Open Your Eyes

Alyssa walked into the upscale restaurant that the Blackhawks organization had rented out for their Holiday party, Aimee following close behind. The older woman waited patiently as her best friend greeted management and her bosses, and soon the women were walking into the heart of the party.

Aimee smiled at the holiday music being played, a sense of warmth and nostalgia flowing through her system. Alyssa wasn’t the biggest fan of Christmas music, but she was glad it was the more upbeat Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree as opposed to The Little Drummer Boy or something.

The two women were soon intercepted by Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland, who both gave them each a quick kiss on the cheek. “You ladies look great,” Patrick complimented, Dave nodding in agreement as the other man held up his drink. “Head on over to the bar. It’s open and free.”

“It’s not free, management is taking care of it,” Alyssa chuckled.

“That’s as good as free to me,” Dave grinned, taking a large swig of his beer. The girls just laughed and shook their heads, heading toward the bar before they had to be told twice. The girls sat at the bar and chatted for a while before Adam came over and whisked Aimee onto the dance floor during Jingle Bell Rock. That’s when Tomas first caught sight of her, and it bothered him that he couldn’t seem to pull his gaze away.

“Hey guys,” Alyssa greeted, having walked from the bar towards Tomas who was flanked by Marian. Both men were looking suave in their black dress pants and button up shirts, Tomas sporting a dark lavender one while Marian’s was a crisp white.

“Alyssa,” Marian smiled, kissing her on both cheeks. Tomas did the same, glad for the distraction. The three of them chatted for a few minutes before Aimee breathlessly joined the group.

Tomas should have known that Aimee would surprise him by looking stunningly classy at this holiday party. It’s not that he expected her to look skanky, but with the occupation as a Hooters waitress he was definitely anticipating to see some skin. While Aimee’s purple one shouldered number had a lot more coverage than Tomas imagined she’d have, it definitely didn’t hide her curves. The dress was almost skin tight, something Tomas appreciated a lot when her backside was to him. He noticed a few other guys appreciating it too, namely Burish, causing Tomas to scowl.

Aimee’s hair was up in a messy up-do, something else Tomas scolded himself for focusing on. She looked perfectly disheveled, like she had just gotten out of bed and thrown her hair up. It looked oddly elegant, and Tomas wasn’t sure why he cared. When his thoughts drifted to how the color of the dress looked good against her dark skin and hair, he turned around toward the bar. He needed to get this girl out of his head.

He didn’t even like her.

Tomas briefly asked Marian in Slovak if he wanted another drink before leaving the trio alone. “Where’s Ben?” Aimee asked aloud, looking at Alyssa and Marian.

“He’s around here somewhere,” Marian stated, looking around. “I saw him talking to Adam about half an hour ago.”

“He’ll turn up eventually,” Alyssa shrugged, not being able to stop herself from searching the crowd again. Aimee went off to mingle, a trait that Lyss had always admired her for. Even though this was Alyssa’s work function, she stayed in her comfort zone with people that were closest to her, like Marian, Tomas and Aimee. Her roommate, however, was working the crowd and talking to the players. Not that her job allowed her to be very shy.

Marian glanced down at Alyssa, noticing once again she was dressed in a similar hue as usual. “You really like pink, don’t you?”

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” Alyssa replied dryly.

“What?”

“Yes, Marian,” Alyssa giggled at his confused expression. “It means yes.” Marian made comprehending gesture, slyly looking her up and down some more. The sweetheart neckline was causing his gaze to focus on her chest, something he didn’t want to be caught doing. He let his eyes travel down further, watching as the loose fabric swirled around her thighs. Alyssa was then tapped on the shoulder by John McDonough, so Marian motioned for her to go ahead and talk to him as he headed toward Tomas and the bar.

“High heels,” Tomas started, causing Marian to pause mid-sip of his drink. “They’re not something I ever noticed on a woman before.”

“Are you drunk already?”

“But with legs like those, it’s hard not to admire the way the shoes tighten everything up.”

Marian glanced at Aimee, noticing that she indeed had nice legs, but then he tested out Tomas’ theory on Alyssa. For some reason, Marian found himself agreeing. The shoes seemed to elongate Alyssa’s already never ending legs, and her posture was much more straightened as well. He could care less about the posture, honestly, but he did have to admit that it made her butt look good too. The two Slovakian men simultaneously turned around to the bartender, ordering another round.

As Aimee was deep in conversation with Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Seabrook came out of nowhere dangling mistletoe in his hands and grabbed the woman around her waist. He dipped her back with one arm, held the mistletoe over their heads with the other, and then planted a smacking kiss on her lips. He drew her back up and then pulled away before bounding off, presumably to find his next victim. Dustin just stared at the scene gobsmacked while Tomas glared at it from his spot at the bar. He watched as Aimee kissed Buff goodbye and approached the bar where he was standing with Marian.

