The Darkside
Chapte Thirty
She gave herself a headache trying to decide what she could do for him. She wanted to show him how much she loved him and to repay him for all the wonderful things he had done for her. Three days ago, she got to meet Sidney Crosby, Matt Cooke and Evgeni Malkin. Alex had arranged for her and Catherine to meet them after they played against the Caps in DC. It had been a surreal experience. They had all been so nice and friendly, just as she had always imagined them. Sid was even more handsome in person and she blushed when he smiled at her. Geno was huge. She had no idea how really big he was. She actually held a conversation with Matt about DC and how she met Alex. She’d completely forgotten that he used to play here. They all signed the Pens jersey that she was wearing.
Alex had only frowned just a little when he realized she would be wearing it to the game.
“You were that to my game?” he teased.
“I will have your t-shirt underneath,” she grinned.
“As long as I get to take it off,” he smiled and kissed her quickly.
Just thinking about it made her smile all over again. She had to find a way to make him smile that way. He’d shared everything with her, his life, his passion. She finally decided that maybe she could share some of her own passion with him.
“What you need me here for?” he asked, walking into the stable.
“I’m going to share something with you.”
“What?”
“I’m going to teach you to ride.”
Alex looked the tall, saddled gelding beside her and then back at her skeptically.
“Alex, you love fast cars and roller coasters and doing things that give you a rush, how can you be nervous about this?” she giggled.
“He bigger than me and he don’t like me.”
She took his hand and brought him closer to Tsar. “It’s not that he doesn’t like you. He reacts to you that way because he can sense that you are nervous. He just needs to trust you. Talk to him in Russian,” she smiled. “It worked for me.”
Alex smirked at her and turned his attention back to the 1000 pound beast in front of him.
“Не сделать меня выглядеть плохо,” he said in a soft voice and reached up to stroke Tsar’s forehead. Tsar bowed his head toward him, snorted, but allowed Alex to pat him.
“See,” said Sophie triumphantly. “Keep going.”
Alex continued to speak in Russian to the horse, moving his hand down his graceful neck and up into his black mane. Tsar shuffled his feet and Alex froze for just a second before continuing to croon in Russian. His voice was low and his words almost musical. Tsar stood still and calm and so did Sophie. Alex worked his magic on both of them.
“Time to get on,” she said, smiling at the stricken look on his face. She instructed him to put his foot in the stirrup and she held Tsar while Alex swung his leg over. Tsar threw his head up feeling Alex’s weight on his back, but stood still with Sophie’s hand gently stroking his neck. Alex’s lips pursed slightly as Tsar’s reaction, but if he was nervous, he kept it to himself pretty well.
“Now I’m going to get on behind you,” she said.
“You behind me, that different,” he grinned. She smiled and ran her hand up his inner thigh reaching for the saddle horn and climbed on behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and up his chest. Tsar shifted his feet again, restlessly. Alex grasped the reins tightly.
“Talk to him some more,” she said. “And let him loose a little.”
Alex spoke in his deep, sing-song voice once more and Tsar began walking off toward the woods behind the stable. She showed him the finer points of steering and acceleration, likening Tsar to his Mercedes.
“It not like driving a car, Sophia,” Alex laughed.
“It’s better. You urge him to run and he does it because you ask him to. He is not a machine. He has a mind of his own. And when you and him are running together, it’s like flying with the wind stinging your eyes to tears. It’s freedom, real freedom.”
Alex shifted back to look at her. She smiled bashfully and kissed his cheek.
“So, when we run?”
“Well, if you think you’re ready, just squeeze him with your heels.” Sophie tightened her grip around Alex’s torso as Tsar began to gallop. She felt Alex hunch over just a little and begin moving with Tsar’s stride. He was a natural. He already seemed relaxed and confident holding the reins. Alex squeezed his legs again and Tsar kicked it into a higher gear. Sophie hugged him tighter and could swear she heard him laugh.
Tsar slowed as they came up to the stream that split the woods in two. Alex pulled back on the reins and they came to a stop. He took a deep breath and grinned back at Sophie.
“You should just say it was like skating as fast as you can go!” He reached around, putting his arms around her and pulled her from behind him to his lap. He kissed her hard and she could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. His kiss brought the same kind of reaction in her. Tsar shifted his weight, interrupting the kiss.
