A Missing Puzzle Piece
Chapter 1
Molli’s POV
Nicole burst out of the dressing room. I took one look at her dress then went back to my magazine.
“Well?” Nicole asked.
“Slutty.”
Nicole sulked back into the dressing room. She came out a couple minutes later in a different dress.
I just sighed. “Nick, do you know what slutty means? If you don’t, this dress or bathing suit is the definition.”
Nicole went back into the dressing room. Nicole’s fiancé, Ilya Kovalchuk plays for the New Jersey Devils, which is a hockey team. There’s a big Devils party tonight at some hotel. I think Nicole said it was a playoff party. But anyone with any relation to a player is going. Players, players who retired with the Devils, the coaches, coaches family, players family, anyone who works closely with the Devils is going, plus their families and kids.
Nicole invited me, but I choose to stay out of most activities I’m invited to for the Devils. It’s just too much for me. I’ve never had wine, beer or any alcohol or drugs. Never. I’m just not into it.
Nicole exploded out of the dressing room. The dress was strapless, and it had a big cut in it where her leg stuck out. “Who are you, Angelina Jolie?” I muttered.
Nicole huffed and the out of nowhere ripped the magazine out of my hands. “Look Molli, all you say is NO. So maybe you could pick out a dress you might say YES to!”
I got up and went over to the rack of dresses. “Ilya didn’t fall in love with you because you’re gorgeous, or you have a body, ok? He fell in love with you because you’re a sweet, generous, lovely girl, ok?”
Nicole smiled and hugged me. “I know. I’m sorry Molli it wasn’t fair for me to just explode like that. Sorry.”
I smiled. “Ok. So, dresses.” I looked through them, and finally found a red one with was strapless, but went down to her knees. I took it off the rack one showed it to Nicole who half smiled.
“It’s okay I guess. But if you think Ilya will like it, I’ll try it.”
Nicole knows I know Ilya. And I know what he likes. So for this kind of thing she usually trusts me.
I smiled. “Cool.”
She tried it on, and it was definitely her color. It made her brown eyes sparkle, and her brown ringlets bounce around her shoulders. She looked like she was just about to go out on a red carpet.
“Perfect! You’re buying it.”
She turned around to look in the mirror. “Ok, you were right.” She hugged me. “Thanks for coming with me Molli.”
I hugged her back. “I’m glad I could come. Now get changed, we have to go to your house to do your hair.”
Once back at Nicole’s house, I told her to take a shower.
I gathered everything I would need to do her hair the way Ilya likes it. Including a brush, hair dryer, curler and some hair elastics.
Nicole came down the stairs in jeans and a white t-shirt. Her brown curls were still curly, and I realized the curls were natural, something I didn’t know.
I smiled at her. “Ready?”
“Yes!”
She sat down on a chair in the kitchen. “Nick, the style isn’t good for your dress.”
She said, “Why?”
“The dress is a little too formal.” I let some wisps of her brunette curls stay in her face, and the rest I put in a ponytail, tying it with a red hairband.
“Gorgeous.” I said. “Makeup?”
Nicole nodded. “Sure.”
I gave her some blush and mascara. “No eye shadow?”
I surrendered and gave her some bronze eye shadow.
She stood up. She’s taller than me, she’s 5’8, and I’m 5’6. “Are you sure you don’t want to come? It’ll be fun!”
I sighed. “Fine, I’ll go.”
“Yay!” Nicole cried and hugged me. “I’ll go upstairs and get you a dress. You wait here, I know exactly what to get you!”
She was back downstairs with a beautiful black dress within a minute and thirty seconds. “Here!”
It wasn’t skintight, and it had sleeves that went down to my forearm. It had a couple ruffles below my waist, and I fell in love with it right when I saw it. My straight blonde hair would have to stay down, but Nicole would curl it for me. My hair went down to just above my waist. I always liked it long.
I put it on, and Nicole curled my hair like I had instructed her to. She gave me some mascara and blush.
“Black’s not your color but you look flawless, Molli. But let’s go, I said I’d meet Ilya at his place at 7:00, and its 6:50.”
