Behind Enemy Lines

Alyssa.

Team Canada’s first game of the 2010 World Junior Championships was packed to the highest capacity that the arena would allow, most of the crowd a sea of red and white in support of the home country. Canada had just taken the ice alongside Latvia, and anyone within a ten mile radius could practically feel the excitement and tension radiating from the spectators. Team Canada had not lost this world tournament in half a decade and were once again seeded as the even-money favorite to come out on top again for the sixth year running. Although Latvia was not supposed to present much of a challenge to the talent-loaded Canadian team, everyone in attendance and those watching eagerly from their homes were anticipating the game that would start the run to the sixth year of the coveted title for their country.

Alyssa tapped her Ugg-clad feet impatiently against the concrete floor as she and Phoebe took their seats two rows back directly behind the Canadian bench, her bright blue eyes excitedly scanning her surroundings. Although she was admittedly more interested in the men that played the sport rather than in hockey itself, Alyssa couldn’t help but be taken aback by the intensity of the crowd. She had attended many National Hockey League games, it helped that her cousin Luke had been touted as Toronto’s next big ‘franchise player’, and had become used to the craziness of the fans at the national level. The fact that there was this much excitement for a junior league tournament, however, blew her mind. She made a mental note to give Brayden a hard time after the game for always being so modest, always making his older brother sound like the star of the family. Clearly, the younger Schenn was kind of a big deal himself.

“These Canadians sure love their hockey,” Phoebe mused from beside Alyssa, where she was sitting with her legs daintily crossed and folded beneath her seat. Alyssa laughed to herself at the way her friend always seemed to look proper, even at such a casual event as a hockey game.

Alyssa nodded in agreement as she eyed Phoebe’s black suede stiletto boots that hit just below her knees. Although she knew that her vertically challenged friend was constantly trying to make her barely five-foot-three inch frame look taller, the stylish boots were more fit for a strip club than a hockey game. The girls had argued for what seemed like hours in their hotel room before the game as they had gone through their respective wardrobe options, trying to decide on what would be the perfect thing to wear to the debut game. As was usually the case, Phoebe had fought on the side of the more glamorous clothing choices as Alyssa had simply rolled her eyes at her friend, trying to instill upon her the fact that they were going to a hockey game, not Paris Hilton’s birthday party.

Eventually, the two had compromised, settling on each wearing dark wash skinny jeans and similar red Team Canada t-shirts that Brayden had provided them with after their impromptu trip to the arena earlier in the day. Phoebe, who had decided that the un-fitted t-shirt hung too awkwardly off of her chest and made her look fat, had opted to cut off the top part of the shirt, the now lengthened neckline to angle downwards, hitting just below her right shoulder. Alyssa had been about to protest the edited attire of her best friend before she had glanced at the clock, knowing that they would now be too late to with Brayden good luck before the game, and had simply pulled on her tall pair of chestnut colored Uggs and waited impatiently at the door as Phoebe had zipped the side zipper on her ridiculous stiletto boots before the two girls rushed out of the door.

Alyssa’s thoughts were pushed from her mind as the buzzer sounded signaling the end of pregame warm-ups, the Canadian team skating over to the bench to listen to quick last minute words from their coach before the first line took the ice and the remaining members of the team piled onto the bench to await the start of the game. She nudged Phoebe excitedly as the puck dropped, beginning to think that this tournament might actually be a fun way to spend the rest of her winter break.

“Your cousin,” Phoebe began slowly, her green eyes trained on the back of Brayden’s jersey sitting on the bench directly in front of their line of vision, “is so fucking beautiful.”

Alyssa sighed loudly, shaking her head with a small smile. “Stefan Della Rovere,” she objected, “is so fucking beautiful.” Her crystal blue eyes glazed over as she absentmindedly pulled at her long chocolate brown curls, remembering the handsome hockey player that she had met at the arena earlier in the day.

Phoebe pulled her gaze away from the back of Brayden Schenn to look at Alyssa with a raised eyebrow, pursing her lips with an annoyed look on her tanned face, which Alyssa knew was no longer natural with the warm rays of summer having long since passed. “Your little hallway fuck buddy,” she began with a disapproving tone, “gave me the wrong directions to the bathroom so that he had more time to get you alone.”