“Where’s Lyss?” she asked, looking around for her roommate.

“She’s talking to McDonough,” Marian answered, motioning over to the brunette. Aimee just nodded and motioned to the bartender, ordering a shot of tequila. “Hey, Tomas just got one of those too!” Marian noted with a snort as his two companions downed their liquor and ignored him. “You know what? You guys even have matching outfits!”

Tomas glanced at Aimee’s dark purple dress while Aimee glanced at his dark lavender shirt, each wincing. Alyssa had joined them by then, offering a “Cuuuute,” which only caused Aimee to glare at her. While Alyssa was ordering a drink, Aimee nudged Marian to get him to ask Lyss to dance. When he took too long for Aimee’s liking, she pushed them onto the dance floor during Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!, but the song ended quickly and was replaced by the much slower Silver Bells. Alyssa awkwardly cleared her throat, about to tell Marian he didn’t have to dance with her, but her breath caught as he put his hand on her lower back and pulled her into him.

“Finally,” Aimee muttered, ordering another shot.

“How much have you had to drink?” Tomas raised an eyebrow.

“None of your business,” Aimee answered, even though in her head she knew she should slow down a bit. She could hold her own while drinking, but she did find herself getting a little tipsy.

“Have you eaten?” Tomas asked, motioning to the tables filled with appetizers and such.

“Who are you, my father?” Aimee challenged, looking at him like he was crazy. He started to mumble some response, but Aimee didn’t hear it as she caught sight of something behind him. It was a separate and semi-private lounge area, and Ben Eager was in it. With some blonde in a short skirt. “Shit,” she muttered, causing Tomas to turn around. He immediately recognized the girl as one of the blondes Adam Burish had brought with him. Adam’s date was some girl he was clearly not interested in for her intellect, and apparently she had talked him into letting he bring a friend. A friend that Ben Eager was getting mighty cozy with.

Tomas swore under his breath in his native language, and began to walk towards the lounge until he felt a hand on his bicep. “What?” he growled at Aimee.

“Don’t make a scene about this,” Aimee said softly, looking genuinely upset. Tomas softened a little and glanced at Alyssa, who was laughing as Marian spun her around. “I know Alyssa, and I know she’ll be upset, but I also know she won’t want to show it. So I’m hoping we can just discreetly tell her about this later? Like, in private?” Tomas looked again at Ben, who had his face nuzzled against the blonde’s neck. The young Slovakian took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, backing off a bit.

“He had to know Lyss was going to be here. Why would he risk their relationship over a girl like that?” Tomas asked.

“I don’t know,” Aimee shrugged. “Alyssa’s liked Ben for a long time, so I’m thinking she made more of what they had than he did. I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what?” Alyssa asked, causing Tomas and Aimee to jump and conspicuously block the view of Ben. It might have worked if it had been any other two people, but the fact that it was Tomas and Aimee who had smashed their sides against one another upon her arrival had the woman knowing that they were hiding something. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Tomas and Aimee said at the same time.

“Are you tired? Maybe we should head home,” Aimee stepped forward and grabbed Alyssa’s arm to lead her out of the restaurant, but the brunette didn’t move.

“What’s gotten into you? I never said I was tired or that I wanted to leave. Are you drunk?” Alyssa interrogated.

“No,” Aimee contested, earning a nudge from Tomas. Aimee shot a glare at him until she caught on. “I mean yes! Yes, I am drunk. Take me home, please?”

Alyssa rolled her eyes and was about to comply with Aimee’s demands when she caught sight of Ben’s shaved head in the distance behind Aimee and Tomas’ bodies. “Well there’s the big oaf,” Alyssa smirked, pushing her way in between her two friends, ignoring Tomas’ attempt at grabbing her arm. She slipped through his grasp and stepped towards the lounge before stopping dead in her tracks. Tomas and Aimee stood behind her on either side, and Marian just hung back and watched the entire scene unfold.

She didn’t know what to do. Should she be angry at Ben? Were they serious enough for her to be upset that he was making out with another girl? Or would that be making things a bigger deal than they actually were? Alyssa forced her feet to backtrack, turning around and surrounding herself with her best friends. “Take me home?” Aimee repeated, this time the question being directed at Tomas to relieve Alyssa of any need of communication.

