Tread This Fantasy

They were playing Buffalo and down by one after forty minutes. Sid had felt distracted during the first period, thinking about Mel watching him play. He wanted to do well for her, but the distraction was taking its toll on his play. He pulled himself together during first intermission and came out a new man, assisting on their first goal. He’d sent the stretch pass up to Kunitz, and Kuni had lifted the shot just high enough that it went over Miller’s right pad.

They were standing in the hall, ready for the third period. He felt calm, but determined to go out there and make a difference. The determination was even deeper when they were going into the third period behind. They all had a finite number of minutes to make a measurable difference or they’d be going back to the locker room to do post-game interviews talking about their faults and mistakes.

Mel was in the box--Mario’s box. He hadn’t mentioned her to Mario until Tuesday night’s benefit. The former Penguin was like a second father to Sid. Telling Mario that he wanted to invite a girl to the game felt awkward, even if he was a full-grown man. Mario had smiled and put a hand on Sid’s shoulder. “Invite her to sit in my box,” he’d said before walking off to take a turn around the room, shaking hands and making small talk with potential donors.

Sid hoped no one was embarrassing him. He didn’t have anything to hide, but things with Mel were still new and he wanted to put his best foot forward. He could just hear Nathalie telling Mel that he drank out of the orange juice carton and had gotten two speeding tickets in the past year. It was like having a girlfriend meet your parents way too soon.

Sid shook his head. Girlfriend. Three dates, two kisses, and his brain was going in the girlfriend direction. Duper had been at Mario’s benefit dinner the previous night and had cornered Sid right after the main course, ragging him about Mel. “You haven’t even seen her tits,” Duper has said, poking Sid in the side and giving him a devious smile.

The vulgarity irritated Sid, but he tried not to let on because they’d all said things like that before. Just not about Melanie, he thought. She was better than that. Besides, he was hoping to see them sooner rather than later. The minute she gave him an in, he was going to take it.

The third period flew by. The official only called one penalty on Buffalo, letting the play continue without many interruptions. Neal whipped a puck past Miller so hard it bounced right back out of the net, tying the score with less than ten minutes left. Sid felt his hunger grow and Mel dropped to the back of his mind while he hunted the puck, yelling directions to his line mates over the cheers and chanting from the audience.

Two minutes after Neal’s goal, Sid found himself with the puck and no Buffalo jerseys around him. He pushed off the ice, leaning forward to propel himself toward their net. He could feel Ehrhoff behind him, almost catching up. Miller was looming in front, feinting left and then right. Sid waited until he was close, pulling the puck back and then moving to the right just enough to pull Miller away from the center. Then he shot it at a sharp angle to the left of the goalie.

Miller couldn’t get back fast enough; he threw an arm up, but it was too late. Sid smiled and lifted his arm in the air as he whipped back up the ice and grabbed onto Malkin and Orpik. They tapped his helmet in congratulations.

The crowd was roaring and he dared a glance up to Mario’s box before he went by to touch gloves with all the guys on the bench. He could only see silhouettes of people sitting at the bar or standing further into the room. Sid hoped she had seen his goal.

After a handful of shifts spent racking up the shots, but not realizing any goals, the clock ticked down and the horn sounded the end of the game. The crowd was rowdy, applauding, screaming, yelling. He tapped gloves with each teammate he passed as he made his way to touch helmets with Fleury and then retreat to the dressing room.

They were leaving tomorrow afternoon for a three-game road trip. North Carolina, Washington, and Toronto. They wouldn’t be back for a week, and for the first time in his career Sid was anxious about leaving Pittsburgh for the road. Would she miss him? Would she find someone else to take her out to Tambellini’s for tiramisu? Would she forget about him? Would she loose interest because he was out-of-town for days at a time. Malkin and his girlfriend had fought over the schedule so many times, and he dreaded what he felt was an inevitable falling out over his inability to spend as much time with her as he wanted, as she deserved.

The guys were gathering in the locker room for the post-game talk. He grabbed his phone out of his bag and slipped out into the hall again. Her number was beneath his fingertip in less than five seconds.

“Hello?” she said. There was loud talking and laughing going on around her.

