Pittsburgh or move to Canada."

"You'd move to Canada?" He smiled into his phone.

"I'll go where you go babe," she said almost shyly.

"I love you," Sid declared. He was taken by this revelation. He knew that they wanted to be together forever, but he never knew she would move for him like that. He pretty much solidified his stay in Pittsburgh for the remainder of his career over the summer.

"I love you too, so much."

"Alright, go back to work. I just missed you and wanted to hear your voice."

"I miss you too. I'll see you in a couple days."

*********

It was Wednesday; the official date of their anniversary, and Jess was spending it digging her car out of several inches of snow. She wanted to get home, but she was anxious to do so. The snow had slowed down considerably and the roads weren't too bad, but she knew her anxiety was going to get the best of her. She dug her car out as best she could and climbed in. A normal ten minute commute was about to take her twenty five. She knew she should have taken Sid's car that morning. The snow wasn't supposed to hit until later in the evening, so she gladly climbed into her little vehicle happy to be in something she found comfortable. Instead, it started around noon and caused major uproars throughout the school. The students weren't focused on work, the teachers were apprehensive about getting everyone home safely.

She vowed to take her time, drive in third gear if necessary and stay on residential streets, away from speeding cars that didn't worry about snow fall. Days like today made her miss the south.

"Ugh, just get home Jess. Sid will be home tomorrow." She encouraged herself. She drove slowly and with her hazard lights flashing so as to not cause any more problems on the road.

She made it home forty minutes later having had to stop in order to bypass a minor wreck. And when she got home she noticed lights on and smoke billowing out of the chimney. Her heart skipped a beat knowing that someone, hopefully Sidney, was inside.

The house smelled of fresh pine and there was Christmas music playing from the sound system in the family room. There were strands of garland draped all over the entryways and the banister leading upstairs. She walked into the kitchen to find that the discarded boxes were stacked all over the counters. She continued through the kitchen to the family room to find Sidney unwrapping the boxes of ornaments and a bare tree standing in the corner of the enormous room.

"You are really here," Jess said startling Sidney. He turned at the sound of her voice and broke into a large smile when he saw her. He didn't even speak but dropped the box he was working on opening onto the chair nearest him in five long strides had Jess swooped up in his arms and kissed her squarely on the mouth.

"Happy anniversary! I came back early. I know you thought we are celebrating this weekend, and we will since it's snowing out now, but I couldn't be away from you today," Sid explained without being prompted by Jess. She stepped back from his embrace and loosened her scarf around her neck. He helped by unbuttoning the large black buttons on her red wool coat.

"I'm so happy you're here. Is this my gift? Because I LOVE it! I want to help with the tree!" Jess brushed past Sid to the ornaments strewn about on the coffee table. She knelt down to examine the intricate details of some of her old hallmark ornaments that Sid dug out for their tree.

Sid followed Jess to the tree and knelt down to plug in the lights he had just finished stringing on it. He stepped back and admired his handiwork, "I hope you like colored lights because that is what I got."

"Oh Sid! I love it! It's perfect! I've never had a live tree before. It smells divine."

"Like Christmas."

"Exactly! My sister swears by them anymore." She smiled contentedly at the man staring at the tree. She slung her arm around his hip and pulled him to her side. He responded by draping his arms around her shoulder and stared down at her. "Happy anniversary Sid. Thanks for all of this."

"Oh but the night is just beginning my love. You've already been closed tomorrow."

"How do you know?"

"School reach called the house phone about a half hour ago."

"Nice!"

"And that means we get to be snowed in just as we were a year ago that brought us together my love." He kissed her temple and wrapped a second arm around her.

"Oh yeah? And are we going to relive our first evening together?"

"You bet your cute ass we are! But first we must finish trimming the tree." He pulled away and turned to the table.

"Let me go change and grab your gift!" Jess turned towards the kitchen to dash for the steps. She ran away before Sid realized she was moving.

"You didn't need to get me anything!" Sid hollered after Jess.

