The Off Season

Charm, it gets them every time. Whether it was talking co-eds out of their panties, or getting the older women who attended the charity events that the Penguins sponsored to write a large check, James knew how to get what he wanted and that his charm was what always worked.

After sweet-talking Colleen for five minutes, James not only had Kathleen’s full name, where she was staying, where she graduated from and the fact that she had worked with Crosby and Adams that past summer. After thanking Colleen and making her promise to keep their conversation a secret, James made his way across the street to the Marriott and to the front desk. After talking to the hotel’s concierge, he wrote a very short, but very to the point note and placed it in a Marriott envelope. He knew that Katherine would be coming back to the hotel to change her clothes and this would be his perfect excuse to see her again. James waited in the hotel’s bar; checking his watch, noticed that it was about fifteen minutes until either Katherine showed up or he would be heading other pursuits down on Carson Street.

“Seriously, this must be a joke,” Katherine thought to herself. “Who in the world is this from?” She unlocked the door to her hotel room and started to strip away the clothes that desperately needed a good soaking. She had full intention of going to the bar to find out who the mystery note writer was, but with her watch reading 3:45 pm, she didn’t have time to investigate the possibilities of who it could be.

Grabbing a clean bra, jeans and the new cashmere sweater she bought herself for graduation, Katherine quickly changed clothes and went into the bathroom to check her hair and apply a quick swipe of mascara and lip gloss. Good enough for my mystery person, Katherine thought, as she did one more once over in the mirror and checked her watch before she walked out the door.

On the elevator ride down to the bar, Katherine nervously fidgeted with her sweater, her purse and at the idea of meeting the mystery note writer.

What if it was some creepy guy who overheard her name when she checked in?

What if it was Sidney Crosby? Yea, like that was a remote possibility.

What if it turned out to be Ray Shero? Awkward! What if it was…OH SHIT!

“Unfuckingbelievable,” Katherine whispered under her breathe as she turned the corner into the hotel bar. There sat James Neal, in all is asshole glory.

Notes