Unexpected

As I'm sitting on the train pretending to fumble with my iPhone, I'm grinning ear to ear. I can't believe I'm going on a date! With SIDNEY CROSBY!! This obviously is a dream. I pinched myself and it hurt so it's not. I get off the train and call Morgan as I walk to my apartment. On the first ring she answers and all I can do is scream.

" OH MY GOSH SERAPHINA! What the fuck are you okay?!" Morgan cries out.

" Yeah I'm more than ok. I'm going on a date this evening." My heart is literally beating out of its cage.

" That's great! With who?" I'm in my apartment now and I take a deep breath before I say " Sidney Crosby". I wait for an answer and the line is silent. " Morgan? Are you ther-"

" AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I TOLD YOU!!! IS THIS A DREAM?!" She screams into the phone so loud I have to pull the phone away.

"No it's not I already checked. You need to get your ass over here fast. I Need help choosing what to wear." I'm already running around the apartment, throwing things in the trash and in the laundry.

" I'll be over right away." She says. It doesn't take her long to get here. She has a copy of my key to my apartment so she just let's herself in. " Sera! Where are you?" Morgan calls out.

" In my room!" I call back. She comes over and drops her stuff. "Show me what you got." I show to my bed where I've laid out possible outfits.

" Well it's between this black Michael Kors dress," that's fitted with deep V's in the front and back, " with red stiletto Jimmy Choos or the black and white lace Lanvin dress with blue louboutins."

After much deliberation, ok more like ten seconds, Morgan says, "Michael Kors."

" That's what I thought too." I go to the bathroom and get changed, when I come out she wolf whistles, " Damn girl! Gonna make him want to sleep with you after the first date!"

" Oh no. I'm gonna make him work for it if we continue to meet," I say as I fix my cleavage. She laughs, " That's my girl. Where are you going?" She goes over to my vanity and starts fumbling with my make up and hair equipment.

" The Gramercy Tavern. It's not fancy but it is. Seems cool. How should I do my make up?" I sit down and pull a drawer open that contains my lipstick and various other make up
.
"Light on the eyes but dark on the lips like this maroon color." Morgan hands me my MAC Matte lipstick."I'll do your hair. Do you want it down?"

" Yes loose curls". As she's doing my hair I'm freaking out. It's 7:25 he'll be here soon. I throw on some red jewelry, Morgan sprays some Marc Jacobs perfume on me just as the doorbell rings.

" Did you shave and etc?" Morgan walks around me, looking for any imperfections. She grabs a lint roller and runs it over the front and back of me.

" Of course! It was like the first thing i did when I got home!" We look at each other and run to the door. Morgan sits down and pretends to read a book as I go to look if its him. It is, I take a deep breath and open the door.

"Hi," he says. He looks amazing. He's wearing a nice, dark tailored suit with a crisp white shirt unbuttoned with no tie. Dark, spit clean shoes, hair brushed perfectly.

"Hi to you too. Morgan I'll see you later." I say nearly breathlessly. I don't even turn to look at her until she speaks.

" Alright, don't keep her out too long" she says with a wink.

"Don't worry I won't," he says. I close the door and and he places his hand gently on the small of my back to guide me out into the hall. My heartbeat races from such a small touch.

" I haven't been out in awhile, it's nice to go out." My voice is quieter than usual, I hate it.

"Same here, obviously. During the season there's no time to have fun other than on the ice." He replies. He even smells amazing; something dark and inherently masculine, I want nothing more than to nuzzle into him.

" I'm crazy busy too. I only get the weekends off." We take the elevator down to the first floor. The doors open and yet again, his hand is at my back.

" What do you do?" He asks.

" I'm a writer and editor at Vogue fashion magazine." I reply proudly. People either are impressed or amused by that answer.

"Wow, sounds like a nice job. Do you enjoy it?" He holds the door to the building open for me as I walk out. He leads down the sidewalk and stops.

" Yeah," I stop talking because we are now standing at a jet black Jaguar. I have dreamed about owning a Jag since I was a little girl." Is this your car?"

" Uhm, sort of. I'm renting it while I'm here." Sid shrugs slightly embarrassed. He opens the passenger door for me. The inside is red with dark wood lining the dashboard and doors.

