To Have It All

It had been two weeks since the deal with Rockwell failed to go ahead, which meant I found myself headed to CONSOL Energy Centre in the back of a cab on another chilly Saturday in the hopes that I would finally secure that promotion. The Penguins had played another two home games between now and then, and my boss was keen to have this deal signed by Monday.

Learning from my earlier mistake, I ensured that I was arriving to the stadium well before the traffic even began, leaving me with plenty of time to go over my own little game plan for today’s meeting. I paid the fare after the cab pulled up right outside the stadium, walking in and headed towards the executive suite to prepare for tonight’s meeting.
“You came,” said someone with an unmistakable Russian accent.
I turned to see Evgeni jog over to me with a grin on his face. He was wearing a tailored grey suit and carrying a large black sports bag. I couldn’t help but notice how good he looked.
“I promised I would, didn’t I?” I replied, returning his smile.
“You have better time at game today yes?” he said, again making it hard to distinguish whether he was asking me if I would, or telling me to.
“That all depends on whether you guys win,” I told him. Though that wasn’t exactly the case, I wasn’t going to bother him with the drama of my work situation.
“If you no have good time, I buy you drink after,” he told me, this time making it obvious that it wasn’t a question.
I blushed, a little taken-aback with his forwardness. “I’m going to hold you to that!” I replied, shaking it off. “But what if I have a good time?”
“Then I buy you drink to celebrate,” he said, grinning once again.
“Hey Geno! Stop chatting up girls and get your ass over here!” someone called out.
Evgeni and I both looked in the direction the voice had come from. I realised that it was James Neal, who was looking amused by the exchange between the two of us.
“Just wait Nealsy!” Evgeni called back, then turned to face me. “I need go. I meet you after game? You come wait near locker area, I try not take too long.”
“Sure thing,” I replied, hoping that he didn’t notice the blush that crept back to my cheeks. “Good luck out there tonight.”
“Cheer for me!” Evgeni called over his shoulder, jogging over to James.
I laughed, turning to head to the suite, hardly believing what just happened. Though I’d been to the two other Pittsburgh home games, never did I imagine I’d bump into Evgeni Malkin again. Truthfully, I hadn’t really thought about our last encounter; sure, I was incredibly thankful that he dropped me off home – which was incredibly gentlemanly of him – but I was preoccupied so much by work that I had little time to focus on anything else. However, after what just happened, it seemed as though work would be the last thing on my mind tonight.

***

I was already on my second drink by the time Mark and Ryan showed up to the executive suite.
“Early for once, hey Myers?” Ryan greeted me sarcastically.
Mark took no notice, choosing not to acknowledge our bitter rivalry. Honestly, I think he almost encourages it, wanting two of his most hardworking employees constantly at each other’s throats, pushing each other to one-up the other.
“You know me Stevenson,” I replied, taking a sip from my martini. “I like to prepare early for a challenge.”
Ryan scoffed, shaking his head at me patronisingly as he turned to Mark. “So tonight’s the night?”
“Hopefully,” Mark replied, the pressure of getting the deal signed evident in the curtness of his voice.
The three of us spent the rest of the time waiting for Rockwell to arrive in silence. I finished off my drink with the intention for that to be my last one until I met up with Evengi. The thought of meeting up with him after the game caused me to feel more anxious about that than I was about the impending business meeting, but after two martinis, the gin certainly dulled my nerves. I gazed out onto the ice, steeling myself for the meeting ahead. If I could just get this deal cinched tonight, all my career worries would vanish, and I could return home to Sydney during the Christmas break to tell my family about finally getting the promotion I’ve been working so hard for.

Once Rockwell finally arrived with his lawyer in tow, I fell into the old pattern of engaging him in banter whilst subtly trying to bring the focus around to the deal we were trying to make. This went on until the game was just about to start, after which he refused to talk about anything but hockey. Halfway through the first period, even I became too engrossed in the game to want to talk about much else. The game was incredibly close, with both teams battling hard to get the upper hand. Vancouver were the first to score, but thankfully, Sidney Crosby was able to bring it to a 1-1 tie shortly after. Though he hadn’t put up any points yet, Evgeni was definitely on fire, and I couldn’t help but focus solely on him when his line were on the ice.
During the intermission, I tried again to subtly bring my conversation with Rockwell back to the deal, only to be unsuccessful. Ryan noticed my evident frustration, smirking at me from behind Rockwell before he approached us and changed the topic of conversation completely. I looked to Mark for help, but was instead met with a look of disapproval.
Frustrated, I gave up on trying to bring up the deal to Rockwell and instead turned my thoughts to meeting up with Evgeni later tonight.
Would I be dressed appropriately? I wondered to myself, looking down at the black peplum dress stopping just above my knees that I had paired with my black Jeffrey Campbell Lita ankle boots. Making a mental note to touch up my hair and makeup before I left to meet Evgeni, I turned my attention back onto the ice just before the second period was about to commence.

