Just Another Pretty Face in the Crowd

Chapter Eighteen - The Meaning of a Goal

The next home game was only a couple hours away. For some reason, my nerves were going off the wall again. I had no reason to be nervous. I was only seeing Sidney. 'Sidney.' Just the thought of his name made my stomach do flips and my heart go wild.

Someone started knocking on my door just as I finished up on my eye makeup. “Coming!”

“Hurry up!” Sadie’s voice shouted back at me through the door. “I don’t wanna be late!”

I opened the door for her. Caesar jumped off the couch, his tongue hanging happily out of the side of his mouth as he trotted up to her. “I just need to get my shoes and then I’ll be ready.”

“Make it fast!”

I ignored her as I ran down the hallway. I didn’t need to look hard for my lucky converses. They were always in the same spot right by my bed. I slipped them on and jogged back out to her, “Okay! I’m ready!”

“Nervous?” she asked as she opened the door. I locked it on the way out, saying goodbye to Caesar.

“Kind of.”

“Because of your boy toy?” she asked, smirking. She was already standing by the stairwell, ready to get the hell out of dodge. She really wanted to get to this game!

“No. I never really was in a suite before,” I answered back. She had texted me earlier in the day, announcing with excitement that her uncle had managed to get them two seats in the team suite.

“Really? You never been in a suite before?” Sadie asked as we stepped out into the lobby.

“I’ve been in one before. At Dusty’s debut in Hershey but never during an NHL game.”

“Well, there shouldn’t be a big difference. I mean some of the wives might be up there and maybe even Mario!”

I gulped at that. I grew up with Dusty cheering for Mario Lemieux to score whenever there was a hockey game on the TV. He was like every hockey player's idol.

“What? Scared of Mario?” Sadie said, slightly amused by my nerves kicking in again.

“Not scared, just a little nervous about meeting him,” I said getting into her car.

Before I even realized it, we were already parked at the CONSOL’s parking lot in the premium parking lot. Apparently getting suite tickets also meant you could parking in the nice parking lot too.

“Ready, Freddy?” Sadie asked as she got out of her car. I just sat there for a second trying to gather enough courage to get out in the chilly air again. She tapped on my window impatiently. “I did not just get suite tickets for you to chicken out on me!”

“I’m coming,” I said opening the passenger door. 'That’s right. One step at a time.' I had to keep repeating that to myself as we walked into the arena.

“Dru, you’ll be fine,” Sadie said, trying to calm me. First I was nervous about seeing Sidney play again and now I was nervous about meeting the man that was practically his second father! Sidney had told me about how he used to live with him before he bought his own place.

“I know.”

“Good, now come on!” Sadie pretty much dragged me into the suite. A couple people were already there.

“SADIE!” two younger kids shouted, running over to her. The boy looked to be about five and the girl looked to be a little younger, maybe three or four.

“Hey guys!” she said, kneeling down and hugging them. “Do you want to meet my friend?”

The two kids nodded and then looked at me. I just awkwardly waved at them, I was a stranger after all.

“This is Dru,” Sadie introduced, happily. “Dru, this is Zack and this is Payton. Their dad is Chris Kunitz, I’m sure you know who I mean. Their mom, Maureen, is right over there with Vero.”

My mouth formed an ‘o’ shape.

The ladies were sitting down in the seats, chatting away with each other. Maureen waved at us when she glanced over to see where her two kids ran off to. On her lap was another small child, who still a baby. In the other woman’s lap -'I’m assuming that’s Vero?'- was a small child as well, roughly around the same age.

Sadie lead me over to the area where they were sitting.

“Hey, Sadie!” Vero said. Her French accent thick but thankfully understandable. 'Don’t want to look like a dumbass while meeting them the first time.'

“Hey, Vero!” Sadie quickly gave her a one arm hug, careful not to crush the baby in her arms.

“Who is this?” she asked, smiling and looking in my direction.

“Dru Thompson,” I held out my hand for her to shake.

“We don’t shake hands around here.” She wrapped me in her own one armed hug. “I’m Vero Fleury and this little thing is Estelle.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said politely.

Maureen introduced herself as well. I tried to be as polite as I could but I knew that my shyness was coming off as standoffish.

“Come on, chick, let’s go sit down over there,” Sadie said, finally rescuing us.

We sat down on the top row of the private seat all the way against the small sectioning wall.

“So, now you met a couple wives,” Sadie smirking. “What do you think?”

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

“Well, it kind of means, you’re part of the group now,” Sadie tried to explain. “Maybe sometime soon you might be on a couple double dates.” She then throw me a wink as my eyes widened at the thought.

I felt a body sit down next me. I glanced over to see another woman.

“Hello, Sadie,” she smiled. “I’m Nathalie Lemieux.”

My throat tightened up when she said her name.

“Since she is too shy to introduce herself back, this is Dru Thompson,” Sadie spoke for me, rescuing me for the second time tonight.

“You’re the one that has Sid’s head up in the clouds,” Nathalie commented.

I just blushed and looked down at the ice where the players were warming up for the game. My eyes immediately zeroed in on Sidney’s number 87.

“I am so glad I’m not the only one,” Sadie said, smirking at me.

“Trust me, everyone knows!" Nathalie said.

“Wait? Everyone knows what?” I finally spoke, looking at Nathalie.

She had this twinkle in her eye, “That he loves you.”

'Oh dear baby Jesus. I haven’t even known her for five minutes and she’s already on my case.' “I highly doubt that he loves me.”

“That’s not what Chris told me,” Maureen spoke up. I guess she was eavesdropping on our conversation. “He came home the other day complaining that Sid couldn’t stop talking about you... I’m assuming it was you.”

