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On December 15th, 2011, Brent Seabrook of the Chicago Blackhawks Hockey Club lost his way in the Vancouver International Airport, airport code: YVR. His absence delaying the team’s charter flight and three other flights at the same time for over an hour. He was discovered a half hour after projected take off in the Duty Free shop, surrounded by fans asking for photos and autographs. Hometown boy Seabrook, although apologetic, couldn’t understand why his behavior was all that awful. He was, after all, simply being a nice guy for the fans.

His teammates ribbed him mercilessly for even finding fans in a city like Vancouver. They had been knocked out of the playoffs by the Canucks not six months earlier. He’d had a special smile, particularly for Patrick Kane who was leading the mocking, and reminded him that not all of them were from shit towns like Buffalo. The resulting impromptu wrestling match on the airplane delayed take off by another twenty minutes.

Jetz, the AirCanada charter company ultimately responsible for the delays, gave their employees a dressing down for allowing a player to wander off unattended; no one would forget that talking to for a long while. For the rest of the season, a high ranked individual from the corporate offices was given the short-term assignment to ensure that all charter flights with hockey teams ran by the books, every take off and every landing. After those same Hawks captured the Cup for the first time in almost five decades, Jetz decided to make a full-time position available.

The job listing, Charter Check-In Attendant, sounded innocuous but there were whispers around water coolers and in break rooms that it was code for ‘man-child wrangling’. Very attractive man-children. The sort that made panties melt into nothing. Vancouver was a hockey town and there was no shortage of appreciation for the athletic build of the players. Applications overflowed inboxes. Employees who had been with the company for years reminded managers of all the shifts they’d covered for coworkers. All the long hours and the holidays without complaint.

For the 23-year-old Elle Merchant the job opening represented a chance to escape the main AirCanada desks.While not technically a Jetz employee, applying was a Hail Mary moment. A moment where she was fed up with working with grumpy families under an unforgiving boss. When she clicked the send button on her application, she told herself that this was it. Either a new chance at YVR, where she’d thrived professionally but languished personally for the last three years, or a new job altogether.

She never expected to get it.

When she did, her screams of disbelief could be heard from her apartment in Richmond all the way to East Hastings.

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“Yo, Elle.What’s cooking, good looking?”

Elle didn’t bother to look up from her computer.She was running a few minutes behind, the Ducks a few minutes early, and entirely without mercy for the program that wasn’t loading properly.Ryan Kessler leaned an elbow on her work station while she finished, chatting with a couple guys behind him.They were coming off a spectacular loss against the Canucks and she knew Ryan was probably feeling pretty shitty.

The first season with a new team was always the worse from where she stood.Especially when the team the player left kicked their asses the first time they returned.

The low buzz of the players chatting kept her company as she hit another wall with her computer.They were far removed from the calls for errant children and the ever present sense of bustle in the main terminal.Her station was located in a remote corner of international check-ins at YVR.There was a hall way, a pre-check, and a huge Jetz sign to warn away lost tourists.Back here, no one could hear her screams as her system decided to reboot.

Elle took a deep breath.She closed her eyes, rolled her neck and stretched her arms over her head.When her eyes snapped open, they were sharp behind her glasses.She was going to make this computer her bitch if it was the last thing she did.She huffed a tuft of her chestnut hair away from her face and started typing frantically.

“Holy fuck Elle.If you murder your computer we’ll never make it home.And I’d like to go home.It’s warm there.”

Elle chuckled with Ryan and the few guys close enough to hear him comment.“Sorry.There was a software update a few days ago and the system has been wonky since then.I swear,” she punctuated her words with sharp taps on the keyboard as she complained.“Who releases a patch without testing in an international airport?Who?”

At least the guys chuckled at her plight.When her login scream appeared she smiled viciously as she entered her credentials.The familiar Jetz check-in screen popped up and she turned a beaming face to Ryan.“Now then.Hello.Welcome to Vancouver International Airport.May I see your pass, please?”It was a haunting echo of her time down in the AirCanada mines, all sugary-sweet false friendliness.The guys roared.

On the patented Marchant Scale of Irritating Teams, the Ducks were an easy three.Only one team in the league was easier to deal with, so she absolutely always enjoyed when they came through Van City.The Ducks were laid-back, had very few dick bags in the ranks, and happened to have one of the sweetest captains.Thirty minutes after beginning her check-in, she was chatting idly with Getzlaf in the lounge while the plane prepared for passengers.

