Sidney's POV

Last night was just a slip up.
I was drunk and Caroline was there.
I had drunk goggles on. She's really not that good looking when I'm sober. I was just happy that we won a game. Victory always gets me to do reckless things.
I kept repeating this as my eyes focused on the road. Cars were swerving in and out of the various lanes on the highway. It was lunchtime, and people in the city couldn't help but rush to get their food and go back to work.
And I was glad Evgeni had interrupted us before I actually fucked things up. She was one of the teams' doctors and her friends were...strange.
"Can you drive me to see Charlie?"
I looked away from the cars ahead to glare at him, Id been driving him everywhere since he took his car in for a new paint job.
"Why don't you walk?"
Arkady frowned, "I'm foreign. I don't understand."
"Bullshit, I've been your personal chauffer for the past week, when is your car coming back?"
He shrugged, "Don't know. Now serious Sid, drive me to Charlie's."
"No. You're probably suffocating her."
Geno looked offended. "I'm not! She like me."
"She like your money." I said, mocking his lazy attempt at conversation.
He rolled his eyes. "You just mad I get some"
He paused for dramatic effect, "And I don't"
Geno's hand was inches away from the radio when I slapped it away.
"Drivers control the music."
He muttered something Russian under his breath. We had been fighting for the past few days, his feelings for Charlie messing everything up. He wasn't mentally there during practices' and he barely worked out anymore. This girl seemed to be the center of his world and yet I had seen her turn him down multiple times because she was 'busy'. When I tried to tell him, he just shut it down.
I was surprised he even understood the majority of the words that came out of my mouth when I complained about Charlie. His English was getting too good.
"How is Caroline?"
He looked over at me, a smirk stretching his face.
"Shut up."
Geno slumped back into the car seat.
Caroline's POV
"So what exactly happened the other night with Sid?"
A week had passed and everyone was so busy with work that we couldn't catch up until today, which Schechter had said was a much needed girls night in. Sidney and I had barely talked since the incident, however I caught him looking over at me multiple times during practices. My attraction to him frustrated me, Tyler's words replayed in my mind and I felt stupid for even wanting Sidney.
"He's just. Ugh." I didn't want to tell my friends about whatever it was I had with Sidney that night. They hadn't warmed up too him, rightly so since he had been about as inviting to them as a cold fish.
Lily poured me some wine while waiting for the popcorn to finish. Charlie nodded at my statement, "He seems so stuck up sometimes. Did you see his face when he left the kitchen? What did you even talk about?"
"Nothing. Just saying how I shouldn't act like a normal person."
"Well, He'll get what's coming to him."
"My god, is Charlie actually wishing someone ill will? Times are changing."
Charlie nudged Schechter for his outburst shocking him even more.
"Since when did you become this sassy?"
Charlie sipped her wine, choosing to ignore Schechter and his teasing.
"You're right though, Sid seems to always have a stick up his ass" Lily set down the drinks then continued, "When I told him about you inviting Tyler to the party he just stormed off." I looked over at Lily; this was the first time I'd heard of this.
"What? When?"
Lily shrugged, "after the game when he was in the locker room. I was there to get a good view of the other players but he came up to me asking where you had been."
I smiled inwardly, a little happy at the thought that he was looking for me. However at the same time I scolded myself, he was one of my patients and an insufferable one at that.
We continued to talk while reality TV played in the background, going unnoticed. Lily was excited for a business trip her boss had scheduled for her. She got to go down to Dallas and interview some of the Star's players for a spread in the magazine she works for. I could tell she was excited to see Tyler again, having developed a crush on him during the game.
"Are you going to tell Sam about Will?" Charlie had asked me. I felt a surge of guilt as I remembered what happened at the party. The whole thing with Sidney distracted me so much that I completely forgot to tell her. Picking up my phone I texted Sam to invite her out to lunch tomorrow.
...
Sam hadn't returned any of my calls and I was afraid I would miss talking to her in person about Will. Charlie had been asked to join Geno to dinner at his house to which she agreed.
Sniffling a little bit, she walked in to grab some cold and flu medicine.
While reaching for it Schechter interceded.
"You can't drink that stuff! It's going to make your breath smell bad!"
Charlie looked at him for a moment, and then put the box away, giving in.
"Yeah I don't want to get kissed with stale breath."
...
My phone buzzed right after I got out of the shower.
Charlie: This is Geno we are in hospital.
Picking up the car keys and putting on whatever I could find, I left the house. Pulling into St. Jude's parking lot I started to text Geno through Charlie's phone. After a string of unnecessary curses and threats he finally told me where the exam room was. I walked in to find Charlie on a stiff hospital bed in her own room.
"I made sure she was comfortable." Evgeni said, rising from his chair next to her. His arm was in a sling and a few stiches were over his temple.
"What happened?"
I asked, Panic making my voice rise a little. Charlie was asleep, Her chest wrapped tightly in white cloth. The doctor came in then, short stout women with a handsome face. She smiled and shook my hand, "You must be her roommate? Her friend here said you would come."
