After Charlie got better, Geno stopped calling.

The penguins were traveling for a few away games and I had stayed with some of the other medical staff to fill out paper work. Charlie had tried to text and call Geno but he wasn't responding. Finally she gave up, wanting to spare what self-respect she had left. The two of us fell into a slump that we desperately needed to get out of. When Sam called to invite us to her new apartment for a tour, we leapt at the chance. Lily was still in Dallas; the last time we spoke she said she wanted to stay a little while more to better get to know Tyler.
...
"And to your left is the guest bathroom, all new tiles and sinks!"
Sam had shown us around the apartment, which was on the top floor of a luxurious apartment building.
"It's wonderful not having to worry about rent anymore! Will makes enough money for the two of us you know."
"Honey! Honey?" Will's voice floated in after a loud thud from the entrance door.
"What is it?" Sam came up to him, taking off his coat and putting away his brief case.
"We have been invited by Mr. Hall to have dinner! And you two can come as our guests."
"Oh that's okay, I think I'm going to stay at the Regis tonight" Charlie said, wanting only to lock her into her hotel room.
"Oh, I heard Sidney Crosby was staying in that hotel along with some other hockey players." Will chirped, a little too enthusiastically.
I blocked out what Will had said, wanting to keep up my pleasant mood for the evening. I was determined to get out of this grey period. Despite my dislike for Mr. Hall, I wanted to go. I turned to Sam, mustering up a smile.
"What should I wear?"
Sam eagerly pulled us into her walk-in closet, wanting to show us another plus to living with Will. Charlie plopped down on the bed across from us, looking exhausted.
"It's a good thing were nearly the same size, Will has bought me all these beautiful dresses. I don't know what to do with all of them!"
She giddily thrust a cream piece that fell to my mid-thigh. It complemented my hair color and my lightly tanned skin, adding a bit of contrast.
"Now shoes! Shoes! Hmmm" Sam floated about the room in search for the perfect set of heels. Finally, she pulled out a pair of red pumps.
"Try these!"
Sam then left me to my own devices after I was dressed, running to the bathroom to makeup her face.
Sid's POV
I stood in front of the mirror, trying to comb my hair into something presentable.
Geno barely talked about what had happened with Charlie.
Taking the tie in my hands, I looped it through the bunny hole and pulled the tail.
I didn't push it. I had already done my best to make him feel better. And by that I meant I just got him drunk. He had gotten back into the swing of things, going to practices and working out regularly again. However there was something wrong there. I could tell, the whole team could.
My shoes. Where were my shoes? I don't even have that many pairs. How could I lose them?
None of us even tried to ask him about it though. Why would we? He just needed some time and space. He would get over her soon.
Ah. The bed. Of course. That's where I put all my nice shoes, on the duvet.
I had my own problems to fix now. A problem in the form of our new physician. And she was completely fucking with me. Why did Caroline have to be the goddamn doctor of our team? She completely distracts me every time she's around. If she showed up to the rink, I was flustered and couldn't focus on the drills set for me. If she wasn't there, I constantly found myself checking the entrances for her. Only to be disappointed when she wasn't. I had chastised Geno for letting a girl get in the way of his career and here I was doing the exact same thing.
I closed my hotel door, making my way to the elevator. When the doors were almost closed I saw a flash of dark hair, jumping back out into the hallway, I realized it was just another woman. Not Caroline.
At least Geno was strong enough to end the source of his distractions.
Caroline's POV
Mr. Hall's house was cold and contemporary. The sleek design was beautiful, but uninviting at the same time. He had just recently moved when he was hired as the Flyers' new Assistant General Manager. Sam pulled on my arm to signal that we continue on into the home. She led me into a large den connecting into a dining area. There, dispersed out on the various grey pieces of furniture were Max Talbot, a girl I had yet to meet, Mr. Hall, and Sidney.
He was dressed in a navy golf shirt and some dress pants. His eyes widened when they settled on me, and I was pleased I had let Sam dress me.
"William! Good to see you again!"
Mr. Hall stood up along with the other guests to greet us.
"This is my daughter Sarah. And you know the others Max and Sidney."