We got in the car in our dresses. Nicole smiled at me. “I’m sorry I dragged you in this mess. You’ll have fun though.”
I sighed. “I’m scared.”
Nicole giggled. “You should be!”
I smiled, and the second we were at Ilya’s house Nicole jumped out of the car and ran up to the door. I looked and realized she was in sneakers and had her heels in her hand.
I followed her, stumbling behind in my pumps.
Ilya had left Nicole in, but grabbed my hand to pull me inside. “So Molli, you decided to come, huh?” He said in this thick accent.
I smiled and sighed. “If that’s alright with you.”
We drove out again a few minutes later. Once we were at the hotel where the party was being held, my heart started beating really fast. I had never done anything like this.
Nicole seemed to notice. She put a hand on my shoulder. “It’ll be okay Molli. I promise you’ll have a lot of fun.”
I nodded.
Nicole and Ilya went in ahead of me, and to my surprise Nicole grabbed my wrist and pulled me next to her. “It’s gonna be okay Molli!”
I tried to smile, and when we walked in it was a lot to take in. It wasn’t a playoff party like Nicole had said. There was a sign strung across the back wall. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BOYS IN GOAL!”
A person at a front desk checked us in. “Ok, Ilya Kovalchuk. There’s your name. Please put you initials by it.” Ilya did as he was told. “Nicole Truscott? Sign there please.” Nicole did the same. “Molly Reagan? Umm, I don’t see you here.”
“Molli spelled M-O-L-L-I.” I spelled out, hoping it would help.
“Oh Molli, you’re not supposed to be here remember? There’s her name, crossed out on the bottom. She decided to come.” Nicole said.
“Oh okay. Just write your name at the top.” I did as he said.
Nicole pulled me along then stopped. “Alright Ilya, what’s really going on?”
Ilya said, “Well we had to keep it a surprise from blabbermouths like Nicole.” Nicole elbowed him. He just smiled and continued. “Marty and Moose have back to back birthdays this weekend. Johan’s is May 5th, which is Saturday. Marty’s is May 6th, which is Sunday.”
I nodded. “Ok. So, I don’t follow hockey. So I’ll assume that Johan Moose and Marty are goalies.”
Nicole and Ilya laughed. “Martin Brodeur, we call him Marty. Yes he’s a goalie. Johan Hedberg is also a goalie, and his nickname is Moose.” Ilya explained.
I nodded. “Um okay.”
“Marty is extremely famous.” Nicole added. “But he doesn’t like it when you treat him like he’s really famous, so this is good.”
“HEY ILYA!” Someone screamed. Nicole and I turned, following Ilya’s gaze.
“Oh hey Travis!” Nicole replied for Ilya.
Ilya rolled his eyes. “That’s Travis Zajac. He plays for the team too.” He said to me. “What’s up Travis?”
“Come on man! We have to discuss the thing with the team.”
Ilya walked over to him, and Nick and I followed.
“Travis, you know my lovely fiancé Nicole. This is her even lovelier best friend, Miss Molli Reagan.” Ilya introduced me. Nicole jabbed his ribs with her elbow again.
“Lovelier?” She questioned, mock glaring.
“Yes.” Ilya answered. “Molli doesn’t put elbow marks in my chest.”
Travis laughed and extended his hand. I took it. “Nice to meet you, Molli.”
“Nice to meet you too, Travis.”
Travis looked at the three of us. “Okay. So, Marty and Moose are coming together. Their families are already here. They’re going to walk in that door at 8pm and Annabelle Antoinette is going to go to Marty and she’ll find a way to get him to pick her up. Molly is going to do the same with Moose. Then, Annabelle Antoinette and Molly are both going to say to their dads, ‘Happy Birthday Daddy.’ Then all the rest of us are going to yell ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDIES!’ It should be good.”
I nodded. “Cool. What time is it now?”
Ilya replied, “7:50.”
“Yikes are we late?” Nicole asked.
Travis shook his head. “Nope!”
I looked ahead. I could tell there wasn’t any alcohol, and I relaxed. This would be fun.
