Someone To Save Me

“Alright so we’re going to dance and drink and have fun like we’re 21 again” Janie said laughing as we walked into a club in downtown Pittsburgh.

“That was only 2 years ago Jane” Meg said shaking her head.

“Wow Janie, this place is full of hookers. They’re covered in body glitter what the hell” I said making a b-line for the bar. “This calls for rum” I added with a smile. “Rum will make this better.”

“Oh dear” Al said standing next to me as we ordered our first round.

We were all dancing and having a good time when someone caught my eye. I smiled at him and continued to dance keeping my eyes on him the whole time, rum definitely made me insanely flirty. After the song was over I made my way over to the bar to get something to drink, he just so happened to be standing there. I ignored him as best I could as I ordered and waited for the bartender to make my drink.

“Katie O’Callaghan, it’s nice to see you again, and so soon” he said making me smile.

“I’m beginning to think you’re following me Sidney Crosby” I said smiling up at him. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“You’re friends let it slip that this is where they were taking you” he said as I looked over to where my girls were, they were now dancing with a few of the Penguins.

“So you are following me.”

“Maybe” he said blushing slightly.

“I was hoping to run into you again” I said, yep rum was a bad idea.

“Oh really?”

“Yep, I have commit your cute smile to memory before I have to follow that damn Towes around for a solid week.”

“Towes? Why?”

“I work in Chicago, sports photographer, he’s the captain of our hockey team.”

“That’s right.”

“Are you going to ask me to dance or am I going to have to beg Sid?”

“Do you want to dance?” he asked with a smirk.

“This is all so sudden” I faked. “I’d love to mister NHL.”

“Mr. NHL? That’s a lot of pressure” he said walking with me to where our friends were dancing.

“Well, not too much actually. There has to be something more to you than this” I said gesturing towards him. “There has to be something more than the hockey star standing before me. You were just this kid from Cole Harbor and at 17 you became the face of the NHL, that’s not who you really are, it’s what you do.”

“Wow, Katie O’Callaghan . . .”

“Katherine Scarlett O’Callaghan . . . My mom really liked Gone with the Wind.”

“Well then Katherine Scarlett O’Callaghan, there has to be more to you than this foul mouthed sports photographer.”

“Foul mouthed? Ouch!”

“I heard you shouting during the game it was interesting to say the least” he laughed as his hands wound around my waist holding me close to his body as we danced to the intense beat that filled the club. “I wouldn’t mind getting to know you more.”

“Ditto Sidney whatever your middle name is Crosby.”

“Patrick. I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”

“I didn’t and I’m kind of disappointed, I can’t escape the Patrick’s.”

“Sorry” he said in all his Canadian glory causing me to giggle slightly.

“CROSBY How much rum have you given her?” Megs asked him.

“Umm none yet but now that you said something I think that’s all I’m going to let her drink tonight.”

“You’re a bad influence on me Sidney Patrick Crosby.”

“What with the rum?”

“It makes me a little too flirty.”

“Well I guess we need some more rum” he whispered in my ear, his lips brushing against my skin sending chills over my entire body.

“No I’ve had just enough actually . . .” I replied placing my hand on the back of his neck. “I don’t do one nighters Sid so don’t get your hopes up.”

“Neither do I.”

“Good, then we’re on the same page?”

“Sounds like it” he smiled. “So do you want another drink or no?”

“Sure, just not too much more rum though. When I said that it makes me a little too flirty I really mean it makes me insanely flirty and forgetful.”

“I’ll keep that in mind” he laughed.

“You have the cutest laugh.”

“Thanks.”

“Sorry, that was the rum kicking in” I said letting my face drop from his view.

“Don’t apologize.”

“This doesn’t really seem like your kind of scene, or is it?”

“It’s not. I only came with the promise of an adorable brunette being here.”

“Did you find her?”

“Yep. She can’t really handle her rum though” he said causing me to laugh this time. “You have a really cute laugh too.”

“You know for all it’s worth Cros . . .”

“Sid.”

“Alright, for all it’s worth Sid, you’re a lot nicer than I had you pegged.”

“Really? How did you have me pegged?”

“Stereotypical jock. Someone who is so into his career and getting laid that he doesn’t see what’s going on around him.”

“I’m glad I’m not that.”

“Me too” I said. “I’m glad you’re no Kaner.”

“I will gladly take that as a compliment.”

“As you should.”