Alyssa’s eyes widened as the burst out laughing despite the slightly annoyed look on her best friend’s face. Noticing that Phoebe was glaring at her pointedly, Alyssa coughed back her laughter and looked up at the dark haired girl with an innocent expression. “I’m sorry, Pheebs,” she apologized, her face breaking into a smile. “I really didn’t know.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Phoebe mused with a scoff, crossing her arms across her chest as she shivered, immediately uncrossing her arms and stuffing them halfway into the sleeves of her black pea coat. Once again, she had chosen on stylish over sensible – opting for the thin belted pea coat over the warm winter parka.

Smiling at her friend’s dramatic reaction, Alyssa settled back into her seat, making herself comfortable for the progression of the game. When she saw Stefan’s name across the back of his jersey flash before her eyes as he hopped over the boards for his shift, she bit her lip in lust for the boy that had charmed her earlier in the day. Although Phoebe had seemed to think that they had had a quickie in the hallway while Brayden had rushed back into the locker room, it hadn’t exactly happened that way. It would have, Alyssa assured herself, knowing full well that Stefan had been trying to put his moves on her – not that she had minded in any way – until the team’s coach had come striding down the hallway looking to converse game details with his assistant captain. Seriously, of all the luck in the world….

The game, which started out fun with Canada scoring a plethora of goals in the first period alone, dragged on slowly after that as it was clear that the Canadian team was absolutely manhandling the easily outclassed Latvian team. When the game ended with a final score of sixteen goals to zero in favor of Canada, Alyssa was more than ready to leave the arena and find something to do with the night. It had been an afternoon game, starting only at three o’clock, so she knew that they had plenty of time to find something to do considering it was currently only closing in on six o’clock in the evening.

“We should probably get down to the locker room,” Alyssa suggested, knowing that Phoebe wouldn’t have a problem at all of heading down the locker room full of shirtless and sweaty hockey players with Canadian accents – one of her friend’s many weaknesses – all excited and hormonal after their blowout win. “We didn’t get to wish Bray luck, so we should probably go congratulate him and all.”

As expected, Phoebe nodded eagerly, practically leaping out of her seat and pulling Alyssa up with her. Alyssa turned her head, raising an eyebrow at her best friend as the shorter girl adjusted the swooping cut-up neckline of her Team Canada shirt and ran her fingertips through the top of her long dark hair, trying to add volume to its roots.

“You look fine,” Alyssa sighed, quickly pulling out her phone from the pocket of her parka and checking her face in its reflective screen. Wiping away the eyeliner that had smeared slightly under her eyes, silently cursing MAC’s false advertising – all day long wear, yeah right – and turning to make sure Phoebe was ready to accompany her out of the arena. Of course, her friend was standing impatiently as Alyssa led the way up the steps from their primo seating location and into the foyer of the arena that was swarmed with happy Canadian fans. Sending a quick text to Brayden asking her cousin where exactly they should go to meet him, Alyssa grabbed Phoebe’s arm in an effort to not lose her spastic friend in the crowds.

They had only been waiting against the white concrete wall outside of Team Canada’s locker room for about fifteen minutes when Brayden emerged from the locker room, his light brown hair still wet from the shower and his black sweatpants slung low on his waist. Alyssa watched Phoebe’s eyes trail drown her cousin’s red Under Armour shirt that left nothing to the imagination, the tight material hugging every inch of his defined abdominal muscles. She elbowed her best friend in the ribs, earning a very unsubtle “ouch!” in return for her actions.

“Did you girls have fun?” Brayden asked, ignoring Phoebe’s looks of admiration as he smiled happily down at them.

Alyssa nodded, thanking him for the great tickets and congratulating him and his team on a great game.

“Yeah, you guys looked great out there,” Phoebe agreed with a smile as Alyssa rolled her eyes.

Brayden smirked, shifting his weight as he rested an arm up against the concrete wall. “Some of the boys are hanging out tonight,” Brayden began as he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “So you girls can come hang out with the team if you want,” he paused, “you know, if you have nothing better to do… which you don’t.”

