And I Thought I Loved You Then

Leaning back against the rear passenger side door of Sidney's Range Rover -where she'd been escorted to nearly half an hour ago by Marc Andre Fleury and where she was completely obscured from the media and fan frenzy taking place a hundred yards away across the parking lot- Autumn issued a sigh of relief. The ruse that the young goaltender had manufactured had worked like a charm, and he'd been successful in spiriting her away from the crowd of spectators and reporters gathered around the rear doors of the arena and to a relatively safe hiding place. she found that Marc was jovial and easy going; an almost impish smile constantly curving his lips and his dark eyes twinkling. It had seemed as if he'd actually enjoyed what he'd called their 'covert operation'. That it was a great delight being able to pull one over the usually alert and cagey fans and members of the press. He'd amicably chatted and joked around for several minutes before a black luxury sedan had pulled up into an empty spot several feet away and the female driver -long nearly coal black hair pulled into a tight pony tail and a pair of large sunglasses perched upon her face- laid on the horn. He'd given a wave in greeting, then had informed Autumn that it was his long time girlfriend, Veronique.

"We've known each other since we were little kids," Marc had explained, then love and adoration dripping from his voice and written all over his face. "Finally got together when we were sixteen. Took me long enough, huh? As well that ends well, right? She can't get rid of me now. No matter how hard she tries."

Autumn had seriously doubted that any girl, especially one who'd been in a relationship for that long, would want to get rid of someone like Marc Andre Fleury. He was adorable, genuine and sweet; the typical boy next door every mom wanted their daughter to bring home. And she had watched as he'd hurried towards his waiting girlfriend, climbed in the car and then greeted her with a long, sweet kiss before the car had pulled away. Autumn was a sucker for a good romance story. And it was always refreshing to see young men that weren't afraid to show exactly how they felt for someone. Sensitivity in a man was paramount. And to her, one of the sexiest things members of the stronger sex could ever possess.

One thing Marc Andre Fleury was not in possession of however was his ball cap. The well worn and faded Penguins cap was still perched a top Autumn's head and she yanked it off and reached up to smooth down some of the tendrils of hair that had escaped her own ponytail.

"Leave it on," a deep voice said. "You look kinda hot in a baseball cap."

Autumn rolled her eyes as Max Talbot, equipment bag slung over his shoulder and a pair of dark Ray Bans covering his eyes, approached the SUV. All confidence and swagger. She would have had to have been from an entirely different universe to NOT find him attractive. But his 'shit don't stink, God's gift to women' attitude was downright appalling. "You again?" she asked, as she stuck her hand into the back opening of the ball cap and allowed it to dangle from her wrist as she pulled the elastic out of her hair.

Max gave a smirk. One Autumn was pretty sure he'd taken a hell of a long time to perfect. And that he knew drove women crazy. Dropping his equipment bag on the ground, he sidled up beside her and leaned back against the SUV as well. "I'm stalking you Mouse," he informed her.

"Mouse?" Autumn asked, as she held the tie for her hair in her mouth and combed the fingers of both hands through her hair before gathering her tresses and drawing them to the back of her head.

"In case you haven't noticed, you're really tiny," Max replied.

"And you're a pompous ass," she retorted, and secured her pony tail tightly.

"Are you always this charming and sweet?" he inquired, sarcasm oozing from his voice.

"Just to the people I really, really, really like," she responded. "Two can play the smart ass game."

A smirk played at his lips. "you're cute," he said. "Cute and feisty. I like that. It's my type."

Autumn laughed. "No...your type is someone whose shoe size is bigger than that of their IQ. And you're pissing in the wrong yard if you've got that impression of me."

"I don't have any impression of you," Max told her. Then nudged her with his elbow and added, "Yet."

"Then how about you keep it that way and leave me alone so you don't form any impression at all," Autumn suggested, giving an incredulously sigh. "I mean, does all of this really work for you?" she asked.

"All of what?"

