AUTUMN LEAVES

The dreamcatcher swayed from side to side as the car came to an abrupt stop. Looking at her reflection in the rear-view mirror, Autumn sighed and decided that her faint make-up, or what’s left of it, would have to do for her upcoming meeting. Switching from her beloved driving flats to her black stilettos, she adjusted her skirt as she locked her car. As a final order of business, she sprayed some perfume in the hope of hiding any evidence of having been near vomit and blood for the most part of her long day at the hospital.

She loved her job. Being a pediatrician has always been her dream. Having gone through a tough upbringing, she dedicated her medical career to children’s care. When she was offered to be head of the fundraising committee of the pediatric units at the UPMC, she accepted without hesitation and thought of it as the perfect opportunity to complete her mission by providing in addition to medical care, the financial support for the best care any child deserves. Except she hated the part where she had to ask for the money. She hated the part where she needed to explain to millionaires why it is important to help a child in need and why it is important to invest in health care and medical research. Nonetheless and with a confident stride, she made it inside the building that houses the Mario Lemieux Foundation, a charity that had generously donated to the UPMC over the years.

Autumn exited the elevator on the 12th floor with a broad smile and more importantly, with purpose. After confirming her appointment and exchanging some pleasantries with Abby the receptionist, she sat alone in the plush waiting area crossed-legged with her back straight waiting for her meeting with Mario Lemieux. Scrolling through some emails on her phone, she felt more than saw a presence in the no longer empty waiting area. Turning her gaze from her smartphone, she was met with a face she’d seen too many times, but never in person. Cameras just don’t do him justice was her first thought.

Collecting herself, Autumn realized that the man was staring at her with bewilderment in his eyes. She felt like she needed to say something, but nothing came out. So, she just stared back at him, at his dark hair that contrasted his pale complexion, bee-stung lips, wide shoulders, expansive chest, he was broad from head to toe she thought. He was stockier in person, stretching his black polo to its limits. Autumn felt a rare blush creeping up from her neck to her face, great. She felt as if they were staring at each other for an eternity but it was really for few seconds, she estimated five seconds based on her heartbeats that were too loud she worried he’d heard them.

Abby interrupted the staring contest by clearing her throat. “Dr. Scott, Mr. Lemieux will see you now. I see you met Mr. Crosby?” Finding her voice, Autumn said “uh, not really…” Feeling the awkwardness of the situation, Sidney stretched his hand towards her. "Hi, I’m Sidney, you must be Dr. Scott?” he asked rhetorically with a small smile. “I hope you don’t mind my presence in your meeting with Mario, he asked me to join since I am interested in ways that my own foundation can be involved at the UPMC”. Autumn gathered her wits telling herself that he’s just another attractive man and that more importantly, he’s willing to contribute to her fundraising efforts. Two birds with one stone. Two big birds. “Nice to meet you Mr. Crosby, I would not mind at all, we welcome every helping hand.” Well that sounded lame Autumn she silently told herself. “Sidney” he corrected her, “Mr. Crosby is my dad”. Autumn nodded, “Alright, Sidney please lead the way”.

Sidney, ever the gentleman, gestured for her to go first in the general direction of the office where Mario waited for them both. It gave Sidney the time to admire her from behind this time. When he first saw her sitting with her small nose stuck to her phone screen, he couldn’t help but be stunned at how young she was. He expected a much older doctor on the verge of retirement. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised by how gorgeous she was. Even with her legs crossed it was clear that they go on for days under that tight skirt. Then she looked up revealing her emerald eyes that complemented her white skin and pouty pink lips. They begged to be kissed and sucked or maybe bitten even, Sidney mused. He also noticed her ample chest straining against her white shirt, torturing the buttons, while it moved up and down as their eyes locked.

Now as she walked in front of him so gracefully with her high heels clicking on the ceramic floor, he was not even shy to full-on stare at her, starting at her shapely legs, her round behind that reminded him of J Lo, her swaying hips, to her shoulders where waves of golden silky hair cascaded, lending on her black suit jacket. To Sidney, everything about this woman screamed confidence. From her feminine silhouette, her squared shoulders to the way she carried herself around him. Sidney dealt with all sorts of women, mainly they were all flabbergasted around him, for lack of better terms. Not her though, and Sidney liked it. Autumn seemed unfazed by who he is, just caught off guard by his sudden appearance in front of her. Sadly, they arrived at the office where he could no longer stare without getting caught and this time not by the receptionist, but by a man whose opinion mattered to Sidney.

