Chicago City Lights

Chapter Five

Approaching the man she was told to, Evelyn smiled at him nervously. He looked down at her in a scrutinizing manner, but seemed to lighten up at the sight of her jersey.

“Uhm, excuse me, I’m Evelyn Suf - ”

“Yes, dear,” He cut her off. “Ben told me a pretty, young brunette would be wearing his jersey.”

She blushed. Had he really said that?

“Come on,” He told her, walking down the hall, waving for her to follow.

They stopped in front of a door with the Blackhawks’ famous Indian head logo on it. The man knocked and nodded his head to Evelyn, walking away. Evelyn’s eyes followed him down the hall, and she didn’t notice that the door had been opened.

She turned her head to find herself face-to-face with Brent Seabrook. She blushed, a feeling creeping into her that Ben had sent the young defenseman to the door on purpose, following her earlier comments about him on the phone.

“Evelyn, right?” He asked her, smiling.

Evelyn could only nod, and he moved aside, holding the door open for her. Evelyn nodded her head in a thank you and stepped into the large room. She scrunched her nose at the slight smell, but smiled when Ben jumped from his stall and came over to her, wrapping his arms around her small frame.

“Good game, big guy,” She breathed out, as he held her in his tight grasp.

He smiled down at her, “Did you like the fight?”

Evelyn scrunched her nose and shook her head. Ben laughed and pulled her over to his stall, where he sat, gathering his things.

“Why not?”

She shrugged.

“Aw, come on…”

She shrugged again.

“Lyn…” He whined, looking up at her with his big blue eyes.

She sighed, “I was worried about you!”

“Aw, you got a sweetheart there, Ben,” Patrick Sharp told him, smiling at Evelyn.

“You shouldn’t be worried. I always win fights,” He told her, grinning.

“I don’t know. You lose some, too, at least according to that hockey fights website…”

Ben’s face dropped, “Aw, you didn’t!”

“I had nothing to do before I had to leave for the game!”

The team laughed, as Ben glared down at Evelyn. She smiled up at him, sheepishly, raising her hands into the air.

“Come on, Lynie. You’re killing me.”

“Sorry,” She told him sarcastically, wrapping her arms around him. “Hey, you look nice in that suit.”

“You’re just saying that…”

“Am not, stud.”

Ben grinned at her, as she sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. The rest of the team finished getting ready, as Ben and Evelyn talked.

“Some of the guys are coming to my place,” He told her.

Evelyn nodded her head as best she could, as it was still on Ben’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

“You want to come hang out for a while?” He asked her, as he gently stood up, bringing her with him.

Ben grinned at her, as she sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. The rest of the team finished getting ready, as Ben and Evelyn talked.

“Some of the guys are coming to my place,” He told her.

Evelyn nodded her head as best she could, as it was still on Ben’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

“You want to come hang out for a while?” He asked her, as he gently stood up, bringing her with him.

“I can’t. I’m tired and have work tomorrow. Maybe some other time?” She asked him.

Ben nodded his head and lightly smiled at her, and Evelyn hoped he didn’t think she was rejecting him. She was telling the truth; she had somehow got roped into the morning shift at the restaurant she worked at. Usually, because of school, she worked an eleven AM to four PM shift a couple of days a week.

Ben stayed quiet and Evelyn wrapped her arms around him, “Seriously, I start work at seven AM.”

He looked down at her and grinned, “What time do you get off?”

“Yeah,” Burish chimed in. “Some of us are going to the Lincoln Park Zoo tomorrow for that light display they have… Spending Christmas Eve as a team.”

“You should come with us,” James Wisniewski said, walking over to her and pulling her away from Ben.

Evelyn smiled at Ben and he looked hopeful, so she said, “I’d love to.”

Ben grinned, as Evelyn bid the team a good night. Ben did, too, telling them he was walking Evelyn to her car. Evelyn smiled at him, as they walked through the halls of the United Center.

“I can pick you up tomorrow,” He told her. “I’ll call you when I find out what time we’re going.”

Evelyn nodded, as they reached her car. After giving him a final hug, she climbed into her car and drove off. The entire way home, all she could think about was Ben. She had met him less than a week before, and already she was wanting to spend every minute with him.

He’s a hockey player! She told herself. Never did she see herself meeting and becoming friends with a hockey player, but for some reason they played off of each other so well. They could sit and talk for hours and not run out of things to say. They had done so every time one of them called the other.

And Ben felt the same way. As he watched Evelyn’s car pull out of the United Center parking lot, he smiled. He was excited to see where they were going. He suddenly found himself no longer hating the idea of leaving Philadelphia, but he was happy that he had moved to Chicago.

He liked his teammates, and was fitting in well, but more importantly he had met a girl that made him smile every time he saw her.
♠ ♠ ♠
Still like it? Let me knoww, please?