"Too bad I did!" She shouted from upstairs. She hurriedly changed into some sweats and a t-shirt and grabbed her gift bag she hid on her side of the walk-in closet. Downstairs she found Sid placing the tree topper on the tree.

"What do you think?" Sid asked without turning around.

"Very, very nice," she said without looking at the tree. He turned around and found her staring at him, he smiled broadly when he caught her.

"Me? Or the tree?" He asked crossing his arms across his chest.

"Ah, ha, you have a nice butt," Jess declared. Sid laughed at her bluntness and pointed at what she was holding.

"We are exchanging gifts now?" He asked.

"Well we can, I thought the decorations were mine?" She asked.

"Jess, Christmas decorations, really?" Sid looked appalled by her assumption. He stalked past Jess to the kitchen and returned a minute later with a small, long box. She smiled at his gesture and signaled for Sid to join her on the couch.

"You go first!" Sid exclaimed as he handed Jess the small box. She studied it and smiled. Slowly she opened the purple wrapping and fished out a sleek black box. Upon opening she found a complete Pandora bracelet with several charms she was certain he had customized.

"Oh Sid, it's beautiful! I've wanted one of these," she exclaimed as she gingerly released the beaded bracelet from its cozy confines. Sid leaned over to help her place it on her wrist and then he held her hand and started explaining the significance of each bead. There were two colored ones for each of their birthstones, there was an apple for the teacher, a stack of books for the literary in her, a heart because she had his, a hockey puck, a penguin, and a charm she knew he designed with his number on it. She felt tears well up as he explained why each one was significant to them and felt his finger wipe away a line tear that began to slide down her cheek.

"I love it. It's perfect. Thank you so much," Jess said as she leaned over to capture Sid's lips in a brief kiss. "Okay, your turn!" She seemed giddier than when she opened her gift. Sid smiled at her and grabbed the heavy gift bag from the floor.

"Oh god what did you do?" Sid laughed as he pulled tissue paper from the top of the bag. Once he got through what felt like twenty sheets of tissue he grasped a solid leather bound case. Knowingly he grinned, and tugged the item out of the bag. "You got me an iPad case?" He asked as he studied the black leather case with his initials embroidered on the front lower right corner in gold.

"Yes, just a case. Open it silly!" Jess encouraged. Sid obliged and found a brand new iPad, fully charged with a picture of the pair sitting on the dock at his lakeside home over the summer. They were smiling, sun burnt, and happy.

"My own iPad. You are determined to embrace technology huh?" He swiped the screen to open and began exploring the different apps she had installed.

"It's fully loaded with apps I know you will like. No social media apps. No need to tempt you into that dark world. There are obviously photos on it of us and your family and teammates and friends. I put all the music from your CD collection you have in your office. And look! I found this awesome fitness app where you can log your workout progress and everything. I thought you would like that. But I got it mostly so I can Face Time with you when you are away. I don't know when this lockout will end, but it sucks when you go to California and Phoenix to train with other players and all I get to do is hear your voice. I want to be able to see you too."

Sid didn't say anything but took everything Jess said in. He knew she would do something practical. She knew that was the type of guy he was. She got him something he would be able to use and not set aside to be forgotten about later. He slid his finger across the screen and found an app titled For Sid's Eyes Only. Curious he tapped on it and a screen asking for a pass code popped up.

"Uh you set something up for me to see only but I can't see it." He showed Jess the screen, which the icon led to a website for a photography studio.

She smiled, "Oh that's the second part of your gift. Now let me explain. I thought these would always be accessible to you, but I was wrong so I made this icon so you can view them online. But I got you something to go with them and it's still in your bag."

Sid pulled out another leather bound book and upon studying it realized it was a photo album. It matched the iPad case in color and had his monogram on it as well.

"This is only for you," Jess said before he began to open the book. When he did, Sid's eyes bugged out of his face. He felt his heart speed up in excitement and he felt a pull in his stomach. The woman sitting across from him was completely transformed into a sex goddess wearing nothing but a small negligee and a sultry pout on her face.

