I Can't Believe You're Here...
One-shot
"Baby, I'm sorry. I just started work and can't get it off. You know that." I sighed into the phone.
"I know, Ma Cheri. It just sucks to see all of the guys with their girls and me without you."
"Aww, Max. I saw you two weeks ago. I'm gonna see you in Montreal next month."
"I miss you, Lilly"
"I miss you too, Max. Now go out and play for me. Please baby, try not to think about it. Go out and score me a goal." I smiled into the phone.
He laughed, "Ok. But only cause I love you. I'll call you after the game. Bye Baby. Je t'aime."
"Je t'aime aussi Maxime. I have to get back to work. Have fun tonight."
We hung up and I headed back to work. Max was on my mind all day, so much that I couldn't concentrate. It was game six of the Stanley Cup final. The Pens were playing at home and were down 3-2 in the series. Part of me wished that they would win and force game seven, and the other part of me wished that they had swept and I could have been there to see it.
'Lilly Reid, you have a telephone call in the office please. Lilly Reid, telephone call.'
I looked at my co-workers funny and left the break area and towards the office.
"Hello?" I asked into the phone.
"Lilly? Hi, it's Mario."
"Oh hi Mr. Lemieux. What can I do for you?"
"Well, Max is doing incredibly well this post season and we want you to share in it. If the boys win tonight, we'd like you to join us in Detroit for game seven."
"Mr. Lemieux, I can't be there. I've already asked for the time off and it was denied. Besides, I need the money to help pay for school."
"I've just spoken to your boss, and he has okayed your time off."
"Ok, but how will I get there. There's no time to book flights."
"That's all taken care of as well. Thursday night at around 10 pm, the Penguins jet will be on the ground to pick you and your family up and bring them to Detriot."
"Does Max know?"
"No he doesn't, and we're going to keep it that way."
"Oh my god. Thank you so much." I hung up and went back to work with a huge smile on my face.
Sure enough, the Pens won and forced game seven. Thursday night, I arrived at the hanger with my family and boarded the jet that would take me to my Max.
We were greeted in Detroit by Mario and Nathalie, who drove us to a separate hotel fro where the boys were staying. It was also the same hotel that the families of the players were staying at. And who should I run into, but Max's mom, Lucie.
"Lilly, what are you doing here? Max said you couldn't come." Lucie smiled as she hugged me.
"I couldn't. But Mario pulled a few strings and I'm here with my family. Max doesn't know. And we'd like to keep it that way until tonight."
"Don't worry. Your secrets safe with me. He said he was going to call you tonight before the game. How will that work?"
"Hmmm, well someone's at the house looking after my dog, so they're gonna tell him that I'm at a friends house watching the game."
"Well then. I'm going to go see him now before they start getting ready and be interviewed. Will I see you tonight?"
"I'm sitting a few rows behind you. And I got my hair cut, so I don't think he'll recognize me."
"I was just about to ask you about that. You look lovely. We will see you tonight."
"Give him a hug for me?" Lucie agreed and we split. I went and showered and did my hair, and helped my sister get ready for the game.
Donning my black "Talbot" jersey, I sat down at Joe Louis flanked by my mom and sister, who were wearing their Detroit jerseys, and my dad - who proudly sported his leafs tie. I made eye contact with Max's dad, Serge before the game started. He mouthed to me that he was glad to see me, and then the puck dropped.
Max scored the only two goals and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. Seeing the waves of happiness cross Max's face as he hoisted the Cup made the tears stream down my face harder.
I walked out of the stands and stood in the lobby in front of the locker room with my parents. "We're going to head back to the hotel now. Have fun. Give Max our love."
After saying goodbye to my family, I showed the guard my pass and entered the locker room. I caught Sidney's attention and he came over and hugged me.
"Congrats, Cindy!!" I yelled, giving him a hug.
"I'll let that name slide this one time. You look great."
"Thanks. Where's Max?"
"Umm, over with Flower. He's gonna loose it when he sees you."
I smiled and walked over to Max. Marc-Andre saw me but kept a straight face as I tapped Max on the shoulder. He turned around and his jaw hit the floor.
"Hi, Babe. Congratulations."
He picked me up and spun me around. My legs wrapped around his waist and we kissed.
"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" He asked, still not believing that he was holding me.
"Mario pulled a couple of strings and flew me down here last night. I got in around 7 this morning. My parents and sister came too, but they left a few minutes ago."
"And you got your hair cut?"
"Do you like it?"
"I absolutely love it, just like I love you." Max smiled and kissed me again. "Come with me to my press conference?"
I nodded and walked hand-in-hand with him to the podium. He spoke for about five minutes before leaving and wrapping me in his arms.
"I still can't believe that you're here," He said as he started to take off his gear.
"You know what, neither can I." I smiled and started to hang up the gear he was taking off.
We had him undressed and he sat on his bench with me in his lap.
"I love you, you know that?"
"I'm pretty sure I do." I smiled.
"No seriously. I love you. And I know that there's a five year age gap between us, but that doesn't matter. I'm willing to wait for you."
"Max, what are you getting on with?" I ask, turning around so my legs are on either side of him.
"I want to marry you, Lilly Reid. But not yet. I do, however, want you to wear this ring. Wear it as a sign for things to come." Max opened the ring box to reveal a stunning sapphire and diamond ring.
"Oh my god, Max. It's beautiful." He slid it on my finger. "I love it. And I love you. And we will get married, just in a few years."
"Sounds like a plan."
"I love you, Maxime Alexandre Talbot."
