2nd Intermissions

Maybe it was just me, but the first person I called on my way home was my mother. She always had the best advice for me and I just felt like I needed to call her. Halfway through the dial tone, I realized I still hadn't told my parents about Adam.
Sighing as she finally picked up, I rambled the whole story to her quickly, including how amazing Antti was.

"Well..That was..unexpected." She managed to say.
"Helpful, ma." I turned onto my street, holding the phone between my ear and shoulder.
"Well you were a late-bloomer with the boys in high school. I sure never saw this coming. The job offer or the new guy."
"Awesome! Mom, advice would be helpful." I said sarcastically.

Once I got into my apartment, she had bestowed some unbelievably unhelpful advice on me. "Follow your gut."
"Wow, that was...Insightful." I managed to sat through my teeth, becoming irritated.
"I'm sure this new guy..Antti? Is worth the time, yeah? It's all up to you, lady jane."
I smiled a little at the age-old nickname and hung up with her.
Maybe she was right. And my gut was still telling me that Antti was worth denying the Icehogs.

My luck had gotten me nowhere. Sure, I had a job offer from a fantastic organization, but I already had a great job at a practice near my place. I honestly didn't even know what to do anymore. Out of spite, I decided not to call Mr. Bernard back tomorrow. They could wait another day if they wanted me so badly. Tonight I'll tell Antti after the game. The Dallas Stars will be in attendance at the United Center, and Troy and Antti had pulled the strings to get us tickets again.
While Angelina drove us there, I couldn't help but wish there wasn't a game tonight. I was tired and irritable. I just wanted to go home and snuggle with Antti, maybe.
My mind was quickly changed when we got there. Just walking into the arena made my heart expand; I was no longer sleepy and angry at everyone. Even though Angelina had given me the same advice as my mom and promised to still be my best friend if I lived in Rockford, I still was cheerful. Antti would not be starting tonight for some crack pot reason, but nonetheless, I donned his white jersey proudly in the U.C; and I told myself that eventually I would buy my own.
Once Angelina and I took our seats, my morale was significantly higher. And after we won 4-2, I was walking on air. We quickly walked to the hallway where the boys would come out, weaving through the multitudes of fans leaving the quickly emptying arena. Ralph met us with a smiling face, as per usual, and Angelina was finally comfortable enough around him to join in the conversation.
"So how is Dr. Harper?" I asked him.
"Harper is...Harper. He's no Doc." He referred to my nickname with the guys. My laugh was soon cut off when I caught sight of the door opening. Out walked Adam, casually dressed.
"Uh, hey guys." He went to make a quick escape and I held up my finger to Angelina and Ralph.
Catching up to him I said, "Hey Adam, can we talk?" He turned so quickly I thought he gave himself whip lash. Instead of answering me, he just stared.
"Ooh..kay.. I just wanted to say I forgive you," I scratched the back of my neck, not really good at this, "And..Stuff. I figure we were better friends than boyfriend and girlfriend, yeah?"

A smile broke his serious look and Adam replied, "Hell yes! All the guys are going out tonight..Will I see you and Antti?"
I shrugged and turned my back to walk to the hallway again and said, "Maybe!"

