Hat Trick

Micah had moved from rubbing Paul’s back to running her finger through his blonde locks. Micah looked down and discovered Paul snoring softly in her lap. He wasn’t kidding about nap time. So far they had both managed to fall asleep on one another. Micah continued watching the movie and messing with his hair. All and all, not a bad way to spend an afternoon.Her phone chirped on the table beside her. She was able to grab it without bothering Pauly.He really was kind of beautiful. His features were relaxed. If his nose hadn’t been broken so many times he might have been considered pretty. She glanced at the phone and laughed at the message from her favorite sorority sis.
Aubrey: Have the evil minions killed you yet?
Micah: Nope everyone is still alive
Aubrey: Not bad for day two. So how’s it going? Ready to come home yet?
Micah: No I’m not coming home right now. So far so good. Only one minor mishap
Aubrey: Minor like a hang nail or minor like when you caught our dorm room on fire.
Micah: That tart burner was defective!!!!
Aubrey: Sure
Micah: Did you know you can’t put dishwashing liquid in the dishwasher?
Aubrey: It says that on the bottle Mike
Micah: Who reads dish soap bottles?
Aubrey: So you flooded the house with bubbles.
Micah: And lost 2 of the triplets. But Deac had enough sense to grab the neighbor.
Aubrey: So the neighbor came to help.
Micah: Yeah Pauly pulled me and the kids out of the bubbles.
Aubrey: Is Pauly hot? You need to get laid. Like last Tuesday
Micah: Why are we even friends?
Aubrey: Because I’m your big. No changing subjects
Micah: Yes he is hot.
Aubrey: I just squee’d out loud. So summer fling with him and home to Ohio State in the fall.
Micah: Not coming to O in the fall. You know that.
Aubrey: Fine tell me about Pauly.
Micah: What do you know about hockey?
Aubrey: Dad has season CBJ tickets. And you have my Hartnell shirt.
Micah: Totally thought it was a walk of shame shirt.
Aubrey: What the hell does hockey have to do with anything?
Micah: Paul plays hockey.
Aubrey: A lot of guys do. Beer leagues, job leagues, and local type stuff.
Micah: No he plays hockey for a living.
Aubrey: UMMMM……. Are you talking about Paul Martin???
Micah:You know who he is?
Aubrey: Micah he is kinda a big deal. He is an Olympic athlete. They just got knocked out of Cup contention. Wait do you know where Letang is? I am leaving now. What about Sidney? OMG you could actually see Sidney Crosby.
Micah: Tanger is married with a kid. And no idea on who or what a Sidney is. But I get to meet Sunshine and Flower.
Aubrey: And you say this like, I’m going to get a pop want one?
Micah: Pauly is just normal. He’s nice.
Aubrey: Nice describes sneakers boo. He’s pretty hot from what I remember. Yep, google. Very hot.
Micah: You are impossible. And I refuse to talk about this while you google him.
Aubrey: You like him…LIKE him, like him.
Micah huffed “Are we in middle school?” Pauly stirred in her lap but didn’t wake up.
Micah: Not answering that. Gotta go before he wakes up.
Aubrey: Wakes up???????? I might hate you. But I totally love you. I may actually come up to visit you and the demons.
Micah: Love you too.
Micah was surprised to see Paul’s eyes open. She smiled at him and her phone on the table. Paul cocked and eyebrow at her “You wiggle when you text.”
“I most certainly do not!” exclaimed Micah.
“You do.” said Paul moving so he was looking up at her “So, what is so interesting that you couldn’t sit still and text.”
Micah shook her head no. Paul smiled up at her. “Boyfriend?” he asked quietly.
“Listen here, Martin. I know you hockey boys get hit in the head a lot, but if I had a boyfriend in another state I would not have been kissing you or snuggling you. That’s not how this works.” she said staring down at him “What kind of girls do you deal with?”