“I just don’t know, Elle.Paige keeps using the word damask like it’s supposed to mean something. Everything has to be damask.And she goes on about colors, like I’m supposed to know the difference between periwinkle and chartreuse.This redecorating is driving me crazy.”

Elle snorted at him.“Periwinkle is a blue.The other is green.Do try to keep up, Mr. Getzlaf.”She followed up with another blinding smile, one of the many habits of customer service, and he smiled fondly down at her.

He gave her a side look, noting her designer slacks and heels.“You might understand color and style, but I just don’t know these things.I play hockey- oh for the love of- Rakes!Get off the couch!”Getzlaf scuttled away to take care of his rookie, who was doing a damn fine job of jumping the ten feet between the lounge chairs.

Elle really loved this job.

She waved a good bye from the lounge window when the plane taxied away from the ramp.Her work done for the evening, she bid the few remaining airport workers good night and headed home.It was a short 20 minute ride on the train back to her place and she spent a few minutes on Tinder.It was a guilty pleasure during weekdays, mostly to pass the time, but on weekends she had been known to indulge in some swipes to find a party.

She was 27, not dead.

She giggled when she found a couple of the Ducks on the app, still pinging off the airport’s location, and swiped left on all of them.Hockey players were always showing up.She was around them for about an hour for check-in, thirty when they were on arrival.And their hours were so strange she was likely one of the only women nearby until they got closer to downtown.

She’d had an interesting interaction with one of the Bruins a few years ago through Tinder.She’d actually managed to keep him up until the wee hours chatting and he had bombed spectacularly during the next night’s game.Probably lack of sleep, she had figured.The look of shock and dismay on his face when the team had left that evening had provided her with endless laughter with her and her friends.Her usually affable public self, Elle’s smile was guileless when Tyler Seguin recognized her from her photo, and stuttered through check-in.

It had been fun for her, messing with the guy.It was his job, though, so not really all that professional.These days, she automatically swiped past the hockey players.

It was strange, then, that it was just Seguin who had actually recognized her from the airport.Elle wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, however.She closed the app and leaned her back against the window.

Tomorrow morning she was due for an early flight from the Leafs; more of a technicality to have someone from the company in the area than a need for her skills.But still.She had a cadre of attractive men that required her help in less than seven hours.Elle spent the rest of her ride home thinking about what color she wanted to repaint her bedroom and who the next gentleman to see it might be.

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“FUCK!It’s cold!Who lives here!?!”Jason Demers’ voice echoed across the tarmac.In her heavy winter coat and stylish, yet far too tight and not warm enough, boots Elle was really inclined to agree.It was a freezing -5, unheard of on the West Coast and especially in Vancouver.The January wind cut through her jacket, sending a shiver up her spine and strengthening her dislike of this particular morning.A delicate snowflake drifted in front of her eyes, mocking her.She swatted at it a little angrily.It was 8 AM, the sunrise struggling through the cloud cover, and she should have been home, alone, in her bed.

She never worked curb side service for charter flights outside of Jetz.Her counterpoint at the tiny private airport just south of Richmond had called in a favor from a friend of a friend to get some backup, however, and forty minutes after an unappreciated 7 AM phone call, Elle was ready to quit everything.

She was almost tempted to bump the Stars up from a 5 on her scale of Irritating Teams to a 7.Just because.

This was so far outside of her job description.This was like a listing somewhere south of the border.In Kansas.Or Albuquerque.A gust of wind kicked up, showering her in snowflakes and misery.“Fucking Gary.”She cursed the man whose wife just had to go into labor on the coldest morning of the coldest year in recent memory.

“Players to Bus B!Staff to Bus A.”She was a glorified crossing guard.Demers was the first to reach the buses.He paused in front of her and gave her a once over.She was probably disguised, for the most part.A scarf wound around her face and a toque covered her down to her ears.She was even wearing her prescription sunglasses against the light growing brighter in front of her.

“It’s fucking cold here.”He waited for a response and when he got none he reached towards her face.Elle stood stock still, lips pursed, as he lifted her glasses and cracked a grin.“I thought that was you, Miss Jetz.A little out of your turf.”His head tipped like he was making a complicated decision.“I would move here for you though, shit weather and all.”A cocky smile was all he left in his wake as he bounded up the bus.

Elle felt no thrill of being in close proximity to an attractive man.There was no thrill.Demers had been in the league long enough that his antics, while cute from time to time, were worn out.Elle had seen them all.

She turned back to the rest of the players, hustling between the plane stairs and the bus.They looked displeased.They were flying in from San Jose and there was a measure of pity in her heart for such sweet summer children.She bounced on her toes, still calling out bus assignments.

