She's My Best Friend

Adam frowned at his phone for the third time before briskly flipping it shut.

“Yo Bur, you have some were you have to be”, his teammate Brent Seabrook taunted. Adam rolled his eyes before quickly stowing the phone in his pocket. He had been checking it every few minutes or so for the last half hour.

“I just thought Charlie would be here already, she got off work an hour ago” Adam replied frowning.

“I asked her to pick up a few things up after work from the liquor store that I forgot. She’ll be here soon man. Stop being all obsessive” Seabs joked. The Blackhawks were having one of their famous parties at Seabrook’s home. The whole team was there along with a small circle of friends that included mostly the wives and girlfriends of the players. These parties were quite tame compared to the general night on the town with the players, but these parties were different. There were no cameras, random fans trying to have their fifteen minutes of fame, or malignant people trying to make trouble. No these parties were for “family only” as the boys so affectionately called them. But of course in true Blackhawk fashion their “family parties” were nowhere near G rated. They were going to have a good time with the people they loved, and if that meant getting every single person wasted to let loose, and relax from the stress of professional hockey, then damn straight it was going to happen.

Charlotte Roosevelt, or Charlie, was definitely one of the family. A few years back she had lived in the same apartment building as some of the newly signed young hawks players. They were new to the city, and she was new to having completely annoying, disruptive neighbors. Somewhere between the yelling, fighting, and a few calls to the cops a friendship had miraculously formed. Something Charlie liked to jokingly call the biggest mistake of her life. Soon she was introduced to other teammates, and friends. She had somehow been sucked into this closely knit group, and it became as much of a family to her as “The Family” considered her.

For this Adam was eternally grateful.

“Ya know, maybe you should tell her how you feel Bur”, Patrick Sharp said from behind Adam startling him a bit. Sharpie handed Adam a beer with an expectant look on his face. Patrick Sharp was one of the few people Adam had told about his feelings for Charlotte, though the whole team new about it. Hell everyone new Adam was head over heals for Charlotte, that was except of course for the lady in question herself.

“Tell her what exactly, that I can’t get her out of my mind. That for once in my life I don’t want to have meaningless sex with anyone that walks. That I have a thing for my best friend!” Charlotte was in fact Adam’s best female friend, if not his only female friend. They had become close instantly, and their friendship seemed to only intensive by each day.
She was the only one he would pick up the phone for after a tough away game. She would never fail to have him laughing in seconds. She was the one to bring chinese take-out over to his house after tough home games when he didn’t feel like drinking his sorrow away at a bar. She would barge her way into his house with her spare key. Throw him on the couch, and flip in some stupid movie. They would make fun of every actor or actress in the flick, and talk about how they could be such better movie stars. Then, Adam would make her eat most of the chinese because he was in-fact still a professional athlete that shouldn’t be eating fast food, but he also knew how much she loved chinese.

“Well, you could leave out the part about the meaningless sex. There is really no need to remind her that you probably are carrying every STD known to mankind.” Sharpie joked pulling him from his thoughts. “But, you need to let her know how you feel.”

“Sharpie, she is my best friend. I don’t want to make things awkward between us. I don’t want to lose the friendship I already have with her”

“Exactly, she is your best friend. Charlie isn’t going to just throw you under the bus because you told her how you feel. You know that.” Patrick reasoned.

“I’m not sure it’s the right time.” Adam replied.

“Maybe, maybe not. But if you wait to long Bur someone else will get her before you even know it.” and with that Sharpie walked off to join the rest of the party and left Adam to his thoughts.

The door bell rang as Kaner yelled “Got it” shuffling the small young woman into the door. She brought with here a shopping bag full of Seabrook’s requests in her right hand, along with a large bottle of Jameson in her left hand.

“Oh someone is so going to need help getting home.” Kaner laughed knowing full well, just like everyone else, that Charlotte and Jameson were a deathly combo. What could be said, the girl loved her Jameson.

“Oh, shut up” Charlotte said wrapping the blond man in a tight hug in greeting.

“Sheesh Charlie did you start without us.” Toews asked as she went to give him a hug catching a glimpse of her red rimmed eyes.

