Sequel: Breathless

There Are Still Rules To Break

A Bit of Confidence

She couldn’t believe it either, but it was eight AM when she woke up from the deep sleep she had fallen into the night before. She had literally stayed up for twenty four hours in order to make her sleeping schedule somewhat normal. Her beloved Bruins would be playing the Carolina Hurricanes at home in the first game of their series that night, and of course Amanda would be there.

After she had showered and gotten dressed, she made herself some breakfast, her phone vibrated on the counter. Sighing, she walked over to it to read the text. Her face broke out into a smile when she saw that Patrice had texted her. When he had saved his number in her phone, he had called his phone as well, making sure he had her number too. That had been two days before at the Bruins practice, and now was the first time either had texted or called the other.

I hope you’re awake. I expect to see you at practice at ten.

Smiling, she texted him back, telling him that he would be so lucky to see her. To say her confidence was elevated through texting would be a gross understatement. When she saw Patrice Bergeron in person, she got nervous, giggly even. She was sure she’d be the same way if they even talked over the phone. It was his eyes and his voice that made her go all fan-girl.

He texted her back, telling her that he in fact would be, and that he’d talk to her in a little while. Amanda felt her heart flutter at the thought of Patrice looking forward to seeing her, but she couldn’t think like that. She was trying out this new confidence thing… Damn straight Patrice Bergeron was looking forward to seeing her! She burst into a fit of giggles at the thought and continued making her breakfast.

When her pancakes were ready, Amanda looked down at her plate. “Fuck my life,” She mumbled, leaving the pancakes on the counter before grabbing her purse, notebook, and tape recorder. Her stomach again was a ball of nerves as she made the ten minute drive to the arena. She was early this time, having left her apartment without eating.

When she pulled into a spot, she sat in her car, listening to her iPod, which was on shuffle. Practice didn’t start for another fifty minutes, and she didn’t feel like sitting in the cold arena by herself and nothing to do. She was jamming to Cobra Starship when Patrice knocked on her window, making her jump out of her seat, clutching her chest.

“Jesus fucking christ, don’t do that!”

Patrice only laughed harder before coughing and mumbling an apology. He opened her car door and motioned for her to step out with him, but Amanda just sat there, glaring at him. Patrice hung his head, shaking it slightly before leaning into the open door and unbuckling her seatbelt. He moved to pull himself out of the car and it was only then he realized how close they were just then. He stared at her, staring into her brown eyes; when the morning sunlight reflected off of them they turned a beautiful hazel color. If he moved his head forward just an inch, their lips would touch.

As tempted as he was to do just that, he broke their staring contest and moved so he was standing outside of her car again. He ran his hand over his mouth, as he thought about what it would have been like to kiss her oh so soft looking lips. He was pulled from his thoughts when Chuck Kobasew walked up, a confused look on his face as he glanced between Patrice and Amanda, nodding his head in recognition toward her.

Amanda smiled and nodded back, watching Patrice’s movements as he again motioned for her to get out of the car. She sighed and did as he told her. She saw Patrice’s eyes look her up and down, and she was sure her cheeks were flushed red. He couldn’t help but stare at her legs and the way the tightness of the denim shorts she wore hugged her in all the right places. The shirt she wore was tight and low-cut, and Patrice just wanted to touch her, kiss her, and have his way with her, but he decided that would be inappropriate to do in the parking lot of the Garden. Turning his head away as she bent down into her car and grabbed her things, he heard Chuckie snort beside him, knowing how much her unintentional show was getting to him.

“Dick,” He Patrice mumbled, putting a smile on his face as Amanda locked her car and turned to look at them. Patrice asked if she wanted to come see how he got ready for practice. She agreed, and he told her that how he got ready for practice was basically the same way he prepared for a game, just a little more casual.

She agreed and followed him to the entrance, as him and Chuckie shared a few words. Chuckie glanced back at Amanda, smiled, and walked ahead of them. Patrice grinned down at Amanda, grabbing her hand and leading her down a secluded hallway. She glanced up at him nervously.