Each time Evgeni’s skates hit the ice, my eyes were glued to him. He was penalised for tripping and was sent off for two minutes just after the second period started, but that certainly didn’t seem to put a damper on his performance. He moved the puck around with ease, making excellent passes and hammering a few shots off at Roberto Luongo. Each time he checked a player, I cringed at how much pain they would have been in. Almost halfway into the period, he managed to get a pass away to Chris Kuntiz who put it into the back of the net. Whilst Rockwell literally whooped, I clapped with a smile plastered to my face that only faded away when the Canucks scored an equalising goal a few minutes later. This was the closest home game the Penguins had thus far in the season, which literally kept me on the edge of my seat. The Canucks scored again in the third period, which was equalised almost a minute later by Olli Maatta, continuing the neck-and-neck nature of the game. The third period ended in a 3-3 tie, causing the game to go into overtime.

My heart beat in my chest as the players took the ice to begin overtime, which after a tense struggle, met a scoreless end.
“I’m really getting my money’s work with this game hey!” Rockwell commented, nudging my boss.
I didn’t meet Mark’s gaze, which I knew fell on me. Although I thought that it was completely unprofessional, not to mention unfair, that he was angry at me for suggesting our executive sweet would be the best place to convince Rockwell to sign the deal, I understood that this was costing him a lot of money, not to mention time.

Turning back to the ice, I watched as the first player, Jussi Jokinen, sprinted towards the goals, but despite his best effort, couldn’t get the puck past Roberto Luongo. It was then Jussi Jokinen’s turn, whose shot was deflected by Marc-Andre Fleury, resulting in cheers from the crowd. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Edler each attempted to score a point for their team, but were faced with defeat as the opposing team’s goaltender blocked their shots. It was after Edler’s failed attempt that Evgeni took the ice, his focus evident as he set up for his shot. I held my breath and crossed my fingers, my heart beating as he sprinted towards Luongo, faked brilliantly and shot past him, the puck hitting the back of the net hard. This time, I couldn’t hold back a cheer that was drowned out by the crowd, which eventually quieted down as Ryan Kesler readied himself to take his shot. Again, my heart beat frantically; if Fleury saved this, the Penguins would win. I closed my eyes, unable to watch, and didn’t open them until the roar from the crowd told me that he pulled it off.
“What a game!” I said to Rockwell, grinning. Though it didn’t look like the deal was going through tonight, I couldn’t help but feel elated that the Penguins won, with Evgeni scoring the winning point. Perhaps it was my mood that allowed me to formulate a quick plan, and as I looked between Rockwell, Mark and Ryan, I felt like I had nothing else to lose.
“Excuse me gentlemen,” I said to them, grabbing my handbag and standing up to leave. “I’ve got to get going; I’m meeting someone.” I didn’t tell them who, expecting their curiosity to get the better of them.
“Who?” Mark questioned me in a barely hidden tone of disapproval.
“The game winner,” I replied with a smile, my plan beginning to fall into place.
“You mean Malkin?” Rockwell asked, clearly taken aback.
“The very same. He’s taking me out to celebrate.” My reply was met with shocked looks from Mark, Rockwell and Ryan, whilst Rockwell’s lawyer talked on his phone in the corner of the suite, clearly uninterested. “Anyways, thanks again for your company,” I told Rockwell, shaking his hand and smiling sweetly. “And I shall see you two on Monday,” I said, turning to Mark and Ryan. They still wore the same shocked expressions.
“Actually, Miss Myers,” Rockwell said, putting a hand on my arm as I started to leave. “I’d love for you and Mark to have lunch with Joseph and I this Monday. We need to discuss how our two companies will be going ahead with this deal you’re wanting me to sign.” He smiled at me before turning his attention towards Mark. “I’ll have my assistant set something up.”
Mark, who seemed to become even more shocked by this exchange, quickly shook it off. “Sounds great,” he said to Rockwell, shaking his hand.
“Well gentlemen, I’m off,” I told them, shooting a triumphant smile at Ryan before taking my leave.
It looks like Evgeni and I both had something to celebrate over tonight.

Notes