Status: Complete
Past Lives
1o
So far, so good.
Two weeks has gone by since I found out Brooks’ was playing for the Penguins, and I have yet to run into him.
I kept my cool with Jamie around the house about the topic, unless I was thinking about it and I would make a jab at her.
She should have warned me about him being in town.
On the plus side, Max and I had been talking almost every day since I accidentally bumped into him on Carson Street.
As I was leaving work, my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Bonjour, mon amour. What are you up to?” Max said
I smiled. “Just left a twelve hour shift at the hospital. Ready to go home and relax.”
“I was hoping to take you out for a nice romantic dinner, but I guess it will have to wait.”
I laughed. “How about… I make dinner? You will get to meet my roommate and best friend.”
“Sounds exquisite. What time shall I drop by?”
“Eight sound good?”
“Oui. Jusque-là, mon amour.”
I rolled my eyes and hung up. What was I to make for dinner?
A couple hours later, I was chopping some vegetables to go with the steak when Jamie walked in.
"Oh. What's the special occasion?” She asked as she stole a piece of cauliflower.
“I have a date coming over tonight.” I said as I felt a smile creep up on my face.
She stared at me for a second before she smiled. “Oh? Who is it?”
I threw some the veggies into the skillet and started to stir them. “His name is Max. I met him down in South Side and he is really sweet. He’s coming over for dinner and I want you to meet him.”
“Awesome!” She said as she looked me up and down. “Should I change?”
I looked at her thermal and jeans, and shook my head. “You don’t have to.”
She grabbed her bags and headed upstairs. “What time is he coming?” She yelled.
I looked at the clock on the stove. “Eight!”
Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
“Coming!” I yelled as I walked over.
I opened it up to see Max standing there with a bundle of daisies.
I smiled and took the flowers. “Max, they are gorgeous.”
“Not as gorgeous as you.” He said as he followed me into the living room.
I yelled upstairs for Jamie to come down, and when she walked into the room, it looked like she had seen a ghost.
I took Max’s hand and smiled at both of them. “Max, this is Jamie. Jamie, this is Max.”
She giggled awkwardly and shook his hand. “Hi Max.”
He placed a kiss on top of her hand. “It’s a pleasure Jamie.”
During dinner, we talked about Pittsburgh and Quebec and several other topics. Soon after, Jamie disappeared upstairs and I started to clean up.
“Let me help you.” Max said as he rolled up his sleeves.
“No, it’s fin-“
“Too bad I insist.” He said as he took the plates out of my hand and walked into the kitchen.
I followed him and sat on the counter as he started to wash dishes.
“Why are you so amazing?”
He turned around and smiled. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you bring me flowers and do my dishes. Anything else you can do?”
He laughed and walked over to me. “Several things.”
I tilted my head. “Really? Like what.”
He put his arms on either side of me and leaned in to kiss me. For the first time in six years, I felt warm and fuzzy inside.
As he broke the kiss, he wiggled his eyebrows. “I can do that and so much more.”
I laughed and threw a dish towel at him. “There’s the cocky side of Max that I know and love.”
After he helped me finish cleaning the kitchen, he checked his watch.
“I would love to stay, but I have an early flight in the morning.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”
He kissed my forehead. “I have to go out of town for a few days. Don’t worry, I will call you or text you every second I can.”
I laughed. “Don’t go overboard there Maxime.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll text you when I get bored and call you almost every night.”
I kissed him. “Sounds good. Be safe.”
After he left, I walked up to Jamie’s room and fell onto her bed with a goofy smile on my face.
“Jamie, he’s… amazing.”
She put her magazine away. “I’m so glad. What’s he do?”
I bit my lip. “That was one thing I forgot to ask, why?”
She sighed. “Well… Ads, I know who he is.”
I sat up and tilted my head. “Why? Jamie, how do you know?”
She shook her head. “Max Talbot right?”
I nodded as she got up and went and got her iceTime from the game she went to.
“You need to start asking Ads.” She said as she flipped through the pages. She put the book on her bed and pointed.
“He’s a Pittsburgh Penguin, Ads. He plays with Brooks. Number 25, center.”
I ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet.
Jamie walked up behind me and pulled my hair back. “I’m so sorry Ads.”
“What the fuck is wrong with me? Am I a magnet for hockey players?” I said as tears started to fall down my face.
She laughed and started to rub my back. “No hun. I mean, he seems wonderful to you. Maybe the situation will be different?”
I sit back against the wall. “But if I continue to see him, he will expect me to go to games, and meet his friends. I cannot do that Jamie. If I see him…”
“I know. All those feelings will run back to you.”
“Exactly. And I cannot let him in and hurt me again.” I started to sob.
Fuck you Brooks Orpik. Still ruining lives indirectly.