My heart was significantly lightened by this new turn of events, and I knew what I said was right. We were awesome friends before we started to date- and I should have known that Adam was incapable of being faithful. I smiled and told Angelina what I had said and she slapped me on the back. "Good for you, kid." Ralph commented before the door opened again and the guys flooded out, laughing and in good spirits.
I found Antti and he pulled me to him like he always did in this hallway, surrounded by people.
His hair was still wet from the shower he took after the game whether or not he played at all. Sitting in those pads, it quickly got warm inside them and he sweat profusely. I know this of course, because we sat behind him tonight and during every break in play I gazed at him sitting there in his Blackhawks baseball cap and felt like a creep, just staring at the back of his head.
Laughing, I told him this and he replied with a chuckle, "I knew I felt someone staring at me. It was like an itch between my shoulder blades."
"Ha. Are we going out with the guys tonight?" I asked him as we began to walk to his car.
"I would rather take you to your house and...ravish you, but if you want to go out tonight.." He looked sideways at me.
"What happened to sweet and slow Antti?" I inquired, slipping into the passenger side door.
He let out a barking laugh and said, "Okay, we'll go out with the guys. I think Angelina and Troy are going."
"Where are we even going?" I looked over at him as he started the engine and drove out of the parking structure.
"Bowling, actually." It was my turn to laugh as Antti navigated the streets with apprehension, but I knew that he was slowing getting used to the Chicago streets after being in Rockford for so long.
Oh, that. I had forgotten, actually. I figured the bowling alley wasn't that far away, so I decided to leave it for later until Antti asked, "So, anything interesting happen at work?"
"Uh, yeah, actually."
At a stop light, he glanced over at me with his head tilted and his hair fell in front of his face. He took one hand off the wheel and brushed it back once he turned his gaze to the road again.
"Mark Bernard called me..The GM for the Minor League Affiliations for the Blackhawks."
"Rockford?" Antti asked and I nodded. "Why did he call?"
I gave him the shortest explanation I could, "The Icehogs want a new team physician, and I came recommended with experience in a hockey club."
His reaction was completely unexpected.
"That's great!" He said, turning into the almost empty parking lot of Sy's Lanes.
I stumbled over my words as he turned off the engine and hugged me.
"I'm so glad for you. You seriously deserve this job."
He was serious! I couldn't believe it.
"Antti- if I took the job, I would have to move away."
"I know, but if it's what you want, we could...make things work." I could see it behind his husky eyes that even he knew that it wouldn't work.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for another hug.
"You don't even know how sweet you are, but I still don't know if I want the job."
"Samantha! Of course you want the job- you love this franchise. How could you possibly turn down that offer?"
I had to admit that he was right, I did love this franchise, and I know there were people that would kill for this chance. It was my turn to brush my hair back with my fingers and my straight bangs fell across my forehead again, shielding the top of my eyes from the decision.
"I don't know, Antti. I'm..I don't want to leave this city. I did once, unwillingly when I was a teenager, and I don't know if I can do it again. I don't want to leave you, I don't want to leave Angelina-" I was interrupted by a quick rapping on the truck. Tomas came into view with Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa.
"And I don't want to leave my friends." I finished, motioning to the three guys waiting outside the car.
He nodded and replied, "We'll talk about this later, you know I'll support you with whatever decision you make. We can make it work." I gave him a rueful smile and we exited the car, greeting the foreigners.
"Serious conversation..what about?" Hossa asked as we walked into the bowling alley.
Antti looked at me and shrugged, so I replied, "I was offered a new job that would require me to move."
"I don't like that idea. Niet za čo!" Hossa said and Tomas added, "Vážne!"
I smiled at the two men and asked them what they said.
"Who knows, those damn Slovaks." Niklas commented, leading us to the counter to get shoes. There were already a bunch of guys near the end of the alley, grouping around the computer.
"Hey! Don't make me beat your Swede ass!" Tomas chuckled, exchanging his shoes and leaving us.
Antti put his hand on my lower back as we exchanged ours and slid them off, handing them to the man behind the counter.
Before we reached the group, we heard someone yell, "This is America, speak English, dammit!" We laughed at the exclamation and entered the close group.
"Hurry up, put on your shoes!" Ben Eager said, his large face smiling at us.
"Ben! Kiss my ass, we're working on it."
His girlfriend sat down beside me and laughed. "He's a spaz, yeah?" She had a cute little smile that I had heard Ben gushing about one time.
I agreed with the woman and for the life of me, couldn't remember the brunette's name.
I was soon saved my Angelina who came over to me, hand on her hip. "Chop chop, you're third." I quickly tied the last shoelace and she told the woman next to me, "She's so slow sometimes." Shaking my head, I finally stood, leaving Antti to his own devices as Angelina dragged me off to find a ball.

--
Antti was walking behind me, pushing me up the stairs.
"I don't want to go home." I said, finally reaching my door.
"Shut up, you're with me." He smiled at me, motioning to the lock.
"Which is fantastic, but it's so late and I need to work. Geh!" I whispered, slipping the key into the lock and stepping inside.
The night was great. Celebrating after a win with the guys and their girls. Eventually the groups were separated and the women all sat around in the corner, professing their want for a good cocktail and the men still bowled, trying to beat Troy, who was in the lead.
I stripped out of my clothes, laying the borrowed jersey on my dresser and slid into bed.
"Sleeeep." I said, stretching out on the bed before Antti slid me over to join me. I knew he was only in his underwear too because when our legs entwined, I could feel the rough hair on his, thinning as it passed his knee and up his thigh. He put one arm under my head and wrapped his other around my waist, holding my body to his. I never cuddled with anyone as much as I did with Antti, but it was addicting with him- we just fit like a good pair of jeans.
"Samantha.." He said quietly, his voice asking if I was awake still.
"Antti?" I couldn't help but to love the way he said my name with his accent.
"You can move to Rockford if you want."
I chose not to reply to him, instead I just fell asleep, wrapped in his arms.