The coach came by, chatted at her, and left her.The personnel manager stopped to cross check their lists and make sure everything was where it was meant to be.She’d be handling their flight back to Dallas in two days so this was anticipatory of seeing each other again soon.Finally, finally Elle was treated to the sight she’d been waiting for.

Because there was only one reason, really, why she’d dragged herself out of bed at an ungodly hour at the beginning of a two day free zone to go to work.And that reason had just exited the air plane, his long wool coat flapping behind him.With the sun just about to rise on the horizon, Elle could swear she saw a halo appear around his dark hair.

Jamie Benn.Dallas Captain.Long time contributor to the fluttering hearts club, population: Elle Merchant.

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Jamie ducked his head to clear the door of the plane and to attempt to block out some of the cold winding through his jacket.Almost immediately he wanted to turn back and return to the warmth of the cabin.The whole team had heard Demmer bitching when he’d stepped outside; Jamie supposed he just wasn’t ready for the stiff wind that accosted his face.

He hadn’t packed for this weather.He’d packed his lightest winter jacket and foregone a toque.The tips of his ears burned as he descended the stairs to the tarmac.He contemplated a run to the store to grab gloves and a toque.

In the meantime, he turned up the collar on his coat and buried his hands in his pockets.His bag dangled from one arm and Jamie leaned into the wind.Jordie bumped up next to him.“What time are Mom and Dad supposed to be at the hotel?”


Glancing at his brother, Jamie shrugged.They were so close to their Dad’s birthday that it would be sacrilege to avoid a family visit with forty hours between arrival and game time.“Sometime around noon is all I heard.You could always call Mom and ask.She loves talking to you.”

Jordie looked horrified and said, “She’ll talk me all the way to Vancouver, you know that.I’d like to get a cat nap now that we’re not hurdling through the air on a death trap.”

Jamie snickered at his brother.Jordie’s fear of flying was hilarious and legendary.Almost as legendary as their mom’s ability to keep a running commentary going long after she’d exhausted relevant topics.

As he approached the buses, his step faltered as he caught sight of Segs talking with a trim figure covered head to toe.The woman wasn’t looking at his teammate; her gaze seemed to be glued on him, so much as he could tell through the sunglasses she wore.He couldn’t see her mouth behind the scarf wound around her face, but when the woman yelled out bus assignments Jamie grinned.

He knew that voice.It had kept him company in his dreams many nights during the course of his NHL career.He had no idea why the amazingly sexy and smart Jetz counter woman would be here, at a private airport in no way affiliated with AirCanada, but he was insanely pleased she was.

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Jamie looked around for a moment when he cleared the plane door and Elle felt her breath catch.This was the one guy in the whole league who could stop all thought processes and make her inside turn to jelly.She could swear somewhere in the background there was a choir of birds chirping Handel’s The Messiah as he descended to her level.She told herself to act cool as he approached; she was a professional.

“Belle Elle!What are you doing here?!?”

She was distracted by a wide grin; Tyler Seguin swooped right up to her, holding out his arms like he expected a hug.She laughed a little, her nerves preventing her from giving him her full attention.He dropped his hands down to his sides and slid next to her.His arms folded and he leaned back on one foot, mimicking her freezing posture.

“Seriously, what are you doing out here?This isn’t your airport.”

She sighed.“What’s his face’s wife is having a baby right now so I’m filling it.Turns out you guys aren’t that great at other airports either.”She rolled her eyes his way.“Being the amazing amount of perfection I am at my job, I was the only one available.”

He hummed noncommittally, watching players filter past with her.After the initial embarrassment all those years ago, he’d finally talked her into giving him her Facebook profile.They chatted sporadically online over the years; they were friendly but they weren’t necessarily friends.Some days she supposed he liked having people to talk to away from hockey; most days she just figured he was waiting for another chance at her.

When the sea of players finally parted and she caught sight of Benn again, she stiffened.Fuck he was hot.She could see his suit pants straining to contain his quads as his jacket flapped open.Everything about him screamed sex.Incredible, athletic sex.She gave a little sigh when he grinned then shoved at something his brother next to him.Tyler noticed instantly.His jaw dropped in glee and he turned to stare at her.“Oh my god!You’ve got the hots for Benny!”

The proof was all over her face and she knew there was no denying it.She slapped a hand over his mouth and shoved him back to shut him up.“You keep your trap quiet or I’m going to tell everyone about that little confession from a few years back.”Her eyes held a glint of warning.She didn’t actually have anything on him but she banked on Tyler thinking she did.

