As much as I loved the Cardinals, I could not say the same about the Blues. I sighed as I looked out the window leaving behind a city that I loved for the city that I grow up in. I just wished we were leaving on a better note, not a 5 to 3 lose to the Blues, which now left the Stars two points behind the now first place Blues.
Tyler’s voice pulled me from my thoughts and with a slight shake of my head I turned to look at him.
Tyler smiled as he took my hand in his, “Is everything alright?”
“Yea,” I nodded as his thumb traced the back of my hand. “I just can’t believe tomorrows New Year’s Eve.”
“Yea,” Tyler agreed as he exhaled though his nose and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Sometimes I still feel like that kid who just played his first NHL game and now…”
“Tell me about it.” I took a deep breath as I leaned my head back against the seat. “I feel like I just started high school.”
“Well I’m glad you didn’t because otherwise this,” he pointed between the two of us, “would be a little awkward.”
“Yea it would be,” I agreed with a laugh and Tyler smiled as he leaned back in his seat.
“So this year’s going to be weird…” Tyler shook his head.
“And why is that.” I asked turning to look at Tyler.
“Because this is first time since I’ve been in Dallas that we haven’t had a home game and gone to some huge party afterwards.”
“Yea,” I took a deep breath as I laid my head on the back of the seat. “I was actually looking forward to that when I moved to Dallas.”
“You were?”
“Yea.” I bit my lip as my cheeks pulled up. “I’ve never actually been New Year’s Eve plus I’ve seen the pictures from the team’s party and was really looking forward to it.”
“You’ve never been to a New Year’s party.”
I shook my head. “I usually just went with my family to my Aunt’s house for New Year’s.”
“Tori was right, you really haven’t lived.”
“Shut up,” I playful shoved his shoulder with mine.
“It’s true,” he smiled as he playful shoved my shoulder. “Next you’re going to tell me you’ve never had a New Year’s kiss either.”
I took a deep breath and just stared at our intertwined hands that rested on my lap, and I guess that was all the answer Tyler needed.

---

Since the boys played last night, there was an optional morning stake for any of guys weren’t playing or the guys that wanted to work on anything. Surprisingly most of the guys took this opportunity to sleep in, and I couldn’t really blame them, the ride from St. Louis to Chicago didn’t really give the guys much time to sleep.
So it didn’t surprise me after morning skate when the hotel conference room was full with hockey players, a huge breakfast buffet spread out before them. I smiled, my bag slug over my shoulder plate full of food in my hands as I made my way over to the table that Tyler, Jamie, Jordie and Demers’ occupied.
Tyler sat facing me as I approached by was to occupied with his food to notice me until Jamie nudged him. He looked up, his eyes wide as he cut off Demers. Demers who sat next to Tyler looked at him before he turned to me. A huge grin spread across his face.
I bit my lip questioningly as I approached and all conversation ceased. After a moment of silence Jamie spoke. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I repeated.
“So how was morning skate?” Tyler asked.
“Good,” I took a deep breath not taking my eyes off of him. “I’m going to… um, seat down now.” I gave a small smile as I pointed to the table behind Tyler were some of the trainers sat.
“No, here,” Jordie smiled as he stood up, “you can have my seat.”
“It’s okay,” I gave him small smile. “I’ll just sit over there.”
I stared at Tyler for one more second before I shook my head and turned away. Well that was weird, and I wish I could say things got better from there, but they didn’t. As the guys all made their way back up to their room for their pre – game naps and what not Tyler didn’t even acknowledge me as he left. So I sulked back to my room by myself as I debated what the hell was wrong with Tyler.
My suspicions only grew when the guys filed into the stadium for the game I could feel their eyes on me, like they knew something I didn’t, but what was even weirder was when I spotted Tyler talking to coach just outside of the locker room doors and just like earlier, once he spotted me he stopped. Coach only nodded as he gave Tyler a pat on the arm and walked thought the doors.
“What was that about?” I questioned Tyler as I approached him.
He shook his head, “nothing.” He assured me with a small smile before he too disappeared into the locker room, leaving me there to stare at the doors that he disappeared thought.