“What is the story with Kaner anyway?”

“Well, it’s kind of a long story . . .”

“I’ve got time” he said with what was becoming my favorite smirk as we sat with our drinks.

“Alright, I’m a photographer right. So I’m down Ice level at a practice doing my job, first day at the arena mind you, and he comes over and seriously stares me down. Not in the ‘oh you’re cute’ kind of way but in the creepy ‘I’m going to roofie your drink’ kind of way. Seriously this guy is a total creeper! I try to ignore it but it seriously messed with my ability to take a decent picture. He kept skating into my frame every shot! Every single shot was of that damn kid!” He was laughing now. Man I can tell a good story. “So after their practice was over I had to go with the reporter to the locker room, much to my dismay. But I go none the less. Luckily there were no naked hawks” I shudder for effect. “I start taking pictures to go along with the interviews, trying to not get in any ones way in the process and the next thing I know I’m knocked flat on my ass in the middle of the locker room. Bastard ran into me, falling on top of me and he has the nerve to then not only pull out the cheesiest one liner ever but ask me out to dinner.”

“What was the line?”

“Umm . . . Why?”

“Future reference, that way I know not to use it.”

“Umm I think it was along the lines of ‘looks like an angel just fell from the sky’. Really lame.”

“And since then?”

“Since then he’s been bugging me about taking me to dinner, clubbing anything and he won’t take no for an answer. It’s really annoying. The constant flirting when I’m around and the looks have gotten easier to ignore though. I’m just not looking forward to my next assignment he will be hanging around Towes just to spite me” I said shaking my head.

“Do you want to get out of here? Go for a walk maybe?” he asked randomly.

“Sure” I said with a smile. “But won’t people think that something is happening between us if we’re seen together?”

“So what? Maybe it will get Kane off your back” he replied with a smirk.

“You’re just willing to put yourself on the line to get Patrick Kane to leave me alone? What chivalry!”

“I can tell that’s sarcasm but I’m going to accept it anyways.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So Sid, you have somehow managed to get me to your place, what now?”

“I honestly don’t know. But I wouldn’t say that I managed to get you to my place, it was more of a let’s get out of view of the prying fans before they think the worst” he said wincing slightly as he took off his jacket.

“Are you alright?” I asked taking a seat in his living room.

“Yea my shoulders are just a little tight after the game. Nothing big.”

“Come here” I said motioning for him to join me on the couch. “Turn around” I prompted after he sat facing me. “I happen to have a talent for back rubs. Ask my friends, I can always find the knot.” I started working on his shoulders feeling him relax under my hands. “Pressure alright Sid” I asked quietly.

“Yea, perfect” he replied quietly. We sat there in silence as I worked on his shoulders and back. Even through his shirt his muscles felt amazing, now I really feel like a fan-girl secretly thinking about how good it would feel to have his hands on me like mine are on him, too feel his body pressed against mine, his luscious lips whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Damn it Katie, time to get back to reality, he’s not into you like that and even if he was you’re in Chicago and he has a very demanding schedule being a professional athlete.

“Thanks, Katie. That feels so much better” he said as I stopped, letting my hands fall to my lap.

“No problem. I should go.”

“What? No, don’t go.”

“Sid I don’t want to cause you any bad publicity.”

“You know for once I’m not worried about the publicity. We just spent the past 2 hours walking around Pittsburgh talking and getting to know each other and I want to get to know you more Katie.”

“Why Sid? I’m just a girl from Ohio who happened to call you out on your inability to grow facial hair . . .”

“Exactly why wouldn’t I want to hang out with you, you call me on my shit” he said with a huge, and contagious, smile on his face. “You know what, my backs starting to hurt again. . .”

“Hey now that’s a lie and you know it” I said.

“Come on Katie stay . . . You said that you weren’t leaving until after we play Chicago here at the end of the week so why can’t you stay tonight?”

“I already told you at the club I don’t do one nighters Sid.”

“I don’t expect anything really. Please stay, we’ll stay up all night and talk and if you get tired you can take my room I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Fine” I said after thinking about it for a little. What harm could it do?

“Yeah!”

“See now you’re acting like a 5 year old who just got told that they were going to Disney to see Mickey Mouse” I laughed. “So if your basically forcing me to stay here how about you lend me something comfy to wear?”

“I think I can do that” he said taking my hand and pulled me through his apartment and into his room.

