Playing the Game of Love

October 22nd, 2010
Thursday
Los Angeles Country Club
7:18 P.M.

Raina had just finished eating the spaghetti she had ordered and Jeff was telling her about his six year old sister Amelia.

“Do you have any siblings?” he asked.

“Ya an older sister Katryna she’s 23. She still lives with us but she is out a lot so I rarely see her.” Raina heard loud pounding music start up in the next ballroom over. “What’s that?”

“After dinner they have a separate party for the new students.” She noticed a large group of kids go in and said

“Come on, let’s go!” She took his hand and led him into the dark ballroom. A DJ stood behind large speakers where a group of girls were requesting songs. In a matter of minutes the entire room was packed, everyone was moving close together. She felt intoxicated with the loud music, Jeff grabbing onto her hips and pulling her to him, and the beat of the rap song playing. She had never grinded before but she found the rhythm of the Jeff’s hips moving into hers and began to get it.

“I wish you didn’t have to back to Boston.” He whispered into her ear. “I want you to stay here with me.” She felt shivers wash over her body as he pushed himself even closer to her. Milan’s face entered her head again but she pushed it away. She would have to let go of him.

Milan was driving home from Shawn’s party. He was alone in the car as Brittany had decided to get a ride home from Tammy earlier because wasn’t felling well. His parents had gone home a day ago. Yet again his dad had given him a father to son speech about choosing the right woman. He picked up a small container of aspirin and popped two pills into his mouth. He had been having horrible headaches lately. From the stress of the beginning of the season and the situation with Raina he always remembered to bring a bottle to keep the pain off. He pulled into the parking garage and went up to his apartment. The lights were off when he walked in. He suspected Brittany was asleep and he went upstairs to get dressed. He walked in to see Brittany curled up under the covers sound asleep. He quietly snuck into the bathroom and started up the shower. He stared at himself in the mirror. Wouldn’t Raina rather have a hockey player than a prissy California boy? Milan was very dark skinned himself but not the golden shade girls seemed to like. He had heard from many people he was swarthy. Nobody knew where Serbia was or even that it was a country so they all thought he was an Italian or a terrorist from Pakistan. He smiled finding humor in the image of himself walking around Boston with a turban on his head. That would be something Raina would encourage him to do. He got into the shower and quickly washed up before pulling on some pajama pants. He shut off the bathroom light and got into bed. He rolled over onto his side and looked out of the window he’d left open. He felt lonely in the darkness as the buildings of Boston glinted back at him.

Raina had told her mother to head home and Jeff would bring her back to the hotel. The party was winding down and Raina had her head tucked into Jeff’s neck as they slow danced. When the song ended Jeff brought her out to his car, a Rolls Royce.

“This is such a cool car,” said Raina sitting down into the front passenger seat.

“It was a birthday present from my parents.” As they drove home Raina dozed off, leaning against the window. When they got to the hotel Jeff pulled up to the front entrance and got out to open her door for her.

“You’re such a gentleman,” said Raina stepping out of the car. He walked her to the entrance and said

“I’m gonna get up early and come see you before you leave.”

“I have to be up at 4:00,”

“I don’t care, I have to see you before you leave,” she smiled and said

“Alright, goodnight Jeff,”

“Goodnight Raina,” she giggled when he kissed her hand. He smiled at her and then she went into the hotel. It had been a wonderful night, she really liked Jeff but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to begin a relationship, especially a long distance relationship. She found her mother asleep. She quickly took a shower and went to bed.

Raina awoke to the loud sound of an alarm clock going off. It was 4:00, time to get their things together and leave. Raina didn’t bother to even change out of her pajamas, a tank top and cloth shorts. She just threw on some flip flops, brushed her hair, and packed her suitcase. When Raina and her mother went down into the lobby she saw Jeff standing by the entrance.

“Hey,” he said smiling as she walked over.

“Hi, I’m sorry I look so sloppy, I’m going to sleep on the plane.”

“You look beautiful anyway,” he said. Raina’s mother said hello to Jeff and then went outside to call their rental car around front. “What time will you be getting into Boston?”

“5:00 there, 2:00 here,”

“I’ll text you then, I want to talk to you and stay connected.”

“Me too,” Raina’s mother came back in and said

“Raina we’re leaving now,”

“Coming!” she called back. She and Jeff walked out and when they got the car Jeff opened the door for her.

“I’ll talk to you later,” he said. Raina got in the car and waved goodbye to him as the pulled out onto the road. She would definitely talk to him more. Even if she decided not to have a romantic relationship with him Jeff was still a good friend. Without delay Rain and her mother checked in and got onto the plane.

Jasmiina, Tuukka, Vlad, and Blake waited outside the gate where the Los Angeles to Boston flight would be getting off. The plane had just docked and people were coming out. When Jasmiina saw Raina come out with her mother she screamed and ran at her. Raina squinted in her direction, having of just woken up.

“I missed you so much!” Jasmiina squealed jumping on Raina.

“Missed you too,” she said in a groggy voice. Vlad came up and lifted her off her feet in a tight hug.

“Put me down vampire,” she said. He placed her back on the ground. Tuukka said

“Are you coming to the game tonight?”

“Ya,” Raina said, “I’m sitting up in the balcony,”

“I’ll sit with you,” said Jasmiina. “They have to be there soon for warm-ups so we can go to your house and get ready before.”