"When did you do this?" Sid asked in awe of the image. He hadn't flipped the page yet. He was just staring at the first image like it was hot and he couldn't touch it.

"When you were out in Arizona at the beginning on November. I have a friend from high school who is getting her photography studio up and running and she wants to offer these types of photos to brides-to-be. I was her guinea pig. You haven't even seen the best ones yet babe."

Sid peeked up at Jess, saw her give him an encouraging smile, and gingerly flipped the page. "I think my heart just stopped. Fuck, Jess. These, wow." He was at a loss for words. He knew Jess was beautiful, he told her frequently, but to see her captured in photos this way only made him see just how much he wasn't giving her credit. The second image was one of her lying across a white chaise wearing his sweater and her legs crossed.

"I may have ransacked your closet for some of your clothes." Jess watched with curious eyes as Sid flipped to the next page, the same look of awe on his face. "The link on the iPad shows you the full set of photos. If you like any of those that aren't included in the book let me know. I will get it for you."

Sid still had yet to say anything about the photos and it was starting to make Jess nervous. "Well. Say something. You being silent is making me regret doing this now."

Sid snapped his head upon hearing that and instead of speaking he lunged across the couch to show her how much he truly loved the gift in his lap. As he moved he placed the book and iPad on the floor and pushed Jess back against the arm of the couch. He showered her face with frenzied, hurried kisses. She giggled at his enthusiasm and gripped his shoulders in an attempt to pull him closer to her.

"They are breathtaking," he said between kissing her neck and looking at her. He pressed his forehead to hers and smiled down at her. "You outdid yourself Wade. I've got one more thing for you."

"What? You already did enough. No come back! I want you on me!" Jess whined when Sid climbed off the couch and grabbed an envelope from the coffee table.

"Here," Sid said as he handed the envelope over. Jess begrudgingly sat up and took the final gift from Sid. She opened it and pulled out a piece of paper. She studied it, but didn't comprehend why he would give this to her.

"Why did you give me this?" Jess was confused. It looked like a hotel reservation.

"Babe, it's a reservation for New Year's Eve in New York. We can go see the city for a few days without worrying about missing work," Sid explained. Confusion gave way to understanding and a huge smile spread across Jess' face.

"Seriously?" She asked.

"Yes, and we have a room facing Times Square so we don't have to stand outside as the ball drops," Sid said.

"This is amazing Sid, thank you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck and buried her head against his chest. "God, I love you!"

"I love you too, Jessica." He buried his nose in her hair and sighed content. She giggled softly. "What's so funny?"

"Its weird hearing you call me by my full name." She shifted to sit in his lap and turned to straddle him. "Hi."

"You have those little outfits you were wearing in those photos still?" Sid asked. His ears burned red in embarrassment.

"Yes, of course. Do you want to see them?" He nodded eagerly making Jess laugh. "You know if I put them on you are just going to take them off of me."

"Yes I'm aware. Your point?" He gripped her thighs tightly and pushed her against him. When she felt his hardening cock she rocked against him harder. His head lulled back on his neck and his eyes drifted closed.

"You could just take off what I am wearing now," she moaned as she continued grinding his lap. He sucked in a deep breath and moaned his approval. His hands drifted under the hem of the shirt she was wearing and tore it over her head quickly. To his surprise, Jess snuck on a tiny black bra, pushing her breasts up and making her cleavage quiver as her breathing becomes slightly ragged. Sid eagerly slipped his hands down her shoulders to her waist and down the curve of her hips. He pushed his hands down her sweats to feel her bare ass, barely there matching panties successfully accenting her features.

"You're killing me baby, fuck." His hands stayed out on her butt, guiding her along his erection.

She leaned down to kiss him and as her lips came close to his she whispered, "Just like last year, huh?"

He crashed his lips to hers then, imagining their first time just a year before. They were in the same position, groping each other, stripping each other of their clothes, and maddeningly fucked on her old couch in her quiet little condo a state away. He didn't hesitate to reenact that frantic moment, but now it was his mission to make her come too.

Notes