Here I Am

“I can’t believe we get to go to a Blackhawks party!” Riley jumped up and down like a kid on Christmas.

I laughed. “I’m glad someone is excited about it.”

Riley climbed into the car, but Delia lingered a little. “You look quite dashing Mr. Corey Crawford,” she said taking in my dark washed jeans and black button up shirt.

“Thanks. I’d love to say you look beautiful but you’re hiding yourself under that coat of your’s,” I said, tugging on a button on the coat that she wore everywhere.

She unbuttoned her coat quickly and revealed light skinny jeans and a low cut, but not too low cut black long sleeve shirt with sparkles covering the neck line.

“Oh wow,” I said, looking her up and down. It was a simple outfit, but she looked absolutely gorgeous in it. “Um wow. You look really beautiful Delia.”

Her eyes held a mischievous glint when she smiled. “Thank you Corey.” She moved to get in the passenger seat and stumbled slightly into me. I held her, startled and she looked up at me, looking equally surprised.

“Can we go now?” Riley whined from the backseat.

We both laughed and I helped Delia into her seat. “You okay?” I bent my head down to look at her.

I didn’t realize how close I was to her. If I made one slight move, our lips could have connected. I hoped she wouldn’t notice.

Oh, but she did. She parted her lips and looked at mine, before clearing her throat and raising her eyes to mine. “Perfectly okay Corey. Thank you,” she offered up a strange smile, but I took it and we started the short drive to my teammates’ house.
Once there, Riley immediately went over to some of the other kids and playing video games with them. Delia stood there, shell shocked.

“You okay there Delia?” Kruger waved a hand in front of her face.

“Do you see what I see?” she pointed at Riley who was laughing some of the other kids. “He’s always so shy! And he doesn’t make friends easily! And he ran right over there and joined right in like he’s known them forever! Oh my gosh! I need to call his parents! They’re going to be thrilled!” she was so excited about this, she was literally about to take off running around the house.

“Delia!” I put my hand on her shoulder to keep her feet from lifting off of the ground. “Take a breath.”

“I can’t!” she squealed. “Look at my baby doll! He’s like a social butterfly!”

I couldn’t help but smile at how happy she looked. It was like when she came into the changing room after the first hockey game she’d watched in the UC. She just looked so happy.

“She looks as if she’s going to take off running around the house,” Tazer stopped in front of her and if her eyes could shoot lazers, he wouldn’t be able to play the next game.

“If you don’t move in the next two seconds I will drop kick you to Vancouver. My baby doll is a social butterfly dammit!”

He moved a few steps to the left next to Kruger and Stalberg, wide eyed and confused.

“Dude, don’t go there,” Kruger said. “Just let it be. Let it be.”

A few hours later, I dropped off Riley who was yet again, fast asleep in the backseat. “Go put him to bed,” I told her. “I’ll wait for you.”

She smiled. “Okay, thanks.”

She returned without the sleeping boy and jumped into the car. “Okay, hi,” she smiled at me.

I returned her smile. “Hey. So do you want me to drop you off or. . .” I let the rest of the sentence hang.

She turned to me, her light blue eyes dancing in the street lights. “Well, if you’re too tired, you can drop me off at home.”

“And if I’m perfectly wide awake?” I asked, my eyes never leaving hers.

“That is up to you, where we go Corey Crawford.”

“Would you like to go back to my place and I can pour us a drink?” I asked, my heart pounding.

“I would love that Corey,” she said.

I drove the rest of the way back to my home and it was silent, save for my thumping heart. All I could think about was last time she was in my house. And now that Riley wasn’t going to be there. . . focus Corey! Focus on the road!

I struggled to open my door and once I did, I was just relieved that it was the right key.

I had just closed the door, when her hands were underneath my shirt, roaming my stomach and back, her lips instantly collided with mine. I was so surprised, it took me a few seconds to react and when I did, I was tentative. I didn’t want to violate her in any way. Not that she seemed to care by the way she was clawing at me.

“Did I startle you Corey?” she asked, her lips trailing down my neck. “You seem surprised,” she purred.

“A little, yeah,” I choked out, trying not to sound like a pubescent boy.

“You can take over any time you want Corey. But until you do, I will have my fun with you,” she whispered in my ear and I had shivers running up and down my back from her words.

Before I could process it, my shirt was off of my head and she let her fingers dance across my torso. She took my hand and I knew where we were going and my heart was thumping with anticipation.

She wasted no time once our feet hit the carpet of my bedroom. I was laying face up on my bed, her long legs straddling my waist. “Your face keeps expressing shock Corey Crawford,” she smiled as she trailed kisses from my mouth, down on my neck and to my abs.

“I’m uh not used to being dominated,” I gasped. It was true. The few other girl friends I’ve had, I usually took charge when we made out or anything else. It was strange being on the other end of that and I couldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy it.

“Like I said earlier, you can take over anytime.”

“I would, but you’re very good at this,” I said as her fingers reached down to the button on my pants. She had it undone in a second.

“Passion does that to a person. I’ve liked you since that first day in the park. You’re cute and polite and different than any other boy I’ve met. You didn’t try to jump me every time I brushed past you or something. It’s refreshing from the everyday male population. You were even tentative when I first kissed you in the front hall. You didn’t want to upset me, am I right?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

She smiled and kissed me again. “That’s what I thought. I really like you a lot Corey. More than I probably should.”

That was all it took for me to flip her over so that our positions were reversed and I was looking down at her, smiling. “I was being quiet and letting you have your fun for the time being.”

“Please,” she laughed. “You were frozen with delight,” her light eyes danced from the passing cars outside.

“Frozen?” I laughed.

She smiled. “I was doing most of the work. Note where your shirt is compared to mine,” she looked towards the front door where mine lay and to her own chest where she was still covered. “Hell, your pants were almost off.”

“I,” I said, kissing her neck and moving up to nibble her ear gently. “Was simply giving you a head start.”

In ten seconds, her shirt was off and we were passionately making out. There weren’t many articles of clothing left to be taken off.

It was at that moment I realized what I was doing. What we were doing. We were about to passionately make love.

But would it mean anything to her?

Would she simply forget about me after this?

Would we be a couple?

She noticed that I hesitated and she hung her arms loosely around my neck and pressed her lips to my ear. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you going to regret this if we go any farther?” I asked, my heart thumping in anticipation for her answer.

A short pause before she answered, “No, my dear. I will not. But it seems you might.”

I nuzzled my nose into her neck and sighed. “I am so sorry Delia. I won’t regret it, but. . .”

“Yes?” she prompted after a moment of silence from me.

“I want to know you better. I want to know everything about you, before we do this. I don’t just want this to be a one night stand that ruins our friendship.”

I dared to look at her and I didn’t see disappointment in her eyes. She smiled softly and kissed my forehead. “You’re perhaps the sweetest guy I’ve ever met Corey Crawford. I’m not mad, I promise.”

We laid in bed, side by side for a few minutes, me almost asleep, when she sat up, collecting her shirt from my carpet. “I’ll drive you home,” I yawned, about to sit up.

She pressed her hand to my bare chest and smiled. “Darling, you’re exhausted. Just go to sleep, all right? Don’t worry about me.”

I eyed her warily, but she had kissed my lips one last time, before, slipping on her boots and shirt and exiting my room.

I heard the front door close quietly and I swore out loud. I was an idiot for letting her go.