Pucks and Powerplays
Chapter One
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a hockey player in possession of a roster spot on the New York Rangers must be in want of a date to casino night. When a new player joins the Rangers, that is the first thought in every girl’s mind. Except one. Elizabeth Bennet, sports journalist extraordinaire, has hockey players on her mind, but not for the same reasons as so many of her gender surrounding her. Then again, Elizabeth Bennet isn’t like other girls.
First off, never call her Elizabeth if you value your health. It’s Ellie. Not Betty, Liz, or Eliza. Just Ellie. Second, Ellie was more interested in long saucer passes and wicked wrist shots than rock hard abs and dreamy eyes. The second of five daughters in a family that seemed to have an aversion to the Y chromosome, Ellie soon took up the title of tom boy. More likely to watch the Rangers with her dad than the latest reality show with her sisters, Ellie was a girl possessed. New paper clipping touting the achievements of her favorite teams from all sports covered the walls on the side of the room she shared with her only older sister, Jane. SportsCenter was a staple on her TV just as much as pink was a staple in Jane’s closet.
No one but Ellie thought she would make her sports obsession into a career. Not when she decided she wanted to be a sports reporter and joined the school newspaper. Not when she was accepted into the College of Communications at Boston University. Not when she won an award for her coverage of the Terrier’s hockey team. But everyone was forced to face the truth when Ellie was offered the position of beat reporter for the New York Rangers at the tender age of twenty. Needless to say, when Ellie hears from her boss that Derek Stepan, star center for the Rangers, was rumored to be moving into the apartment building next to hers, she barely batted an eyelid. Not even when her boss added that Ryan McDonagh, star defenseman and Stepan’s best friend, was considering rooming with Stepan. Casino night was the farthest thing from Ellie’s mind. However, her sisters were another story entirely...
“Hey Jane!” Ellie called as she walked into their shared apartment on the eighteenth floor of Longbourn Towers in the middle of Manhattan. “Did you hear that Stepan and McDonagh are moving into Netherfield Park?” There came a series of crashes from the general direction of the kitchen before the twins, Lydia and Kate who also happened to be the youngest of the Bennet sisters, sprint into the room, socked feet sliding on the hard wood floor.
“Ohmygodareyouserious?!?!” Lydia gushes in one breath, gripping onto to Ellie’s arm so she doesn’t fall. “Like, Stepan and McDonagh the hot hockey gods?” Kate was only a step behind, nearly trembling with excitement. Jane finally entered to room and shot Ellie an annoyed look. Ellie couldn’t fault her for it, Lydia and Kate would never shut up about it now. Ellie would have waited to talk to Jane if she knew the terrible two were visiting.
“Um, I guess?” responded Ellie, attempting to wade through the crowd of people to the kitchen. Jane and Ellie had a nice apartment, but two young women can only afford so much square footage in Manhattan. “I mean, they play hockey, but the last time I heard, they were still mere mortals.” The younger girls shrieked in excitement. Ellie, used to the nonsensical behavior of the twins, began picking up all the utensils the girls had knocked over when she entered the apartment.
“We could totally meet them!”
“Oh my god they’re gonna fall in love with us!”
“Mrs. Lydia Stepan! Can you imagine?”
“Mrs. Kate McDonagh!” Lydia and Kate were holding hands and jumping up and down in their excitement. Lydia stopped and quickly grabbed Ellie’s hand.
“You need to go over there and meet them,” Lydia said.
“Not likely,” Ellie scoffed. “No way I’m going to be the one who introduces you to a hockey player. Besides, I’ll probably see them at work anyway.”
“Oh yes, hard hitting reporter Elizabeth Bennet, patrolling the locker room of the New York Rangers for the latest buzz!” giggled Jane from the sink, where she was washing dishes. Ellie promptly threw a wadded up napkin at Jane, irritated at the use of the full name.
“What good is having a job like that if you don’t even appreciate the hockey hunks walking around half naked?” groaned Lydia.
“They are not hunks,” asserted Ellie, glancing at her watch. “You guys need to get going if you’re going to get back before the peak train time.” Lydia and Kate grumbled as they left the apartment, throwing a casual goodbye over their shoulders. Ellie had no doubt that they would be mooning over hockey players the whole way home. “What have I started?” Ellie mumbled to herself. ~*~ The next morning, Ellie hustled out the door of Longbourn, hoping to get some breakfast before she needed to be at Madison Square Garden. She was in such a rush that she ran right into someone. A very solid someone. “I’m so sorry!”
“It’s fine. Not a big deal,” the strangers assured her.
“No, I should of –“ Ellie stopped shot once she saw the stranger’s face. “You’re Derek Stepan, aren’t you? I’m Ellie Bennet. The Rangers just hired me.