Paul started smiling and laughed “That was definitely the right answer.”He replied “Not going to tell me who you were texting?”
“My sorority big sis Aubrey.” replied Micah sinking her hand back into his hair “She and I have lived together the past 4 years. She was concerned that perhaps me and the triplets didn’t survive the first night.”
“She knows you well.” teased Paul “I think I like her.”
“It’s her Hartnell shirt.” said Micah
“At least it isn’t yours.” answered Paul “Maybe Devan, Deacon, and Daylon can get a good night’s sleep without fear of you embarrassing them.”
“Me, embarrass them?” said Micah incredulously “They are terrors. How could I possibly embarrass them?”
“You were wearing a Columbus Blue Jackets shirt. A Hartnell one to be precise. That is a big hell no in Pens country.” Explained Paul.
“Your boyfriend said I didn’t look like a Hartnell fan.”
“This is also true.” said Paul smirking at her. He was enjoying her hands playing his hair.
“I have no idea who Hartnell is. Until yesterday the only hockey player I could pick out of line up was Wayne Gretzky.”
Paul levered up and sat beside her. He searched her face for signs that she was joking. But found no trace of humor. He eyed her carefully. Everyone in the planet had heard of Sidney Crosby, right? Paul grabbed his phone from his pocket and pulled up a picture of Hartnell. He turned the little screen to Micah.
“Who is this?” he asked.
Micah’s nose crinkled as she looked at the picture “Umm…the guy from the Simpsons. The evil one Side Show Bob.”Paul burst out laughing. “Well, who is it?” asked Micah
“That is Hartnell.” said Paul. He found a picture of Sidney in street clothes and held it up for Micah “Who is this guy?”
“I don’t know he looks like a lawyer. Like one of those attorneys you see on TV. Call 800 accident.”
Paul was absolutely rolling in laughter. He held the phone up again with a picture of Tyler Seguin. “Any clue who he is?”
“He’s cute in a frat boy kind of way. He looks like every random hot Pike at Ohio State.” Replied Micah “You hook up with him at party. Hope he will call, but he never does.”
This game was fun. Paul pulled up a picture of Mario Lemieux. “Any ideas?”
“Since he is with lawyer boy. I am going to say he is lawyer boy’s daddy.” She said emphatically “Are you going to tell me who these people are?”
“Maybe in a few more photos.” said Pauly showing her Wayne Gretzky on his phone.
“That is Wayne Gretzky!” she said “See I know hockey stuff.”
Pauly found a picture of Nealer in a tank top and board shorts smiling beside Tori Lynn. “Do you know who he is?”
“Who care who that is, the girl he has his arm around is Tori Lynn from Neon Cathedral. But he looks kind of douche baggy. Boys shouldn’t wear bro tanks.” said Micah “Hey, that isn’t a net picture. That is on your phone. You know her?” she asked.
“I think I might love you just a little bit.” laughed Paul “That is Tori Lynn and the guy with her is my friend who’s the Nashville Predator James Neal. He used to be a Pen. In fact, I used to feed and take care of him. He refers to your three little ones as the hat trick of horror. Made Sunshine watch them one day. Beau swears it was the best form of birth control ever.”
“You know Tori Lynn?” repeated Micah.
“I love that you are more impressed with her than the fact that I showed you the face of the NHL, the Prince of Canada, and his adoptive hockey dad and hall of famer.” said Pauly pull her face to his. His lips found hers in a sweet quick glide.
“Well I know who she is,” said Micah “She played with Chase Rice.I saw her in Ohio. The guy she is with is super talented as well.”
“She will be happy to hear you like Colby.” replied Pauly “We’ll FaceTime her and Neal later but we need to get ready for our boys.”
Our boys. Micah liked the sound of that a little too much. In fact, it would be very easy to fall for Paul Martin. “Are you going to tell me who the other guys are?” she asked. He showed her the pictures and explained who each one was. After a few minutes of explanations she made him pull up the Pens roster.He named everyone off for her and their nicknames. She started giggling looking at the roster.