Nicole burst out of the dressing room. I took one look at her dress then went back to my magazine.
“Well?” Nicole asked.
“Slutty.”
Nicole sulked back into the dressing room. She came out a couple minutes later in a different dress.
I just sighed. “Nick, do you know what slutty means? If you don’t, this dress or bathing suit is the definition.”
Nicole went back into the dressing room. Nicole’s fiancé, Ilya Kovalchuk plays for the New Jersey Devils, which is a hockey team. There’s a big Devils party tonight at some hotel. I think Nicole said it was a playoff party. But anyone with any relation to a player is going. Players, players who retired with the Devils, the coaches, coaches family, players family, anyone who works closely with the Devils is going, plus their families and kids.
Nicole invited me, but I choose to stay out of most activities I’m invited to for the Devils. It’s just too much for me. I’ve never had wine, beer or any alcohol or drugs. Never. I’m just not into it.
Nicole exploded out of the dressing room. The dress was strapless, and it had a big cut in it where her leg stuck out. “Who are you, Angelina Jolie?” I muttered.
Nicole huffed and the out of nowhere ripped the magazine out of my hands. “Look Molli, all you say is NO. So maybe you could pick out a dress you might say YES to!”
I got up and went over to the rack of dresses. “Ilya didn’t fall in love with you because you’re gorgeous, or you have a body, ok? He fell in love with you because you’re a sweet, generous, lovely girl, ok?”
Nicole smiled and hugged me. “I know. I’m sorry Molli it wasn’t fair for me to just explode like that. Sorry.”
I smiled. “Ok. So, dresses.” I looked through them, and finally found a red one with was strapless, but went down to her knees. I took it off the rack one showed it to Nicole who half smiled.
“It’s okay I guess. But if you think Ilya will like it, I’ll try it.”
Nicole knows I know Ilya. And I know what he likes. So for this kind of thing she usually trusts me.
I smiled. “Cool.”
She tried it on, and it was definitely her color. It made her brown eyes sparkle, and her brown ringlets bounce around her shoulders. She looked like she was just about to go out on a red carpet.
“Perfect! You’re buying it.”
She turned around to look in the mirror. “Ok, you were right.” She hugged me. “Thanks for coming with me Molli.”
I hugged her back. “I’m glad I could come. Now get changed, we have to go to your house to do your hair.”
Once back at Nicole’s house, I told her to take a shower.
I gathered everything I would need to do her hair the way Ilya likes it. Including a brush, hair dryer, curler and some hair elastics.
Nicole came down the stairs in jeans and a white t-shirt. Her brown curls were still curly, and I realized the curls were natural, something I didn’t know.
I smiled at her. “Ready?”
“Yes!”
She sat down on a chair in the kitchen. “Nick, the style isn’t good for your dress.”
She said, “Why?”
“The dress is a little too formal.” I let some wisps of her brunette curls stay in her face, and the rest I put in a ponytail, tying it with a red hairband.
“Gorgeous.” I said. “Makeup?”
Nicole nodded. “Sure.”
I gave her some blush and mascara. “No eye shadow?”
I surrendered and gave her some bronze eye shadow.
She stood up. She’s taller than me, she’s 5’8, and I’m 5’6. “Are you sure you don’t want to come? It’ll be fun!”
I sighed. “Fine, I’ll go.”
“Yay!” Nicole cried and hugged me. “I’ll go upstairs and get you a dress. You wait here, I know exactly what to get you!”
She was back downstairs with a beautiful black dress within a minute and thirty seconds. “Here!”
It wasn’t skintight, and it had sleeves that went down to my forearm. It had a couple ruffles below my waist, and I fell in love with it right when I saw it. My straight blonde hair would have to stay down, but Nicole would curl it for me. My hair went down to just above my waist. I always liked it long.
I put it on, and Nicole curled my hair like I had instructed her to. She gave me some mascara and blush.
“Black’s not your color but you look flawless, Molli. But let’s go, I said I’d meet Ilya at his place at 7:00, and its 6:50.”
