Staal

"Come meet me for drinks. I want you to meet my new boyfriend." The voice on the other end of the phone announced into my ear.

"Good god. I don't have time. I'm trying to get to the station for my other screen test,"I told her, quickly getting off the bus and making my way down Queen Street.

"You have time. Plus, you won't bedisappointed. I'll order a drink for you so you don't have to wait long. I'll be at the usual table."

"Fine. I'm on my way."

I quickly memorized the address of the bar and realized that I was about two minutes away from it. How did I know? It was my favorite bar and my friends and I always frequented it to watch hockey games. Marching my way up the stone steps to theentrance, I smiled at the hostess and made my way to the table.

Stopping in front of it, I felt my jaw hit the floor. There sat my cousin, surrounded by the four Staal brothers - Jared to her right, Eric to her left. Marc was sitting next the Eric. and Jordan was sitting towards the end of the booth, with an empty seat next to him. Not only was I going to kill my cousin for not telling me about the boys, I was going to kill her for sitting me next to Jordan - she knew I had a crush on him.

"Oh hey. You look great, Cuz. Sit down and stay a while."

"Deanne, I'm seriously going to kill you right now. You could have at least warned me that you were with the Staal's. I would have had time to compose myself a little," I told her, sliding into the booth next to Jordan.

"Meh - I figured I'd leave that little detail out. Besides, you'd auditioning to be a sportscaster - you need to think on your feet."

"Sportscaster, eh? For what station?" Eric asked. As he took a sip of his beer, my cousin lifted her hand onto the table, which he took and linked with.

"Well, I just finished with The Score. I've already been to TSN and Roger's Sportsnet. I've got a screen test with Don Cherry in two hours." My drink arrived and I sipped it, only cluing in that he was holding hands with my cousin. "Hey Eric, aren't you married?"

"Not any more. Tania and I divorced a little while ago. And, no, Deanne is not my rebound girl."

"You mean you divorced your pregnant wife?"

"Yes. But it wasn't my child. She was cheating on me with some random guy who works at the RBC centre. I'msurprisedit took me so long to figure it out."

I nodded and sipped my drink, trying to keep the butterflies that were in my stomach at bay - and also hoping to not make the fact that I"m staring at Jordan so obvious.

"So. Charli. What are screen tests like?" Jared asked me, sounding quite interested in the subject.

"Well, each one is different. But you basically go in and read stuff off the teleprompter. Do a mock interview if you have to. It was pretty fun. The Score one was the hardest.....and the mostembarrassing." I replied, looking down at the table.

"Why?" Jordan asked, looking at me with those eyes that make me want to melt in a puddle on the floor.

"Well, they made me watch a play on tv and it would narrow down on a certain player. I'd have to say who it was and give a little bio on them. Then they wanted me to discuss their strengths and weaknesses."

"Who did you get?" Deanne asked.

"Well - Roberto Lunogo, Sean Avery, Anze Kopitar, and .....Jordan Staal."

Everyone around the table got quiet until Jordan spoke up. "And what did you say about me?"

I knew this answer was going to require me looking into his eyes - so I took a deep breath and said "Well, I pointed out that you're huge for a strength. I also said that you have this amazing ability to read a situation and make a play out of almost anything. And that you're pretty much the best defensivecenter-manin the league."

"And what about his weaknesses," Eric asked.

I turned red as I had to admit to the actual player I had been tested on all the bad things I said. "Well, I told them that you're shy on the ice sometimes. And, I also said that you're sloppy and timid when you have the puck."

The whole tableeruptedin laughter as Jordan put his head down and his cheeks turned bright read.

We all sat and chatted until 4 o'clock rolled around and I had to get going to CBC studios.

"I've gotta go, can't keep Don Cherry waiting. It was nice meeting you guys. Maybe I'll see you again sometime." I told Deanne to call me later and I got up and left the bar.

"Hey, Charli. Wait up." I stopped and turned around to find the voice calling my name - turns out it was Jordan.

"Listen. Deanne told you to come here because she wanted me to ask you to this wedding that we all have to go to next weekend." Jordan said.

"And, was that you asking me?" I giggled.

He laughed. "Well, yea. Will you be my date to my cousin's wedding. And don't worry, Deanne will be there so you won't be alone."

"Sure. I'd love to. Are you in the wedding?"

"Nope. So, I'll pretty much be with you the whole time. If that's alright,"Jordan said as he picked at his fingers.

"Sounds perfect. Well, here's my cell number. Text me with the details and I'll let you know what I'll wear and stuff." I handed him a piece of paper with my number jotted on it.

"Bye, Jordan. I'll see you next weekend."

"See you."

I started to walk away.

"Oh, Charli. Good luck." Jordan smiled and headed back into the bar.