"Like, He knows I've had a thing for him since I started working there and he still continues to just go on being... perfect. Do you see my problem?" Lucy asked as she downed yet another shot. "Of course" I nodded ever so slightly, not really paying attention to anything she was saying. Sidney stayed awhile to talk to Lucy about coming early tomorrow and going through his usual routine for the days before a game, and then quickly said goodbye before hugging both of us and leaving. After that she basically poured her heart out to me about how much she liked him, how she's liked him since her first day, and can't forget about how he's "oh so perfect". She proceeded all of this by asking me to come out to a local bar with her for a few drinks and honestly I felt like i needed to make at least one friend on my first day. Once we got here she sat down, ordered a shot, and continued telling me the story of her love life. "Savannah? Are you okay?" she asked snapping me out of my thoughts. "Yeah I'm fine" I said looking up and smiling at her. "You've been staring at your drink for like 5 minutes... did you hear anything I said?" "Yeah all of it" I mumbled. "Oh god..." she mumbled looking back down at her shot glass. "What?" I asked looking behind me where she had just been looking. As soon as I turned around I immediately understood her reaction. "Hide me" she mumbled again. "It's not that bad, maybe he won't notice us..." I said trying to be optimistic about the situation. "Oh yeah because my luck is so great. I mean of course he's here, i look like a train wreck I was bound to see someone.""Long time, no see" I heard a deep voice right behind me say before chuckling slightly. "Aren't you just soooo funny!" Lucy said sarcastically. "That's what people tell me" he joked. "Why are you even here?" she asked him. "What am I not allowed to be here? besides, you know I always come here Monday nights," "Yeah trying to sleep with any girl you can..." she mumbled. "Are you really still mad about that?" he laughed. "Oh noo, of course not" She said sarcastically. "I think I'm going to...uh go to the ladies room.." I said awkwardly hoping to slip out of this conversation in the best way I could. "I'll come too," Lucy said giving him a death glare. "Sorry about that..." she said as we made our way to the bathroom. "Oh it's no big deal, happens all the time." I lied not exactly knowing how to reply. "I look like such a mess" she pouted standing in front of the mirror looking at her hair that was now almost completely out of its before perfect ponytail, and her white blouse, untucked and stained. "Its not that bad" I said once again, trying to make light of the situation. "Oh god, yes it is" She said trying to fix as much of her hair and make up as she possibly could. "This is going to be as good as it get" she sighed looking at her reflection again.

By the time we walked back, not only was James still there, but so was Evgeni, Beau, and Robert Bortuzzo. "Well would you look who's back!" James said loudly. "Yeah, yeah" Lucy said while sitting down and ordering another shot. "Seems like a party's going on in here!" Beau joked before ordering everyone a round of shots. As soon as the bartender brought the shots over everyone took theirs except for me. "C'mon Han, just try it!" Beau said leaning over to me and handing me it. "Han?" i asked laughing, still not taking the tiny shot glass. "It's our new nickname for you! Everyone has one!" he said over enthusiastically. "Alright," I nodded laughing. "So c'mon just one" he said giving me the puppy dog face. "Its not really my thing" i said quietly. "Well you can make it your new thing," he said still trying to get me to take it. "Alright sunshine, that's enough" James said watching us both carefully. "Fine.." Beau whined like a little kid. They all did their shots, Beau doing mine along with his own. As they were all ordering more, I decided that I should be leaving and got up to go. As i was walking past the rest of the guys, I felt one of them grab my wrist and I turned back to see who it was. Figuring it was Beau trying to get me to take another shot I tried to shrug them off, I stopped when I saw it was James leaning back on the barstool to see me around Evgeni. "Are you leaving?" he asked me loudly so I could hear him over the loud music. "I think so" I said preparing myself for whatever smart ass comment he would make either asking me to stay, or insulting me for leaving so early. "Can I walk you out?" he asked surprising me. "Sure" I said waiting for him to get up. "Where are you parked?" he asked me as soon as we got out the door. "Up a few blocks." I nodded in the direction of where my car was. It was mostly silence the whole walk there with small conversations about how my first day was, or whether or not he was enjoying Pittsburgh. "This is me." I turned to smile at him as we stopped at my car. "How's Jake?" he asked completely out of the blue. "He's...uh he's good i guess" I said staring at the ground. "Is he still with you?" he asked not looking at me but pretending to read the sign behind me. "Yeah" i said simply, hoping to end this conversation. "That's good..." he said quietly. "Well I better go..." I said hesitantly, "I mean he is waiting for me..." "Yeah I get it" he said as I unlocked my car. He started to walk back in the direction of the bar, as I was getting into the car, I noticed he was walking back towards my car so I rolled my window down. "Can I see him?" he asked nervously.

---

The ride home was as awkward as ever. Neither one of us really talking. Him sitting in the passenger seat looking out the window and me driving. "I haven't seen him in a while." he said quietly. "I know," I laughed trying to relieve some tension. "Does he play any sports?" he asked nervously as if he was trying not to pry to much. "Well he's big on hockey" I joked causing him to laugh. "I miss him" he said, "From what I remember he was a pretty cool kid." "Yeah," I laughed, "He still is" "How old is he now?" he asked looking over at me for what seemed like the first time this whole ride. "Seven" I said smiling. "Damn," he laughed,"It really has been awhile." "Three years" I said. It became silent once again aside from the quiet music playing on the radio.
"So, are you going to practice tomorrow, or you planning on missing yet another?" I joked while turning to glance at him. He played shocked and looked at me "Savannah! That was completely uncalled for!""Well the James I knew never went to practice, emphasis on never." I said laughing. "I take offense to that!" he joked laughing along with me. "But yes, I probably will be there and thanks to you I wont be out of it like Bort and Beau" he said causing us both to laugh. "Your second day huh? Thats a big one, of course not as big as the first but still.." he said. "Yeah I guess?" i said raising my eyebrow at him. " at least Lucy is there to help you" he said, 'Well actually I take that back.... she doesn't help much" "You shouldn't be talking" I laughed coming to a stop in front of my house. "Here we are" I said pulling my keys out of the ignition. "Alright" he said looking straight forward. "Oh come on, he loves you" i said looking at him. "used to" he said correcting me. "What makes you think that's changed?" I laughed. "I dont know... Im just nervous" he laughed with me. "So let me get this straight," I joked, "You'l go out on the ice and fight a 6 foot 7 guy who could knock you out in one punch and not be afraid, but you cant go talk to a first grader who wouldnt hurt a fly?" "You got that right" he said turning to look at me before leaning in ever so slightly. "You haven't changed at all" I smiled at him as he slowly came closer and closer. "Is that good or bad?" he laughed. "Both" I said smiling just as I realized how incredibly close we really were, I opened my door and got out of the car before anything else could happen. As soon as I was out I looked back and saw him still sitting staring straight ahead, "Are you coming?" I laughed. "Yeah" he said slowly opening the door and getting out.



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Chapter 2-- Tell me what you think!

-K

Notes