“Hey,” Sid said softly. “I really want to see you, but I’m not going to get out of here until ten-thirty or eleven.”

“Lisa and Sophie have to work tomorrow, so they already left. Kate was going to drive me home after we grab an appetizer and a drink somewhere.”

“Oh,” he felt deflated. He wouldn’t get to see her for a week. A stolen lunch hour on Tuesday felt like nothing when it was sandwiched between two weeks of not being in her presence.

“I can wait for you, though. I’m sure Kate won’t mind.”

“You don’t have to,” he replied. Sid cringed; he sounded like a pouting kid.

He could hear the smile in her voice when she replied, “If I can get a ride home from a cute hockey player, I think I could be persuaded to ditch my chaperone.”

Sid felt his heart thump. Yes. Alone with her. “I don’t think a ride home would be a problem. Geno has a nice BMW six series.”

“I was thinking something more along the lines of a Range Rover,” she teased back.

“I got just the guy for you. Can you wait there until I finish up?”

She laughed. “As long as they don’t kick me out.”

“Is Mario still there? Can you hand your phone to him?”

“Sure.”

He waited while he heard voices and the sound of the phone rubbing against fabric. Finally, he heard Mario’s distinctive voice, the slight French accent unmistakable. “Sid.”

“Don’t kick her out. I asked her to wait for me.”

“Shouldn’t leave a lady waiting,” Mario replied. Sid could hear him smiling too.

“I wouldn’t if I didn’t have to. I won’t get to see her again for a week. I’ll be up there as soon as I can.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard you like this.”

“I know.”

Mario was silent for a moment. “It will be good for you, I think. I remember how it feels.”

“It’ll feel like shit tomorrow.”

Mario was quiet again. Sid heard a slight change in atmosphere, as if his mentor had moved away from the noise or covered the mouthpiece of the cell phone. Finally, Mario said, “She’s a good girl. She’ll wait if you treat her right.”

“Wait tonight or wait longer?”

“Don’t stay out past curfew,” Mario joked, ignoring Sid’s question.

Sid rolled his eyes. “Thanks, dad. Tell her I’ll be there in an hour.” Sid hit the end call button and looked up to see Sutter standing in front of him.

“Hey, thanks man.”

“For what?” he asked.

“Putting in a word for me. I got a text from Sophie. We’re going to dinner after the road trip.”

Sid smiled. Mel had talked to her a friend. Maybe there was hope for Siddo after all.

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

After their post-game talk, the media wanted a chance to get their sound bites from him. Talking about the same things each time got old, even if they won. He just wanted to play, not be the poster child of the NHL. Instead of indulging them like he always did, he slipped away and took a quick shower. Brooksie looked at him like he’d lost his mind when he didn’t stick around for the interviews.

“What?” Sid asked.

“Got a hot date?”

Sid dried his hair with a towel. “What, has Duper been talking or something?”

Brooksie’s eyes widened. “Shit, you really do have a date.”

“Tell Duper to mind his own business.”

“Duper didn’t tell me anything; I was just making a joke. Who is she though?”

“Fuck off,” Sid replied. This is what he got for not fucking around with girls. He got a bunch of shit from the guys when he wanted to spend time with one.

“She hot? Where did you pick her up at?” Brooks was undeterred.

Sid pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. “None of your business.”

Brooksie laughed, his eyes even wider. “You’re serious about her, aren’t you? You got a girlfriend, Siddo?”

Sid shook his head in disgust and walked out of the room. But he couldn’t keep the smile from growing on his face when he thought about Mel. He bent his head down and grabbed his bag off the bench before taking the stairs. Waiting for the elevator seemed like a frustrating task when she was just a few yards above him.

When he got to the box, everyone was gone but Mario and Nathalie. And Mel. She was sitting in an armchair talking to them. She was in a pair of jeans that hugged her curves and a jersey with his numbers on it. The sight made his heart pound harder in his chest. Her hair was down, brushing the tops of the eight and seven on the back.

They all looked up when he came into the room, slightly out-of-breath from rushing upstairs to see her. “Hi,” he said, looking at Melanie first.

She smiled at him. “Hi. That was faster than I thought.”