I stared at her blankly, waiting for her to explain my friend's current physical appearance.
"She suffered blunt force to her chest from the accident. The trauma broke several ribs, but she's lucky. No lungs collapsed."
Oh. Nice. Her lungs didn't collapse. Fantastic. The doctor left after having checked on Charlie. And I turned my fury over to Geno.
"You are going to tell me exactly what happened right now or so help me god-
"They got into a car accident."
I turned to see who was speaking. Facing Sidney, my anger immediately rose.
"Of course you're here."
"What did I do?"
"What don't you do?"
Chelsea walked in then, attaching herself to Sid. Only making me more agitated.
"Hey Caroline. How's it going?"
"How's it going? Oh my god. Are you serious? Are you all really this nonchalant about my friend being unconscious?"
"She's just sleeping!" Geno interrupted, looking a little hurt.
"How long does she have to be here?" I asked, suddenly exhausted.
"Just a few more days."
I was about to yell at them some more, because I just felt like it. However my phone buzzed then.
Sam: Meet me at Russo's around 7:00.
I looked up at Geno, feeling resigned. He had just brushed a hair away from Charlie's face, affection warming his demeanor.
"Okay I have to go get her stuff. Make sure she calls me when she's fully awake."
Geno patted my arm, "Why don't you stay for a bit?"
I nodded, curiosity persuading me to stay and watch Sidney squirm. We all sat around the hospital table near the TV, sipping various steaming drinks. Plucking my book out of my bag. I began to read, wanting to pass the time until 7:00.
"You played so well last night Sidney. I can't imagine having such a work ethic and having so much pressure put on me."
Chelsea walked around the chair Sidney was in as he fiddled with his phone. Stopping just behind him to look over his shoulder. He quickly put the device away.
"Then you are lucky to be free of the NHL. Only coming when you feel like it."
"You make me sound like a person who only lives for pleasure. I came hear to visit my dear cousin Geno. Living in a foreign country away from family can weigh on a person. Speaking of which, how do you do it. When I met your sister she seemed like such a lovely girl. Talented too."
"What did you find so lovely about her?" Geno asked, "I didn't think you even met her"
Chelsea ignored the second question.
"It was how she acted you know? Like she didn't care what others thought of her."
"How do you know she doesn't?" Geno pried.
"Because I'm very perceptive. I can tell when a girl has got a good disposition."
I held back a snort.
"I've only met a few women who really have attitudes I want to be around." Sidney chimed in.
"But unlike Chelsea, I don't judge by first impressions."
"And what is it you find to be a perfect attitude?" I asked, wanting to find something to poke at. He definitely judged by first impressions. I don't know how he thinks he doesn't.
"She has to like, knowledge. Always asking questions. Be headstrong. Also reading is important."
I closed my copy of 'Me talk pretty one day' and shoved it back into my purse.
Chelsea snaked one arm down to graze along his hair,
"You descriptions are awfully particular."
Sidney shrugged away from her touch.
"Yes, if I find a girl that fits all these qualities I'll tell all of you straight away."
Chelsea pouted after that.
...
Seeing Chelsea and Sid put me on edge, and I was eager to leave the hospital. I promised myself to come back tomorrow to visit Charlie when she was awake. When I finally got to the bistro, I saw Sam sitting outside, looking different, her hair was blown out and her makeup was much more dramatic than usual. When she saw me she jumped up, clasping me into a tight hug. I sat done after greeting her, setting into the uncomfortable chair.
"Oh, Caroline I've got great news! Will is taking me to Philly for a few days to look at apartments!"
I spit out my water.
"Waiter! Yes I want your most expensive bottle of pinot noir stat."
Sam chuckled, "Celebrating already?"
I looked at her from my place across the table.
"Something like that."
Sam took my hands in hers and squeezed them again.
"You should know that I'm very happy. I know it's sudden but-"
"Sudden? You've known him a week!"
"Well, not exactly..."
I took a gulp of the wine.
"We have actually been dating for a couple months, I didn't want to introduce him to everyone until it was pretty serious. But I know he's the one. Its just a feeling."
I looked down at my hands, picking a little at the cuticles. Trying to figure out how to word this correctly.
"I need to tell you something about him. A-about the other night at the party."
Sam looked at me, her face held a note of recognition.
"I already know about that."
"You do?"
"Yes, we tell each other everything."
I paused, looking at her for a moment.
"Then why are you still with him?"
Sam rubbed her neck, a nervous habit she had developed from somewhere. Looking down at her wine glass, she shook it a little. Then took a deep breath.
"Because I can feel my clock ticking."
I wanted to cut in but she kept going.
"You don't understand. You're this beautiful successful woman who lives in her own apartment. You don't know what it is like. I'm almost 30 and I'm still a secretary. I want a home and a husband who provides for me. It's not a bad thing to want security. I'm lucky to find someone so well off."
Holding myself back from breaking something I took a deep breath in.
"You could do so much better."
She looked at me sadly, "No, I can't."

Sam left me at the table of the bistro, taking out a set of keys and driving off in a sleek car I had never seen before. I finished the bottle and her untouched glass.

Notes