Autumn smiled as she quietly thanked Sidney for opening the door to Mario’s office. Too Well-mannered for a hockey player. “Dr. Scott sorry to keep you waiting, Mario Lemieux” Mario said while stepping from behind his desk to shake her hands. “I’ve got to tell you, when I spoke to Will, I did not expect him to send you personally to see me, but I’m really glad he did!” he exclaimed cheerfully. “Please call me Autumn, and I am equally glad to meet with you regarding our collaborative future projects”, she replied politely as she took the seat that Mario pointed at. She saw on Mario’s face the realization that Sidney was there too, though still standing quietly at the door while the two exchanged greetings. With a friendly handshake and somewhat affectionate pat on his protégé’s shoulders, he invited him to join them in the conversation. “How about we drop the formalities and get down to business, Autumn what do you say?” she nodded politely, her smile never wavering. She produced a tablet from her thin purse as both men observed her intently. “Sidney here mentioned his interest in donating to the pediatric oncology ward as your committee mentioned a need for more advanced radiology equipment” Mario added.

From there the conversation between Mario and Autumn expanded to touch on strategic development of the pediatric units along with their needs for funds in specific areas. Sidney remained quite as he absorbed every piece of information that was exchanged. Mario listened with high interest as Autumn so eloquently described the work of medical and social teams treating kids with various neurological disorders as well as blood and solid cancers. She was so passionate and animated as she spoke about her work, but Mario noticed how she never for once used “I”, instead she always said “we” as in a team. He heard so many great things about her from Will, the medical director of the UPMC. He was amazed at how humble she was, given her impressive résumé and success at such young age.

She was so intelligent, captivating and yet honest, a rare combination in someone who’s trying to convince you to give cheques with too many zeros. Both men found themselves nodding and agreeing. Mario, not thinking twice, offered his foundation’s full support for the urgent matters at her medical unit. The woman was fit to be a political leader, an honest one at that, if she set her mind to it. As for Sidney, who spoke for the first time in the last 20 minutes, he had different ideas. “I can provide financial support for whatever you see fit, I will clear a sum with my manager and leave it up to you to decide what the money is used for” Sidney said while waiving both hands as he added “no questions asked on my part, I trust that the money will be for good use in helping sick kids. I will also check my schedule and work out a date, maybe around Halloween or thanksgiving, where I can personally visit the kids. I know as a team we do that yearly for Christmas and kids seems to enjoy it a lot, so why not do it more often?” he added while turning a bit more towards Mario who nodded in agreement with a proud fatherly smile on his face. Autumn did not know how to respond at first. Do men like him really exist? “Wow that’s very generous of you Sidney, I value your trust and will oversee that your donation will be used wisely and that your visit will be planned according to your availabilities. Thank you.”

After finalizing the details and exchanging personal business cards and planning future communications, Autumn thanked both men and couldn’t help herself when she said: “I must say, since the business part of the meeting is done, it is a great honor to meet you Mario, I’m a huge hockey fan and grew up watching you and followed the great things you offered the community here in our city. You two Sidney, you seem to follow in Mario’s footsteps and not just hockey-wise”. Sidney has received tons of compliments before, and yet with just a few simple words that were half a complement to Mario, he was floored. He felt himself blush like a 10 year who was told that his crush likes him back. Feeling how bashfully Sidney took the compliment, she did something that surprised him and herself too. Did she really wink at him?

“There’s a gala that the Penguins’ organization holds every fall before the beginning of the hockey season. It is a very private VIP event for players, employees and sponsors” Mario interjected. “We would love it if you can come, I will make sure you get the formal invitation for you and your boyfriend or husband?” Mario added with a questioning undertone that surprised Sidney. Never during the time he has known Mario, did he hear him be so forward with women. But then again Mario has been single for few months now since his divorce. Autumn’s barely audible chuckle told them that she will not be bringing a boyfriend nor a husband. “I would love to come, but is a girlfriend ok?” she asked slyly. Both men looked at her wide-eyed and tongue-tied, which made Autumn laugh out loud, a full belly laugh at their expense. They joined her laughing at her modest joke.