“So you’re the reporter everyone’s been talk about?” grinned Stepan. Ellie could tell he was one of those people always in a good mood. “Let’s get going, wouldn’t want the new girl to be late on her first day,” he winked. As Ellie walked down the streets of Manhattan with Derek Stepan, Ellie couldn’t help but grin. She was definitely going to antagonize the twins with this.
First off, never call her Elizabeth if you value your health. It’s Ellie. Not Betty, Liz, or Eliza. Just Ellie. Second, Ellie was more interested in long saucer passes and wicked wrist shots than rock hard abs and dreamy eyes. The second of five daughters in a family that seemed to have an aversion to the Y chromosome, Ellie soon took up the title of tom boy. More likely to watch the Rangers with her dad than the latest reality show with her sisters, Ellie was a girl possessed. New paper clipping touting the achievements of her favorite teams from all sports covered the walls on the side of the room she shared with her only older sister, Jane. SportsCenter was a staple on her TV just as much as pink was a staple in Jane’s closet.
No one but Ellie thought she would make her sports obsession into a career. Not when she decided she wanted to be a sports reporter and joined the school newspaper. Not when she was accepted into the College of Communications at Boston University. Not when she won an award for her coverage of the Terrier’s hockey team. But everyone was forced to face the truth when Ellie was offered the position of beat reporter for the New York Rangers at the tender age of twenty. Needless to say, when Ellie hears from her boss that Derek Stepan, star center for the Rangers, was rumored to be moving into the apartment building next to hers, she barely batted an eyelid. Not even when her boss added that Ryan McDonagh, star defenseman and Stepan’s best friend, was considering rooming with Stepan. Casino night was the farthest thing from Ellie’s mind. However, her sisters were another story entirely...
“Hey Jane!” Ellie called as she walked into their shared apartment on the eighteenth floor of Longbourn Towers in the middle of Manhattan. “Did you hear that Stepan and McDonagh are moving into Netherfield Park?” There came a series of crashes from the general direction of the kitchen before the twins, Lydia and Kate who also happened to be the youngest of the Bennet sisters, sprint into the room, socked feet sliding on the hard wood floor.
“Ohmygodareyouserious?!?!” Lydia gushes in one breath, gripping onto to Ellie’s arm so she doesn’t fall. “Like, Stepan and McDonagh the hot hockey gods?” Kate was only a step behind, nearly trembling with excitement. Jane finally entered to room and shot Ellie an annoyed look. Ellie couldn’t fault her for it, Lydia and Kate would never shut up about it now. Ellie would have waited to talk to Jane if she knew the terrible two were visiting.
“Um, I guess?” responded Ellie, attempting to wade through the crowd of people to the kitchen. Jane and Ellie had a nice apartment, but two young women can only afford so much square footage in Manhattan. “I mean, they play hockey, but the last time I heard, they were still mere mortals.” The younger girls shrieked in excitement. Ellie, used to the nonsensical behavior of the twins, began picking up all the utensils the girls had knocked over when she entered the apartment.
“We could totally meet them!”
“Oh my god they’re gonna fall in love with us!”
“Mrs. Lydia Stepan! Can you imagine?”
“Mrs. Kate McDonagh!” Lydia and Kate were holding hands and jumping up and down in their excitement. Lydia stopped and quickly grabbed Ellie’s hand.
“You need to go over there and meet them,” Lydia said.
“Not likely,” Ellie scoffed. “No way I’m going to be the one who introduces you to a hockey player. Besides, I’ll probably see them at work anyway.”
“Oh yes, hard hitting reporter Elizabeth Bennet, patrolling the locker room of the New York Rangers for the latest buzz!” giggled Jane from the sink, where she was washing dishes. Ellie promptly threw a wadded up napkin at Jane, irritated at the use of the full name.
“What good is having a job like that if you don’t even appreciate the hockey hunks walking around half naked?” groaned Lydia.
“They are not hunks,” asserted Ellie, glancing at her watch. “You guys need to get going if you’re going to get back before the peak train time.” Lydia and Kate grumbled as they left the apartment, throwing a casual goodbye over their shoulders. Ellie had no doubt that they would be mooning over hockey players the whole way home. “What have I started?” Ellie mumbled to herself. ~*~ The next morning, Ellie hustled out the door of Longbourn, hoping to get some breakfast before she needed to be at Madison Square Garden. She was in such a rush that she ran right into someone. A very solid someone. “I’m so sorry!”
“It’s fine. Not a big deal,” the strangers assured her.
“No, I should of –“ Ellie stopped shot once she saw the stranger’s face. “You’re Derek Stepan, aren’t you? I’m Ellie Bennet. The Rangers just hired me.
“So you’re the reporter everyone’s been talk about?” grinned Stepan. Ellie could tell he was one of those people always in a good mood. “Let’s get going, wouldn’t want the new girl to be late on her first day,” he winked. As Ellie walked down the streets of Manhattan with Derek Stepan, Ellie couldn’t help but grin. She was definitely going to antagonize the twins with this.
6/3/13