Hopeless Wanderer

Carrie got checked into the hotel with Jen and proceeded to get their luggage sorted in order to get to their respective rooms. Nearly a month had gone by since Carrie and Sid returned from their quiet getaway and went back to their normal lives. And tonight he would be arriving back from Vancouver, unbeknownst to his family who suspected he wouldn't be in Vegas until the following morning.

Carrie hung her dress for the awards show the following night. She and Jen scored seats probably in the nosebleed section of the theater, but they would be there cheering Sid on during and guiding him to his interviews afterwards. She looked at her phone and saw she had less than an hour before he would be landing, which meant she had about an hour and a half to get cleaned up and ready to spend the night in at her hotel room.

She was just finishing up in the bathroom when a knock on the door startled her. She checked her phone to see that Sidney called twenty minutes prior and she panicked. She must have misjudged his arrival time. Throwing a towel around her naked body, she rushed to the door, peaked through the peephole and hurriedly unlocked the door to let him in.

When she swung the door open Sidney started, "Hi...whoa! So it's going to be that kind of night." He smiled and allowed Carrie to tug on his shirt to pull him into the room. As she closed the door and secured the chain lock Sid threw his garment bag down and quickly embraced her, lifting her off the ground and pressing his lips to hers.

"God, I missed you," Carrie whispered as she felt his lips trail down her neck to the exposed cleavage where the towel was overlapped and secured to her body.

"I missed you too. None of this being apart bullshit. We can travel together and maintain that you're my assistant still. Right?" He asked as he had her pressed against the wall. His doe eyes when he said this made Carrie's heart swell.

"Absolutely, yes. I'll go where you go." She couldn't say no. That this was moving too fast. But she was a woman who finally knew what she wanted and she knew she wanted him. If that meant she spend the rest of her years following him around then she would. His relieved grin made her realize he had been holding his breath, and he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I'm acutely aware that you aren't wearing anything under this towel and we are in somewhat of a compromising position," Sid said, looking directly into her eyes.

"Then put me down and I will go get dressed."

"Or," Sidney reasoned, "I just get undressed...nah, go get dressed." He unwrapped her legs from his body and stood her upright, turned her towards the bathroom and patted her butt encouragingly.

Carrie had to give him credit. Why he hadn't tried to take the towel off her body already was beyond her. But they hadn't slept together yet and she was now convinced more than ever that he wanted to make that experience special too. She quickly threw on her shorts and tank top and came back into the main part of the room. Sidney was stretched out on the bed, having removed his shoes and belt from his pants.

"Are you hungry? Tired? Want to watch a movie?" Carrie rattled off.

"Yes. No I am feeling fine. And I would rather just make out with you. It's been a month since I was able to do that. But I want to change before all of that."

Carrie laughed and sat on the bed. "I'll order us some room service while you change. Sound good?"

Sid leaned down over her, lifted her face and said, "Sounds perfect." He kissed her briefly then turned towards his bag to find some shorts to wear. Carrie watched him closely as he walked into the bathroom then hurriedly called room service. She already knew what she was ordering. She had decided that earlier, when she first got in the room.

She was hanging up the phone when Sid emerged from the other room. He smiled mischievously making Carrie squint her eyes and yelp as he jumped onto the bed next to her. She broke into a fit of giggles when his fingers found her side and he started to tickle her. "What did you order?"

"Food."

"Ah, good call." Sid flopped back against the pillows and pulled Carrie against his side. She threw a leg over his, to allow for as little space between them as possible.

"You don't think we are crazy, do you?" Carrie asked nonchalantly.

"No, why do you say that?"

"Because we are being so secretive."

"Eh, nobody needs to know about this. It's so new anyways."

"True."

"I kinda like being sneaky with you. We keep everyone believing you are my assistant and we can just continue living in our own little world."

"We are so unconventional."

"Oh well," Sid sighed and held Carrie tighter to him. "Our flight back to Pittsburgh is Wednesday morning. We are on the same flight."

"Yes I'm aware. I booked the flights."

"I guess it is weird a little."

"What?"

"How we are. But I guess there is a lot we don't know about each other personally."

"I suppose."

"We will make it work, though. Right?"

"Sure." She sounded a bit skeptical which prompted Sidney to shift her onto her back so he could look at her face.

"I want to make this work. I think we can be amazing together," he said. He ran a finger along her stomach where her shirt rode up. "I mean, we cuddle like champs. I'm pretty certain we could do other things like champs."