"All of..." she gestured towards him with both hands. "...this! That whole strutting thing you do and that whole bad boy come on you try so hard to give. That look and that smile you give when you see something that you're jonesin' for. Does all of that really work for you?"

"The notches on the bed post speak for themselves," Max said confidently. "I haven't had any complaints."

"Well then there's either a lot of really dumb women out there with appalling taste in men or they're all lying in order to preserve your ego."

A massive grin spread from ear to ear and Max sized her up from head to toe. "You are something else," he gave a sigh as his eyes swept over her body. "Where'd Sid find you? And how the hell did he find you?"

"He must shop in a different store than you do," Autumn said. "You know...the one that specializes in girls with brains and self respect."

"I always knew he was that type," Max declared.

"And what type is that?" she inquired. "The kind that doesn't jump head first into the skank pool?"

"You know what kind I mean. The virginal and pure Catholic school boy type that goes for chicks that can manhandle him. That he lets get all bitchy and bossy and aggressive on him. That can use him and abuse him. Mould him into what they want. I always knew he was into that kind of thing."

"The only thing that what you just said proves is that you actually know fuck all," Autumn informed him. "If you're hear to talk shit, do me a favour and take a hike. I'm not in the mood to get into a pissing match with you."

"I am not hear to talk shit," Max assured her. "Not in the slightest. I'm just here to...get the goods."

"Get the goods? What kind of goods? The kind that Sidney wouldn't give you in the locker room today?"

"He doesn't kiss and tell," Max said. "But that bite mark on his shoulder and that hickey on his neck and those scratches on his back tell a whole story all in themselves."

"Well then you don't need me to tell you anything else," Autumn concluded, and giving a sugary sweet smile, reached into her purse and pulled out her BlackBerry. Not addressing the man beside her any more; ignoring him completely as she checked for any missed messages.

"So..." Max attempted to make conversation. "What do you see in Sid in the first place?"

"Oh I'm sorry," Autumn glanced up at him. "I didn't realize you were still here. How rude of me."

"You're a bad ass for such a little thing," Max declared.

"No...I've just dealt with bigger and better assholes in my day. Look, I know you really think that you're something around here..."

"I don't think sweetie."

"But this...whatever this is that you're spewing? I'm not biting, okay? I'm not interested. So unless you actually want to make decent conversation and you want to attempt to get to know me as something more than a pussy and a pair of breasts, I don't have time for you."

Max blinked at her brutal honesty. And for once in his life, a woman had rendered him speechless.

"I didn't think so," Autumn said, and went back to her BlackBerry. "I'm sure deep down you're a really nice guy Maxime Talbot. I'm sure that one day you’ll wake up and realize that the way you are... cocky and arrogant and a million other words that are escaping me at the moment, is just an act. I'm sure if you were honest with yourself, you'd admit that you're like this because...well...to be quite frank...you really aren't as great as you think you are. And your whole, 'my dick is bigger than your dick' crap is actually covering up the fact that you're an insecure little boy."

"You a shrink?" he asked, amused by her rant.

"Social worker," she replied. "But I did take psychology in university and I can smell bullshit from a mile away. And you carrying on all of your conversations with my boobs isn't exactly scoring any Brownie points."

"You wanna go out sometime?" Max asked bluntly.

"Do I want to be a booty call?" she retorted, eyes riveted on her BlackBerry. "That would be a no."

"No booty call," he said. "Just two friends going out sometime."

"Now you're under some assumption that we're friends?"

"Well you're Sid's girl and all and he's one of my best friends so I..."

"And you always give the come on to your best friends' girls?"

"...just thought that maybe you'd like to hang out. Get to know each other better. If you're going to be spending a lot of time with him, you and I should know stuff about each other."

"Why?" Autumn asked. "Are you his keeper or something like that?"

"I just worry about him. I just don't want him going into something that he's not really prepared for and getting his heart broken. He hasn't been with a lot of girls and he's never had a real relationship and I'm just worried that he's going into things too hard and too fast. I just want to protect him."

"Sidney's a big boy," Autumn assured him. "It's okay to take the training wheels off. I won't hurt him..." she allowed a grin to tug at her lips, then added, "Much."

