Reunited
Contemplation
“I blew it,” Jordan groaned, placing his face in his palms. “I had so many chances to tell her how I feel and I blew it. Now she’s gone.”
“She’ll be back, Staalsy,” Brett said softly. She rubbed his back soothingly and looked over at Kris with worried eyes. “This isn’t the end of the world.”
“I’m glad you’re optimistic, but the way I see it, there is nothing I can do.”
“Brett’s right, just tell her when she gets back from her trip,” Kris encouraged.
“Who knows when that’s even going to be? She hasn’t even left the US yet and all she knows is what cities she is going to be in over in Europe. What if she doesn’t come home for the next six months?”
“Do you think your feelings are going to change in six months?” Brett asked.
“I don’t know, probably not, but that’s not the point. What happens to me when she finds some British guy or some Russian guy? What if she forms a long distance relationship with Neuvirth?”
“Neuvirth?” Kris sat down on his coffee table and looked at Jordan. “Why would she form a relationship with Neuvirth?”
“You know that guy she said she met? As it turns out, he is the Capitals’ goaltender, Michal Neuvirth.”
“Oh, Jordan, if I had to choose between you and Neuvirth, I’d pick you, hands down,” Brett smiled.
“Thanks, Brett, but I don’t think that’s the case this time. She seemed to be interested in him when we were talking. The reason she didn’t say much about him was because of what happened with Zach.” He spat the name like it was the worst flavour he had ever experienced. “Maybe I shouldn’t have thought about pursuing her. She’s a friend; I should keep it that way. Ottawa blows.”
Brett looked at Kris, trying to figure out what to say next. The comforting tactic wasn’t working as well as she would have liked. “There is always a chance that she’s waiting for you. I know that Vero’s been dropping hints about you and her and Max has a big mouth that he’s extremely good at running off. He’s probably said something that got her thinking about what it would be like to be with you.”
“I think I just need to sleep this off. It’ll get better, eventually. She’ll call in a day or two and it’ll be like nothing happened.”
“Nothing did happen,” Kris joked, trying to lighten the mood, but instead received a dark look from his blond teammate.
“You’re hilarious,” Jordan mumbled. He looked around as one of the phones started to buzz. Realising it was his phone, he looked at the caller id. “Hey, Simone, how’s New York?”
“It’s alright. Thanks for getting your brother to show me around. You really didn’t need to do that.”
“It was the least I could do.”
“You already do too much for me, Jordan. Look, I know I said it before, but thank you, again, for the wonderful night in Ottawa. It really made my trip great.”
“Anytime, Simone, and if you need a tour guide in Raleigh, I’ve got another brother who would be willing to show you around. His wife would probably love to meet you too.”
She chuckled lightly. “Right, well, I was just calling to talk to you about my Europe trip.”
“What about it? Are you going to more cities?”
“No, but my boss did call. I’m going to land back in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve.”
“Wow, that’s great. You get to spend the holidays with us.” A smile spread across his features.
“So, you’ll be in town?”
“Yea, I’m not going home for Christmas, so I’ll be around. I was going to spend Christmas with Brett, Russ, Kris, Sid and Theresa, but now you can come too.”
“That sounds great. Can you do me a favour though?”
“Sure, whatever you need.”
“Will you pick me up from the airport that day? I’d take a cab, but if you can do it, I’d prefer that.”
“Of course I will. I’m excited that you’ll be home for Christmas. Wait, do you have to go back after?”
“No, I don’t. Well, not right after. I might have to go in the future when they need me to do more promoting or conferences.”
“That only makes sense.”
“I’ve got to go, Jor, I have a meeting in twenty minutes.”
Jordan wished her goodbye and looked over at Kris and Brett. “She’ll be back for Christmas!”
“We heard,” Kris said.
“This is great. You can tell her how you feel when she gets home,” Brett suggested.
“I don’t know,” Jordan said, timidly.
“I have a plan,” Brett told him. “This is what you need to do...”
“She’ll be back, Staalsy,” Brett said softly. She rubbed his back soothingly and looked over at Kris with worried eyes. “This isn’t the end of the world.”
“I’m glad you’re optimistic, but the way I see it, there is nothing I can do.”
“Brett’s right, just tell her when she gets back from her trip,” Kris encouraged.
“Who knows when that’s even going to be? She hasn’t even left the US yet and all she knows is what cities she is going to be in over in Europe. What if she doesn’t come home for the next six months?”
“Do you think your feelings are going to change in six months?” Brett asked.
“I don’t know, probably not, but that’s not the point. What happens to me when she finds some British guy or some Russian guy? What if she forms a long distance relationship with Neuvirth?”
“Neuvirth?” Kris sat down on his coffee table and looked at Jordan. “Why would she form a relationship with Neuvirth?”
“You know that guy she said she met? As it turns out, he is the Capitals’ goaltender, Michal Neuvirth.”
“Oh, Jordan, if I had to choose between you and Neuvirth, I’d pick you, hands down,” Brett smiled.
“Thanks, Brett, but I don’t think that’s the case this time. She seemed to be interested in him when we were talking. The reason she didn’t say much about him was because of what happened with Zach.” He spat the name like it was the worst flavour he had ever experienced. “Maybe I shouldn’t have thought about pursuing her. She’s a friend; I should keep it that way. Ottawa blows.”
Brett looked at Kris, trying to figure out what to say next. The comforting tactic wasn’t working as well as she would have liked. “There is always a chance that she’s waiting for you. I know that Vero’s been dropping hints about you and her and Max has a big mouth that he’s extremely good at running off. He’s probably said something that got her thinking about what it would be like to be with you.”
“I think I just need to sleep this off. It’ll get better, eventually. She’ll call in a day or two and it’ll be like nothing happened.”
“Nothing did happen,” Kris joked, trying to lighten the mood, but instead received a dark look from his blond teammate.
“You’re hilarious,” Jordan mumbled. He looked around as one of the phones started to buzz. Realising it was his phone, he looked at the caller id. “Hey, Simone, how’s New York?”
“It’s alright. Thanks for getting your brother to show me around. You really didn’t need to do that.”
“It was the least I could do.”
“You already do too much for me, Jordan. Look, I know I said it before, but thank you, again, for the wonderful night in Ottawa. It really made my trip great.”
“Anytime, Simone, and if you need a tour guide in Raleigh, I’ve got another brother who would be willing to show you around. His wife would probably love to meet you too.”
She chuckled lightly. “Right, well, I was just calling to talk to you about my Europe trip.”
“What about it? Are you going to more cities?”
“No, but my boss did call. I’m going to land back in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve.”
“Wow, that’s great. You get to spend the holidays with us.” A smile spread across his features.
“So, you’ll be in town?”
“Yea, I’m not going home for Christmas, so I’ll be around. I was going to spend Christmas with Brett, Russ, Kris, Sid and Theresa, but now you can come too.”
“That sounds great. Can you do me a favour though?”
“Sure, whatever you need.”
“Will you pick me up from the airport that day? I’d take a cab, but if you can do it, I’d prefer that.”
“Of course I will. I’m excited that you’ll be home for Christmas. Wait, do you have to go back after?”
“No, I don’t. Well, not right after. I might have to go in the future when they need me to do more promoting or conferences.”
“That only makes sense.”
“I’ve got to go, Jor, I have a meeting in twenty minutes.”
Jordan wished her goodbye and looked over at Kris and Brett. “She’ll be back for Christmas!”
“We heard,” Kris said.
“This is great. You can tell her how you feel when she gets home,” Brett suggested.
“I don’t know,” Jordan said, timidly.
“I have a plan,” Brett told him. “This is what you need to do...”