Don't Make Me Spell It Out For You

ROSELYN’S POV

After my three game streak with two wins and one loss, Nemo was back and I was happily sitting on the bench during games. Not that I wasn’t happy on the ice, but it was weird having people gape at the NHL’s first female goaltender. It made me uncomfortable.

January came and went with nothing interesting happening, with February much the same. I mean, there were the Olympics and all that. Canada won gold by the way. Kris and I cheered the entire time.

March came around and Coach had warned me that he was putting me in more games. The play offs were looming and we were rocking the ice like no other team.

“We do want you in the play offs,” Coach told me one morning practice in middle March. “Maybe not round one though. Nashville is a tough team to beat. Let Nemo get his legs warmed up before you. Damn I have two newbie goaltenders. You’ll both split the time, I’m thinking.”

I nodded. “Okay. Whatever you feel is best for the team.”

He grinned. “Have I told you, that you are my absolute favorite?”

“No,” I said slowly. “Why am I your favorite?”

“Because you trust me judgement and you take whatever I give you without whining like some of the girls out there.”

I laughed. “Them? Whine? Noooo. Never.”

“Believe it or not, Kaner whines a lot. So does Bollie, your cousin, Laddie, and sometimes Hossa.”

“Are you kidding me? What about that goaltender over there? He complains every freaking day!”

Nemo rolled his eyes at me, standing about a foot away. “You can count on it every practice and sometimes I call you up at home, just to complain to you personally.”

I laughed and leaned on my goal stick. “Tell me about it.”

Coach rolled his eyes, smiling nonetheless. “Get your butts out there and get shot at! I want to see sweat and pain!”

I snorted with laughter, skating on the ice to my respective net for a quick pick up game. “With all the sissies on this team, there won’t be much of anything except tears from them.”

Coach only grinned. “Baby V you got the white team today.”

Nemo saw who my team consisted of and snorted with laughter. I scanned them over and groaned. “You stacked the teams! You gave Nemo the best face off winners! All of them! Tazer, Sharpie, Bollie, and Kopy! What? Why did you give him all of the centers?!”

He shrugged. “They picked the teams.”

“Wanna bet on who wins?” Niemi laughed from his net.

“Not really.”

“Come on sweetie, you got me,” Andrew skated by, winking.

Thank God I had my goal mask on, saw my blush was minimal to his eyes. “Yes, yes I do. Can you win a face off?”

He shrugged. “I’m a winger honey.”

Needless to say, Nemo’s team won. Though the good part was that I got all of the heavy hitters, so they were crushed. Literally.

We got back into the dressing room, me jumping in the shower quickly. I technically didn’t need guards anymore because everyone knew when I was in the shower. Apparently my scent of apples and flowers overpowered the dressing room, in a good way, of course, Kris said.

“Tomorrow’s the first game,” a familiar voice leaned on the wall outside the shower as I washed my hair.

“Yeah? So?” I asked, watching the curtain. I knew he would never look, but I was still nervous.

Andrew laughed. “Come on Rose. Don’t tell me you’re not nervous at all. Even Nemo is looking a bit pale.”

“He’s playing tomorrow’s game. I’m just soaking everything in,” I told him, rinsing out the conditioner.

“And when you do play?”

“Who knows? Niemi could end up playing every game.”

“Tsk, tsk,” he scolded me. “You’re a goaltender Rose. You should know already that he’s not playing every game and especially because Coach said he wanted you in the play offs.”

I turned off the water. “I don’t know if I’m good enough,” I sighed.

“You know, if you weren’t naked in the shower I would come in and hit you upside the head before hugging you and telling you that you are most definitely good enough. First woman goaltender in the NHL. But since you are, I’ll just air hug you out here.”

I blushed hard at his first comment about me being naked and wished for my towel right on the rack. “I have yet to earn my right here.”

“You may not think so, but there’s tons of talk about you and I’m not just talking about our team. Nashville is interested to see you play.”

“Well they can suck it up and wait. Can you hand me my towel?” I asked.

“Sure thing sweetie,” he said and the towel stuck through the curtains. I went to grab it, but he inched it away until it was outside the curtain.

“Andrew!” I laughed, embarrassed. “My towel!”

He laughed and actually handed it to me. “Just messing with you sweets.”