Tomas nodded and threw an arm around Alyssa’s shoulders, insisting she take a quick shot before they left to close out the evening. Four shots were poured, each of them downed before it was time to leave the party. Aimee hopped off the stool she was sitting on, stumbling as she finally admitted to herself that she might have had a bit too much to drink. Tomas caught her by the waist and reassumed his position of having his other arm around Alyssa’s shoulders, so to outsiders he pretty much looked like a guy who was about to get very, very lucky. He craned his neck around to see if Marian was following, but to Tomas’ dismay, the older man was heading straight for Ben Eager. Tomas quickly stopped and turned around, causing Aimee to stumble some more. He tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her up to lean against him.

“Damn tequila,” he heard her mutter. The three of them watched as Marian reached Ben, and the two exchanged a short discussion before Ben immediately stood up and turned around to face the bar area. Alyssa moved to walk away then, but Tomas held her steady.

“Talk to him,” Tomas suggested. “I know you, and if you don’t do it now you’ll avoid it forever.” When Alyssa didn’t protest, he gently nudged her forward, causing her to meet Ben halfway. Marian came and stood by Aimee and Tomas, keeping an eye on Alyssa at all times. “What’d you say to him?”

“I asked him what he was doing with the blonde when he had a girlfriend, and he said he didn’t have a girlfriend.”

“What about Alyssa?” Aimee murmured.

“That’s what I said. And he said that he and Alyssa weren’t serious, and were allowed to see other people. I told him that I wasn’t sure Alyssa knew about that, which is when he stood up and came over here.”

“Well shit if I didn’t say I told her so,” Aimee sighed, letting the side of her head plop against Tomas’ shoulder. The tall Slovakian just looked down at her and rolled his eyes before turning back to Alyssa and Ben and wishing he could hear what they were saying.

“Hey,” Ben greeted Alyssa cautiously.

“Hey,” Alyssa replied, keeping her gaze fixed on anything but him. She felt his fingers under her chin, tilting it so that she finally made eye contact with him.

“So, I guess I have some explaining to do,” he announced, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. “I never meant to hurt you, Lyss. I thought you knew…well I thought we were on the same page. I’m sorry if I misled you. You’re a great girl and I care about you more than I’ve cared about any other girl the past few years. But having a girlfriend, an exclusive girlfriend, that was just never in the plan for me.”

“I understand Ben,” Alyssa nodded. “I guess I should have made sure I knew where we stood and how far the relationship was going to go. I care about you too, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a crush on you for a while.” Ben chuckled softly, making Alyssa smile and continue, “So while I was thinking you might want to get serious with me, you were thinking I was ready to have a little fun with you. Gosh, we sure made a mess of it, didn’t we?”

“We sure did,” he laughed. “I’m sorry it was such a misunderstanding, and I feel like a total jerk that it ended up this way.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Alyssa waved off. “Friends?”

“If you’ll have me.”

“Of course I will, Benjamin,” she opened her arms and embraced his hug, feeling relieved and depressed at the same time. While she was glad this little snafu didn’t ruin her friendship with Ben, she was still a little bummed that he was no longer going to be more than just her friend. Aimee tried shoving Marian toward the pair to retrieve Alyssa, but Marian warily declined.

Aimee took it upon herself to stagger forward a few steps, and lightly hooked her arm with Alyssa’s. “I’m drunk,” she told Ben, her tone level but with an edge. “And Alyssa needs to take me home. Goodbye Ben, and happy holidays.”

“You too, Aim.” The large winger moved forward to hug the raven haired woman, but she turned around with Lyss in tow before he could get too close to her. Tomas had to admit that he was impressed with the young woman, because even though her motor skills might be a little impaired by the alcohol her mind seemed to always remain sharp under tense circumstances. Allow her to be drunk and happy however, and Tomas guessed she’d be a tanked, nonsensical handful.

The quartet said their goodbyes to everyone they needed to before Tomas led them out to his truck. He helped Aimee lift herself into the passenger seat while Marian and Alyssa got in the back. He was just passing Marian’s condo on his way to the girls’ place when Aimee started to whine. “Are we almost there?”

“You know very well where we are,” Tomas answered. “We have a good fifteen minutes left in traffic at least.”

“Then you need to pull over before I pee all over your seat,” she stated, crossing her legs tight. Tomas glanced back at Marian worriedly and pleadingly.

“We can stop at my place,” Marian nodded. “We’re right here anyway.”

“Thank God,” Aimee and Tomas muttered at the same time. What seemed like a blur to everyone else seemed to take hours for Aimee as Tomas parked and the four of them made their way into Marian’s condo. Aimee hurriedly entered through the front door, Marian quickly behind her to show her where the bathroom was. This left the other two in silence, and Tomas glanced at Alyssa’s forlorn face.

“You okay?” He asked her. That apparently was the straw that broke the camel’s back, because a quick sob escaped Alyssa’s mouth and she shoved her face in her hands. “Hey now,” Tomas soothed, pulling her into him. “Don’t get upset over a guy like Eager.”