The next morning at work, I was visited by a hockey great.
Mike Modano was sitting on the examination bench when I entered the room. I had finally trained myself to read the name on the clipboard before entering, but I didn't believe what my eyes were telling me when I saw his name. I opened the door and saw his trademark smile and perpetually confused look.
"Uh..Hi." I managed to say to him.
"Hey! Heard so much about you."
As I sat down on the stool I told him, "I seem to be getting that a lot."
"Well, we leave at four, so I think you might be getting it a little bit more."

And he was right. When I finally saw the last person fifteen minutes before I left, Suzy told me, "The doctor asked who you were seeing today, so I started telling him names. He said if the Dallas...Superstars? Stars? Something like that- came in...Oh, forget it. He wants to know if he can start taking pictures."
"Absolutely not." I said to her, shoving a pen into a clipboard. "He can start taking pictures when he doesn't want hockey players to come in anymore. Most of them hate cameras."
She nodded, promising to relay the message.

On the way home, I couldn't help but call Angelina. She squealed with me while I had my moment of fan-girl, also. I had to be professional all day as Dallas players visited the practice, but now was my moment.
When I arrived back at my apartment, I smelled something delicious.
"Antti?" I called and walked into the kitchen.
He hadn't left all day and there were five other men joining him in the kitchen.
"Who else would be cooking for when you came home?" Adam asked from the corner, where he sat on my counter like he used to.
Tomas laughed and said a loud good-bye in Slovak on his cell phone before closing it.
"He's right, you know." Antti said, frying something.
I put my finger up and left the room to change out of my work clothes and into some jeans and a Team Canada tee shirt.
"Whoa. You need a new shirt." Hossa commented, pointing at my chest.
"You don't even know how often I try to convince her that." Adam told him.
"Yes, but I agree with Marian. Team Slovakia!" Tomas added his two cents, loudly.
"Shut up you three." Antti tried to silence them, finally he yelled, "Food!"
My table was just big enough to fit all seven us around it. Antti sat next to me and on the other side, Adam ate with his elbows jabbing me. Tomas and Troy were across from me, making faces and Marian spoke with Niklas over his food.

I was in heaven. Friends, food, and humor. All that was missing was Angelina and my dog. Angelina came to pick Troy up when they all decided to leave, but my dog was still with my parents.
I put the dishes into the dishwasher and couldn't help but to hum a cheerful, jaunty little tune.
Antti came up behind me and put his arms around my waist and his face in my neck.
"The love bite is gone, should I give you another one?" He asked me and I laughed, finishing the dishes and turning around in his grip.
"Move this to the bedroom?" I inquired, looking up into his bright eyes. They sparkled and I knew he was glad that the apartment was empty, too.
As we made our way to my bed, leaving behind a trail of clothes, I was still conflicted with my choice. I had decided earlier what I was going to tell Mr. Bernard on my way home. During dinner I had my doubts and as we laid side-by-side in my bed, sweaty and tired I was still having an inner conflict.
The first time Antti and I "made love" it was slow and sweet, kind of like Antti himself. But this time was different, and I secretly reveled in the fact that his lovemaking had so many different facets.

I knew that Antti would do whatever was possible to make our relationship work if I moved to Rockford. But what would happen if Antti was sent down and we were still dating? Would I be fired..again? What would happen if he didn't get sent down, and we barely saw each other?
"You're thinking really hard about this." He commented, brushing his thumb down the side of my face, then back up and he toyed with my bangs.

I smiled a small smile and leaned into his hand.
"How can you tell?"

"The thoughts run across your face." Antti said, dropping his hand away to rest on my shoulder.
I took the opportunity to hide my gaze from his eyes. I rested my head on the light dusting of hair on his chest.
"You know I'll support you with whatever you choose."
"I know. You're making this so hard, how come you can't be all angry at me?" I let out a small chuckle.
I felt his chest move when his laugh met mine. "Because I like you too much."
"I like you a lot, too."
"Minä rakastan sinua." I knew what he had said, just by the infliction with which he said it. I pressed a kiss to his sternum and whispered it back in English. I knew it was too early, but I couldn't help it.

It was quiet again in my bedroom when he asked it.
"So, what will it be?"
I sighed and lifted my head to meet his piercing eyes. The ice blue glinted in the darkness of the room.

"You know...I don't think I'm going anywhere anytime soon."