"Hello ladies," I said walking up behind Jenna ans Pamela.

"Hey Renee," they said lugging in some utensils.

"How's everything going? Did you have a nice ride?"

"Those one way streets are atrocious," Stewart said lugging a box into the kitchen area of the hotel.

"Oh, I know it took me twenty minutes to distinguish the detour they gave me."

"You should have heard the sailor's mouth on Stewart," bot ladies said looking at each other laughing, "And the more we laughed at him the angrier he got."

"I thought I was going to piss my pants," Pamela said covering her mouth with her hand.

"It was not funny," Stewart said walking out the door back to the van.

We finished unloading our things into the kitchen and then checked the rest of the staff into the hotel.

"So, how do you feel about catering for a team that hates your hunny?" Stewart asked putting his arm around my shoulders.

"Oh, it's no big deal,"I said looking down at the ground.

"No big deal,hunny, if they knew who your boy toy was, they'd eat you up for dinner."

"No, that's not true."

"Uh-oh, that's defensive Renee, that only comes out when she knows something for certain. Who did you meet already?" Pam asked.

"What? I haven't met anyone," I said walking a little faster to the elevator just as the doors opened.

"Hello, we meet again," said Milan looking at me. I could feel my face get bright red, "This must be your staff,it's nice to meet you," he said extending his hand out to each of them.

"Nice to meet you,"Pam gushed.

"So Renee, I came down here to find you actually. I was wondering if you would like me to show you around town. I know you're only here for a couple of days and I thought, maybe you'd want to have a little fun. What do you say?"

"Uh,"I said looking at my help who all raised their eyebrows at me,"We really have a lot of work to do and I don't think I,"

"Oh just go with him. We've got it under control here, right ladies," Stewart said looking at Pam and Jenna.

"Sure do," Pam said.

"Yeah, go and have some fun," chimed Jenna.

Staring wide eyed at them I turned back to Milan and smiled, "Give me one second."

"Sure," he said smiling.

Turning to them I drew them in for a huddle, "What are you guys doing?!" I whispered.

"Hunny, he is fine, and it's just a little harmless fun. We're not planning to marry you guys." Stewart said.

"But what about Kris?"

"You're just being showed around town by your customer. What's the harm in that? He doesn't have to know it's only one of the guys who happens to be extremely good looking.Mmm, I could just eat him up."

"Stewart!"

"What, hunny that ass is fine, and the crook in his nose gives him an edge that's sexy."

"Okay," I said giggling, "I'll go, but you all are going to pay for this." I said walking towards Milan.

"Ready to go?"he asked.

"Ready," I said smiling as he led me out into the crisp, winter air.

"So, is this the first time you have ever been to Boston?" he asked escorting me over to a limousine parked out front of the hotel.

"Yes, it is. Uhm, don't mind my asking but why are we taking a limo?"

"Well, we're all here for team charity so we traveled as a team on the bus, so any time that we want to leave, we get escorted around."

"Oh, right."

"They don't do this in Pittsburgh I take it?"

"Not exactly."

"Ah, see another way that us Bruins are better than your beloved Penguins."

"Hey, watch it there buddy," I said getting snippy.

"Whoa, calm down. I'm just kidding with you," he said smiling as he sat next to me.

"Sorry."

"It's alright, relax. I'm not going to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable."

Sighing I knew he was right. I was being extremely rude and tense. "So why exactly tdo you want to bring me out?"

"I told you I want to show you the greatness of Boston."

"Mhmm, okay."

"Honestly, I'm just being friendly to a newcomer, no strings attached. Why," he said raising an eyebrow at me,"Did you want there to be another reason?"

"I have a boyfriend."

"I know, Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins, so you've said, but that doesn't mean you can't be attracted to someone else or have thoughts about someone else."

"You're crazy."

"Am I?" he said scooting close to me, close enough I could fee his breath on my neck causing me to shiver, "Am I really?"

Turning my head I looked him right in the eyes, his nose inches away from mine.

"We're here," he said breaking the silence and opening the door.

We stepped out onto an alley with horse drawn carriages were set up along the sidewalk.

"Take your pick," Milan said ushering me towards one.

"Are you serious? We're going to take a carriage ride through the city of Boston?"

"Yup, there's no better way to see Boston than under the stars at night, especially in the winter time."

"So first the limo and now a carriage ride, are you sure you aren't trying to rape me?"

"I'm positive," he said with a hearty laugh.

Getting in the carriage, Milan sitting next to me, the driver pulled a blanket up over our laps and handed me a rose.

"Enjoy," he said and hopped in the front seat, grabbing the reins.

With a click of his tongue we were off and touring the city of Boston, looking around at the city, still lit with Christmas lights I was mesmerized.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Milan asked watching as I gazed at the streets lined with snow and bright colored lights.

"It is, I'm surprised they still have these decorations up. Christmas was almost two months ago."

"They'll have these up until the snow melts, it's my favorite part about this town. Aside from the amazing fan base that is."

"I can imagine, the fan base in Pittsburgh is phenomenal. It seems Kris is always getting stopped by people whenever we go out."

"And you don't mind?" he asked.

"No, I think it's great that he takes so much time for his fans. It's one of the things I love about him."

"Love huh? So you two are pretty serious?"

"You could say that. Why?"

"Just curious. So tell me, Renee Semkowitz, aside from your bakery business what do you do?"

"I manage the PR for the Penguins."

"You manage two jobs?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"How in the hell do you find time for two jobs and a relationship?"

"I like to keep busy and I don't sleep very well at night so it helps keep my mind from wandering."

"No wonder you don't sleep, do you ever have time to think about it with all that responsibility?"

"Sure I do, I just don't require a lot I guess."