We got in the car in our dresses. Nicole smiled at me. “I’m sorry I dragged you in this mess. You’ll have fun though.”
I sighed. “I’m scared.”
Nicole giggled. “You should be!”
I smiled, and the second we were at Ilya’s house Nicole jumped out of the car and ran up to the door. I looked and realized she was in sneakers and had her heels in her hand.
I followed her, stumbling behind in my pumps.
Ilya had left Nicole in, but grabbed my hand to pull me inside. “So Molli, you decided to come, huh?” He said in this thick accent.
I smiled and sighed. “If that’s alright with you.”
We drove out again a few minutes later. Once we were at the hotel where the party was being held, my heart started beating really fast. I had never done anything like this.
Nicole seemed to notice. She put a hand on my shoulder. “It’ll be okay Molli. I promise you’ll have a lot of fun.”
I nodded.
Nicole and Ilya went in ahead of me, and to my surprise Nicole grabbed my wrist and pulled me next to her. “It’s gonna be okay Molli!”
I tried to smile, and when we walked in it was a lot to take in. It wasn’t a playoff party like Nicole had said. There was a sign strung across the back wall. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BOYS IN GOAL!”
A person at a front desk checked us in. “Ok, Ilya Kovalchuk. There’s your name. Please put you initials by it.” Ilya did as he was told. “Nicole Truscott? Sign there please.” Nicole did the same. “Molly Reagan? Umm, I don’t see you here.”
“Molli spelled M-O-L-L-I.” I spelled out, hoping it would help.
“Oh Molli, you’re not supposed to be here remember? There’s her name, crossed out on the bottom. She decided to come.” Nicole said.
“Oh okay. Just write your name at the top.” I did as he said.
Nicole pulled me along then stopped. “Alright Ilya, what’s really going on?”
Ilya said, “Well we had to keep it a surprise from blabbermouths like Nicole.” Nicole elbowed him. He just smiled and continued. “Marty and Moose have back to back birthdays this weekend. Johan’s is May 5th, which is Saturday. Marty’s is May 6th, which is Sunday.”
I nodded. “Ok. So, I don’t follow hockey. So I’ll assume that Johan Moose and Marty are goalies.”
Nicole and Ilya laughed. “Martin Brodeur, we call him Marty. Yes he’s a goalie. Johan Hedberg is also a goalie, and his nickname is Moose.” Ilya explained.
I nodded. “Um okay.”
“Marty is extremely famous.” Nicole added. “But he doesn’t like it when you treat him like he’s really famous, so this is good.”
“HEY ILYA!” Someone screamed. Nicole and I turned, following Ilya’s gaze.
“Oh hey Travis!” Nicole replied for Ilya.
Ilya rolled his eyes. “That’s Travis Zajac. He plays for the team too.” He said to me. “What’s up Travis?”
“Come on man! We have to discuss the thing with the team.”
Ilya walked over to him, and Nick and I followed.
“Travis, you know my lovely fiancé Nicole. This is her even lovelier best friend, Miss Molli Reagan.” Ilya introduced me. Nicole jabbed his ribs with her elbow again.
“Lovelier?” She questioned, mock glaring.
“Yes.” Ilya answered. “Molli doesn’t put elbow marks in my chest.”
Travis laughed and extended his hand. I took it. “Nice to meet you, Molli.”
“Nice to meet you too, Travis.”
Travis looked at the three of us. “Okay. So, Marty and Moose are coming together. Their families are already here. They’re going to walk in that door at 8pm and Annabelle Antoinette is going to go to Marty and she’ll find a way to get him to pick her up. Molly is going to do the same with Moose. Then, Annabelle Antoinette and Molly are both going to say to their dads, ‘Happy Birthday Daddy.’ Then all the rest of us are going to yell ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDIES!’ It should be good.”
I nodded. “Cool. What time is it now?”
Ilya replied, “7:50.”
“Yikes are we late?” Nicole asked.
Travis shook his head. “Nope!”
I looked ahead. I could tell there wasn’t any alcohol, and I relaxed. This would be fun.
11/30/12