Your Eyes Tell Me What I Need to Know

“In sports news, we are sad to report that Los Angeles Sol defender Brittany Bock died in a New York hospital. It was only a few days since the Sol and the Freedom met in a friendly pre-season match. When Bock and fellow teammate Shannon Boxx were getting into a cab when a drunk driver hit Bock. New York Freedom’s Katrina Anderson was friends with Bock, but she could not be reached for comment.”

Swallowing the last of the vodka, Katrina shut the TV off and made her way into the kitchen for yet another one. Getting the call about Brittany was one of the worst phone calls she’d ever had. So she did what she knew she could, she drank and drank. She didn’t want to feel the pain of losing someone like Brittany, a woman who had always been so full of life. The Illinois native had always brought tears to her eyes, but they had been tears of joy up until now. Now it was tears of pain, pain that she had felt only twice before in her life, yet it was different. It wasn’t her grandparents who were older; no it was her friend who had so much to live for.

Tossing the empty bottle in the sink, she looked at the other five that were already in there. She didn’t know why she was feeling so much guilt over her friends’ death, but she was. And it was coming at her hard. She stopped taking calls when she saw the first broadcast about Brittany. Some people had stopped by, but she refused to answer the door. No one needed to see her, it wasn’t necessary. All she wanted at the moment was to be alone with her supply of vodka and pain.

Three bottles later, there was a knock on the door. There was no movement from the inside of the door. The person on the other side of the door knocked again. After a minute without hearing someone moving inside, a key slid inside the lock. As the door opened, the lump on the couch moved slightly before going back where it had been before. Shutting the door the person set the keys on the table after locking the top lock. Walking over to the couch they saw exactly what they were looking for. Running a hand through her messy hair, Katrina didn’t even stir. Looking at her face, her eyes were puffy, which meant there had been many tears shed.

Snapping her eyes open when she felt his hand on her head, Katrina met the familiar eyes, but for once since meeting the owner, she wanted nothing to do with them. “I locked the door.”

“Shannon gave me a key before she left,” he told her. “She was worried that you’d drink yourself stupid. I should have come earlier.”

“You should go.” Katrina said as she sat up.

“Come on Kitty,” Hank said, extending his hand to help her to her feet. “Let’s get you in bed.”

“You already got me in bed Hank,” she said glaring at him. “Now get the fuck out of here.”

“Kitty, come on.” He said, trying his best to get her to listen to reason, but under the circumstances, it wasn’t looking like it would happen.

“Are you my fucking father?” she yelled at him. “I’m a big girl! I can take care of myself.”

“I won’t leave you like this, Kitty.” Hank said.

Standing up, Katrina moved towards him. Her hands moved to his chest and pushed him back. Hank didn’t budge from his spot. “You need to sleep this off.”

“No, what I need is another fucking drink.”

Moving around Hank, seemed easier than she thought it would be. But then she felt herself being lifted off the ground. “You need to sleep this off.”

“I don’t want to sleep this off, I want more of it!” Katrina shouted as she struggled against his hold on her. “I want the pain to leave, but it won’t until I get that drink!”

“This wasn’t your fault,” Hank told her. “Kitty, you can’t blame yourself for something you had no knowing of what would happen. You weren’t there.”

“No I was getting fucked by you!” she yelled as Hank set her on the bed. “Just leave!”

This time, Hank did as she asked. He closed her bedroom door and made his way to the front door. Opening it he closed it loud enough for her to hear it slam close. Grabbing the keys, he locked the door before making his way to the couch. It was late and she was drunk and when she sobered up, she’d need a friend. There was no way Hank would leave her alone, especially when she was that

Changing into a pair of practice shorts and a sports bra, Katrina laid on her bed until she passed out. The night hadn’t been what she wanted. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this and yet Hank did. And he stayed. He stayed when she yelled at him, when she screamed at him to leave, but he stayed there, trying to help her. She didn’t understand why. Why would he want to be around her when she wasn’t exactly in the mood for company was beyond her. And yet he did. Stayed until she finally drove him away.

Waking up, Katrina looked at the alarm clock. It read 10:09. Knowing she had some apologizing to do to Hank, she headed out of her room and to the kitchen. The plan was to eat something and take a shower and take a cab to his place in hopes that he’d listen and not be too upset with the way she acted. Walking out of her room, she walked out. Looking at the couch she saw that the blanket that usually was on top wasn’t there. Moving towards the couch she saw why that was. Although she asked or rather demanded that he leave, Hank camped out on her couch. With a heavy sigh she made her way over to him. Crawling on top of him, Katrina laid there with her head on his shoulder.

Feeling that his breaths were even, so that meant he wasn’t awake, Katrina just laid there for a few moments. Moving so that she was now straddling him, Katrina smiled as she tossed the blanket towards his feet. Glancing back to his face, she saw he was still asleep. Leaning towards his face, she placed her lips on the side of his neck, kissing it as she moved it up to his jaw line and to the corner of his mouth. Feeling his hands on her sides made Katrina gasp. Not because of where he put them, because of how cold they were. “Damn Hank, where’d you leave your hands all night, they’re freezing.”

“You aren’t wearing a shirt.”

“I didn’t know you were here,” Katrina said, “Plus I didn’t sleep in one, so why dirty one up?”

“I wasn’t going to leave you while you were drunk.”

Katrina’s lips went back to his neck. She heard the moan from his throat as she bit into the skin. “I want you to do something for me, Hank.”

“What’s that?” he asked her, his hands on her hips as she started grinding herself against him.

