‹ Prequel: Chicago City Lights
Sequel: Make It Back to Me

I'll Be Right Beside You

"Where's your head at?"

March 6th 2009
Evelyn was halfway through her lunch of tuna salad at her office when her desk phone rang. Thinking it was something work related, she sighed before picking it up. Though, she was presently surprised when the happy voice of Adam Burish greeted her on the other end. Laughing, she asked him how he got her direct extension, but he told her not to worry about that. “I need a favor,” He told her. “I want Nikkita to come to the game on Sunday, but she’s new to the city and doesn’t know her way around…”

“What’s her address, Adam?”

Adam thanked Evelyn a million times before giving her the address. Just as she was about to cut off their phone call, Phoebe squealed from her desk, jumping out of her chair. “What the fuck is she doing?” Adam asked, having heard Phoebe yell through the phone. Evelyn laughed, when she heard, “You got called up?!” coming from Phoebe, quickly relaying the message to Adam. “Oh, right. She would be excited that her boyfriend is on the Blackhawks roster now.”

“Officially?” Evelyn asked, hopeful. She could only take so many drives back and forth between Chicago and Rockford, as much as she loved seeing the boys of the Icehogs. “Yes, officially,” Adam told her. “He’s fucking good.” Evelyn agreed, but not before scolding Adam for his language. “Are you at practice right now?” She asked him, and he mumbled back that he was.

Eags, I think Burr is talking to your woman! Evelyn heard from the background, knowing the voice to belong to Patrick Sharp. She heard Ben yell at Burr to see if he was in fact talking to Evelyn, to which Burr responded that Evelyn needs someone of intelligence to talk to, Ben. You can’t give her that.

Evelyn put her hand to her forehead and laughed, knowing for sure that Adam had put her on speaker. She heard Ben grumble when Burr yelled, “She’s laughing at that!”

Phoebe was next to Evelyn’s desk when she looked up. “Who are you on the phone with?” She asked. “The entire Blackhawks locker room.” Phoebe shook her head and yelled a hello into the phone, to which all the boys responded with grunts and other sounds of acknowledgement. Phoebe then told the boys that she needed to steal Evelyn and that the two of them would see them later before disconnecting the call.

“Niky’s on the team, Lyn!”

“Yeah, Adam mentioned that. That’s awesome for him, and for you!”

“Tell me if I’m crazy, but I told him he could stay at my place until he found a place of his own…”

Evelyn raised her eyebrows, “You did say ‘until you find of place of your own’ right?” Phoebe nodded, biting her lip, “Is that bad?” Evelyn shook her head, “No, that’s great, actually. I think if you had just invited him to your place to stay, I don’t care how smitten the two of you are, he would have freaked out a bit.” Phoebe let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding and pulled a chair up to Evelyn’s desk, setting her own lunch next to her.

“I’m so excited for him, and for us.”

“What do you mean?” Evelyn asked, taking a bite of her tuna salad.

“I told him that I mentioned him to my parents…”

Evelyn raised her eyebrows again, “How’d he react to that?”

“He said that he was glad, because he would want his girlfriend to tell her parents about him.”

“So, you guys are official, then?”

Phoebe nodded, “That was the first time he called me his girlfriend. I was so happy, but at the same time, I wish it hadn’t been over the phone, you know?

“Of course,” Evelyn laughed. “Me and Ben had a really nice make-out session after we became official, but then again, you and Nik have already done more than that…”

“Shut up, you ass,” Phoebe laughed, shoving Evelyn lightly. “Anyway, Nik told his parents about me, too. That freaks me out.”

“Why?”

Phoebe sighed, “His family’s Swedish, and here I am, this crazy, American girl. They won’t like me.”

“Pheebs, everyone who meets you, loves you. I’m sure they will, too. Nik sure likes you a lot, and I’m sure his family will see that.”

Phoebe grinned at Evelyn, “You always give the best advice; thanks.” Evelyn grinned, too, “I suppose I do.”

. . .

March 8th 2009
“So, who is this girl?” Phoebe asked as she and Evelyn made their way up to Kita’s apartment that Sunday of the Hawks’ home game against the Avalanche. Evelyn laughed, “Her name is Kita, she’s a waitress, originally from Kentucky, and Burr’s in love with her.”

“Burr?” Phoebe asked, almost disbelieving. “Burr in love?” Evelyn shrugged, “He likes her a lot; I know that.” Evelyn raised a hand and knocked on Kita’s apartment door, smiling over at Phoebe. “Be nice.”