“Thank you,” Alex smiled. Sophie grinned back at him, delighted.
“You never cease to amaze me, my Alex,” she whispered and kissed him again beside the babbling brook, with the brilliant sunlight shining down on their shoulders.
THE END.
Alex had only frowned just a little when he realized she would be wearing it to the game.
“You were that to my game?” he teased.
“I will have your t-shirt underneath,” she grinned.
“As long as I get to take it off,” he smiled and kissed her quickly.
Just thinking about it made her smile all over again. She had to find a way to make him smile that way. He’d shared everything with her, his life, his passion. She finally decided that maybe she could share some of her own passion with him.
“What you need me here for?” he asked, walking into the stable.
“I’m going to share something with you.”
“What?”
“I’m going to teach you to ride.”
Alex looked the tall, saddled gelding beside her and then back at her skeptically.
“Alex, you love fast cars and roller coasters and doing things that give you a rush, how can you be nervous about this?” she giggled.
“He bigger than me and he don’t like me.”
She took his hand and brought him closer to Tsar. “It’s not that he doesn’t like you. He reacts to you that way because he can sense that you are nervous. He just needs to trust you. Talk to him in Russian,” she smiled. “It worked for me.”
Alex smirked at her and turned his attention back to the 1000 pound beast in front of him.
“Не сделать меня выглядеть плохо,” he said in a soft voice and reached up to stroke Tsar’s forehead. Tsar bowed his head toward him, snorted, but allowed Alex to pat him.
“See,” said Sophie triumphantly. “Keep going.”
Alex continued to speak in Russian to the horse, moving his hand down his graceful neck and up into his black mane. Tsar shuffled his feet and Alex froze for just a second before continuing to croon in Russian. His voice was low and his words almost musical. Tsar stood still and calm and so did Sophie. Alex worked his magic on both of them.
“Time to get on,” she said, smiling at the stricken look on his face. She instructed him to put his foot in the stirrup and she held Tsar while Alex swung his leg over. Tsar threw his head up feeling Alex’s weight on his back, but stood still with Sophie’s hand gently stroking his neck. Alex’s lips pursed slightly as Tsar’s reaction, but if he was nervous, he kept it to himself pretty well.
“Now I’m going to get on behind you,” she said.
“You behind me, that different,” he grinned. She smiled and ran her hand up his inner thigh reaching for the saddle horn and climbed on behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and up his chest. Tsar shifted his feet again, restlessly. Alex grasped the reins tightly.
“Talk to him some more,” she said. “And let him loose a little.”
Alex spoke in his deep, sing-song voice once more and Tsar began walking off toward the woods behind the stable. She showed him the finer points of steering and acceleration, likening Tsar to his Mercedes.
“It not like driving a car, Sophia,” Alex laughed.
“It’s better. You urge him to run and he does it because you ask him to. He is not a machine. He has a mind of his own. And when you and him are running together, it’s like flying with the wind stinging your eyes to tears. It’s freedom, real freedom.”
Alex shifted back to look at her. She smiled bashfully and kissed his cheek.
“So, when we run?”
“Well, if you think you’re ready, just squeeze him with your heels.” Sophie tightened her grip around Alex’s torso as Tsar began to gallop. She felt Alex hunch over just a little and begin moving with Tsar’s stride. He was a natural. He already seemed relaxed and confident holding the reins. Alex squeezed his legs again and Tsar kicked it into a higher gear. Sophie hugged him tighter and could swear she heard him laugh.
Tsar slowed as they came up to the stream that split the woods in two. Alex pulled back on the reins and they came to a stop. He took a deep breath and grinned back at Sophie.
“You should just say it was like skating as fast as you can go!” He reached around, putting his arms around her and pulled her from behind him to his lap. He kissed her hard and she could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. His kiss brought the same kind of reaction in her. Tsar shifted his weight, interrupting the kiss.
“Thank you,” Alex smiled. Sophie grinned back at him, delighted.
“You never cease to amaze me, my Alex,” she whispered and kissed him again beside the babbling brook, with the brilliant sunlight shining down on their shoulders.
THE END.