“Alright,” the three hockey players headed to the Garden while Jasmiina came home with Raina who had been driven home by a cab. Raina’s mother went on and on about how wonderful LA was. When they arrived home Raina and Jasmiina ran in. Raina was happy to be home. The two went up to her room. Raina threw herself down onto her bed and inhaled the wonderful familiar scent of the washing detergent her mother used.

“I’m sooooo happy to be home!” she said.

“There’s a text message on your phone,” said Jasmiina. Raina took her phone from her and saw the message was from Jeff

‘Hey, how’s Boston? ’ She texted back.

‘Good, happy to be home.’

“So you and Jeff got closer?” said Jasmiina

“Ya we danced a lot at the party, we’re gonna keep in touch.” Jasmiina thought about telling Raina about what Milan had said to her in Shawn’s kitchen but kept her mouth shut when she remembered what Tuukka had said:

“It’s not our problem, he needs to work it out himself, and after all it should be his decision in what he does.”

The two girls then got ready; Raina put on some make up and then was trying to decide what jersey to wear. She usually wore a Lucic jersey but tonight she wore her Sobotka jersey. Jasmiina wore a Rask jersey as usual. When they got to the Garden Raina didn’t even go to say hi to her father, she just got some popcorn and headed for their seats. The seats were the front row on the balcony. When the player came out Raina and Jasmiina got on their feet and cheered.

It was a great game, the Bruins won 4-2 and Raina was very hyped up when she left the Garden, screaming and yelling as she came out. She and Jasmiina ran through the crowd with their arms out like airplanes making rocket sounds and yelling

“The Bruins are flying to the cup!!!” They got a lot of amused looks from people. Raina snapped out of her unruly state when she ran into someone, knocking both the person and herself over. She stood up and said

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” to her horror she realized that the person was Brittany looking up at her with an angry expression. Laughing Jasmiina grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the street laughing like a maniac. She said

“That was amazing,” the two walked the rest of the way back to Raina’s car.

“I’m so energized will you come over for the night and help me keep Tuukka awake?”

“Sure,” said Raina. When she sat down in the front seat she pulled out her phone to see Jeff had texted her. ‘Are you having fun at the Bruins game?’

‘Yes lol I’m sleeping over my friend Jaz’s place, she’s Tuukka’s girlfriend, we’re gonna keep him up all night long.’ He texted back a minute later.

‘It’s so cool you just chill with all these hockey players, lol I wish I could do that.’

‘Lol you’re best friends with Taylor Lautner!”

‘Am I still getting a stick from Tuukka?’

‘Ya he’s going to sign it tonight,’ Jasmiina got into the car and Raina drove to her house. The two went inside and watched TV while they waited for Tuukka to get home. When they heard the front door open downstairs Raina jumped up and yelled

“Tuukka we’re here!!” She heard him walking up the stairs and she went and stood at the top. “We’re gonna have a slumber party!!”

“Wonderful,” he said sarcastically. He went and put his hockey stuff away. “If you want me to stay down here with you two then we’re playing Xbox, no chick flicks.”

“As long as we’re playing NHL,” said Raina. The three took turns playing. “I’m gonna be the Pens,” said Raina.

“It’s because you think Sidney Crosby is hot.”

“No,” she said.

“Every girl does.”

“I’ve never even met him,” she said. The game began and Tuukka had decided to be the Bruins.

“Jasmiina plays winner,” said Tuukka, button mashing the Xbox controller as he tried to score against Fluery. “So that means she’s playing me because we all know I’m gonna win.”

“Not against Malkin and Crosby,”

“They’re so overrated,” said Tuukka “If the Pens didn’t have them they would suck.”

“That’s not true,”

“I hope both of them get injured at the same time just to see the team crash and burn.” Tuukka scored on her a second later and jumped up off the coach yelling “YES!”

“Enjoy it while you can it won’t last long,” she said. They finished the game with the score 5-3, Tuukka had won.

“I told you I would win, I’m better than you!”

“Shut up,” she said handing Jasmiina the controller. Jasmiina lost miserably at 8-1.

“You have no boasting rights because you’re actually a hockey player.”

“So, I know tons of hockey players who suck at this game but are great on ice.”

“Like?”

“Looch can’t win this game if his life depended on it.” An awkward silence fell across the room as Tuukka wished he could take back his words. Trying to avoid the further awkwardness of mentioning Milan she said

“Wanna watch a movie?” Tuukka yawned and said

“No thanks, I’m going to bed.” Both the girls jumped up and said

“No you’re not!”

“Why not?” he said confused.

“Because you have to stay up all night with us!”

“That’s not happening,” he said.

“Pleeeeaase!”

“I’m exhausted,”

“We’ll play Guitar Hero and put it on full volume,” said Raina eyeing the plastic guitars in the corner.

“I don’t care. I’ll listen to my Ipod and block it out.” He said crankily.

“You’re a big fat grumpy grump!!” said Raina pouting at him. He ignored her and went upstairs. “Let’s wait until he’s asleep and draw on him.” The girls put on Jasmiina’s favorite movie, The Notebook. They waited twenty minutes and the snuck upstairs to see if Tuukka was asleep. He was snoring loudly and the girls giggled as they pulled out markers. Jasmiina pulled back the covers to show Tuukka was wearing only boxers. They took a half hour drawing all over his feet, legs, chest, back, and face. They covered him back up and left the room.

They decided to bake a cake and finished around 3:00 A.M. Jasmiina had set up the guest room for Raina and let her borrow some pajamas. After they showered and got ready for bed they went to sleep.
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Thanks everyone for reading :) Please comment.

I'll be going away this weekend and might not be able to post any chapters so I thought I'd do one now.