What Dreams Forget

Sunlight streamed through the black curtains. Tori Lynn sat straight up in the large bed. She took in the stark white bedding and the black bed. Then she remembered that she was at Richie’s apartment. She had somehow let Richie rope her into moving in and being his quasi assistant. She glanced at her charging phone. It was 7:30 am. Made sense that she was up it was an hour later in Kentucky. She decided to get up and see what kind of mess she had gotten herself into with Richie.
Tori Lynn headed to her bathroom. More stark black and white this had Richie’s mom all over it. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. She managed to tame her rat’s nest of waves into a ponytail. Tori Lynn decided not change clothes if she was just going to be cooking or cleaning. Her pjs would do just fine. Then she remembered she had Neal’s hoodie on over her pjs. She would give it Richie so he could take it to Neal.
She raided the pantry and the fridge. After determining that nearly everything in the fridge was about to expire she set about to make a big breakfast. Richie’s bulldog wondered into the kitchen. She put out fresh food and water for the pup. She mixed up biscuits and got them in the oven. She then started on the bacon and sausage. She followed that up with making sausage gravy, before pulling the biscuits out of the oven. She was stirring the potatoes that she was frying when Richie padded into the kitchen. He looked like a zombie. A naked zombie, why did Richie think boxer briefs were appropriate attire? He grabbed the pot of coffee she brewed and splashed it into a mug. After several fortifying drinks he glanced around at all the food she had made.
“Um maybe pants would be appropriate for breakfast” she said glaring at Richie and his very pink boxer brief “What’s up with the pink?”

