Insert Cheesy Love Title About Mr. Johnny Toews
Chapter One
I didn’t exactly choose to be where I was.
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at my purple and red watch resting in my lap. He was already ten minutes late and counting.
“Tess!” I heard him before I saw him.
I looked up and saw his dark hair ducking between different people, decked out in shades, a baseball hat, and a black tee shirt.
“You’re late Andrew,” I said in a flat tone.
He grinned, ruffling my blonde curls. “I know Tess and I’m sorry but my car broke and I had to call one of my teammates to come drive me the rest of the way here. I’m only like twenty minutes late anyways. Not too bad this time.”
I stood up, my three bags in hand. “Ready then?”
“Look, I know you’re not exactly happy to be here with me Tess, but we can’t exactly do much about it.”
I sighed. He was right. “I know, but it still sucks. I’m supposed to be sitting in a New York airport, not Chicago. And I’m supposed to be living on my own and now I’m stuck here with you and your house mate. I mean I’m sure you and Steeger are great house mates, but ugh,” I sighed. “It’s not the same.”
“Just until you get back up on your feet,” he consoled me, walking out into the bright October sun.
I nodded. “So where’s the car and the lifesaver teammate?” I asked, still not happy to be in Chicago, but I couldn’t do anything more to change it so I would suck it up and live there with my brother and his house mate.
“Johnny!” he called out then, turning the head of the Captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. He was reading a magazine, probably Sports Illustrated, and I had to admit: he was gorgeous.
He tossed the magazine in the passenger seat and stood up. “Hello there. I’m Jonathan Toews. Your Laddie’s sister?”
“Tessa Ladd,” I shook his open hand. “Thanks for saving my brother,” I offered up a wry smile.
He laughed, the smile reaching his eyes. “Yeah well, Steeger’s driving isn’t exactly the most effective,” he chose his words carefully.
“Good to know. Never get in a car with him. Thank you,” I even laughed a little for the first time in weeks.
“Let me help you with those,” his hand brushed mine and I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. Just because he touched me.
“Oh,” I said, surprised by the offer and the fact that my heart was actually speeding up. “Um thank you.”
“You wanna drop me off at the tow truck place?” Andrew asked, jumping in the backseat, leaving me with shotgun. “And take Tessa back to my place? Steeger should be home and show her around.”
“Sure thing.”
“Thanks man. I owe you.”
“No big deal,” Toews shrugged. “I wasn’t really doing anything today.”
“That actually surprises me,” Andrew laughed.
We dropped Andrew off at the tow truck place where his car was waiting there, broken down and the Captain pulled into a driveway thirty minutes later.
It was a nice house. Not too big and over the top, but big enough to support a few people
living together and for parties.
“Thanks for driving me here. I really appreciate it Jonathan,” I thanked him as I pushed open the front door.
“You can just call me Johnny,” he smiled at me, his big brown eyes shining. “All the other guys do, and well some other names, but we’ll stick with this one.”
“All right Johnny Toews. Thank you.”
“You need anymore help?” he asked once my bags were sitting in the foyer.
I looked at my bags and sighed. I was there to stay. “No, I think I can handle it from here. I just gotta find Kris and get his ass to show me where I’m staying.”
“So you’ve met Kris already? Cause I mean he is a spaz for first time people.”
I laughed. That was twice in one day. “No, I’ve met Kris. Met him over Thanksgiving of last year. He’s a sweet kid.”
His smile spread across his face and I couldn’t help but smile too. “All right. Well then I’ll see you later Tess,” he said and waved as he walked to his car and backed out of the driveway.
I sighed again, leaning against the closed door. Maybe there were nice people in the world.
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at my purple and red watch resting in my lap. He was already ten minutes late and counting.
“Tess!” I heard him before I saw him.
I looked up and saw his dark hair ducking between different people, decked out in shades, a baseball hat, and a black tee shirt.
“You’re late Andrew,” I said in a flat tone.
He grinned, ruffling my blonde curls. “I know Tess and I’m sorry but my car broke and I had to call one of my teammates to come drive me the rest of the way here. I’m only like twenty minutes late anyways. Not too bad this time.”
I stood up, my three bags in hand. “Ready then?”
“Look, I know you’re not exactly happy to be here with me Tess, but we can’t exactly do much about it.”
I sighed. He was right. “I know, but it still sucks. I’m supposed to be sitting in a New York airport, not Chicago. And I’m supposed to be living on my own and now I’m stuck here with you and your house mate. I mean I’m sure you and Steeger are great house mates, but ugh,” I sighed. “It’s not the same.”
“Just until you get back up on your feet,” he consoled me, walking out into the bright October sun.
I nodded. “So where’s the car and the lifesaver teammate?” I asked, still not happy to be in Chicago, but I couldn’t do anything more to change it so I would suck it up and live there with my brother and his house mate.
“Johnny!” he called out then, turning the head of the Captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. He was reading a magazine, probably Sports Illustrated, and I had to admit: he was gorgeous.
He tossed the magazine in the passenger seat and stood up. “Hello there. I’m Jonathan Toews. Your Laddie’s sister?”
“Tessa Ladd,” I shook his open hand. “Thanks for saving my brother,” I offered up a wry smile.
He laughed, the smile reaching his eyes. “Yeah well, Steeger’s driving isn’t exactly the most effective,” he chose his words carefully.
“Good to know. Never get in a car with him. Thank you,” I even laughed a little for the first time in weeks.
“Let me help you with those,” his hand brushed mine and I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. Just because he touched me.
“Oh,” I said, surprised by the offer and the fact that my heart was actually speeding up. “Um thank you.”
“You wanna drop me off at the tow truck place?” Andrew asked, jumping in the backseat, leaving me with shotgun. “And take Tessa back to my place? Steeger should be home and show her around.”
“Sure thing.”
“Thanks man. I owe you.”
“No big deal,” Toews shrugged. “I wasn’t really doing anything today.”
“That actually surprises me,” Andrew laughed.
We dropped Andrew off at the tow truck place where his car was waiting there, broken down and the Captain pulled into a driveway thirty minutes later.
It was a nice house. Not too big and over the top, but big enough to support a few people
living together and for parties.
“Thanks for driving me here. I really appreciate it Jonathan,” I thanked him as I pushed open the front door.
“You can just call me Johnny,” he smiled at me, his big brown eyes shining. “All the other guys do, and well some other names, but we’ll stick with this one.”
“All right Johnny Toews. Thank you.”
“You need anymore help?” he asked once my bags were sitting in the foyer.
I looked at my bags and sighed. I was there to stay. “No, I think I can handle it from here. I just gotta find Kris and get his ass to show me where I’m staying.”
“So you’ve met Kris already? Cause I mean he is a spaz for first time people.”
I laughed. That was twice in one day. “No, I’ve met Kris. Met him over Thanksgiving of last year. He’s a sweet kid.”
His smile spread across his face and I couldn’t help but smile too. “All right. Well then I’ll see you later Tess,” he said and waved as he walked to his car and backed out of the driveway.
I sighed again, leaning against the closed door. Maybe there were nice people in the world.