Carried laughed at the absurdity, but she had to agree. There was a deep attraction that she never intended or expected. Just as she was about to come back with a witty remark a knock interrupted them. "That's the food."

"Mm, food," Sid said with a cheesy grin. Carrie rolled off the bed and approached the door where she was greeted with the concierge bringing them their meal.

"Two grilled chicken salads with balsamic, strawberries and cream for dessert and a bottle of Moët as requested ma'am," the young man detailed what he was unloading off the cart and onto the table.

"Thank you," Carrie said as Sidney stood and said, "Sounds delicious."

The young man smiled, accepted a tip from Carrie and closed the door behind him. When she turned around Sidney was settling into one of the seats at the table and waiting for Carrie to join him.

"I kept it simple and as healthy as a hotel room service menu can provide."

"It looks delicious. Come sit down so we can kick this night off right."

And they did just that, Sidney opened the champagne and poured them both a glass as Carrie talked about the last month without him in Pittsburgh. He was excited to hear how she already met with the new GM and he looked forward to doing the same when he returned. And as they ate they shared more about themselves that neither had before.

"Most horrifying experience in high school. And go," Sid said. He liked hearing about how normal Carrie's life had been. It was something he didn't experience.

"Ugh! I was a class A dork! I can't even begin to tell you."

"Come on! You went to a small school so you knew everyone in your class I'm sure."

"I knew everyone in the school, but that was because I was on the yearbook staff junior year and was the editor my senior year. That would have to be it."

"Being the yearbook editor?"

"Well when I was in high school digital cameras were just starting to come around and they were so expensive! Well, we had one to share among the staff. I kid you not, three weeks into the school year I dropped it on the hard linoleum floor and feigned ignorance about how it broke. I fessed up later, but because of me we had to take pictures old school by having them develop. It worked out in the end, but I was mortified."

"Wow, you're a rebel."

"I told you I was a dork!"

"At least you had those experiences. I was already in juniors and traveling across Canada being tutored. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. But sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to finish high school and go to college."

"We probably wouldn't be here, that's for sure."

"Oh you never know."

"Yeah right. We never would have met if you were just some Joe Schmo. Plus you're Canadian."

"Ha! What does that have to do with anything? And while we may not be believers in soulmate Mrs. Palmer, I do believe in fate."

Carrie grew quiet and studied her champagne glass avoiding Sidney.

"What? What did I say?" Sid asked frantic.

"Palmer is my maiden name."

"Oh, Carrie I'm sorry. I didn't...I didn't know."

"No. You didn't. It's okay. I never went by my married name. I never changed it either. It bothered R.J. to know end!" She chuckled at this making Sid crack a smile.

"I like that it doesn't bother you to talk about him with me."

"Me too."

*****

"How exciting is this? I mean, I've been here before but this is your first major awards show!" Jen gushed as she and Carrie wandered to the lobby dressed and ready to head over to Sidney's hotel to meet up with him and his family.

"It's a little nerve wracking to be honest." Carrie tugged at the hem of her black lace dress. She felt it was just a tad too short, but Jen had insisted it showed off just the right amount of skin without looking trashy.

"Don't be silly. We know Sid is a shoe-in for a sweep. That is why he came, he already has an idea." Carrie knew that. He had explained that to her the night before when they were finished with their meal and curled around each other in bed. That happened just before they got tangled without losing their clothes, which now she kind of wished they had.

"Have you heard from Sid?" Jen asked.

"Oh, uh yeah. He got in earlier this morning and went to try on his tux with his dad. He texted a little bit ago to say that they are all about ready and should be waiting for us in the lobby when we get there."

"Great! We should be there any minute." They sat in silence for a few more minutes and climbed out of the cab in front of the hotel where Sid was staying with his family. He told her that morning that he was staying in a two room suite and sharing his room with his dad that night. He was working on a way to stay with her again.

When they caught sight of the Crosby family Sidney's eyes widened. He quickly recovered and greeted the women as they approached. "Hello ladies!"

"Wow, you both look great!" Troy said, "Sid, what are we going to do? We have four beautiful dates here."

"I guess we each have one for each arm," Sid said causing the group to erupt into laughter. "The car is here. We are ready to go."

"Now, you'll walk the red carpet solo and meet Taylor at your seats. Your parents are about ten rows back and we are in nosebleed heaven. After the ceremony is over you'll be in the lobby doing interviews and posing for pictures with all the pretty hardware," Carrie explained as she and Sidney walked ahead of the group.