“I didn’t want to keep you waiting too long,” he replied, cutting his eyes over to Mario.

The man gave him an unreadable look before glancing over to Nathalie. “Let’s go and let these two enjoy their evening.”

Nathalie and Mel both stood, giving each other a brief, but warm hug. “Promise me you’ll come in and say hello next time we’re in the office. I can’t believe we’ve never met you in all the times we’ve met with Mike.”

Mario took three long strides over to where Sid was standing. He stuck out his hand and Sid shook it. “Good game,” Mario said, clapping Sid on the shoulder with his free hand.

“Thanks.”

Lowering his voice, Mario leaned in and said, “I like her.”

“Me too.”

“What are you boys talking about,” Nathalie asked, walking over and taking her husband’s arm.

“Hockey,” they replied at the same time, not missing a beat.

Nathalie laughed and pulled Mario away. “Always with the hockey,” she said with a smile. “We’ll see you later, Sid.”

He gave them a short wave and turned to find Mel standing in front of him. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. And then lay her on the couch while he stripped off all her clothes and touched every inch of her skin. And then unzip his jeans and...

“I had such a good time,” she said, interrupting his line of thought.

Sid shifted from one foot to the other. “They didn’t tell you embarrassing things about me, did they?” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth. “Nevermind. I don’t think I want to know.”

Mel laughed. “Nothing bad enough to talk me out of asking you if I can cook you dinner next Saturday.”

He raised his brows. “Dinner?”

“Dinner at my place. I’m no Giada De Laurentiis, but I know my way around a kitchen.”

He couldn’t stop the smile that took over his face. “That sounds perfect. I wish it could be this Saturday, but we’re on a road trip for the next week.”

“I know.” She looked sad about it, and it killed him. This must be what it feels like, he thought. To have something you don’t want to leave and something you want to come home to. He wished he could pack her up and take her with him, but she had her own life and career. Fucking away games.

“Your friends left?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Lisa and Sophie left right after the game because they have early work schedules. Kate left about twenty minutes ago.”

“I’ve got you to myself then?”

She threw her arms out to the sides. “All yours.”

Sid took the invitation, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her. She squeaked in surprise before sliding her arms around his neck. Her body was pressed fully against his, and Sid hoped that his cock behaved and didn’t poke her in the stomach.

He leaned in and gave her a kiss--just a soft press of his lips against hers. She kissed him back and he took the opportunity to deepen it, gliding the tip of his tongue over her lower lip. Her tongue came out to tentatively meet his. They kissed for what felt like forever. Sid worked his knee between her thighs; he wanted to pull her up on his leg and let her ride it. His fingers were caught in the belt loops of her jeans, urging her to take that one step that would bring her scandalously close so he could feel the heat between her legs.

I could fuck her in this box, his brain buzzed. Right now. On the couch. Or the floor. Or up against the wall. Would she let me? I couldn’t stop if she said yes.

The door clicked open. Sid jerked his head in the direction and saw a large trash can wheel in, followed by a man in a jumpsuit. The cleaning crew. Sid pulled away from Mel before they were noticed.

“Oh, sorry,” the man said, clearly not recognizing Sid.

At least there was that small miracle. “It’s alright. Have a good night.”

Sid grabbed Mel’s hand and led her out of the box and down the hallway. They were both giggling by the time they got the escalator. “Let me buy that drink for you and then I’ll behave and take you home,” he said, his fingers still laced with hers.

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

He had a couple beers and she had a cosmopolitan in a small, private booth in the back of an upscale bar in the Strip District. It was Wednesday night, so the place was slow and no one bothered them. He’d made the choice to sit beside her instead of across from her, and he was glad of it. His arm felt good casually draped over her shoulder and her thigh pressing against his was delicious. He couldn’t wait to unwrap her. But that was all in due time; he didn’t want to rush it and scare her off. She was different than most of the girls who tried to make themselves visible to hockey players.

She was like Nathalie--classy and smart and independent. Sid picked his glass up and finished his beer. Girlfriend to wife material and I haven’t even seen her naked. He felt ridiculous, but he also felt giddy.