" Do you know where you're going?" I ask. I've lived here for a while now, I know my way around the city. Plus, I heard he's not so great with directions whereas I am a living map.

"Of course! Why, you want to drive?" He refutes, his eyes are playful with the corners turning up.

" No! You're the man I was just wondering since I live here and I know my way around. But if you insist..."

" Just making sure. Confidence is always attractive." He says with a grin. I don't say anything but just smile back. As we're driving he turns on the radio to some station playing indie music.

" What kind of music do you listen to?" He asks quickly glancing over at me.

"I listen to really just about anything. What about you?" He is not ready for this discussion with me. The minute I got my hands on a walkman when I was young, music and I have been inseparable.

"Same, whatever sounds good to me I'll listen to it."

We pull up to the restaurant and he helps me out of the car. A valet comes and takes the car as we go in. It's a beautiful place with low lighting and a rustic feel. Someone leads us to our table and gives us wine menu.

"You can choose" he says. " Okay. Uhm, how about a Red Merlot, is that ok?" I ask Sid, he nods.

"So tell me about yourself, Sera." He looks at me with those eyes again.

"Oh I have no idea where to start!"

"How about the beginning."

"Ok. I'm the eldest of three kids. I have two younger brothers. Claude is twenty Chris is sixteen. My parents are from Africa."

"Really?! Like straight from there?"

" Yup," the waiter comes back with the wine and pours us some. We like it so we decide to have a glass.

"So I was saying they're straight from there. My dad from France, well from the Congo and moved to France as a kid and my mother from Tanzania. They met here in the states in college. Got married and had me in college.I've lived in Kansas, Nebraska, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta. I went to NYU and studied communications and am currently going to columbia school of journalism. Luckily I landed a job at Vogue."

"How did you get it?"Sid asks as a waiter comes with menus, I order smoked trout with cippollini purée and pickles onions and him roasted and braised lamb with green garlic, scallions and ruby crescent potatoes.

"Where were we?" he asks while handing the waiter the menus back.

" I think I was going to tell to how I got my job."

" oh yeah. How'd you get it?" " well I wrote some things and sent them around to places that were looking for a writer. A week later, Vogue calls me and I got the job. Two days later I started." " do you like it there?" " yeah, I've made friends and it mixes two things I love writing and fashion. It also has its perks." " oh? Like what?" " I get to travel and meet designers.

How's your vacation going?" " ugh, nice but boring. I'm a rink rat so this sucks. I've been traveling, visiting friends and family, doing charity work." " wow, you really are a great person. Bored out of your mind, huh?" " oh yeah" he says with a laugh. Our food comes out and it tastes as good as it looks. We finish and drink some more and continue talking. " what do you like Sera?" " Uhm, sports. All sports that are actual sports unlike golf, NASCAR and cheerleading just to name a few." he laughs. " art, any kind. Music any kind that sounds good and food. I did track and field in high school and I continue to work out to stay in shape. Old movies and I have a shit ton of books. What about you?"

" I'm not that interesting" " sure you are I can tell you're a shy person you can tell me anything." " thanks. Besides hockey, I don't know. Movies I guess." I guess we're gonna have to find more things for you to like, huh?" I say. We sit there mindlessly talking to drain the alcohol in our systems before we go. He lets me wear his coat since its cold out here. " thanks for walking me home, it can get kinda scary out here." " no worries. I had an awesome time tonight." " me too," we get to my door and I go to open it and he says " maybe we can hang out sometime again?"

" of course! I'd like that very much." I can't suppress the happy giggle that escapes.

" Oh here's your coat," I say while handing it to him. He refuses to take it.

"You can have it for tonight." He takes the jacket and wraps it around my shoulders, smiling.

"I'm confused, I don't need it anymore."

"Maybe I'm just fishing for a reason to see you again?" Sid's smile grows wider. No one has ever done something like this to me, it's terribly cute and I might squeal.

Flustered, I respond with, "Oh, well then...goodnight Sidney. Have a safe drive home." He smiles and leans in to kiss my cheek. I can feel my whole body go warm then get hot like I'm on fire. " Thanks. Goodnight Sera." With that he smiles and turns away to head home.

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