Tread This Fantasy

He called her on Sunday night after they destroyed the Panthers, handily winning the game with three points to spare. He asked her if she was available on Tuesday at lunch. There was a benefit dinner Tuesday night, and their next home game was Wednesday, leaving very little time for her in his schedule.

Mel wasn’t sure how he felt about their conversation the previous Friday. He’d been surprisingly open about his dealings with women and his attraction toward her. She didn’t think he was feeding her lines, and if he was, then he deserved a medal for his skill. However, she knew that he was a busy guy and she was more than likely going to get hurt if she went down the path that involved letting him into her world. The questions was: was the potential pain worth it?

Lisa’s answer to that question had been plain: he’s Sidney Crosby and you can’t say no to that. Even though he was Sidney Crosby, he was also much more than a robot hockey player with the best skills in the league. She didn’t want to date him for the name, but his name was hard to forget.

Kate’s response had been simple as well: he’s a fox with a successful career. Sitting the hockey thing aside, he was a very attractive man who had a great deal of success in his chosen field. Women choose men for looks and success all the time, but those had never been at the top of Mel’s must-have list because it seemed a little shallow.

It was Sophie’s response that hit at the heart of the matter: do you think you could fall in love with him?

Mel sighed and doodled a series of circles in the upper right-hand corner of her notepad. The page had been divided in half--a column labeled pro and one labeled con. She had spent Monday afternoon trying to decide if falling deeper into Sidney Crosby was a good idea or not. She wrote the word “love” in capital letters in the pro column, then added a question mark after it.

Could I wake up to him every day?, she wondered. It didn’t take much thought to know the answer was easy. Yes, yes she could.

****************************************

Mel wore a dark blue dress with an A-line skirt to work. She accentuated her waist with a belt. Her cream wool coat lightened up the look and matched with her cream heels. Bunching her shoulders up against the windy Downtown streets, she hurried over to the alley that cut through the block. Sid was standing a few yards away. He really didn’t have it easy, she thought. He is so unmistakeable that there’s no way he didn’t get recognized when he went out in this hockey town.

Sid waved when he saw her, making several long strides closer. She took a deep breath, all her concerns and the cons from her list flying out the proverbial window the minute she saw him. He was in jeans and a black sweater with a black puffy coat to keep him warm. His eyes were lit up and his lips were lifted into an easy smile.

“Oh boy,” Mel muttered under her breath. He was a dreamboat. And he didn’t seem to know it.

“Hey,” he said, holding out his arms and giving her a quick hug. She wanted to kiss him, but they were in public and she didn’t know if he would go for it. The hug was good enough. He smelled delicious--woodsy with a hint of bergamot. And his strong arms around her, even if it was for just a moment, made her feel like a lovestruck fifteen-year-old girl.

“Hi,” Mel replied, pulling back and smiling at him. “Are you ready for the best food cart in all of Pittsburgh.”

He laughed. “I don’t think I’ve eaten at a food cart in Pittsburgh yet.”

“You’re missing out.”

He took her arm and tucked it through his before he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. It brought her body up against his from shoulder to hip. “I didn’t see it down this way.”

“It’s a well-kept secret. How was your morning?”

He walked beside her, slowing his steps so she could keep up in her heels. The food cart was only a couple blocks from her office, down an alley and parked in a small lot only a couple days each week.

"Good. I got a skate in. Duper is still busting my balls over you."

She lifted her eyes up to him, surprise on her face. "Over me? "

Sid smiled down at her. "He's teasing me because I'm spending time with a girl."

Mel tilted head head to the side, unsure how to take the comment. "Is that unusual? "

"I warned you that I'm a dork. I don't date."

She pulled his arm closer. "Could have fooled me."

"Oh hey, Sutter asked about your friend."

"Sophie?"

"Mmm, hmm."

Mel raised her eyebrows as they turned the corner and saw the cart in the middle distance. "Really? What did he say?"

"Not in so many words, but I think he regrets not getting that third date."

"Sophie is a romantic and a princess. If he didn't give her the time that she wanted from him, then she won't stick around. She doesn't know anything about hockey. Maybe he should explain his schedule to her."

And maybe I'll tell Sophie that Brandon Sutter is still thinking about her. She'd love that, Mel thought.

"It's tough to be away so much when you have a life at home that you want to come back to. A lot of the guys who are married with kids struggle with it. We all love hockey, but it can really put a cramp on relationships."

"Did you have trouble leaving your family?"

Sid shook his head. "I miss my parents and sister, but I was excited to play hockey. I think leaving a wife or girlfriend is different. Probably harder. I've never really been in that situation before so I don't know how I'd take it."

They were close enough to the food cart that Mel could smell lunch. "I thought you said you'd dated someone about a year ago."

He shrugged. "It wasn't really like that. I think we were both okay with only seeing each other a couple times a month. Or at least I was okay with that." He looked down and gave her a sheepish smile. "I guess that means she wasn't worth the time and effort."

She shrugged back at him. "Not necessarily. Maybe she's just what you were ready for then."

"Who is this Melanie Kay?"

