Don't Make Me Spell It Out For You

Chapter Three

ROSELYN’S POV

Three weeks later and I wasn’t going to lie. I loved my life in Chicago. I felt like I was changing too. That I wasn’t the same Roselyn Versteeg. The shy girl who every time she got called on, lit up like a Christmas tree and stuttered her answer even though she knew it was right.

Kris noticed it too.

“So, how’s life?” Kris asked me. We were sitting on my bed eating skittles and waiting for the Pens vs. Caps game to come on. Laddie had a date that night and when he left, I felt the smallest twang of jealousy.

“Good. Yourself?” I eyed him funny. He was so awkward sometimes.

“Okay, let’s skip the crap. We all know how life is. Skipping to the chase. You’re a whole new person and I don’t know what to do!” he admitted. “I mean I knew what to do around you when you were that cute, little shy girl, but now things are different and I feel like I need an instruction manual!”

I laughed, tossing him a purple skittle that he caught in his mouth. “I’m still the same girl Kris. I love hockey, like dogs better than cats, I hate the Red Wings with a passion, hate Vanilla scented Glade, love skittles,” I smiled, popping one into my mouth. “I’m just more outgoing than before.”

He nodded, leaning back on my bed, watching the television, but I could tell his wheels were turning inside his head. “It started with Ladd. . .” he trailed off, waiting for me to finish the sentence.

I shrugged. What did he want me to say? “I don’t know. He’s a nice guy. You all are. Hold on.”

Three texts. One from Burish one of my other best friends on the team, the second from Sharpie, my other BFF. They asked if I was watching the Pens vs. Caps game. Of course I was. The third was a surprise and from Ladd and it read:

Wow. I need help. This girl is psychotic. . .

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Kris? I think Laddie wants you to play gay lover,” I showed him the text.

“Why can’t you just be the girlfriend,” he whined. “I hate being the gay lover.”
“If the guy is gay, she has no chance of getting him to bed. If he has a girlfriend, she has a huge chance.”

He sighed and grabbed his phone and dialed him. “Laddie, honey! Where are you baby? I miss you. We haven’t played Star Wars in such a long time,” he said in his most gay voice and I had to walk into my hallway to keep from cracking up and ruining it.

He hung up and we both started laughing. “He should be home in ten,” he said trying to breathe normally.

“Star Wars?” I said, tears in my eyes. “Oh my God. I can’t believe you said that!”

Fifteen minutes later and we finally composed ourselves. . . well until Ladd walked in, the most amused smirk on his face. “Well hey there baby. What color you want?” he asked, referring to the Star Wars conversation.

That only got us laughing all over again. “Thanks man. I owe you one,” Ladd said, sitting between us on my bed. “Even if it was the most awkward conversation of my life. What are we watching? Crosby and Pens? Against. . . ooo. Ovie and his minions.”

As Andrew sat between us, his skin touching mine, I felt my cheeks light up just a little. Was it just because of my shyness? God, I hoped so.

~~~~~

Two weeks later and New Years was approaching quickly. I had been cleaning the house because I noticed pretty quickly that two hockey boys who weren’t home all that much did not keep a very clean house.

“You ready cuz?” Kris poked his head into my room, buttoning up his shirt. I looked away from my mirror and I saw Kris’s mouth fall slightly. “Wow. You look beautiful.”

My cheeks reddened as I finished up my make up. “Thanks Kris. You look pretty spiffy yourself.”

He spun around once, clicking his tongue at me. “Laddie! Get in here!” he hollered and I started blushing even more.

Andrew walked in, wearing nice jeans and a black button down shirt and let me tell you, that look has never looked so good on anyone else but Andrew Ladd himself.

He saw me and his eyes widened slightly. “Whoa. Rose, you look really good,” he stuttered a little.

“Thanks,” I pushed some hair behind my ear, trying to act as cool as I looked.

“Come on! Time’s a wasting!” Kris shouted from downstairs, but Andrew and I lingered a while longer in my doorway.

His eyes seemed to memorize my body, but not in the evasive way. I blushed only slightly and took the time to memorize his gorgeous body as well.

“Guys?” Kris sounded confused and our eyes met up again back at each other.

“We should go,” I whispered, slipping past Andrew and downstairs to where my cousin was waiting for us, wondering why we took so long. Andrew asked if I wanted shotgun. I asked who was driving. He said he was. I nodded slowly and he smiled, opening my door for me.

I didn’t notice Kris smirking in the backseat the entire ride. I didn’t notice much else then except for Andrew Ladd.

~~~~~

The party was in full swing by the time we got there at eight. Kaner opened the door to Sharp and Burish’s house and his mouth dropped slightly. “Wow, Rose,” was all he could manage.

I blushed and Andrew placed his hand on my shoulder, nudging me inside. “Don’t worry. He’s a bit tipsy. He won’t bite,” his cool breath rose the hairs on the back of my neck.

I could only nod. We said hello to the captain who seemed not drunk at all and actually quite content with watching his drunk teammates. Kris would soon be one of them.

For the next few hours, Andrew didn’t really leave my side. He got me a drink and we talked with other players, or well tried to. It was hard to have a conversation with a drunk man.