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure his family and Jen were out of earshot and then said, loud enough that only Carrie could hear. "You look so incredibly beautiful and all I really want to do is to take that dress off of you."

Sidney smiled when he noticed the pinkish hue on Carrie's cheeks. "And I know you're thinking the same thing because your chest gets all red when you're turned on."

"Damnit Crosby, knock it off!" Carrie said a little too loudly making Sid giggle and his family wonder what he just said.

"Oh you know, teasing me for being an old hag," Carrie recovered.

"Wait, how old are you?" Taylor asked making Sidney laugh at the memory of when he did the same.

"I'm thirty," Carrie said.

"You definitely look younger than my brother," Taylor said making Sid's jaw drop and Carrie sport a smug smile.

*****
"I can't believe my parents believed me," Sidney said in a reverent whisper. He was following behind Carrie as she hailed a cab from the club they were quickly exiting.

After Sid collected his awards and spoke with the media, he and his family, along with Carrie, Jen, and a few others, had a private dinner together. It was there that Sid announced that he was going to meet up with some of the other players elsewhere and that Carrie would be tagging along. "You know, to keep me in line."

"Don't forget what time your flight is tomorrow," Trina had reminded him.

"I know. Carrie has my schedule memorized. That's what I pay her for," he had joked.

Now the pair were ditching the club where some of his Olympic teammates were to go back to her hotel. They feigned exhaustion and an early flight as their excuse to leave at eleven. He had made an appearance, kept his distance from Carrie,as difficult as that had been, and grimaced as several guys hit on her. Or, at least in his mind, they were hitting on her.

While they waited near the curb outside, Sid stood behind Carrie and leaned forward to whisper, "Are you going to let me undress you?"

The goosebumps that formed along her exposed arm, and the flush across her face only proved to him how she was thrilled at the thought. "Yes," she whispered back. A glance around him guaranteed that they were clear and he leaned closer and planted a soft kiss on the side of her neck. She shuddered at the feeling, her eyes instinctively closing to the point that they almost missed a waiting cab.

"C'mon," he encouraged and they both escaped into the cab towards their room for the night.

*****
Jen was sitting in the lobby of the hotel texting her husband. Why she hadn't gone up to her room, she didn't know. But she started people watching, and let's face it, people watching in Vegas took on a whole new realm of excitement as compared to Pittsburgh. So she wasn't at all surprised when she caught a glimpse of Carrie as she walked through the sliding glass doors. What she was surprised by was that she was flanked by Sidney and he had his hand protectively on her back.

"Oh fuck!" She whispered and hurriedly pulled up her contacts to call Kathleen. When her friend answered on the second ring she was relieved.

"Hello?" Kath answered groggily.

"I know it's super late there because it's almost midnight here, but I had to call you."

"It's fine. What's up?" Kath asked, sounding a bit more awake.

"I'm sitting in the lobby watching everyone come and go and guess who was with your little sister?" Jen asked hurriedly.

"Uh, Sidney." Kath sounded as though she expected this.

"Damnit! How did you know? I thought I had a piece of gossip for you." Jen was disappointed that the little guessing game didn't last at all.

"He makes no qualms about being attracted to her. But she never reciprocated the feelings."

"Well, I think she is having a change of heart. He's not staying in the hotel and he just accompanied her up to her room."

"Good for her! She needs to get some sexy time finally!"

"Yeah, but don't you think it's strange it is with her boss technically?"

"Maybe. I would be more concerned if she were employed by the Pens to function as his assistant. But she is getting paid by Sidney personally."

"Ugh, you're right. I just hope they know what they are doing."

"I wouldn't say anything to them. Maybe they are trying to figure out how to make this work. People questioning it before they are ready for everyone to know will only cause problems for all involved."

"You're so wise at three in the morning," Jen teased referring to many a late night conversation with her best friend growing up. Often without their parents knowing, and when they were in college it often was after several hours of drinking.

"I always have been. It was better when I didn't have pregnancy brain and I had a few alcoholic beverages in me."

"Haha! Go back to sleep. See you this weekend." Jen and Carrie were supposed to be going to Kath's house for a small party.

"See you!"

Notes

I was on a bit of a roll there, then I hit a bit of a slump. This is really fluffy. I hope you all enjoy anyway! And thank you all so so much for all the encouraging comments! It's what keeps me going! What do you guys think?