Mel looked up and saw Jack manning the food cart. He was the son of a client and the cart was his first stab at becoming an entrepreneur. He had a mop of dark hair and a killer body to compliment his handsome face. And even if she’d ever been interested in him, he was seven years younger than her.

She grinned at him. "You know full well who this is, Jack Hartford."

"Yeah, but how'd you talk him into slumming it with you?" The boy almost couldn't contain his excitement. He stuck his hand out to Sid. "Hi, it's an honor to meet you."

Sid took it in stride, shaking Jack's hand with a warm smile and a nod of his head.

Mel cleared her throat. "I promised Sid that you have the best food. Don't prove me wrong."

Jack took their orders and threw the food on the grill. While he was watching the portabella burgers sear on the heated surface, he said, “How do you two know each other?”

Mel opened her mouth to make an excuse about meeting through business, but Sid spoke up first. “I saw her in Whim and had to introduce myself.”

“You guys are playing awesome hockey this year,” Jack said, changing the subject while he slipped the mushroom burgers on buns and wrapped them up in foil.

Mel grabbed two bottles of water from the bin while Sid thanked Jack for the compliment. When he tried to pay for the lunch, Jack waved the cash away.

“No way, man. On the house.”

“Thanks, Jack,” Mel said, using her arm to hold the two bottles of water and grabbing Sid’s arm in her other hand. He was holding their burgers in his free hand while she led them away.

“I know a place we can sit and eat. Maybe. If the entire city doesn’t recognize you.”

His head dropped slightly. “Yeah, sorry about that. It happens a lot.” He sounded genuinely upset about it.

“Hey, it’s no thing. I’m not about to complain about seeing with Mr. Famous.”

“It just gets frustrating. We can’t even go to dinner without someone saying something.”

Mel tightened her grip on his arm. “It’s okay. Really. We can eat on the DL.”

“DL?”

“Down low.”

Sid laughed. “I don’t care if the entire city sees me with you; I just don’t want you to get turned off by it.”

“You’re counteracting that by turning me on.”

His eyebrows went up as he laughed at her. “Oh, really?”

“White boyshorts with black lace around the edges.”

“Huh?”

“Panties of the day.”

His steps faltered, pulling her back slightly. “Trying to drive me crazy?”

“I’m flirting,” she replied, looking up at him.

“You’re the devil,” he said, walking with her again.

They rounded the corner and saw the little park Mel had been leading them toward. It was in the shadow of two tall buildings. There was a waterfall on the far end and a few high-backed stone benches situated in front of the water display. The benches were small and circular, only allowing two people to sit on one if they were close together. However, they were also private, curling around so that people could only see you if they were standing in front of you. The area didn’t get much traffic, so Mel knew they’d be safe.

“You’re good,” he said after they had settled in and unwrapped their food.

“I know all the secrets of Downtown Pittsburgh. That’s what happens when you work here for years and spend your lunch hour exploring.”

“I’m appreciative,” he said, taking a bite of his burger. “Of the privacy and the food.”

They ate in silence. When they had finished, Sid tossed the wrappers in the trash and came back to sit with her. He casually slipped her arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer. She smiled and snuggled into his body.

“You smell good,” she said softly.

“New cologne.”

“Hot date?”

“Maybe,” he replied. “Would you be interested in coming to the game tomorrow night?”

Mel’s brain almost shut down. She was being invited to a hockey game by Sidney Crosby himself. “I’d love to.”

“Your friends are invited, too.” She could feel his voice rumble in his chest.

“Lisa, Kate, and Sophie?”

“Mmm, hmm. I’ll have someone e-mail you tickets to print.”

She put her hand on his chest and tucked her head in beneath his chin. “That’s mighty nice of you.”

“I’m a nice guy. But I am expecting something in return.”

Mel froze, not daring to look up at his face. Instead, she kept her eyes on the waterfall. “What’s that?”

“Another date.”

Relief flooded through her. For a moment, she worried he might turn into a slimeball and tell her that he was expecting her to put out. “Done and done. But I’m not telling you how many dates it’ll take to get in my pants.”

He chuckled. “I’m going to really turn on the charm during the next date. You won’t be able to resist.”

Mel rolled her eyes, but she knew that if he tried harder, then she’d be in trouble. If a kiss curled her toes like that, then she didn’t stand a chance.

“Just giving you fair warning,” he added.

She laughed and looked up to meet his gaze. His eyes were playful, but they were also dark and serious. Sidney Crosby wanted her. She hoped that it was genuine and not just because she’d made him chase her a little.

“Bring it on, Siddo,” Mel whispered.

His free hand came up and cupped her jaw as he leaned in and kissed her. It started slow with just a gentle press of his lips against hers. When he pulled back slightly, she opened her mouth the smallest bit and moved in to kiss him back. He took the bait and tightened the arm around her, pulling her closer and tentatively sliding his tongue between her lips.

Mel heard a whimper before she realized it had come from her. His lips were impossibly soft, yet demanding and confident. He knew what he wanted, and all her bodily heat was pooling between her thighs. She didn’t stand a chance against this man.

Finally, he pulled back, his thumb absently caressing her cheekbone. “I’ve been waiting for days to do that.”

“It was totally worth it,” she replied.

Notes