Kita grinned and pulled Evelyn into a hug, thanking her for giving her a ride. When she pulled away, Kita grinned at Phoebe, offering her a hug as well. “Evelyn told me all about you! It’s nice to meet you.” Phoebe smiled and hugged back before Kita skipped away to grab her purse.

“It’s impossible to not like her,” Evelyn said. Phoebe nodded her head in agreement, “Definitely.” Kita returned wearing a brand new, red ‘Burish’ jersey, holding her black purse on her shoulder. “Do I look dumb?” She asked the two girls, who only grinned and shook their heads, telling her she looked adorable. “Adam asked me to wear it. He said it would bring him luck, or something.”

By the end of the second period, the girls officially thought that Burr’s theory of Kita wearing his jersey would bring good luck was nothing more than bullshit. It was four to one, Avalanche. The boys looked sloppy, for lack of a better term, and it seemed like no matter what they did, they were being out-shot, out-hit, and out-played.

Of course, in the first period, Ben had gotten into a fight early, once again only succeeding in Evelyn covering her eyes with her hands, cursing Ben. The guys that sat behind Evelyn and Phoebe every game they attended laughed, as always, “That’s what you get for dating a hockey player.”

The girls found themselves lost in conversation, the game being almost too painful to watch. Though, of course, Phoebe seemed to sense when Nik was on the ice, her eyes always glancing over at him, a smile coming to her face. Evelyn laughed and struck up a conversation with Kita, asking her about graduate school.

“I love it,” She told Evelyn. “I’m a sociology major.”

Evelyn nodded, “I went to Loyola for my last two years of college; got my degree in journalism. I always thought about going to graduate school…” Phoebe turned to Evelyn, her eyes wide, “You have?” Evelyn nodded, “I can’t work at the paper my whole life, knowing no one reads it. I mean, it’s a good starter job…” Phoebe agreed, knowing she’d need to find a new job eventually, too. With the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times raking in most of the revenue for Chicago-area newspapers and with the growth of the internet, it was almost a guarantee that the little independent paper both Evelyn and Phoebe worked at would be closed in a year’s time.

“Do you have any schools in mind?” Kita asked, as the third period ended and the Avalanche won five goals to one. Evelyn shook her head, “It’s just a silly idea.” Both Phoebe and Kita shook their heads as the girls made their way down to the locker room. “It’s not silly, at all! Evelyn, continuing with your education is a fantastic idea. There are tons of schools in Chicago that you can go to, and you know Ben is going to support you!”

Evelyn smiled lightly at the grins on both Phoebe and Kita’s faces, silently telling her she had their support. She smiled as they walked through the halls of the United Center, “You know, ever since I was a little girl I wanted to go to CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.”

“Why don’t you go there, then?” Phoebe asked, as if it was simple as they approached the Hawks’ locker room. Evelyn frowned, but before she could answer, Kita did, “It’s in New York City.” Phoebe’s mouth formed an ‘o’ as the stood outside the locker room, almost afraid to find out what mood the boys would be in. Evelyn sighed, wiping a hand over her forehead, “And then I had this stupid dream that after I graduated from CUNY, I’d go to work for the New York Times.”

Phoebe and Kita exchanged nervous glances as some of the other girlfriends met them outside the door. Evelyn shook her head, trying to clear her head of the thoughts that clouded her mind. She couldn’t go to CUNY, and she couldn’t work for the New York Times. She was with Ben, and as far as she was concerned, wherever he went, she would go, too.

Samantha was the first girlfriend brave enough to venture into the locker room, the others following behind her, Evelyn last. She watched as the girls went to their respective boyfriends and immediately began consoling them about the game. When she reached Ben, he looked up and frowned, “Are you okay?” Evelyn smiled lightly, sitting down next to him, “I’m the one that’s supposed to ask you that!”

“I know, baby, but something’s not right. Where’s your head at?”

New York City, she wanted to say, but she bit her lip, shaking her head. “I’m just tired,” She told him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Ben looked skeptical, but nodded his head, deciding that whatever was wrong (because he knew something was) the locker room was not the place to discuss it. Grabbing onto her hand, he pulled her from the locker room, never letting go of her hand until they reached his car, almost scared if he let go, she would leave.

Ben just couldn’t stop the bad feeling from creeping up inside of him, and honestly, it scared him.
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As of me posting this I received 19 comments on chapter 10. While that was a step up from previous chapters, it's still not where I hoped my comment number would be! I now have 81 subscribers! I seriously need to see this comment situation improve or I'll will stop updating.

Now that I've said that, I have to say that this chapter is for all the lovely girls that did comment, especially Kita. She's not feeling very well tonight, and this is my attempt at cheering her up..? I hope it worked!

So, seriously, click here and comment! <3