Goodnight, Beautiful.

Bristol rested one hand on her left hip as she sang along to the catchy tune on the radio and flipped the pancakes which were browning to perfection on the stove. Occasionally she would lift her foot and scratch at the annoying itch on her calve and each time she successfully flipped a half-cooked pancake, she applauded herself. The bacon was cooked and already resting on a plastic plate on the bare counter next to a bottle of Jack and it would only be a matter of time until a sleeping Kris came waddling in. His nose always seemed to be super sensitive to the scents of a home-cooked breakfast, and Bristol knew she could just about get anything she wanted from his when his belly was good and full.

But until that time came, Bristol enjoyed the few minutes of peace and quiet while she cooked and familiarized herself with the new kitchen layout. It wouldn’t be long until she moved everything into the places she desired, but she wanted to wait until Kris was gone on a road trip until she took over their apartment. After all, Bristol thought, she was paying half the rent, shouldn't that make her in titled to decorate half the place?

With still no curtains hanging in front of the giant windows, bright sun rays drifted into the apartment illuminating everything with a summer glow. If it weren’t for the frozen temperatures outdoors, Bristol would have guessed it was April, it not May. Around ten, Kris came strolling into the kitchen still dressed in the clothes he had fallen asleep in; sweats and nothing else. He took a seat on the stool at the breakfast bar and placed his head down on his extended arm.

“Good morning,” Bristol chirped. She placed a fresh, steaming cup of coffee in front of him along with the materials he would need to fix it up. Kris liked his coffee a certain way, unlike Bristol. She was a simple girl who enjoyed her coffee simply black. “Did you sleep okay?”

Steeger had kept her up half the night with his Fergie CD blasting in his room and thanks to the paper thin walls, she could hear it. Bristol didn’t hate the pop artist, but, Fergie wasn’t on her top ten list either.

“So-so.” Kris spooned in a heaping tablespoon of sugar and held it gripped the handle with his right hand. He blew across the top, cooling it off before taking a sip.

“I smelled the pancakes and I didn’t want to sleep through your chocolate-chip banana pancakes. You did make them right?”

Peering over Bristol’s shoulder, Kris looked at the stack of hotcakes which were steaming and ready to be eaten. “Yes, for you, I made chocolate-chip and banana.”

Turning on the balls of her feet, Bristol walked over to the dishwasher and pulled a clean plate from the bottom rack along with a fork and a knife. She filled his plate with bacon and pancakes before placing it in front of his eager face.

Kris couldn’t help himself but stuff his face with the delicious meat as he lathered the perfectly cooked pancakes with butter and syrup. Bristol made herself a plate and poured a glass of orange juice. She already had too much coffee for her liking and she was almost shaking due to her caffeine intake.

They sat and ate in silence for most of their breakfast—mainly because Kris was too busy stuffing his face—and it wasn’t until he caught Bristol staring at him did he say anything. “Alright, what do you want? You think I have you figured out.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t want anything.” She said slyly.

“Bull shit.” Kris wiped his mouth with a napkin and finished the last few bites before washing it down with coffee. “The answer is no.”

“C’mon, Kris!” Bristol dropped her fork which made a bang noise against the glass before she looked at him with pleading eyes. “Please, I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “I’m having a hard time believing that.”

Now, out of options, Bristol pushed her plate to the side and rested an elbow on the counter before resting her chin atop her hand. Batting her un-massacred lashes, Bristol turned up the charm. “Seriously, you’re going to leave me here, by myself while you go to practice?”

Getting up, Kris gathered both plates in his hand and set them in the sink for later. He looked in the pantry and the fridge before giving an answer. “No, you don’t have to stay here. There’s a little grocery store down the street and we’re in major need of food. Get out of here and go shopping. Besides,” Kris placed his hands on his hips and smiled. “Claude isn’t gonna be there. The hot-shots have the day off.”

Defeated, and finally realizing for the second time in their two year friendship that Kris wasn’t going to give in, Bristol hopped down and made her way down the hall to their bathroom. “Fine, I’ll go shopping!”

---

Bundled up in her favorite red pea-coat, Bristol weaved her way through the streets of Philly as she navigated to the local store Kris had banished her to. Her ears were frozen and her nose was red and almost sore. If she touched it, Bristol was sure it would shatter off. Kris had left for practice hours ago, but due to the sudden laziness which had overcome her, Bristol had relaxed her muscles in a much deserving bubble bath before finally getting motivated.

She had written down everything which she needed at the grocery store and was sure she had stuffed it into one of the pockets inside her bag. The cold wind ripped right through her black jeans and nipped unpleasantly at her shaven legs, making Bristol wish she had worn her knee high socks. As long as half her leg was warm, she was happy.