"And I love you, Lilly Elizabeth Reid."
"I know, Ma Cheri. It just sucks to see all of the guys with their girls and me without you."
"Aww, Max. I saw you two weeks ago. I'm gonna see you in Montreal next month."
"I miss you, Lilly"
"I miss you too, Max. Now go out and play for me. Please baby, try not to think about it. Go out and score me a goal." I smiled into the phone.
He laughed, "Ok. But only cause I love you. I'll call you after the game. Bye Baby. Je t'aime."
"Je t'aime aussi Maxime. I have to get back to work. Have fun tonight."
We hung up and I headed back to work. Max was on my mind all day, so much that I couldn't concentrate. It was game six of the Stanley Cup final. The Pens were playing at home and were down 3-2 in the series. Part of me wished that they would win and force game seven, and the other part of me wished that they had swept and I could have been there to see it.
'Lilly Reid, you have a telephone call in the office please. Lilly Reid, telephone call.'
I looked at my co-workers funny and left the break area and towards the office.
"Hello?" I asked into the phone.
"Lilly? Hi, it's Mario."
"Oh hi Mr. Lemieux. What can I do for you?"
"Well, Max is doing incredibly well this post season and we want you to share in it. If the boys win tonight, we'd like you to join us in Detroit for game seven."
"Mr. Lemieux, I can't be there. I've already asked for the time off and it was denied. Besides, I need the money to help pay for school."
"I've just spoken to your boss, and he has okayed your time off."
"Ok, but how will I get there. There's no time to book flights."
"That's all taken care of as well. Thursday night at around 10 pm, the Penguins jet will be on the ground to pick you and your family up and bring them to Detriot."
"Does Max know?"
"No he doesn't, and we're going to keep it that way."
"Oh my god. Thank you so much." I hung up and went back to work with a huge smile on my face.
Sure enough, the Pens won and forced game seven. Thursday night, I arrived at the hanger with my family and boarded the jet that would take me to my Max.
We were greeted in Detroit by Mario and Nathalie, who drove us to a separate hotel fro where the boys were staying. It was also the same hotel that the families of the players were staying at. And who should I run into, but Max's mom, Lucie.
"Lilly, what are you doing here? Max said you couldn't come." Lucie smiled as she hugged me.
"I couldn't. But Mario pulled a few strings and I'm here with my family. Max doesn't know. And we'd like to keep it that way until tonight."
"Don't worry. Your secrets safe with me. He said he was going to call you tonight before the game. How will that work?"
"Hmmm, well someone's at the house looking after my dog, so they're gonna tell him that I'm at a friends house watching the game."
"Well then. I'm going to go see him now before they start getting ready and be interviewed. Will I see you tonight?"
"I'm sitting a few rows behind you. And I got my hair cut, so I don't think he'll recognize me."
"I was just about to ask you about that. You look lovely. We will see you tonight."
"Give him a hug for me?" Lucie agreed and we split. I went and showered and did my hair, and helped my sister get ready for the game.
Donning my black "Talbot" jersey, I sat down at Joe Louis flanked by my mom and sister, who were wearing their Detroit jerseys, and my dad - who proudly sported his leafs tie. I made eye contact with Max's dad, Serge before the game started. He mouthed to me that he was glad to see me, and then the puck dropped.
Max scored the only two goals and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. Seeing the waves of happiness cross Max's face as he hoisted the Cup made the tears stream down my face harder.
I walked out of the stands and stood in the lobby in front of the locker room with my parents. "We're going to head back to the hotel now. Have fun. Give Max our love."
After saying goodbye to my family, I showed the guard my pass and entered the locker room. I caught Sidney's attention and he came over and hugged me.
"Congrats, Cindy!!" I yelled, giving him a hug.
"I'll let that name slide this one time. You look great."
"Thanks. Where's Max?"
"Umm, over with Flower. He's gonna loose it when he sees you."
I smiled and walked over to Max. Marc-Andre saw me but kept a straight face as I tapped Max on the shoulder. He turned around and his jaw hit the floor.
"Hi, Babe. Congratulations."
He picked me up and spun me around. My legs wrapped around his waist and we kissed.
"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" He asked, still not believing that he was holding me.
"Mario pulled a couple of strings and flew me down here last night. I got in around 7 this morning. My parents and sister came too, but they left a few minutes ago."
"And you got your hair cut?"
"Do you like it?"
"I absolutely love it, just like I love you." Max smiled and kissed me again. "Come with me to my press conference?"
I nodded and walked hand-in-hand with him to the podium. He spoke for about five minutes before leaving and wrapping me in his arms.
"I still can't believe that you're here," He said as he started to take off his gear.
"You know what, neither can I." I smiled and started to hang up the gear he was taking off.
We had him undressed and he sat on his bench with me in his lap.
"I love you, you know that?"
"I'm pretty sure I do." I smiled.
"No seriously. I love you. And I know that there's a five year age gap between us, but that doesn't matter. I'm willing to wait for you."
"Max, what are you getting on with?" I ask, turning around so my legs are on either side of him.
"I want to marry you, Lilly Reid. But not yet. I do, however, want you to wear this ring. Wear it as a sign for things to come." Max opened the ring box to reveal a stunning sapphire and diamond ring.
"Oh my god, Max. It's beautiful." He slid it on my finger. "I love it. And I love you. And we will get married, just in a few years."
"Sounds like a plan."
"I love you, Maxime Alexandre Talbot."
"And I love you, Lilly Elizabeth Reid."