Two weeks has gone by since I found out Brooks’ was playing for the Penguins, and I have yet to run into him.
I kept my cool with Jamie around the house about the topic, unless I was thinking about it and I would make a jab at her.
She should have warned me about him being in town.
On the plus side, Max and I had been talking almost every day since I accidentally bumped into him on Carson Street.
As I was leaving work, my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Bonjour, mon amour. What are you up to?” Max said
I smiled. “Just left a twelve hour shift at the hospital. Ready to go home and relax.”
“I was hoping to take you out for a nice romantic dinner, but I guess it will have to wait.”
I laughed. “How about… I make dinner? You will get to meet my roommate and best friend.”
“Sounds exquisite. What time shall I drop by?”
“Eight sound good?”
“Oui. Jusque-là, mon amour.”
I rolled my eyes and hung up. What was I to make for dinner?
A couple hours later, I was chopping some vegetables to go with the steak when Jamie walked in.
"Oh. What's the special occasion?” She asked as she stole a piece of cauliflower.
“I have a date coming over tonight.” I said as I felt a smile creep up on my face.
She stared at me for a second before she smiled. “Oh? Who is it?”
I threw some the veggies into the skillet and started to stir them. “His name is Max. I met him down in South Side and he is really sweet. He’s coming over for dinner and I want you to meet him.”
“Awesome!” She said as she looked me up and down. “Should I change?”
I looked at her thermal and jeans, and shook my head. “You don’t have to.”
She grabbed her bags and headed upstairs. “What time is he coming?” She yelled.
I looked at the clock on the stove. “Eight!”
Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
“Coming!” I yelled as I walked over.
I opened it up to see Max standing there with a bundle of daisies.
I smiled and took the flowers. “Max, they are gorgeous.”
“Not as gorgeous as you.” He said as he followed me into the living room.
I yelled upstairs for Jamie to come down, and when she walked into the room, it looked like she had seen a ghost.
I took Max’s hand and smiled at both of them. “Max, this is Jamie. Jamie, this is Max.”
She giggled awkwardly and shook his hand. “Hi Max.”
He placed a kiss on top of her hand. “It’s a pleasure Jamie.”
During dinner, we talked about Pittsburgh and Quebec and several other topics. Soon after, Jamie disappeared upstairs and I started to clean up.
“Let me help you.” Max said as he rolled up his sleeves.
“No, it’s fin-“
“Too bad I insist.” He said as he took the plates out of my hand and walked into the kitchen.
I followed him and sat on the counter as he started to wash dishes.
“Why are you so amazing?”
He turned around and smiled. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you bring me flowers and do my dishes. Anything else you can do?”
He laughed and walked over to me. “Several things.”
I tilted my head. “Really? Like what.”
He put his arms on either side of me and leaned in to kiss me. For the first time in six years, I felt warm and fuzzy inside.
As he broke the kiss, he wiggled his eyebrows. “I can do that and so much more.”
I laughed and threw a dish towel at him. “There’s the cocky side of Max that I know and love.”
After he helped me finish cleaning the kitchen, he checked his watch.
“I would love to stay, but I have an early flight in the morning.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”
He kissed my forehead. “I have to go out of town for a few days. Don’t worry, I will call you or text you every second I can.”
I laughed. “Don’t go overboard there Maxime.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll text you when I get bored and call you almost every night.”
I kissed him. “Sounds good. Be safe.”
After he left, I walked up to Jamie’s room and fell onto her bed with a goofy smile on my face.
“Jamie, he’s… amazing.”
She put her magazine away. “I’m so glad. What’s he do?”
I bit my lip. “That was one thing I forgot to ask, why?”
She sighed. “Well… Ads, I know who he is.”
I sat up and tilted my head. “Why? Jamie, how do you know?”
She shook her head. “Max Talbot right?”
I nodded as she got up and went and got her iceTime from the game she went to.
“You need to start asking Ads.” She said as she flipped through the pages. She put the book on her bed and pointed.
“He’s a Pittsburgh Penguin, Ads. He plays with Brooks. Number 25, center.”
I ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet.
Jamie walked up behind me and pulled my hair back. “I’m so sorry Ads.”
“What the fuck is wrong with me? Am I a magnet for hockey players?” I said as tears started to fall down my face.
She laughed and started to rub my back. “No hun. I mean, he seems wonderful to you. Maybe the situation will be different?”
I sit back against the wall. “But if I continue to see him, he will expect me to go to games, and meet his friends. I cannot do that Jamie. If I see him…”
“I know. All those feelings will run back to you.”
“Exactly. And I cannot let him in and hurt me again.” I started to sob.
Fuck you Brooks Orpik. Still ruining lives indirectly.