“Make me feel better,” she whispered near his ear. “Make me forget what happened.”

“Kitty, that’s not a good idea.”

“Please, Hank,” she said as she kissed right below his bottom lip.

His arms left her hips and hugged her to him. He knew what it was that she wanted, but he didn’t think that it would be a good idea. Running his hand down her back, he felt her relax a bit and he started to think that she wouldn’t bring it up again. “I need you Hank.”

Fighting what he was feeling and fighting off the woman he was attracted to was easier said than done. It wasn’t as if he was taking advantage of her, she was sobered up. Had he thought about it last night then it would have been taking advantage of the situation and of Katrina and he wouldn’t be able to do that. Situating her in his arms, Hank stood up and carried her bridal style back to her bedroom. Katrina didn’t wait for them to get to the bedroom before she started attacking his mouth.

Spending two weeks in Los Angeles was hard for Katrina. For one it wasn’t the same as she remembered it to be or home just wasn’t in California anymore. Another reason it was hard was because Brittany’s parents were having the funeral out in California, since that was what she would have wanted. Seeing the girls on a non work atmosphere had been nice, but it was heart wrenching as well, just for the fact that they were together again so soon because of horrific circumstances. But the week she spent there hanging out with friends was time she felt she needed. And just like she promised to Hank as he dropped her off at the airport, she wouldn’t drink when she started to feel guilty or sad. Instead she would call him. It was a promise that she kept.

Going home to New York was a sad event for her as well. It was another good-bye to good friends. Saying good-bye at the end of the season was one thing, but this time it was even harder. There would be no Brittany to crack jokes about her relationship with Hank, whatever that was. She didn’t know what it was that they were really doing. She knew they were having sex, amazing sex and they were having a great time, so why get bent out of shape about what other people would think? Hank was happy; at least he appeared to be. And she knew she was happy with him.

Unbuckling her seatbelt, Katrina grabbed her bag from under her seat and made her way off the plane with all the other passengers. Going straight to baggage claim, she waited off to the side as she waited for the luggage to be dropped and the carousel to start moving. All she wanted was to get a cab and go home and fall asleep in her bed. Unfortunately, her growling stomach had other ideas.

“Is that your way of telling me to feed you?” a voice from behind whispered into her ear as a pair of arms wrapped around her mid-section.

Turning around in his arms, Katrina couldn’t help as she smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She placed her head against his chest. “How are you Kitty?”

“Emotionally or physically?” she mumbled into his chest as she moved one of her hands from his neck to his hair, but the New York Rangers hat he wore stopped that plan. “What’s with the hat?”

“So when I kiss you, no one can take pictures.”

“Who said you were gonna kiss me?”

“Are you going to stop me?” he asked, a grin growing on his face. Katrina lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “You like when I kiss you.”

“I usually do,” Katrina said giving him a half smile. “But we are in public and I think you said something about feeding me.”

“I think I need a little motivation.”

“And what kind would you like?” Katrina asked as she felt his hands on the small of her back as she was pushed forward into his body and he claimed her lips in a kiss. When it ended, she couldn’t help, but let out a small groan. “You need to stop doing that.”

“No way,” He grinned placing a soft kiss to her lips as she moved to grab the dark blue suitcase. And as soon as she had in her hand, he took it from her. “Is this the only one?”

“Unless you want to carry my purse.” Katrina smiled at him.

“You seem to have that covered,” Hank told her. “Do you want food at my place?”

“Do you have food in the kitchen or is it reheated take-out?”

“How does fresh Chinese take-out sound?”

“Sounds good,” Katrina said as they laced fingers and walked out of the airport and to his car.

The nice thing about having Hank pick her up, just let her know that she was more than a sex buddy to him. She didn’t know how he knew when her flight was, but she had to admit that he was there to pick her up so she didn’t have to take a cab. As she made her way to the passengers’ door of the car, it was still locked.

“Hank?”

“I unlocked it already.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Then climb through the driver’s side or use the back doors.” He said as he shut the back of the car.

Walking past him, she pinched his side before side stepping him. Moving behind her, Hank grabbed her hand and pulled her into him. She let out a laugh when her back hit the side of the SUV. “Hi.”

The grin on her face made Hank chuckle at her. “Hello,” Looking into her eyes before lowering his head to her neck and taking the flesh between his teeth. Her hand gathered the back of his shirt in the palm of her hand. “If we weren’t in public, you’d be in trouble.”

“I wouldn’t call it trouble.”

“What would you call it?” Hank asked before kissing her lips.

“Pleasure,” she said with a grin. “Another time though.”

“Definitely.”

Letting her move away from the car, he watched her as she opened the driver’s door. The look on her face when she gasped in surprise, brought a smile to his face. If something so small could bring that type of joy to her, he wondered what else could do the job. “Hank?”

Katrina looked at him for an explanation.

“His name is Checkers.”

“Hank, what’s he doing here?” Katrina asked.

“He’s yours.”

Katrina’s eyes went wide. “You bought me a cat?”

“A black and white kitten,” he corrected her. “Do you not like him?”

“No, I don’t like him,” she told him as she picked the kitten up in her arms and started petting him. “I love him. Black and white cats are my favorite. How did you know?”

“Shannon told me.”

“You are too good to be true, Henrik Lundqvist.”

“You just haven’t met many good men, until now.”

With a smile on her face, Katrina got into the driver’s side of the SUV before sliding over to the passenger’s seat with Checkers still in her arms.