Alyssa’s initial reaction was to contradict him with the fact that they did actually have very exciting things planned for that night, but she closed her mouth when she realized that in fact, they had absolutely nothing to do in the unfamiliar town. The idea then floated through her mind that he had said ‘the team,’ and Stefan was part of the team. This could work out well for her. “Well, I guess we can take you up on your pity offer,” she teased, to which Brayden simply shrugged.

“Just let me grab my stuff,” he instructed. “You guys drove here, I’m guessing?” Alyssa and Phoebe nodded simultaneously. “Alright, then wait here for a second. I’ll get you instructions to the hotel, but I have to go back on the bus with the guys. Team Policy,” he explained, to which the girls nodded once more. “Give me a minute,” he instructed before retreating into the locker room.

Alyssa let out a deep breath as Phoebe squealed excitedly once Brayden had shut the door behind him, pounding her friend excitedly on the shoulder. “Can I get with your cousin tonight? Please please please?”

Alyssa let out a sarcastic laugh before shaking her head. “Get with Bray and we don’t talk for a month, ‘kay?” She patted her now pouting best friend on the shoulder. “And it’ll be a fun drive back home to Minny when you have nothing better to do but sing along to Britney the entire fourteen hours.”

…………………………………………………..

The night had worked out better than Alyssa could possibly have planned. Due to the coach’s strict no-girls-in-the-rooms-ever-or-else policy, Brayden had had to be rather stealth in sneaking both girls into the hotel. It would have been easier, he had pointed out begrudgingly, if the coach hadn’t seen Alyssa earlier in the day and therefore would recognize her if he saw her anywhere near his team. Nevertheless, Brayden had managed to get them upstairs without being caught and into the room of his teammate … which happened to be the temporary residence of who else but Stefan Della Rovere.

The small gathering which consisted of the Canadian players who had introduced themselves as Jake Allen, Jared Cowen, Ryan Ellis, and Alex Pietreangelo, along with Brayden, Stefan, and the two girls had been alternating between intense matchups of Call of Duty and watching the Team USA vs Slovakia game – trying to ‘scope out the competition’ as Alex referred to it.

Alyssa was paying no mind to any of the goings-on in the room, however, as she was stretched out on the comfortable queen sized bed that belonged to Stefan, the dark haired Canadian beauty discreetly running a large hand up and down her side as the other boys and Phoebe were focused on the TV screen. Alyssa gulped as Stefan’s hand travelled lower, looking up to see a smirk on his handsome dark face. She frowned when he sat up abruptly, but smiled to herself as he announced to his teammates in a hoarse voice that him and Alyssa were going out into the hallway to get more ice for the room. The boys, who had gone through the entire ice bucket in a matter of the last two hours, didn’t even divert their eyes from the TV screen as they waved off their assistant captain. Phoebe, however, sent Alyssa a knowing smirk.

They had barely shut the door to the hotel room behind them when Stefan’s lips attacked Alyssa’s as she stumbled backwards into the wall, a bit taken aback by his forwardness. She had no complaints, however, as she returned the kiss without hesitation, her hands snaking their way up his toned body and around his neck, tangling themselves immediately into his hair. She grinned into the kiss as his tongue traced the outline of her bottom lip, parting them slightly as she allowed him access.

Alyssa loved the feeling of danger shooting through her, knowing that she wasn’t supposed to be up here and getting caught could lead to trouble for the both of them – well, more so for Stefan, but whatever – but she let herself forget about it as the boy tugged lustfully at the hem of her shirt. This wasn’t like Alyssa to just find herself making out with practically complete strangers in the hallways of hotels in a strange town in a foreign country – the whole thing was really more up Phoebe’s alley – but Alyssa loved the rush that the spontaneous hookup sent coursing through her veins.

“We should probably get ice,” Stefan grunted, ruining the moment as he took a step backwards. “They’ll wonder where we went.”

Alyssa huffed, clearly disappointed that it had had to end so soon, but dutifully followed behind the much taller boy as he disappeared down the hallway in search of the ice machine. She smiled to herself as she waited for him, hearing the ice clink into the metal container that the hotel provided in each room. Not even twenty four hours into the two-week Canada stint, and she had already made out with one of the stars of the show.

Honestly, this could only be described as the beginning of things to come.