Finally, eleven fifty nine came and we all stood around the television waiting for the countdown.

“10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

Confetti exploded and I jumped a little. Andrew pulled me a little closer to him and I was grateful and shy at the same time. Gratefully, he didn’t kiss me. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to, I was just embarrassed. I didn’t know what I wanted from Andrew Ladd, if anything.

“Hey! Hey! HEY!” the captain tried to focus his teammates on him. “I have an announcement to make.”

I looked at Toews and he smiled ever so slightly at me and I knew. I just knew where he was going with that. “Now?!” I exclaimed. “Why?”

“Why what?” Andrew asked, confused and sober.

“They’re all drunk!” I hissed at the Captain, ignoring the man at my side.

He shrugged. “I think it’s a great way to open up the new year. With some good news! Come on Rose, I know you agree.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re half drunk like everyone else here,” I snapped.

He shrugged again and held up his beer. “Not totally. Enough to where you’re probably driving all of us idiots home, but not enough to buy a hooker.”

“That’s good to know Tazer. What is it?” Andrew pressed him.

“You know how Huet got traded back to France and we have no real back up goalie to Niemi?” he started off slowly.

Everyone nodded.

“Well now we have one.”

“Who?” everyone asked their captain.

He looked right at me. “Roselyn Versteeg signed a contract with the Blackhawks until the end of the year. She is our new back up goaltender.”

Silence.

Blushing. Lots and lots of blushing.

Mouth dropping by Kris. “What?!”

I nodded at the floor, remembering how Tazer told me his crazy idea for me as a goaltender and how Quennville agreed.

*****
“Hey Rose,” Tazer was calling me and I found it beyond strange and that he even had my number.

“Hi Toews,” I said awkwardly. “Uh, what’s up?”

“I know this is awkward and I’m sorry. I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Shoot.”

He laughed. “How ironic. Actually, would you mind dropping by the UC for a little bit? It’s better if it’s in person.”

I had to admit, I was getting nervous. “Uh, okay?” I squeaked.

He laughed, sensing my nervousness. “Relax Rose. It’s nothing bad. I think it’s very good.”

I relaxed slightly. “Okay. Give me a half hour.”

~~~~~

I knocked on the Coach’s door and I saw Coach Q, Tazer, and the GM, standing around talking. They were silent when I walked in.

Toews came up to me right away and introduced me, though I already knew Coach Q, but not the GM.

“Sit down Rose,” Q smiled at me and my heart slowed down a bit.

“If this is about me practicing with them, I’m so terribly sorry,” I blurted out and didn’t stop. “I mean, I’ll stop. I have no excuse for distracting them like that and again, I apologize.”

Toews laughed and patted my shoulder. “Just listen a moment, will you Rose?”

I nodded.

Stan Bowman, the GM stood up and looked me up and down. I did not appreciate being examined like that. “Jonathan and Q have brought up a point that yes, you have been practicing with the team. They also say that you are very good at what you do. You play as a goaltender for a women’s team?”

I nodded. “Before I moved here, I played with my old team for three years.”

“Is that how long you’ve been playing hockey in general?”

“No sir,” I looked up surprised. “I played on the girl’s team until high school.”

“Junior varsity?” Jonathan asked me. “I didn’t even know they had a women’s team in high school.”

I turned bright red. “They, uh don’t. And it was varsity. Starting goaltender for four years before I joined my last team.”

They stared at me, almost a mix of wonder and just pure amazement. Why? I wasn’t quite sure. There had been plenty of other women goaltenders before, a lot better than myself.

“I’m just going to jump straight to the point,” Q said. “Roselyn, Huet our back up goaltender went back to his elite France team a few nights ago and we’re in need of a goaltender. Not just any goaltender; a good one.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “Why am I here again?”

“We want you to be our back up goaltender!” Tazer spit it out.

I stared at him. “What?”

“You heard me. You are a kick ass goaltender and you know what? We all want to see you on the ice in a game.”

“In an NHL game. . .” I clarified.

They all nodded.

I leaned back in my chair. “Wow. I can’t believe this is happening.”

Stan pushed a contract in front of me. “Believe it sweetheart. For starters, we’re only going to sign you until the end of the season. We’ll see where the season takes us and we’ll talk again.”

I nodded and looked at Toews. He smiled and I knew it was legit. I signed my name after reading everything twice and stood up on shaky legs.

Holy mother of cows. I was a Chicago Blackhawk.

*****

“Well, I guess we should celebrate!” Kaner yelled out and the others wasted no time in cheering and drinking more. Lucky me, the sober driver who had to dump the idiots back off at their respective homes.

I looked up at Andrew. “Isn’t that what they’ve been doing all night?”

He only laughed. “My dear, it’s New Year and you’re our back up goaltender fort eh remainder of the season. Our woman goaltender. Hell, I want to drink, but then there would be no one to drive the other car full of guys home. I’ll just drink another night. Maybe, we could share a drink?”

I rolled my eyes, but a smile made its way onto my face. “All right.”

Men. Hockey players. Idiots.