They’d been talking about the night’s game and the upcoming road trip of three games in five days. He tried to tell her how road life was, glossing over the guys that chose to go out after games and pick up women in different cities. He’d never been much for that practice, though he’d done it before. It had always left a bad taste in his mouth, making him feel used and cheap. Hardly worth getting his rocks off with a puck bunny.

Sid flexed his fingertips over the jersey she had on. It was well-worn--probably at least a couple years old. The thought of this woman he couldn’t get out of his mind knowing who he was before he knew she existed was maddening and crazy. “I should take you home, Cinderella. It’s almost midnight and you’ve got work in the morning.”

Mel tilted her head and laid it on his shoulder. “Unfortunately,” she replied, stifling a yawn with her hand. Her short, bright red, perfectly manicured nails caught his attention. He wanted her hands all over his body. On his face, chest, shoulders, back, stomach... His cock. Sid groaned.

She looked up at him, but he covered the noise by groaning again and sliding out of the booth. He helped her up and they found his car. The drive home was peaceful, quiet without being awkward. There was sexual tension; he could feel that. But it wasn’t too bad because he knew deep down that nothing was happening tonight. He was taking her home, kissing her until neither of them could breathe, and flying off to North Carolina to beat a team that consisted mostly of Staal brothers. But a small part of his brain always hoped. Maybe. Maybe it would just happen.

Her apartment building was lit up with only a lonely porch light by the main entrance. Like a gentleman, he walked to her to the door, hands shoved in his pockets because he was afraid he’d make a fool of himself trying to touch her too much.

“I’m glad you enjoyed the game.”

Mel smiled warmly at him. She’d just unlocked her door and cracked it open. “I did. It was an experience of a lifetime--watching hockey in Mario Lemieux’s box.” She playfully poked a finger into his chest. “Plus, this hot guy picked me up after the game and drove me home.”

Sid grabbed the back of her head and brought her in for a kiss. It wasn’t gentle like their others had been; it was hot and needy and fierce. He heard her moan in pleasure, one hand curled in his hair and the other on his chest.

When they broke apart, she whispered, “You can come in for a minute if you want.”

In. For a minute. His mind rolled the words around as he nodded and followed her into the dark apartment. She turned on a small lamp by the door, but it didn’t cast much light. It felt intimate. As soon as she sat her purse down and took off her coat, he spun her around and kissed her again. She didn’t protest.

Her hands were roaming over his chest, giving him goosebumps. She tasted like the cosmo she’d drank at the bar. He was on the verge of being rock hard, pressed down the leg of his jeans. Sid backed her up, his hands on her hips. He moved his hands around to feel the curve where her lower back sloped out into her ass.

She pushed back and turned him around. Before he knew what had happened, the backs of his legs hit something and he fell into an oversized armchair. Mel was on him in a second, her legs straddling his and her hair cascading on either side of his face as she leaned down to kiss him again.

Sid closed his eyes and ran his hands up her body, stopping at the sides of her breasts, and letting his thumbs rub teasing circles while he kissed her back. His cock was so hard it was uncomfortable. He shifted his hips, trying to relieve some of the pressure, but it only served to grind her against his lap. Mel gasped, her lips only millimeters from his.

They were frozen in time for a moment--his hands close to cupping her tits, her hands clutching his shoulders, her warm breath hot agains this lips, and the cradle between her delicious thighs grinding into his lap. If he could just adjust his cock, then he’d probably come in his pants like a teenager if she rubbed up against him again.

Slowly, Mel pulled back. “We should probably stop. I have work tomorrow and you have practice and a flight.” Her voice was breathy. He almost grinned, knowing that he’d affected her as much as she had him.

It didn’t make it any easier to let go of her and let her stand. Finally, he did and she got up, holding her arms out to either side as if to steady herself. I want to make you so weak you can’t even get out of my bed, he thought, running his eyes down her body.

“You’re right,” he said after he cleared his throat and gathered what little was left of his rational brain.

He gave her a sweet kiss goodnight before slipping out into the hallway. She kissed him again before she shut the door.

Sid walked out to his Range Rover and climbed inside before he unzipped his pants and took his cock into his hand. It didn’t take long to get himself off, his memory of her straddling his lap at the forefront of his mind.

Notes