“I know that,” I said.

“See you in a few Rose,” he said and walked off, letting me change.

~~~~~

I didn’t play in the series against the Preds and I was perfectly fine with that. They were a hard team to beat and in the end, Nemo pulled it out. It was freaking intense and Coach informed me that I was playing the second game against Vancouver.

“You going to be ready Baby V?” Coach asked the day before the game.

I nodded, trying not to look nervous. “Oh yeah totally.”

He laughed. “You sound ready.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m a bit nervous.”

“As it should be. Now get out of here. Laddie and Steeger are waiting for you.”

I nodded and caught up with my house mates outside the dressing room, watching some of the Canucks file in for a quick look around.

“Are we allowed to be friendly to them? Or do we have to keep up the machismo act?” I whispered into Kris’s ear.

Just then Kesler walked in and he us and he ambled on over. “Well look who it is. Laddie Boy, Steeger, and,” his eyes landed on me. “Laddie’s girlfriend?”

My blush covered my entire face as I stuttered to explain that we were only just friends. Thank God, Kris took over.

“Ryan, this is my baby cuz Roselyn Versteeg. She’s our goaltender.”

His eyes widened. “My bad. I’m sorry. I forgot Chi-town has a female in the rankings. Ryan Kesler,” he smiled as he introduced himself.

I sighed a breath of relief. He wasn’t mean. Thank God. “Hi.”

“Well good for you,” he said to me. “It takes a lot of guts to be playing on a team with how many guys there are here. You staying with Steeger?”

“And Laddie,” Kris piped up again.

His eyes shone with amusement. Something tightened on my waist and it was only then I noticed that Andrew’s hand was around my waist. And that he pulled me an inch closer to him.

How did I not notice?

How was I not blushing like crazy?

How was I okay with this?

“Well I am sorry for not recognizing you sooner Roselyn. Good luck guys,” he nodded and walked over back to his team.

“The answer is yes Rose,” Kris said to me, ruffled my hair. “You can be friendly to them.
Laddie, you can loosen your grip on her now,” he called lightly as he started walking to the car.

He let go, shaking his head, and I saw the smallest blush on his face. “Uh, sorry,” he apologized.

“Were you jealous?” I asked him as we walked. I had to run to keep up with his long strides and to hear the answer.

“No. I just didn’t like the way he looked at you.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s married and has kids Andrew. He was merely assessing me as a player. I’m not going to switch teams because he was nice,” I laughed, getting into the car.

The entire ride home, I thought about the encounter. Andrew must have known that Ryan had a wife and kids. So then why was he still pulling me closer?

Andrew got out first, complaining of hunger while Kris and I lingered a moment longer.

“It’s called jealousy Rose,” Kris said, reading my mind all the way home.

“He said he wasn’t,” I argued.

“Guys say a lot of things to cover what they really mean,” he reminded me as we walked into the house.

I stood there outside in the melting snow. What was he trying to say?

~~~~~

Game one against the Canucks was embarrassing. I didn’t play Game two either but Coach told me that I was definitely playing games three and four for sure.

I plopped next to Nemo on the plane to Vancouver. “Hey, how are you doing?”

“You ready for tomorrow?” he asked instead.

“Well I’m extremely nervous. I’m afraid I’m going to blow it for us,” I admitted.

He shrugged. “Can’t do worse than me in Game One.”

“It wasn’t just your fault,” I told him.

He shrugged and leaned back for a nap. “You’ll do just fine Baby V.”

We got there and I didn’t sleep well the night before. I tossed and turned and finally Andrew ended up telling me that if I didn’t just fall asleep he was feeding me to the Hockey Gods as a sacrifice for every bad thing Burish has done.

I thought about it for a few minutes and I lost track after fifty four bad things Burish has done. I decided to stop moving and try to fall asleep.

That next morning after finally falling asleep, Andrew woke me around eleven, looking refreshed. “Up and at ‘em!”

I groaned and rolled out of bed. “I don’t want to play tonight. Niemi can have his net back.”

He poked me lightly in the ribs. “Come on. Rise and shine. We’ve got a game to play.”

All day I was jumpy and trying to practice.

Finally.

It was time.

I skated around the net a few times looking around at the fans who booed me without hesitation. The game was about to start and I hit my goal stick on both poles and wished myself luck.

