Changes

I crawled out of bed as quietly as I could, trying not to wake her. Once dressed I scrawled a note on a piece of paper and headed out the door. I hoped she still be there during my break. I had two hours off in between sessions today and I planned on at least seeing her for a few minutes. I let her know in the note if she woke up to meet me at the rink.

I was at practice by 7:30 am. Claude sat beside me lacing up his skates. “So Callee huh?” he asked, a sly smile on his face.

“Uh, yeah, I guess. Just kind of getting to know her really. Not really anything yet.” He smirked.

“Yeah right, you guys have been in the same bed twice. Not believing it Max.” I

I shrugged, “believe whatever you want, it’s not like that right now.”

Once we were on the ice, we ended up scrimmaging. It was stopped several times for instruction, and ultimately suicides. My legs were burning with the workout and I couldn’t wait to it was over.

We hit the showers out of breath and exhausted. Once dressed I called Callee to let her know we were going to eat at a sports bar nearby called Kaminski’s. She knew where it was and one of her friends actually worked there. She said she was going to see if she could borrow something to wear from Rainy and would meet me there. She showed up ten minutes after I got there, wearing grey yoga pants and a tight fitting black top. She looked adorable, hair pulled up in a pony-tail and flip flops on.

I pulled her towards me and kissed her on the cheek. She looked stressed out to say the least. “You ok princess. You don’t look good?” She looked at me and shook her head.

“One of the nurses called, he didn’t make it.” I hugged her tight.

“It’s ok, at least you know he isn’t in pain anymore. Things happen for a reason sweetheart.” We sat down at a table across from Andrej and Danny. We ordered food. None of us were drinking because we had to be back at the rink for videos.

She ordered a double-shot of tequila and I raised my eyebrows at her. “Don’t do this to yourself.” I warned her. “Besides, did you even eat yet?”

She looked at me. “I ate half a bagel, and I am about to eat lunch. I don’t need a babysitter Maxime.” Danny gave me a stunned look and I shrunk back into the seat. Thank god we were sitting with him and not some of the other guys.

Her friend ended up coming over to the table to say hi to her. They hugged and I could see Brayden making faces behind them pointing at her friend. She introduced Danny, Andrej and I to Maria, who was a cute petite blonde. I took Maria by the hand and introduced her to the other guys scattered around. She talked for a few minutes before saying she had to get back to work. We sat down and ate. She did two more shots, but I bit my tongue. I wasn’t winning this argument.

Danny asked if she wanted us to drop her off at the house before we went back to and she said no, she was waiting for her friend to get off at 3:00. She was in a mood I wanted no parts of and we said goodbye to her and went back to practice.

We were only at the rink another hour or so to review tapes from the previous year before the coaches let us go. Even with my annoyance, I drove back to the bar, worried about her. She was sitting at the bar, back to me when I walked in.

I walked up behind her and kissed her cheek. “Sorry I was so cranky earlier, bad morning." she said turning around.

"Don't worry about it. Let's get you home." I could tell she was still feeling the alcohol, but she wasn't as drunk as I expected her to be. She must have been pacing herself. We left her car at the bar. I offered to drive her home and we could get her car tomorrow.

We drove into the city quietly. I was still a little pissed she was so bitchy earlier. I pulled up in front of her place to let she out and she gave me the puppy dog eyes. "You arent going to come up for a little?" she asked quietly.

"Ok, but I can't stay too long. I'm beat. They are trying to kill us in practice." We sat on her couch for awhile before she moved in closer to me.

"I really am sorry. I have never lost any patient I was that close to. It caught me off guard." I leaned towards her and kissed her softly.

"It's over Callee. Don't worry about it." I could see the tension release from her body and she kissed me, running her tongue softly against my bottom lip. It gave me chills and I was trying my hardest not to give into her.

"Don't start Callee. Not while you semi-drunk."

She raised her eyebrows at me before wrapping her arms around my waist. "But I want you. I have since we have met." She slid her hands under my shirt and across my chest.

I was distracting myself with French lullabies and evading her seductive gaze. "Callee please don't. I want to try and do this right. I promise our first time will be perfect, not in response to some silly argument. She frowned but stopped carrying on. I stayed another hour before leaving and promising to call her tomorrow.

I called Marc on the way home. "So you didn't even bang her bro and she was more than willing?"

I just groaned, "Marc I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. I don't know why I care so much."

Marc laughed loudly into the phone. "You care because you care. Sounds simple but it isn't. Next you will out shopping for tampons and all that shit. Face it bro, she has got you wrapped already. If she didn't, you would have never went back to the bar." I said goodnight to him and parked the car.

I guess he was right. The old Maxime would have never went back.

Notes

One more tonight for ya .