The mere suggestion that she’s a lesbian had Sidney’s ears burn and made the temperature in the room feel much warmer somehow. He wanted so badly to ask her to be his date for the gala. He mulled it over in his fuzzy mind. He’d never taken a woman to any formal event like that before and there’s a reason for that. In fact, there a list of reasons that can stretch as long as the Alleghany river. He was private, he did not do complicated relationships, all women were interested in what he is and not who he really is, and if by chance there was an exception to that assumption, he would not drag a great person into his crazy life, the life of gossip and no personal limits. So, he remained silent and for the first time in his life, he did not want to be Sidney Crosby. He wanted to be this normal guy who found a woman beautiful and intriguing that he had no problem asking her out.

As the trio exited Mario’s office and headed towards the elevators, Mario reminded her to expect the invitation soon as the gala is in one week. She smiled and said that she is thinking to ask her girlfriend to come along, stressing on the fact that they shared a completely platonic friendship. Mario bid her goodbye and noticed Sidney step in the elevator as well, explaining that he had a thing to attend to before having dinner with Mario later that evening. When the elevator door closed, Autumn turned to Sidney and smiled. “What?” Sidney asked while returning the smile. “I know the story of how Mario took you under his wings and all that, but I guess I just witnessed first-hand how much he cares about you and you about him. It is admirable that’s all” she finished with another dazzling smile showing off her white pearls and a single dimple on one cheek that Sidney thought was endearing.

“Well he is like a second father to me, I lived under his roof and by his rules for about six years” he said, never breaking their eye contact. As the elevator opened on the ground floor, they carried their conversation. “I guess I can relate in a way”. “How so?” he asked intrigued. “I grew up with a father figure, a man who took care of me for few years, taught me so much about everything, though he was not my real father”. The surprised look on Sidney’s face told her that she needed to elaborate, but she just met the guy and should have thought before blurting out that piece of her past like that. “It’s a long story for another time”. Autumn simply stated. There will be another time?

Sidney walked with Autumn in the parking lot towards a white Tesla X SUV, surprising him yet again, this time by her choice of car. Add environmentally aware to her growing list of attributes he thought to himself. She does seem to have her own money too. Sidney mentally slapped himself for where his mind kept taking him. It will never happen anyway, so why bother entertaining these thoughts. “Mario is too kind, I have to admit I thought he would be intimidating, but he was like a giant teddy bear” she said as she tapped her index fingers on her lips as if trying to solve the relativity equation. “Scratch that, a giant stuffed penguin” she added decisively. Sidney couldn’t help the high pitch giggles that escaped from him. “Never tell him this ok? Not if you really want that donation” he said in amusement. “I meant it as a compliment, he’s very attractive, the years had done him well” Autumn added and quickly covered her mouth with her manicured hand realizing that maybe she crossed the line of professionalism. She couldn’t help but notice that the smile that Sidney gave her was somewhat sad. “Don’t worry about it, I will not mention that to him, I won’t even say a word about the teddy bear comment for that matter” He smiled more genuinely this time.

She chuckled lightly. “Thank you again for the support you will provide for our projects at the UPMC and see you at the gala” Autumn said more formally this time. Nodding a “no problem”, Sidney waited for her to unlock her door and climb in. With a final goodbye wave, she turned on the ignition and drove away. Sidney was planted in the same spot until her car was no longer in view. Releasing the breath he did not know he was holding, he turned on his heels and headed for his car.

As she drove away, Autumn glanced at her rear-view mirror that had the reflection of a clueless man. Clueless to his ability to melt her insides with just his lopsided grin and the caramel of his intense gaze. While she did not lie when she told him how attractive she thought Mario was, she kept to herself how unfairly handsome Sidney was in her eyes, how he effortlessly put to shame every other man she’s seen let alone been with. As his reflection was growing smaller, she looked wistfully at her swinging dreamcatcher. The Native American sacred item symbolizes the triumph of good dreams that go through it and slide down the feathers while catching the bad dreams in its web. She briefly dreamt that Sidney would call her for reasons other than business. However, she couldn’t decide if she wants this dream to be caught in the web.

Notes