“Those are my boys, why are laughing?” asked Paul pulling the phone away from her. Micah kept giggling. “What?” asked Paul. She shook her head but kept laughing. Paul pulled her into his lap. “I have ways of making you talk.” he stated with a fake French accent.
“You would think with that hot Frenchie boyfriend that accent would be better.” replied Micah trying to stifle a laugh. “In fact, I think your boyfriend was on the right track. You do have good taste.”
“I’ve never had any complaints about my French before” said Paul teasing her. Paul’s mouth descended on hers. His hands tangled in the red riot. He tongue skated across the seam of her lips. He nipped her fuller bottom lip. Soothing it as he went with smaller kissed. Micah made a small gasp and Paul took that as his opportunity to deepen the kiss. He stroked his tongue against hers.
Neither Paul nor Micah heard the front door open. To this day Micah was unsure of how the triplets, who make noise sleeping, snuck up on them. Let alone a NHL goalie, his pregnant wife and a toddler.
“I told you they were going to kiss with their tongues!” yelled Daylon at his brothers causing Paul and Micah to break apart. Micah looked around the room and saw the strange man and woman behind the triplets. She buried her head in Pauly’s neck.A deep rumble started in Paul’s throat. Micah couldn’t believe he was laughing.
“ ‘ey Mon Ami.” said Flower “We will go get Estelle’s bag from the car. Boys, I think I ‘ave my stuff in the car to play ‘ockey in the drive, let’s go look. Be back in a minute.”Flower, Estelle, and the triplets wondered out the door. Vero’s eyes darted from Paul to Micah.
“I expect this from Jay,” said Vero laughing “But not you Paul. ‘ow is they say. Way to go.”Paul laughed harder and looked down at Micah whose face was currently buried in his neck.
“See, Vero likes you.” teased Paul untangling them “I’m gonna go help Flower. Then, threaten Daylon’s life.” Paul leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss before heading out the door. He winked at her “Still no complaints. Now you know 10 people in Pittsburgh.”
“I think I hate you!” Micah called at the closing door.Vero sat down on the couch beside her. “I’m Micah”
“I see that you are Micah. No iz Mike.” replied Vero “Pauly ‘e no tell us Mike iz beautiful girl. Kris ‘e no say. ‘e definitely no say this.”
“I don’t even know what this is.” said Micah.
“It iz like, and little bit of want” smiled Vero “and that iz good for Paul.” Vero sat down on the couch beside Micah her hand resting on her baby bump. “Paul needs some good. ‘e seems quite taken with you no?”
“He has saved me on at least 3 different occasions since yesterday.” explained Micah “It’s hard not to like Paul.”
“Oui, iz why they call ‘im the American ‘ero.” replied Vero. Micah saw her hand move. Vero showed her the tiny foot currently pressing against her stomach. “This one will play soccer. Never stops moving like it’s Pere.”
“I don’t know if I am amazed or scared” answered Micah.
“Oui, I am still not sure” laughed Vero.
The front door flew open and the triplets hit the stairs. Screaming, taunting, and pushing the entire way. Micah stood and yelled up the stairs “What are you all doing?”
“Gotta get our gear we get to shoot at Mr. Flower” called Deacon
“It’s just Flower you dork!” said Devan
“Don’t embarrass me Deacon” called Daylon “Flower is a real goalie.”

Pauly stepped into the rec room beside Micah. He was holding Estelle on his hip. Boom!! Ovarian explosion thought Micah. Pauly handed the squirming little girl to her mom.He headed to the foot of the stairs with Micah staring after him. “5 for torturing your brother. Daylon and Devan to the patio chairs. Deacon can shoot first.”Micah heard a course of groaning.The triplets trooped down the stairs. She almost laughed at their expressions.Deacon was all smiles while Daylon and Devan looked miserable.Pauly collected Estelle and winked at Micah “I got this.”
“They are all good daddies.”explained Vero laughing at Micah staring after Paul “Iz because they never grow up.”
“I am way out of my league” said Micah “with the boys and with Paul.”
“Non” smiled Vero “You are just what they need. Come you drink wine and I will whine that I cannot drink wine. We will be friends. And the rest of WAGs they will like you too.”

Notes

It is doing the weird won't let me space thing again. I don't get it.