"Wow, so you're pretty great then huh?"

"Excuse me?" I said confused.

"You work two jobs, you are beautiful, successful, you seem like the total package."

"Uh, I guess?"

"That was a compliment." he said smiling at me and laughing gently.

"Thank you," I said brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. "So what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well, aside from hockey what do you like to do?"

"I do a lot for charity. I love helping less fortunate people out, especially little kids."

"Ahh, I see, any girls in your life?"

"No ma'am."

"Ma'am? Really, did you really just call me ma'am?" I said breaking out in a smile as did he.

"I guess I did didn't I?"

"Yeah, ya did. Jesus Christ, I'm all of twenty-two years old, no need to be pulling out the ma'am. My word."

Laughing I asked him, "What?"

"Your accent, it's cute. You are definitely from Pittsburgh."

"Yes I am, born and raised."

"I can tell," he said smiling so wide his cheeks wrinkled. Damn, he really was handsome.

As we arrived back to Chantam Street, we got out of the carriage and walked to Faneuil Hall for a bite to eat.

"What would you like to eat?" he asked resting his arm on the small of my back, making my knees weaken. What was I doing?

"Hmm, what would you suggest?" I said looking up at him.

"Well, to really get the full Boston experience, you are going to have to give the New England Clam Chowd-ah a try."

Laughing a little at his north-eastern accent I said, "Alright."

"Two chodw-ahs please," he said to the teenager behind the counter.

"Would you like anything to drink with that?"

Milan looked at me, "Uhm, Diet pop please."

Chuckling he said, "A Diet Coke and water for me please. Pop?" he said looking at me.

"Yes, what's wrong with pop?"

"Up here," he said grabbing two bowls of steaming hot chowder, "We call it soda, not pop."

"But that's what it is. It's pop not soda."

"It's a cultural difference. People in the South are custom to things such as pop and grits. We Northerners like our chowd-ah and soda."

"So, now I'm a statistic?" I said a bit defensively.

"No, just stating a fact. You're feisty aren't you?"

Sitting down at a table I looked away, "I've been told that a time or two."

"It's alright. It's cute."

Catching me off guard I looked at him, only to find him looking right back at me. He held my gaze for a moment before breaking the silence.

"So, how do you like Boston so far?"

"It's amazing. So many things remind me of Pittsburgh, but yet things are so different up here. It's so busy yet peaceful, if that makes sense," I said taking a bite of chowder, "Oh my God, this is amazing. How have I never had this before?"

"Haha, I told you you haven't had a true Boston experience until you have had New England Clam Chowd-ah."

"I must admit, I have to agree with you."

Just as we were finishing up, I heard my phone go off.

TEXT MESSAGE FROM: Jenna

read the front screen of my iPhone. Clicking the message bubble, my mouth dropped as I read the message;

Hey Renee, So Pam and I were just searching this Milan Lucic guy and came across this photo that was posted to Twitter about an hour ago. Thought you would want to see it. . .

Attached was a photograph of a horse drawn carriage with none other than me and Milan sitting in the back. The caption, Milan has a girlfriend?!

"Oh no. Oh, this is not good."

"What, what's wrong?" Milan asked looking at me.

"This. This is what is wrong." I said turning my phone around to show him. "This picture of me and you in the back of a horse drawn carriage. I am supposed to be up here for work, not going out with some guy I just met. I can't believe I let you talk me into this. What if Kris sees this, oh my God. He is going to kill me."

"Renee, calm down. It will be okay."

"Calm down? Calm down? Really? One of your fans saw us in a horse-drawn carriage, me holding a rose in my hand, captioning me as your girlfriend and you are telling me to calm down?" I said raising my voice, causing a few people to look over at us.

"Renee, I can talk to PR and have them do damage control. It's no big deal. I will have this all taken care of in the morning."

"You can't possibly think that will work. Don't you get it? Once a picture is leaked to the internet, it can never be taken back. It is there forever. But, of course, what would you have to lose? You're just the guy seen around town with another girl. I'm sure there are thousands of photos of you just circulating around the web with different women. Why should it matter to you? You don't have a relationship you have to worry about or."

"Or what? A reputation to withstand? You think I'm just some jock that sleeps around with any woman that would throw themselves at me? That's it isn't it, you think that this was all a game, don't you?"

"Please, you mean to tell me you have never used the starry night and carriage ride to lure girls in before? I wasn't born yesterday."

"You know what, I feel sorry for you."

"You feel sorry for me?"

"Yeah, I do. I feel sorry for you because you are so blinded by your own work you can;t see how truly unhappy you really are with your life. You can't see that by coming here you are distancing yourself from your relationship because you wanted a way out. Let me ask you this. How many times has your phone gone off tonight and it has been Kris?"

"It hasn't."

"Exactly, he hasn't called you once in the entire four hours I have been with you. Why is that?"

"He's busy. You of all people should understand that." I said crossing my arms, although it was unusual that I hadn't heard from him.

"I know that even if I'm on the road, I have my phone with me and access to a computer. There is always a way to stay connected."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Ha!" He laughed, "I don't, okay. I just share the same profession as your 'boyfriend', but I don't know what I'm talking about. Okay," he said standing up.

"Wh-where are you going?"

"I'm taking you back to the hotel, let's go."

Gathering my jacket I followed him out of the market and back to the limo.

"Take her back to the hotel, I'm going to stay behind."

"Whoa, what? You're not coming back with me?"

"Wouldn't want to hurt your reputation any more than I already have," he said looking at me with cold eyes as he opened the door to let me in. As I sat down he shut the door and I felt the limo pull forward, leaving Milan standing there on Chantam Road in the cold, February weather.