As she walked, her breath came out in clouds and as she approached the store and trekked through the automatic doors, Bristol welcomed the warm burst of air which hit her face. Grabbing a cart, she pushed it with one hand while she searched her bag for the list with the other. It was fairly empty for two o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon and she was thankful. To Bristol, there was nothing worse than dealing with a crabby mother with four screaming kids as she asked nearly four times if she could possibly get the isle and by this time during the day the store employees were still somewhat in a good mood.

Upon finding the crumpled piece of paper, Bristol unfolded it and read the first three items. milk, OJ, eggs. Clicking her tongue along the roof of her mouth, Bristol pushed her cart while she looked for the refrigerator section. She hated shopping at stores which were unfamiliar to her, it always took her twice as long to complete her task and head home. Especially on a cold day like today, Bristol would much rather be curled up on the couch with a good book or watching a Humphrey Bogart movie.

Bristol was rather relieved by the fact it didn’t take her long to find all the items on her list. It probably would have taken her only twenty minutes but, thanks to the half-hour of strolling down the isle looking at all the great savings. Hadn’t it been for the fact she had walk back to the apartment, she would have purchased a hell of a lot more. Kris ate more in one day than the average person should. He was constantly eating to keep his high metabolism up and his wonderful girlish figure…His words, not Bristol’s.

While she waited in line, Bristol picked a tabloid off the rack and thumbed through the glossy pages. She always made a point to keep up with the latest news in Hollywood. She hated being out of the loop. The conveyor belt began to move and she put it back, tossing her carted items up. Kris had given her money to pay for half the bill, but, when everything was totaled up, Bristol was pleased to find he had given enough to cover the tab. She’d have to thank him later.

After requesting paper as a bag choice, Bristol gloved her cold hands and slipped her hat on before hugging the two bags close to her chest. As she stepped back out into the streets, she was pleasantly surprised to see snow falling. She loved the winter only for the snow but wished it could come with 70 degree weather.

Swiftly she dodged other pedestrians while closely looking at street signs. The last thing she wanted was to get lost while it was below freezing out and have to call Kris for help. He would for sure never let her life down the fact she had to ask him for help.

Stopping at a crosswalk, Bristol waited patiently for the DO NOT WALK sign to change before crossing the right street which lead her home. She had been in Philadelphia for a little less than twenty-four hours and already she had nothing to complain about. Soon though she’d have to find a job and playtime would be over, then Bristol wondered how much she would miss the Windy City.

They lived in a fairly new and modest apartment building. While Kris knew he had more than enough bank to afford a lavish penthouse downtown, he purposely picked the place he did because it would be affordable for Bristol. She wanted to pay her half of the rent, her parents had raised her to be a responsible adult and she wasn’t about to let Kris take care of her.

Realizing her hands were too full to open the large doors, Bristol thanked a man dressed in a business suit as he held it open long enough for her enter. When it came time to press the up button for the elevator, she improvised and pushed her hip against it until she heard a bing sound and the doors opened.

Getting off at the seventh floor, Bristol hummed to herself as she strolled down the carpeted hall. As she fished for her keys in her bag, she could hear the familiar sound of a male laughter and groaned when she opened the locked door. She really didn’t expect anything different, but Bristol found Kris sitting on the couch playing HALO. The bare front room only contained a large, flat screen television and a small loveseat couch. Kris wasn’t much of a decorator, and he looked forward to having a female take over.

“Haven’t you played enough of that game?” Bristol placed the bags down on the counter and unbuttoned her jacket.

At least this time he didn’t have his headset on yelling at some twelve year old boy in Germany.

“What? No, how was practice, did you have good day?

Bristol blew a few stray strands of hair out of her face and huffed with frustration. “How was your day? Did you have a good practice?”

He paused his game and jumped off the couch to head into the kitchen. Kris snooped through the bags and pulled out a carton of orange juice before opening and drinking it. His forgetfulness to use a glass was a pet peeve he knew frustrated Bristol.

“Yeah, it was good.” Stopping to take a breath, he capped it and put it the fridge. “Claude asked about you.”

Bristol could feel her cheeks blush and she tried to play it off as if she didn’t really care. “What did he say?”

A goofy grin presented itself and she knew them he was pulling her leg. “Not funny.” Bristol lightly shoved him and continued to put away the food.

“A couple of the guys are coming over later so, why don’t you make yourself useful and cook us dinner with the food you just bought.”

She flipped him the bird and continued unpacking. Kris always liked to poke fun at the fact she had little skill in the kitchen expect for making pancakes and French toast. A butterfly felling spread from her stomach throughout her entire body at the thought of some of his teammates coming over. Bristol may have looked like she had a tough shell and was a good people person, but around new and potential friends she became incredibly shy.

“Who’s all coming over?”

When the last of the groceries where in their proper places, Bristol hopped up on the counter and stole the bag of chips from Kris’s hands.

“Jeff, Mike, Dan and Claude.”

“No Danny? Aren’t he and Claude roommates?” Bristol gazed out the window, mesmerized by the snow. She thought she’d be sick of it after a nasty storm hit Chicago a few weeks back which left her stranded in her apartment.