“Marc said the same thing, too!” Vero butted in as well.

I could feel my face turning red. Who knew that Sidney was talking about me when I wasn’t there? It wasn’t that I didn't talking about him when he wasn’t around, I just thought he would be more secretive about us.

“Here is my question for you,” Nathalie said quietly when everyone settled down. “Do you love him back?” I could feel her eyes bore into me.

'Why does it always have to come down to this?'

“Yes, yes she does!” Sadie whispered harshly back to Nathalie. “She doesn’t really admit it but trust me, she loves him.”

Nathalie’s eyes flickered to Sadie for a moment and then back to me. “Words of advice: he tends to be a little straight forward at times.”

“Yea, I kind of noticed,” I muttered.

“What do you mean you kind of noticed?” Sadie asked, leaning forward to look me straight in the eyes.

“It’s a long story,” I answered. I really didn't want to talk about the small fight we had before are 'unofficial first date.'

“You just have to be a little straight forward with him, too,” Nathalie said, smiling. “He may have his head in the clouds but he is just as scared as you are.”

I chuckled sourly at the thought of him being scared of me. I was just some little girl that went to Pitt. You would think he would be more afraid of the 200 lb. guys skating towards him on the ice. But no, it took a 125 lb. girl from the middle of Bumfuck, Pennsylvania to make him scared.

“What? You don’t believe me?” Nathalie asked.

“It’s kind of hard to believe,” I answered back. The players were exiting the ice now and a new timer was ticking away, counting down till the puck dropped. '29 minutes and 58 seconds, 57, 56, 55, 54.'

“Why is it hard to believe?” Nathalie asked. 'He is Sidney freakingCrosby!'

“I bet you any money that if he scores tonight, that goal will be for you,” Sadie said, winking.

“I highly doubt that,” I muttered.

“I said the same think when I first met Mario. I had just met him. A girlfriend and I went to see the game. He scored and instantly found me in the crowd,” Nathalie remarked, randomly. “You know what it means?”

I looked at her questioningly.

“It means he loves you,” she said like it was easiest thing in the world. “Possibly more than hockey.”

I couldn’t help but giggle lightly at that, “Sidney loves hockey more than anything. It doesn’t take a genius to see that.”

“You love softball more than anything, too,” Sadie commented. “You telling me that you wouldn’t dedicate a homer too him if you hit one?”

“I never said that,” I replied quickly. 'Oops.'

“Why isn’t he allowed to dedicate a goal to you? They mean the exact same thing,” Nathalie asked.

I just stayed quiet.

“I told you she loves him,” Sadie smirked, pointing at Nathalie.

“I can see that,” Nathalie said smiling at me. “Don’t be afraid, darling.”

“Nathalie, what are you doing over here?” a new voice came into the conversation. I glanced up to see the one and only, Mario Lemieux. 'Dusty would be so jealous right now.'

“Just talking to Sadie and her friend, Dru,” Nathalie explained, introducing me at the same time.

I held out my hand to for him to shake. Even though Maureen said that they didn’t shave hands around here, I kind of figured it didn’t apply to the guys, or at least Mario.

“Nice to meet you,” I said, shyly.

“Sid’s girl, right?” he asked.

'She wasn’t kidding that everyone knew about me.'

“I guess?” I questioned. I really wasn’t sure what I was to him.

“Trust me, you're his girl,” Mario said smiling at me.

The conversations led off to a different point, leaving me to mull over my own thoughts. I knew I did like him but apparently he liked me. If not like, it was love. Sure, we kissed and sure, I felt something when we did but who said he did? Who said he wasn’t just in for sex or something? Apparently, everyone thought it was the real deal.

Before I knew it, the lights went off and the spot light started shining on the Penguins bench. All the players started filing out. Everyone started cheering when the announcer said Sidney’s name. I guess I was just too shy about it, but only smiled as he skated around. The ice was definitely his home.

“I know that look all too well,” Nathalie said, leaning over at me. Her smile was pretty much said it all. “You are definitely in love with the captain.”

*****

It was in the second period when it happened.

We were tied with the Carolina Hurricanes 1-1. Everything we shot was blocked by Ward. Jordan and Max tried everything they could to make the score 2-1 but it just wasn’t working out in our favor. Kris tried to catch him off guard by attempting a break away but Ward just blocked the puck with his stick, sending it wide.

Apparently, it was Chris Kunitz's and Sidney’s turn at trying to get past the goalie. Chris had managed to steal the puck from one of the Canes players in the neutral zone, dumping down the ice. Cullen chased after it, picking it and swiping it along the boards, hoping that Kunitz would find it instead of a Canes player.

Thankfully, Chris did and rushed behind the net, trying to shake another Canes player that had been chasing him. He must have caught a clear shot towards Sidney because he passed just as he was shoved into the boards by whoever was chasing him.

It was like the Hurricanes completely forgot that Sidney was playing because no one had him covered. He just went for it. He didn’t even take the time to aim. The hockey gods were on his side because the puck swished behind Ward, right between his stick and his pad.

Everyone in the arena cheered as the siren went off for the home goal. Sadie jumped up and grabbed me into a hug.

“HE SCORED!” she shouted right into my ear like I wasn’t standing right there.

Chris and Cullen hugged him in celebration as Kris and his defensive partner, Daley, tapped his helmet, congratulating him.

As they skated down the bench, tapping their teammates gloves, Sidney looked straight at the box. It took him only a second to find me sitting next to Nathalie and Sadie.

It was then that he pointed his stick. Directly at me.

“I told you so,” Sadie said, sticking her tongue out at me.

I was pretty sure that I was a red as a tomato again.

“You know what that means,” Nathalie winked at me.

'Dear God, he likes me.'