She honestly believed there’d be no containing the joy that looked fit to burst from the young forward.He surprised her when he clamped his lips tight at the Benns’ approach.Jordie didn’t look at her twice but Jamie stopped in front of the pair of them.A soft smile drifted across his features when he realized who exactly his teammate was standing next to.

“Hey Elle.Wasn’t expecting to see you this morning; I guess today is looking up already.”From anyone else, his words could have sounded sleazy or like the world’s worst attempt at a pick up line in this weather.From Jamie’s mouth it was soft, surprised, and very pleased.She couldn’t even respond to him.She was such a lame ass.He nodded at her, still smiling, and climbed on to the bus.The team was almost fully loaded and she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“Jesus, Elle.You’ve got it bad.Want his number?”

She’d almost entirely forgotten about Tyler.She faced him as the last of the training staff loaded up.“Like he’d be interested.Get your ass on the bus Seguin.I have a two day vacation from airplanes and hockey players I need to get back to.”He opened his mouth to protest and she shooed him on.He gave her one last amused look before climbing onto the bus.

Elle sighed deep as the buses took off.She should go home and go back to bed.It wasn’t even 9.She was keyed up from seeing Jamie, though.There was no way she’d be able to close her eyes and forget about that smile.She had the feeling she’d be spending some quality time with a hand down her pants instead.Before that, she had one more task; last plane check.

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Segs dropped down in the seat across the aisle from Jamie.The smaller forward had a shit eating grin on his face and Jamie would have asked about it if he wasn’t so busy watching the alluring figure of Elle Merchant disappear into their plane.He tried to keep the dreamy expression off his face but between Jordie’s exasperated look and Segs’ laughing, he knew he wasn’t real successful.

He reminded himself that he was an internationally successful hockey player with lots of money.

Unbidden, an image of Elle’s cheerful smile, ever present during team check-ins, floated in his head.He blushed even harder.Segs laughed uproariously and Jamie smacked him across the aisle.“Dude, you’ve got it bad.Ask her out already.”Every guy within earshot of Segs’ ribbing laughed at him too.His crush was fairly common team knowledge, and when did that happen?

“Leave off, Segs.A man’s first unrequited love is a beautiful and precious thing.He should cherish it.”Shawn Horcroff didn’t even look up from his phone as he dispensed his sage advice.From the evil turn of his lip, Jamie knew for a fact he was just being a smart ass too.

Jamie fumbled with his headphones, grumbling, “I hate you all.”He blasted music and leaned his head back, thinking about Elle.She was always so nice to the team, even if she had the tendency to talk to them like they were five.He couldn’t blame her; half the time he talked to his guys that way too.She had an easy manner, though, that could bend every single one of them to her will with a smile and a quick word if they stepped out of line.He wondered why she had been at the airport that morning but thanked his luck that she was.

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Elle should have just left the suitcase at the front desk of the Stars’ hotel and gone home.This wasn’t the first time someone had forgotten an item on the plane but she was sort of cursing that it had to be this team.She’d barely gotten her pulse in check when she’d been handing the offending article.

The tag on the bag read Eaves.

She watched the players unloading out front of the Marriott and cursed.She should have just left it.

There was a code of professionalism with Jetz though.Elle was well known to follow this code to the letter, so much so that one of her nicknames was the Rules Lawyer with other employees.Sensitive articles had to be returned to their owners by a company employee.There could be no break in the chain of possession between the airport and the individual.

The guys hit the front door in a wave of noise and laughter.Elle shifted from foot to foot, contemplating bolting to avoid the awkwardness that was sure to follow the exchange.Technically they hadn’t arrived on a Jetz plane.Technically the rules didn’t apply here.She was about to just throw the bag and run.She took a deep breath and steeled herself.What the fuck was she thinking?Why was this so terrifying?She saw these guys, and hundreds just like them, every day almost for eight months straight.

Tyler saw her first.He was jumping around the starting goalie like a puppy, crowing about a lost bet, when his eye caught her.He stopped dead in his tracks before turning to the guy behind him.Oh hell, it was Jamie.Tyler said something quietly.Jamie’s head popped up and she could swear his eyes widened at the sight of her.

They were still two dozen paces away but he seemed to color.Fascinating.Elle was roughly 100% sure Jamie wasn’t possibly interested in having anything to do with her away from the airport.The almost panicked look on his face dropped that percentage to around 80.

When they were within earshot, she murmured a hello.“Good morning again.”