“He’s got his kids for the night, I think.”

Rolling the bag closed, Bristol licked her salty fingers clean. She hopped down and ran a hand through her tousled hair. “I don’t feel like cooking. You have a phone, order a pizza.”

---

The last thing Bristol remembered before falling asleep was reading the same sentence in her book over and over. She had woken up to find it open and laying on her chest with blankets tangled along her legs. The rest of her boxes had yet to make it to Philly via FedEx yet, so she was stuck using three thin sheets to keep her warm during the night.

Rolling her to left side, she batted at the small clock before gripped it and turning it in her direction. The red neon lights read a quarter after eight, it was later than she would have liked to have napped but at least she’d be ready to party if the option presented itself. Stretching her tense limbs out, Bristol rolled out of bed and changed out of her jeans and into the comfort of sweats and a Northern Illinois University sweatshirt.

She had completely forgotten Kris had invited some of the guys over and it wasn’t until she saw five men gathered around the television did she remember. Looking down at her lounging clothes, she said what the hell and didn’t bother to change back into her clothes. Bristol didn’t need to impress anyone especially after eight o’clock on a Wednesday night.

Just to spite her, Kris looked over his shoulder upon hearing his roommate enter the room and began to whistle. “Well, don’t you look sexy.”

“Blow me, Versteeg.” Bristol took a spot on the floor by the coffee table and lifted the top to one of the pizza boxes. She didn’t mind cold pizza and immediately sank her teeth into the slice. Her stomach was panging with hunger.

Jeff, Mike, Dan and Claude did their best to conceal their laughter as Kris felt it cheeks slightly burn from embarrassment. The television quietly hummed and Bristol recognized the channel they were watching. Verses.

“What are you watching?” She assumed it was some sort of cage fight that caught the attention of the males.

“Caps and Ducks game.” Claude placed his empty beer bottle on the table and leaned back on the sofa. Kris—who was also sitting on the floor—leaned over to turn the volume down during the intermission report.

Mike removed his baseball cap and smoothed out his hair. “We have to keep an eye on those goons in Washington. They’re climbing up the charts pretty quick and we want to stay in first place.”

She hadn’t been formally introduced to the captain or the blonde Jeff Carter but, Bristol already had a hunch about who was who. After she devoured her pizza crust, Bristol wiped her hands on her pants and stood up to gather the empty boxes and bottles. Turning her attention to Claude, she asked. “Can I get you anything while I’m in the kitchen?”

Claude titled his head and replied. “Another beer?”

“Yeah, me too.” Dan chimed in which lead to three other requests for beverages as well.

Bristol headed into the kitchen and dropped the boxes on the floor next to the trash can before throwing away the empty bottles. She yawned while pulling open the door to the fridge and gathered five more. Back in the front room she handed them out and Kris raised an eyebrow when he noticed she hadn’t gotten one for herself.

“What, you’re not drinking?”

Bristol shrugged her shoulders. “Not tonight. I’m still trying to recover from last night.”

“What happened last night?” Daniel leaned back placed his hands behind him on the clean floor.

“Kris took me out to show me some of the bars around here and I had one too many tequila shots.”

“Tequila shots. You’re my kind of girl.” Bristol couldn’t help but match Daniel’s smile. She found it interesting that he hadn’t gotten his front teeth replaced after loosing them nearly three years ago. But, with his rap sheet full of fights, she couldn’t blame him.

He was wearing a tee-shirt and she caught a glimpse of the tattoo which ran up his tricep. It was an arrange of numbers that had no meaning to Bristol. She pointed it out and asked the first question which came to mind. “Is that like your prison ID or something?”

Again she earned a muffled laugh from the guys as they tried to turn their attention back to the game. “No,” he chuckled. “It’s not my prison ID.”

Dan was pleasantly surprised to be in the presence of a female who said the first thing that came to her mind. He bet she made an excellent trash-talker and made a mental note that it was probably in his best interest not to piss her off.

Much to their dismay, the Capitals had won their game and Bristol could sense the slight fear amongst the guys. After last season, they wanted nothing more than to dominate the East and remain in first place. It was close to ten o’clock when the guys decided to head home. As much as Bristol enjoyed being their company she wanted nothing more than to head back to bed. Doing nothing all day really wore her out.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Claude asked. He wrapped his arms around Bristol for a goodnight hug and she could feel her stomach fill with butterflies.

“Yeah,” When they pulled apart, Bristol had to mentally remind herself to stay calm and get giddy like a school girl. After last night, she decided to stick with a one word answer.

After saying goodnight to Dan, Mike and Jeff, Bristol closed the door to their apartment and locked it up. Turning around, she pressed her back against it and took a deep breath. Kris crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes before taunting her.

“Oh, Claude, I love you and I wanna have all your children so we can live happily forever!”

Pushing herself off the door, Bristol walked past Kris to her room, but not without a death glare. “Shut up.”