“Breast cancer awareness photo shoot gave them to us.” Richie leaned over and kissed her forehead “You sleep okay kid?”
“Yes the room is fine.” She replied.
“No it’s not. It’s monotone and you hate that.” He laughed. “We’ll order stuff for it. Me and Neal can help you paint it.”
“What if I hate it here?” she asked putting hash browns in a bowl.
“You won’t” he said “But if you do then I have a decorated room to impress the ladies. No Bruins logos.”
“No promises” she laughed. Richie was finally awake enough to look at all the food she cooked. He raised his eyebrow.
“So is the entire team coming here for breakfast?” he teased.
“No everything in your damn fridge was about to expire.” she explained “So I figured it is going to get tossed one way or another. “ Before Richie could respond she heard a knock on the door. Richie strolled across the floor and threw the door open. Apparently answering the door was also a pantsless activity in the Clune house.
James Neal stumbled inside the door. His eyes were red rimmed and he was obviously hung over. He was shirtless in a pair of loose fitting pens athletic shorts. Not a bad sight first thing in the morning. He mumbled something at Richie and crossed into the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter half awake. Richie was busy giving him shit about whiskey and plastic sippy cups.
“It’s bourbon and it wasn’t a sippy cup asshole.” James glanced over and noticed that Tori Lynn had disappeared from the kitchen. She reappeared a few moments later. She still had his hoodie on. Did she sleep in it? Pull it back on this morning? James groaned. He didn’t need to picture Tori Lynn in his bed in his clothes. She came back into the room and held her hand out to him. He stood up and opened his hand. She dropped 2 Motrin in his palm then handed him a blue Gatorade. She said nothing. She simply went back to cooking. James looked at the food before them. If he and Cluner ate all this they would be dead weight at morning skate
“You feeding an army” asked James after swallowing the pain relievers.
“Nope, Richie’s entire fridge expired today” she said “So I cooked it.”
“I’m gonna call Jos and a few of the guys” said Richie “We won’t be able to skate if we eat all this.”
“Good deal” replied Tori Lynn. James watched her for the next few minutes. She continued to fix breakfast. She was talking but he was zoned out watching her.
“Neal” she called “How do you like your eggs?”
“Huh” he said confused.
“Are scrambled eggs ok or do you want them cooked another way? Or should I call Martin and ask him?” she teased.
“I am an epic failure in the kitchen” he stated shrugging “scrambled is great.”
James watched as she scrambled an entire carton of eggs. She added hot sauce and cheese to the scrambled up liquid then poured it all in the pan to cook. She finished the eggs and poured them into a bowl. She had set everything out across the bar. James watched her go up on her tiptoes and try and get the plates down. He watched her pull herself up on the counter.
“Get down” he said walking up behind her “I’ll get the plates. If you fall Richie will kick my hung over ass.” She didn’t immediately get down but instead sat down on the counter top. He was standing in front of her and leaned over her to get the plates. He grabbed 6 plates and sat them beside her on the counter. James glanced down at her. His hoodie hit almost to her knees. He couldn’t see what she had underneath. He groaned. He wondered if she had anything between her and his hoodie.
“Sit down Neal” she instructed “before you fall over.” She noticed Richie standing in the kitchen. How had she missed that? It didn’t matter. She heard a knock on the door and saw Jos and 2 other guys in the living room.
“Tori Lynn” said Richie “This is Roman Josi, Viktor Stalberg, and Seth Jones. I called in back up since you went all Paula Deen on me. “She hopped off the counter and waved at the guys.
“Hey” she replied “Y’all eat before it gets cold.”
She watched as all 5 guys loaded plates and started eating. Well maybe it wouldn’t go to waste.
“Better grab a plate” said Richie “These boys are like a vacuum cleaner.”
Tori Lynn laughed. Fuck thought Neal, that sound was only second to her singing. He noticed Josi and the boys looking at her. James didn’t like it. Hadn’t she said something about being nice to Josi. Okay he was in jealous asshole mode. He knew it. But then again none of them had kissed her and she wasn’t wearing their clothes. He was nuts and he was rationalizing. Hell she probably still hated him. She brought her plate and sat it down between him and Josi. He was pushing food around on the plate watching her. She poured two cups of coffee in mugs. She dumped sugar and milk in one mug and left the other black. She sat down beside James. She slid the mug of black coffee at him. She didn’t say anything instead she just started to eat. He realized he was staring at her when Josi spoke to her.
“So how did you end up in a Pens hoodie night one in Nashville” asked Josi
“James and Richie thought I was under dressed for walking to my truck” she said deadpan “I believe the phrase was freeze my cute ass off, right Neal?”
The guys all laughed as James nodded. The boys were like garbage disposals. She was afraid they were going to eat the plates.
“Are you coming to our game tonight?” asked Josi looking at Tori Lynn.
“Of course she is” replied Richie “It’s all part of the assistant gig.”
“No way Cluner” she began “I am not following your crazy ass everywhere under the guise of being your assistant. I do not need a babysitter.” James looked up from his plate. If he opened his mouth she was going to hit him with a spatula.
“No you will be house sitting on away games.” replied Richie “But home games if you aren’t singing somewhere you should come.”
“Home games are fun” said Josi.
“You can wear my jersey” said Stalberg winking at her.
“You can hang out in the box” said Richie.
“Um no thanks” she said “I avoid hockey wives and girlfriends like the plague. I don’t want to answer question about living with you and get accused for the 2nd time in 24 hours of being a puck fuck.”
“I will explain it before you get there Tori Lynn”
“It doesn’t matter what you say Rich. You know how these girls are.”
“You can sit with my little brother. He is coming up from Knoxville to watch us play.” replied Neal “He was bitching about sitting by himself anyway.” He would explain to Pete that he would gut him if he laid one hand on her.
“Do I have a say in this at all?” she asked looking at all the Preds at the table.
Richie ruffled her hair “Nope” he replied. Great I get the same level of affection as his bulldog.
“I’ll send you a jersey up” said Viktor smiling at her “We’ll get you out of Pens gear.”
“Not sure I want to rock a Preds jersey or Pens gear.” she replied. The boys stared at her with blank expressions.
James started laughing. Tori Lynn turned and looked at him. He had finally lost his mind. She peeled the hoodie off and threw it at him. He caught it while still laughing. She got up from the table and walked away. James was staring after her. Holy hell she needed to put the hoodie back on before the boys stroked. She had on a tiny pair of black Nike shorts and a Bruins tank top. All of them were stunned to see Milan Lucic’s name on her back.
“No way” said Stalberg
“She’s a Bruins fan” asked Josi looking at Richie.
“Why yes she is a Bruins fan” answered Tori Lynn since they seemed to think they should talk to Richie instead of her.
James was still smirking. Tori Lynn was clearing dishes as the boys discussed her love for the Bruins as if it were a terminal disorder. She was loading the plates into the dishwasher when James came up behind her. He leaned down and whispered “Aren’t you going to tell them who your favorite is?”
“It can’t be worse than her wearing Lucic shirt” said Josi
“Oh but it can be” said James “You tell them or I will.” He was still standing behind her in the kitchen. He was crowding her. She could feel the heat radiating off him. She then realized she was standing in a kitchen full of hockey players in a pair of Nike pros and thin tank top. Probably not her best plan. She turned around and faced James.
“It not a secret Neal” she said. James looked down at her and realized that he needed to get his hoodie back on her. She was practically naked in front of the boys. The boys had all ventured around the counter and were rinsing their plates and putting them in the dishwasher. All 3 of the guys were taking notice of Tori Lynn.
“So Nealer” said Belfort “What have you discovered about the beautiful Tori Lynn?”
“Her favorite hockey player is Brad Marchand” replied James.
“Beautiful and crazy” said Viktor “Just the way I like them.” He winked at Tori Lynn.
“Alright everyone out” she said “Else you have to wash dishes.”

Notes

Okay for some reason I am unable to edit or space on here today. Wish me luck with the other updates. For some reason I can't even get Caroline and Dougie's update to paste in.