“What- what are you doing here?”She supposed it would be a little strange for the team to see her twice today.She held up the luggage.“Eaves forgot this.”

Jamie’s eyes flickered from her face down to the suitcase.“I wasn’t aware you did curbside delivery as well as pickup.I hope they’re paying you enough.”Again, another line that would have sent her fuming away from any other person.Jamie sounded awed.

Elle gave an awkward smile but nodded along.“Enough to get me out of bed on this cold morning.”

From his elbow, Tyler coughed in his hand to keep a laugh from escaping.She could swear she heard him mutter something about Jamie getting her back to bed.Jamie had the good graces not to say anything about the comment.He did elbow Tyler in the ribs which sent the smaller forward on his way, leaving him and Elle to stare at each other.Elle wasn’t entirely sure why he wasn’t just moving on, but she wondered.That percentage dropped again to around 60.

Jamie opened his mouth to say something.Possibly ask her if she had plans.If she needed company in her bed.Perhaps if she’d run away and elope with him.A girl could only dream.He was cut off by a team mate, however.As though he was drawn to his missing property, Patrick Eaves shuffled through the crowd in the lobby.“Oh, hey!I didn’t even realize I’d left this.My wife would have killed me.”

Jamie looked a little irked at his teammate for interrupting.Elle was also irked, but only because the source of this extreme awkwardness had appeared.She handed the bag over with a smile and a quick wish of luck for their game the following night.

Her work now really done for the day, she gave Jamie another smile.And waited for a beat, just to see if he’d get out the words that Eaves had interrupted.Jamie smiled back but said nothing.Elle sighed, feeling all the world like the best sleepy morning opportunity had just slipped through her fingers.He probably wasn’t interested after all.“Have a good game tomorrow.I’ll see you guys at the airport.”She was away before he could get out another word.

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Without her hat and scarf on, Jamie was pleased to see that Elle looked fresh despite the early morning.She had none of the usual signs of late night weariness he had seen on her face over the last four years of flights in and out of Vancouver.She was also sans glasses, which was a first, and made his heart flip in his chest.He’d been having this really crazy reoccurring fantasies about the two of them in a library somewhere and a book with late fees.

When Segs whispered that his girlfriend had followed them, his gaze had snapped to her figure.She’d been shifting from foot to foot, as though completely uncomfortable that she was removed from the security of her work station.Almost like being away from the airport had stripped her of some sort of authority.He wouldn’t have thought it was possible but she looked uncomfortable.He would even say she looked nervous.

He wondered if he made her nervous.That thought sent a jolt of lightning down his spine.If he made her nervous she either hated him, which was incredibly unlikely, or she was attracted to him.

The realization made him grin.

He had wanted to ask her to lunch the next day.He had wanted to get her farther from the airport to see if she really had an armor that was easy to remove with twenty miles.He had been moments away from asking if she needed company in her bed today, visit with his parents be damned.Eavie, that forgetful prick, had ruined it all.His eyes followed her retreating from all the way out the door before he sighed.

Jamie’s phone buzzed in his pocket.He fished it out and furrowed his brow.Segs had texted him, telling him to check Tinder.He glanced around the lobby, finding the teammate in question inclining his head towards the door and the departing Elle.His eyebrows shot up.He used Tinder sparingly and only because Segs had mocked him until he’d downloaded the app.His one actual hook up resulting from swipes had been a spectacular failure and he tended to ignore it for the most part.

Yet, Segs must have some insider trader information about Elle.He loaded the app and turned on his location.

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Elle got the text through Tinder as she was about to board the Canada Line headed home.

It was Tyler.

It felt strange that he hadn’t just texted her phone but the message on Tinder simply read: just swipe right.She frowned.What was he playing at?

She sighed but did as he bid her, swiping a few times without any real excitement but with the feeling of inevitability.She had a long train ride home, the carriage full of the work day rush.She’d have been doing this anyway.

It took all of five suggestions before she came across him.

A smiling, shirtless photo on a boat, the scenery of a bay somewhere near Victoria behind him.Jamie Benn.Her heart flipped in her chest once, twice.It clenched painfully as her finger hovered over the screen on her phone.When she swiped to the right, it stopped beating all together.

Elle’s giggle was strained and a little frantic when her phone vibrated in her hand, the screen going dark.

They were a match.

Notes

I know what you're thinking. Not ANOTHER Jamie Benn story. This one is part self-indulgent whimsy and part gift. Thanks for reading along! Please leave a note if you enjoyed the intro.