Who Wouldn't Want To Be Me

“I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU GUYS CAM AND MARC’S TEAM WOULD WIN!” Jared declared as he burst into the player’s lounge, heading straight for us with the rest of his family walking in behind him. Stamkos, Sid, Nugent-Hopkins and Toews all grinned at Marc’s little brother as he gave each of us a half-assed hug.

“Congratulations,” he added as an after-thought, and we both laughed. I’d seen Jared standing most of the game, too excited to stay in his seat. Likewise we’d seen Parker standing on his chair cheering in a similar fashion.

“Thanks,” we replied, and then Lindsay gave her husband a kiss while Becka gave me a quick, friendly hug. Sid walked over, a grin on his face as he spotted Becka.

“Good game Sid,” she smiled and they hugged. As they pulled away Sidney kissed her, obviously catching Becka off guard a little bit. She blushed, and while his cheeks were a little pink he was obviously trying not to think about it.

“So I have a question for you,” he said, and she looked at him.

“What is it?”

“Be my girlfriend?” he asked softly, and she nodded, burying her face against his neck as she wrapped her arms tightly around him again. He looked as if she’d just agreed to marry him, before he buried his face in her hair. Marc, Eric and Jared looked shocked, along with the remainder of the guys in the lounge, while the girls and I looked almost smug. How many girls could say their best friend hooked them up with the guy of their dreams? She so totally owed me for this.

Soon afterward Sidney led her out of the lounge so they could talk, and conversation resumed in the room.

“I never thought I’d see the day, let alone witness Sid asking somebody to be his girlfriend,” Marc admitted, making us all laugh.

“He’s had it bad for her since they met, he just needed a little encouragement,” I explained, and Eric just chuckled.

“They’re good for each other,” he decided, pulling Tanya in close to him while Parker played on the floor, Levi was sleeping in his mother’s arms.

“So, you boys give us about twenty minutes and we’ll be ready to go,” Tanya said, handing Levi to Eric before taking Lindsay’s hand and leading her over to the girl’s washroom. Lindsay and Tanya had ran back to the car and got their dresses once the game had ended, knowing we’d be a while anyway.

“They’ll definitely take longer than twenty minutes,” Eric announced, but Linda shrugged.

“I don’t think so – their hair and everything is done. You should have a little more faith in your wife Eric,” she said, and he grinned sheepishly.

“I have faith in her – I’ve just lived with her long enough to know that it takes her a long time to get ready, right Park?” he asked, and the little boy nodded eagerly.

“Yup!” he replied, and Henry chuckled.

“Took that from your Uncle Cam?” he asked, and Parker nodded again.

“Yup!” everybody laughed at this, including me as I picked him up and he laid his head on my shoulder and made himself comfortable. We stood around talking for about twenty or twenty-five minutes, until the girls made their way over to us, and we saw Sid and Becka re-enter the room.

“See, it was only like twenty minutes,” Lindsay said, giving Eric and Marc pointed looks. Obviously they knew that the guys had more than likely complained they would be longer.

“Twenty-five,” Marc informed her before she lovingly cuffed him upside the head.

“Don’t you get snippy with me Marc,” she warned him, and he put his hands up as a sign of surrender.

“I love you babe,” he answered, and got a soft kiss in reply. A few minutes later Neal walked up, looking a little out of place.

“Hey, I’m so sorry, but can I go there with you guys? I really don’t want to just show up by myself,” he admitted, and we all assured him that it wasn’t a problem.

“Good game eh?” I asked, and he nodded, his smile becoming easy as we began talking.
“Yeah, that was so much fun!” he agreed, and we began talking excitedly about it, Jordan jumping in as it was the first All Star Game for all three of us.

Eric and Marc played it off like it was nothing special – Eric had been in several games and this was Marc’s second, and Jared soaked up everything we were saying like a sponge. Parker was busy playing with my tie, keeping himself occupied and being careful not to pull on it, which made me smile. He was such an adorable, great kid, I was going to miss him after the All Star Weekend.

“We ready to go?” Henry asked, to which we all nodded. Becka and Sid went together, while Jordan, Jared, Neal and I shared a car, and the other Staals split into two vehicles to go to the restaurant. There must’ve been some name-dropping involved, because I didn’t know many restaurants as nice as this were open at eleven o’clock at night.

We went straight in to a large banquet room, and all found a place to sit as two waiters came and asked for our drink orders. Looking around there were two other long tables; each filled with a few players from the game and then their families and friends that were here, and while we all said a polite hello for the most part we all kept to ourselves. The banquet room was more than large enough to accommodate the three tables and give enough room to be semi-private; we couldn’t hear the others’ conversations unless someone was laughing loudly or raised their voice.

The room was buzzing with excited conversation and when our drinks arrived and we ordered our meals it calmed down a little as everyone seemed to realize at the same time that we were all heading out tomorrow.

“Well guys, I’d like to make a toast,” Eric said as he stood up, getting everyone’s attention at our table, and a few laughs as Parker attempted to stand on his Grandma’s lap and copy his dad.

“To the great weekend we’ve had; it’s always great for all of us to get together during the season, and to get to share something as big as the All Star game with the four of you – Cam you’re included in this bro,” he grinned, making me smile weakly at him. “And there’s nobody other than this group of people that I’d rather spend this weekend with. So here’s to all of us, to a good season and a better year.”

We all lifted our glasses in response and took a drink. What was a serious, heartfelt moment soon became hilarious as Parker attempted to mimic everyone and ended up spilling most of his juice.

“Oh boy Parker,” Eric chuckled, picking his son up and getting an extra shirt from Tanya’s bag before taking him to the bathroom to get cleaned up. In the meantime our food came, and when the two returned we all ate in companionable silence. Jared gave me a small grin and I felt Jordan’s hand on my knee comfortingly for a moment before he went back to eating. It eased my mood a little and allowed me to comfortably finish my food, and even eat some light dessert before we all went back to the hotel.