We all shook hands and I was glad to be in a position that allowed me to pretend I didn't know who Sidney was. Mr. Hall briefly glanced at me, his face colored with distaste. His daughter seemed slight and sickly too me, as if she hadn't eaten in days. I began to rethink this idea to come over. In no way would this be worth my time. I should have just stayed homed and played scrabble with Charlie. But no, I just had to come out.
"Do you play?"
I looked up to see the person who had just talked to me it was Max.
"You were staring at the piano, I was just wondering if you played."
Remembering the brief year I was in band, I chuckled saying, "A little, but I'm probably one of the worst pianists you'll meet if you ever do get the unfortunate chance of hearing me play." Mr. Brett perked up at that. The chance to humiliate me all too tempting.
"Why don't you play for us until dinner is served? I love the sound of a pianoforte. Sarah would have been great at it, had her fingers been less fragile."
"Oh no, I haven't played in years."
He looked like he had won something then, assuming I would flake out and refuse to play.
"Please, indulge me."
I turned to cross the room and sit before the piano. Beginning to play one of the five songs I knew, Octopus's Garden. Every so often I missed a note. However, no one seemed to notice my mistakes. A shadow fell on the ivory, and I looked up to see Sidney towering over my bench.
"If you've come here watch me flail, be ready for disappointment. I'll muck this up with or without all six feet of you breathing down my neck."
"I don't think you could ever make a mistake"
I didn't reply to that. Not knowing whether he was talking about my playing or something else. Max walked up to the bench shortly after.
"Is that The Beatles I here?" He smiled down at me.
"Why yes it is. And I'm very surprised a meat head like you knows their work." I winked at him playfully.
"Us meatheads can enjoy good music too." Sidney said, shifting his feet.
"It seems Sid has a surprise for me everyday." Max looked between the two of us.
"Are you the new medic I've heard so much about?"
"People talk about me?"
Max leaned in, a look of curiosity on his face.
"Oh yeah, apparently some of the Penguins find you to be very distracting."
I eyed both him and Sidney, who was glaring at Max now.
"Oh really?"
"Yes. So you've got to tell me, what's it like to spend almost everyday with Sid?"
"Well" A smirk crept onto my face. "You should ready yourself for something very horrible. When we first met, he hardly said a word to me. Even though I had gone to many lengths to be friendly with him." Max looked over at Sidney in amusement. Sidney had stiffened. "Then when he went to a few parties that included my friends, he refused to show so much as a smile whenever they approached him."
Max's mouth formed an o and his eyebrows flew up to his hairline.
"Sidney! That's not like you at all!"
Just as he was about to scold his friend more, Mr. Hall called for Max with a short, "Talbot! Come here!"
Once Sidney and I were left alone, he leaned down so that only the two of us could hear each other's voices. I had forgotten to keep playing.
"I'm not good at meeting new people."
Holding his gaze, I taunted him.
"Despite giving interviews and press conferences almost everyday?"
He frowned, moving towards the other guests. I could feel his eyes still on me, but refused to look back at him. Instead, I began to play 'Rhiannon'.
...
We sat down for dinner, which was three courses of mysteriously lumpy food. Mr. Hall made us sit in a particular order, and I found myself wedged between Sidney and our host. Focusing on stirring the soup before me, I was caught off guard yet again when Mr. Hall asked me a question. Undoubtedly trying to humiliate me.
"Do you agree?"
"Huh?"
"There seems to be a trend of working women who are not dating. I hypothesized that it may be because men are attracted to a less aggressive female."
Putting my spoon back into the strange liquid I refocused back onto the conversation.
"Well, if by aggressive you mean independent, than in my experience the men worth dating aren't afraid of a successful woman."
"And how is your dating life?"
I gave Mr. Hall a plastic smile and adopted a southern drawl.
"Suitor's are practically breakin' down my door. Just the other day a man offered my father six cows for my hand in marriage."
Mr. Hall, realizing I was making fun of him, changed the subject.
"Well, I don't see why pretty women are working so much these days."
"You're right what with the pay gap and all. Tell me, do women get paid around ninety percent or eighty percent of every dollar a man makes?"
"Eighty percent"

The whole table turned to stare at Sidney; it was the first word he had spoken since dinner started. We met each other's gaze, humor shining in mine. He held back a smile as he returned his attention to his food.

Notes