---

I didn’t care much for Chicago, and after tonight I defiantly didn’t like Chicago, and that wasn’t just because of how weird Tyler has been today, but a lose today just made the lose yesterday that much worse. As I sulked next to Tyler, arms crossed, he was too distracted by his phone. Not able to take the silence anymore I stood up. If Tyler was going to be an ass that didn’t mean I forgot about my job.
“Okay boys,” I sighed as I stood up from my seat and nudged Tyler’s knee with mine so that he’d let me pass. “This is ridiculous.” I shook my head dragging out each syllable of each word. “I understand we just lost two games, trust me, I get it.” I laughed, knowing how much a loss could sting as I walked to the front of the plane. “You’re probably all thinking about the one thing you could have done differently, that one thing you could have done better, and trust me that’s good, we learn from are mistakes. Which I’m sure you are all going to work on tomorrow at practice, but tonight it is New Year’s Eve, and in…” I tapped my phone as I gave it a quick glance checking the time, “10 minutes, it’s going to be a whole New Year. So right now as Cheryl’s,” I nodded at her and she quickly stood up from her seat in the back of the plane, “passing around glasses of champagne, or sparkling cider, or whatever was bought tonight ya’ll can morn your loses.”
Silence filled the plane once again, with an exceptional thank you as the guys received there drinks.
I gave Cheryl a smile and a ‘thank you’ as she handed me a fluent filled with sparkling cider.
“Alright boys,” I cleared my throat once everyone had a drink in hand, “now that we are all going to take turns telling each other one amazing thing that has happened this year. How about I start,” I smiled with a jester to all the guys in front of me, “I got this amazing job.”
The guys all nodded but none of them seemed thrilled with this idea yet, but Jamie being the good leader that he was stood up. “Well I had an amazing game against the Canucks to be the number one Star of the week.”
The boys applauded there captain as he sat back down. One by one the other guys followed suit, and like there captain most of them had a hockey related thing that they shared. That was until Roussel stood up.
“Does this amazing thing have to be hockey related?”
“No,” I shook my head. “It can be anything you’d like.”
“Well in that case… I made an amazing new friend.” Roussel winked at me with a smile and rather it was meant to be funny or if he was being serious I wasn’t sure, but either way it did receive some laughs from the guys, and Demers not wanting to be out done stood up.
Not wanting to be out done, Demers stood up, “hey, that was my amazing thing that happened this year.”
All the guys laughed and I could feel my cheeks warming, but didn’t say anything as Spezza stood up. “Well since we’re doing none hockey related confessions.” He smiled as Demers took his seat once again. “I celebrated 4 birthdays for 4 amazing little girl this year.”
There were cheers and couple of congratulations from the other dad’s on the team before Nichushkin stood up. From there the guys continued, throwing around amazing hockey things and non – hockey things that had happed. There was just over a minute before midnight when Tyler stood up. He was the last to go, and at this point I was pretty sure he did that on purpose. “So I have something amazing that has to do with hockey, and something that doesn’t have to do with hockey.”
“Well then I guess you can share them both.” I crossed my arms, scared of what he would possibly say as walked into the aisle.
“Well first off, I would like to point out that we are second in the division. Which I think is pretty amazing.” He said as he walked closer to the front of the plane where I stood, “and well I’m going to have to steal Roussel’s, but instead of just having an amazing new friend, I’m going to say I meet the most amazing women and for some reason she agreed to be my girlfriend.” There were a bunch of ‘woos’ and ‘you kiss up’ from the guys but I don’t think Tyler care much as he looked at his phone which a timer counting down until the New Year. “And now I plan on kissing my amazing girlfriend in 32 seconds.”
“You do?” I questioned because after today I was pretty sure he was mad at me or something.
“I do,” he smiled down at me.
“And here I thought you were mad at me?” I grinned.
“And why would you think that?” he raised one dark eyebrow as he wrapped his arms around me?
“Because you’ve been avoiding me all day.” I told him as I wrapped my arms around him and the guys started to count from ten.
“Well I wasn’t doing it on purpose, I just had to make sure none of the guys slipped the beans and I had to make sure it was okay with the higher ups.”
“Is this really what it comes to?” I sighed as my lips pulled into a smile. “Having to ask permission to kiss?”
“Yea,” Tyler chuckled, but true to his word, when the clock hit midnight his lips connected with mine.

Notes