“Nice” I said under my breath admiring the set up he had. His obviously king sized bed sitting on a wall with matching end tables in a dark finish with cranberry bedding and golden accents, the large dresser and full length mirror on the opposite wall. I walked over to the far wall seeing the amazing view of the city he had. “Really nice.”

“It’s one of the reasons that I bought this place, the view” he said smiling down at me. “Here, long sleeve shirt and umm boxers. I figured you could use them as shorts or whatever” he added rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Bathroom is the door on the left.”

“Thanks.”

I walked into his bathroom and took a deep breath trying to settle the butterflies that every smile he sent towards me created. I haven’t felt a swarm of butterflies like this since I was in college. I pulled off my dress hanging it on the back of the door and put on the clothes that he gave me rolling the waistband a couple times so they would fit. I splashed some water on my face and ran my fingers through my hair.

“Hey Sid?” I said walking out of the bathroom to see him laying back on his bed, his feel hanging over the end, wearing basketball shorts and a penguins tee.

“Yea?” he asked lifting his head up slightly.

“I know it’s like 2 in the morning and you probably have a morning skate or whatever but I’m kind of starving.”

“Actually I was think about making something I’m a little hungry too.”

“Awesome” I said standing by the door waiting as he got off the bed, damn he’s cute.

“And I have tomorrow off, although I will probably head to the gym at some point” he said stopping in front of me. “You look way cuter in my clothes by the way.” I instantly felt the blood rush to my face as I followed him back down the hall to the kitchen. “Uh, I can’t really make much. I can do eggs and grilled cheese pretty well; if either of those sound appealing.”

“Grilled Cheese sounds great” I said sitting at the island as he started cooking.

“Let’s play 20 questions.”

“Again? Really? What else could there be to ask me?”

“Uh, favorite sport other than hockey.”

“Football.”

“How old were you when you had our first kiss.”

“Really? 14.”

“Hmm . . .”

“Hmm what Crosby?”

“Nothing is just most people have their first kiss before 14.”

“Well I don’t really count before that, they were just those little pecks like you give your mom before you leave for school. No boys were ever brave enough I guess before then, it was the peck then run away before she kicks me kind of thing.”

“You would kick them?” he asked with a laugh.

“No, not unless the scared me. I’m not fond of people running up to me randomly and kissing me, it was strictly self defense. And only once was it hard enough to make him cry” I said laughing along with him.

“Alright so now we know not to kiss you randomly and try to run away. Why did you get a job in Chicago?”

“Uh, well I met this guy while at school and we were together for a while he was from Chicago and wanted to go back after graduation, he talked me into moving with him. And I did.”

“Oh.”

“I got a job at the paper and got settled in my own place. Then I found out he was cheating on me, so yeah. Now I’m there, getting hit on by Patrick Kane.”

“Sorry.”

“About Kaner or the cheating bastard of an ex” I said with a light laugh.

“Both” he said smiling at me.

“Don’t burn my grilled cheese.”

“Yeah that would be bad considering I told you it was one of two things that I can actually make.”

“What about you Sid why no girlfriend?”

“I’m a busy guy.”

“Well duh, that’s a no brainer. You seem to have time today.”

“Well, today everything just happened to work out.”

“It worked oat eh?”

“Yea” he said shaking his head at my attempt to mimic his accent.

“It doesn’t work any other days?”

“It could but by the time it does it’s hard to have someone there who was willing to wait” he said constantly checking the food. “It would be nice though to have that.”

“Everyone wants someone to love.”

“Yea I guess.”

“You guess?”

“I don’t know about Max” he smiled.

“I’m sure that even Max wants someone to come home to, who loves him unconditionally” I said as he grabbed two plates from the cupboard. “What would it take for you Sid. What do you need from a girl?”

“Are you asking as a reporter? This isn’t going to become a story for you is it?”

“No, I’m asking as a friend. I’m honestly interested.”

“Well in that case” he sat next to me placing a plate in front of both of us. “She’d have to be pretty self-sufficient, I’m away a lot.”

“That’s a give-in.”

“Someone who I can be myself around. I don’t want to talk hockey all the time I have other interests.”

“WHAT!?! You’re life isn’t all about Hockey? Stop the presses!” I shouted making him not only jump but start laughing because of it.

“I know surprise eh?”

“Who would have known?” I said taking a bite of my sandwich. “You know you’re not that bad of a cook.”

“I told you” he said smiling over at me.