“It’s not that I’m upset, really,” Alyssa sniffled. “I’m just…embarrassed. I feel like such an idiot to not have realized Ben and I were after completely different things. I want to be mad at him, but at the same time I can’t be. We never talked about being exclusive, we never talked about our expectations for our relationship. I just assumed things about it, which is exactly what Aimee warned me not to do. And I had the nerve to shrug her off about it.” Alyssa let out a sighing groan and buried her face into Tomas’ shoulder, grateful he was there to be her support. She felt foolish for feeling so distraught, but she couldn’t help it.

“It’s okay Lyss. You should be glad it happened so early, before you fell too hard for him. He’s still your friend, and we’re all still here for you. Come on,” he guided her towards the couch, sitting her down on the middle cushion. Marian came back in the room a moment later, sitting next to Alyssa and pulling her to his side. Tomas sat back on the recliner, letting them have their space.

As if sensing she didn’t want to talk any more about it, Marian flipped on the television and handed her the remote. Alyssa settled on an old black and white movie and curled herself against Marian’s side after she adjusted her dress. “I got Aimee some comfy clothes to wear; do you want some too?” He asked her. She nodded softly and he took her hand, leading her to his bedroom. After Alyssa had changed into the large t-shirt and basketball shorts from Marian, she shuffled back into the living room and resumed her spot next to the blonde man.

“Aimee hasn’t come out yet?” She finally spoke, all of them suddenly realizing Aimee was still in the bathroom. A loud thud followed by a curse down the hall alerted them that she was at least still conscious, and Tomas went to check on her to give Marian and Alyssa some alone time.

“Aimee?” He knocked on the door.

“Yeah,” she responded, the word coming out as a breathless, exhausted sigh.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t know,” she groaned. “Marian brought me some more comfortable things to wear…but I can’t get out of my dress.”

Tomas felt himself go hot at the thought of her removing the tight, fitted, purple number, but the feeling soon went away as he imagined her struggling like a drunk idiot to get it off. “Are you decent?”

“Considering I haven’t even been able to unzip my dress, yeah I’d say I was pretty decent,” she droned. Tomas twisted the bathroom door knob, finding it unlocked and allowing him to walk in. He shut the door behind him, entering Marian’s spacious guest bathroom. Aimee was laying flat on her back on the floor, one arm strewn across her face.

“You look pathetic,” Tomas smirked.

“I feel pathetic,” Aimee nodded, removing her hand and glancing up at him. “Unzip me?” The hot feeling took over his body once again, but he nodded and pulled her to stand up. Aimee held up the few strands of hair that had fallen out of her up-do at the base of her neck, even though her zipper didn’t start until much further down. Tomas didn’t say anything however, and just enjoyed the view of her smooth skin.

“I uh, don’t think I got the chance to tell you this, but I thought you looked really nice tonight,” he stated, voice rough. Aimee looked up and locked eyes with him in the mirror as he slowly undid her zipper.

“Thanks,” she responded, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t even look twice at the dress, but Lyss begged me to try it on, and I ended up buying it. I guess you just never know. You uh, looked, I mean look, good too.” He smiled at her before looking at the skin the unzippered dress revealed. Her back was bare except for the band of her strapless bra, and to rid them of any awkward moments Tomas pulled Marian’s shirt straight over her head before she had a chance to shimmy out of her dress. Once Aimee had the oversized t-shirt on and her dress was around her ankles, she kicked it aside and grabbed the shorts she was given.

After almost toppling over in her slightly buzzed state about three times while trying to get them on, Tomas finally just set her up on the counter and held the shorts open for her. She slid her legs in and he pulled them up as far as he could before pulling her off the counter and lifting her shorts the rest of the way. “You’re welcome,” he spouted before she could even open her mouth to thank him. She glared and grabbed her dress, stalking out of the bathroom and draping her garment over a chair back in the living room.

Marian sat with a pillow on his lap, and Alyssa’s head was resting on it as her body was covered in a blanket. She was already sleeping, having Marian’s fingers running through her hair to thank for that. Tomas took the lazy boy armchair again, so Aimee sat herself on the floor after grabbing another blanket and a couch pillow.

She wasn’t sure when she fell asleep or who had moved her, but when she stirred in the middle of the night she was reclined all the way back on the lazy boy and her body was up against Tomas’. She looked over at the couch, seeing that Marian had adjusted them so he was laying down and Alyssa was on top of him, her head on his chest and her body between his legs.

Aimee smiled contentedly and snuggled further into Tomas, knowing that even if he didn’t like her he would make sure she was taken care of and that Alyssa was protected as well.