“I just want to talk,” He told her, stopping his walking. He stood so he faced Amanda, and her back was against the concrete wall behind her. “Do I make you nervous?” He asked.

“A little,” She said quietly.

“Why?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know.” She kept her gaze fixed on the concrete ground, the wall behind Patrice, the lights… She looked everywhere but at him.

“Hey,” He said quietly. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What?” She asked, barely above a whisper. Patrice leaned closer to her and brought his lips to her ear. “Wear my jersey tonight?” When she nodded, he smiled. “Do you own one? Or do I need to get you one..?”

“I have one,” She told him, biting her lip. He grinned and played with a stand of her hair, bringing his hand to her shoulder. “Good,” Patrice breathed, again into her ear. He started to walk down the hallway, but Amanda was rooted to her spot. She felt like her whole body was on fire. She was so… hot.

“Are you coming, or not?” Patrice asked when he was at the end of the hall. Amanda laughed nervously and ran after him, once again letting him grab her hand and lead her wherever he wanted to take her.

A win was a win, but Patrice wasn’t thrilled with his performance. In fifteen minutes of ice time, he had managed nothing more than two shots on net. No goals. No assists. No points. Not even a goddamn penalty. He threw his equipment into his locker and sat down. He hadn’t played back, but he hadn’t exactly been spectacular either. Chuckie sighed and told him to not worry about it; they had won. Besides, there was a pretty girl wearing his jersey, probably waiting outside the locker room at that minute.

“What girl?” Savvy had asked, sitting down at his own locker.

“Amanda,” Chuckie answered. “The girl from the Sox game.”

“The one that turned you down?”

Patrice sighed and nodded, as the reporters and media began to file in. He looked up but he didn’t see Amanda. Frowning, he went back to taking his gear off. “Hey, Bergy?” He heard Looch ask.

“What?”

”There’s a hot reporter with your jersey on, man.”

Patrice stood up and saw the top of Amanda’s head in the middle of the crowd that surrounded Tim Thomas, the game’s hero. He smiled to himself and called her name, making the whole locker room stop.

She stepped shyly out of the crowd, her face red and her lips tugged out into a small smile. “Hey,” She said, walking toward Patrice. Grinning down at her, he noticed she had changed out of denim shorts and into a pair of jeans. While he was bummed he couldn’t stare at her delicious looking legs, he was also grateful that no one else could. Her jersey fit her perfectly, he realized looking down at her. It was loose, but not baggy, just like he thought a jersey should be worn.

And she looked downright sexy in it.

“Congratulations on the win,” She told him, and Patrice knew that she didn’t want to tell him ‘good game’ when she knew that he was upset with his performance. It was obvious from a mile away.

He went to wrap his arm around her, but she backed off and mumbled, “Gross.” Patrice laughed and ran into the showers, taking a quick shower. When he returned ten minutes later, freshly dressed in a pair of clean boxers, he didn’t see Amanda. “Where’d she go?” He asked Chuckie. The winger laughed and pointed to the other side of the locker room where Matt Hunwick was talking to her, having her laughing hysterically.

Patrice narrowed his eyes, “Fuck that.” She was wearing his jersey, not Hunny’s. Shaking his head, he realized that he couldn’t claim her. Yet.

“Amanda!” She turned around and grinned.

“Did you shower?”

“Yes, m’am.”

Laughing, she wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back and brought his mouth down to her ear, it seeming to be his favorite way to talk to her. “Want to hang out?” He asked. Nodding against his chest, she smiled, “Sure.”

It was only after he had completely gotten dressed in a pair of tight blue jeans and a plain white shirt that she asked where they were going.

“My place,” he answered. “You want to just follow me there?”

Amanda’s eyes widened, but she nodded.

His place?
♠ ♠ ♠
For the lovely, Manda, as always.

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