Fifteen saves in the first period, up by one thanks to my cousin Kris. So grateful to have even that one goal cushion. I walked into the locker room, collapsing in my stall. “Holy shit!” I swore. Some of the guys looked at me funny. “You know as the goal tender, I’m not supposed to get run over. I mean, maybe it’s just me, but that’s just what I believe.”

Sharp laughed, patting me on the back. “The Sedin twins a little heavy for you?”

“I felt the air squish out of me like a balloon. All I can say is thank God for Big Buff and Sopes for prying them off me.”

Byfuglien laughed. “Anytime Baby V.”

“Hey, I have a question. Who came up with the nickname Baby V anyways?”

Everyone looked at each other and shrugged. “Who the hell knows? It just kinda popped up one day and now look at who you are,” Burish explained.

I nodded. “Good enough for me.”

Toews and Coach then went on with their lectures and before I knew it, we were heading back onto the ice.

“Doing great Rose,” Kris nodded, gearing up for another period of hockey against the relentless Canucks.

Ladd was the last one out that time and I was surprised. I usually followed Toews or Niemi. “So, how does it feel?” he asked as we started out.

“Wow,” I smiled. “Great and so horrible. I love the feeling.”

“That’s good. You’re doing great. We’ll try and keep the puck out of our zone more.”

“Much appreciated,” I joked as we started the second period. “Hey!” I called back to him.

He spun around. “Yeah?”

“Get a goal, would you?”

Andrew didn’t need a goal, for Buff had three. Not nearly enough hats for the man, but I would have given him every hat I owned. He was that freaking spectacular.

The end of the game came to a close and I breathed in some of the ice fresh air as the guys came over to celebrate the win. Kopy hit my mask and I couldn’t help but laugh as he told me I did fantastic in Slovak. I loved that man.
“Baby V! Get suited up for the next game too,” Coach barked nicely.

“Yeah, give Nemo a break here and let him get his fins back. Ha! Get it?! Get his fins back? Because he’s Finnish!” Burish joked, patting Niemi on the back, and he looked absolutely tortured.

I stared at him and shook my head. “Yeah, I’m not quite sure how to respond to that, so I’ll just walk away.”

The entire team erupted in laughter as I gathered my things to go back to the hotel.

“No shower here?” Andrew asked.

“Eh. I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep in the shower, so I might as well take one back at the hotel.”

“Steeger, you coming?” Andrew asked as we gathered our things.

“NO!” Seabsy cried out. “We’ll take him home. Go on without him! Bye!” he basically shooed us out of there. Andrew and I figured they wanted to stop at a few bars to see if they could find a few cuties. Not my words.

I shrugged and we caught a cab back to our hotel. “That was an amazing game you played. I can’t wait until two days from now where we kill them again,” Andrew said.

I smiled. “Thanks. You guys were amazing too. I feel so much better now that I’ve played and won the first game nonetheless.”

We got back into our room and Andrew fell onto our bed and I wasn’t too far behind him. I groaned. “The shower is so freaking far away.”

Andrew laughed, his fingers stroking my cheek. “You could just stay here,” he whispered.

I pouted. “I smell.”

“So do I. We could shower together,” I could hear the joking in his tone.

Still, I blushed and I turned to face him. “Give me five minutes and then you can come to take your shower.”

“You can take a shower in five minutes?”

I smiled. “I just need to make sure I don’t smell.”

I dragged myself to the bathroom to take a quick shower, my heart thumping nearly out of my rib cage.

ANDREW’S POV

Five minutes later, I counted, I opened the door to the bathroom to find Rose wrapped in a towel, drying her hair.

“Wow,” I whistled.

Her face was bright red as she met my eyes. “What?”

“Well I’m torn between saying that you can take a faster shower than me and that you look absolutely gorgeous in only a towel.”

Her cheeks kept glowing. I thought it was so cute when she blushed. She looked so innocent even though I knew she was anything but.

“You can say either one,” she said, her voice quiet but steady.

I smiled, walking up to her, twisting a strand of hair through my fingers. I leaned in without
thinking, ready to press my lips to hers when we heard voices outside our room.

We both pulled back and I scrambled back to our bed to make it look like I had been there the entire time.

Holy shit.

I almost kissed Roselyn Versteeg.