"I just don't want him getting hurt, you know? He's a good guy and he's obviously crazy about you and I just want to make sure that you're not..."

"That I'm not what?" she asked. "That I'm not some fan girl that only wants to be with him because he's Sidney Crosby, boy wonder? The NHL's prodigal son? Some skank off that street that's more interested in the cash and the lifestyle then having an actual relationship with him? Look, I'm sure your intentions are honourable. And I believe you when you say you're worried about him and that you don't want him to get hurt. But I'm not some flighty, immature little girl that doesn't know how to handle a real relationship. I've been married, I've had boyfriends. And I'm in this because I want to be. Because I'm interested in the Sidney that I met that day at the hospital. Who's funny and slightly goofy and adorable. Who makes me feel like I'm the most beautiful, incredible woman in the world. I don't care how much money he makes or if he won the Stanley Cup or how many goals and assists he has in his career. None of that matters to me. At all. So I really don't appreciate you treating me like some dumb ass fan girl."

Max nodded slowly, allowing her words to sink in.

"If you really want to try and be friends with me," she said. "If it's really about that and you're not the type of guy that gets some perverse pleasure out of nailing your team mates' girlfriends..."

"The real deal," Max told her. "I just think that we should be friends. That it would things easier on Sid. You know, suddenly having a girlfriend that he brings along places. I know he worries about what the guys say about him and all of that. So I thought I'd just toss myself out there. Be a one man welcome wagon."

She finally cracked a genuine smile. "He must mean a lot to you," she said.

"He does. And I know that you already mean a lot to him. It's the only reason why I'm here talking to you right now. For him. Because of how he feels about you. So I'm sorry if I came on a little..."

"Strong?" Autumn attempted.

"I flirt a lot. It's just how I am. And I'm used to women liking it and flirting back and I...I'm sorry that I offended you. I didn't mean to come across like I was sexually harassing you or anything like that."

She nodded, accepting his apology. "And I'm sorry if I was a little...harsh...with you."

"A little?" Max asked, then chuckled when she swatted his shoulder.

"I just get very defensive," she explained. "When I feel my personal space being invaded. And you were...invading it. Big time."

"I'm sorry," Max told her. "Like I said, I'm just like this and I'm not used to anyone taking offence."

"You're just lucky I didn't get even more pissed off and unleash my secret weapon," Autumn said with a smirk.

"Secret weapon? What would that be?" Max asked curiously.

"My left knee. One direct hit to the balls and...well let's just say it's capable of bringing a three hundred pound man to his knees, whimpering for mommy."

"I will definitely remember that," Max chuckled, and backed away slowly, holding his hands protectively over the most precious part of his anatomy.

"I'm actually harmless," Autumn laughed. "Well...for the most part at least..."

"I'll still be on my best behaviour around you," he said, and picked up his equipment bag. "I gotta get going. So we're cool?" he asked.

"We're cool," she answered. "Where are you going? Hot date?"

"I'll let you know just how hot the next time I see you," he replied, giving her a wink.

"Spare me the gory details," she said with a roll of her eyes. "We'll talk soon, Max."

"We certainly will Mouse," he promised, then turned to head towards his own car parked three spots away. Then suddenly stopped and turned to face her. "You wouldn't happen to have a sister would you? A really fine looking one? Or some hot friends?" he inquired hopefully.

"If I did, you'd be the last person I'd introduce them to," Autumn replied.

He laughed heartily. "You're a smart girl," he declared, then turned back around and continued on to his vehicle.

Autumn smirked, and shaking her head, looked back down at the cell phone in her hands. Then listened to the opening and the shutting of the trunk, followed by the click of the driver's side door being opened and closed again and then the gunning of an ignition. And she looked up and glanced over as Max peeled out of the parking lot in an expensive gun metal grey sports car. Living large and in charge. .

A definite chick magnet, she thought, and laughed out loud.

Maxime Talbot certainly was something else.

A total rock star.