“Haha, I wish. I just didn’t have the most relaxing day at work, and I’m exhausted. I just want to forget I even have a job until Monday.” Charlotte stated.

“I can help you with that” Duncan Keith said having heard their conversation, he pressed a drink into her hand as he pulled her into a tight squeeze.

The night drew on, Charlotte catching up with all the girls that she hadn’t had the time to see for a while. She had declined the past few offers to accompany Abby, Sharpie’s wife, and Kelly, Duncan’s wife, to a home hawks game due to her heavy work load. However, it didn’t seem as though the girls were going to let her leave tonight without a piece of paper signed in her own blood stating that she would go to the next one, or at the very least come out partying with them after the game.

“Come on Charlie, I never get to see you anymore and I miss my partner in crime” Abby whined.
“I can’t do the next home game though I have a lot to get done” an already rather tipsy Charlotte countered. Sharpie passed a shot to her which she promptly downed.

“What about now?” Abby pushed.

“I don’t know if I’ll have time.” Charlotte tried to persuade as another shot was placed in her hand, and followed the same fate as the first.

“Pretty please with sugar on top.” Abby batted her eyelashes.

“Maybe I could fit it in.” Charlotte giggled as Abby raised her hands in victory, and the small group around them cheered.

Adam watching in amusement from across the room decided he better go save his friend from impending alcohol poisoning. Slowly he worked his way through the crowded room.

“ADAM!” Charlotte yelled as he came into her view. She threw herself into his awaiting arms, embracing him in a tight hug. He spun his giggling companion around before putting her down and placing a small kiss on her cheek.

“I’m mad at you.” Adam whispered into her ear. She whipped her head up so she could look into his eyes questioningly. “You didn’t come say hi to me when you came in. It seems to me the way you started drinking so fast you may love Mr. Jameson over there more than me.”

Charlotte let out a laugh, “Oh I could never love anyone more than you Adam.”

“Oh ya, I don’t believe you. You’re going to have to prove it to me.”

“And how might I go about that.” Charlotte asked innocently.

“Well for starters, drink this.” Adam handed her a shot of tequila something he knew wasn’t her favorite, but never failed to get her to loosen up. Not that she needed much more help with that. She was already leaning into Adam to keep from wobbling. “And come talk with me outside for a bit. I miss my best friend.”

Adam guided her through the party, and out onto the back balcony. She quickly went to the railing to look up at the night sky as Adam closed the door behind them. He made his way over to her wrapping her in his arms from behind. She sighed and spun in his arms so she was hugging him back. “Its so beautiful isn’t it.” Charlotte whispered as she cuddled deeper into Adam’s warm embrace. “Mmmmm.” Adam agreed in reply. Adam closed his eyes reveling in the happiness he felt when he was with Charlotte. It was times like these when he had her wrapped protectively in his arms that he considered himself the luckiest person alive. Now or never he thought to himself.

“Charlie, I um... I need... um...I need to talk to you about something ok.”

“What is it?” Charlotte asked pulling away from Adam so she could bring her face up to look at him.

“Look, Charlotte I like you... a lot. Like a ridiculous amount. I haven’t felt this way about someone before. Hell, I have never wanted to feel this way about someone. I can’t stop thinking about you. You make me so happy, and I thought it was only fair that you knew how I felt.”

“Uhhhhh...” Charlotte stood there with wide eyes, but before she could give him any kind of response that could possibly crush him, he crashed his lips down on to hers. Adam wrapped his arms around her pulling her closely to him, as her hands came up to tangle in his hair causing his heart to swell. Their tongues battling fiercely was only stopped when Adam nibbled lightly on Charlotte’s bottom lip only to begin again. All of a sudden Charlotte’s hands dropped to Adam’s chest where she pushed as hard as she could. She wasn’t able to budge him even a bit, but Adam let her go with a sharp intake of breath.

“Oh god Adam NO! What the hell are we doing.” Charlotte said with a look of pure terror in her eyes. “We can’t be doing this.”

“Charlie please” Adam pleaded.

“Adam are you crazy!” Charlotte practically yelled having sobered up immensely. Adam’s heart practically dropped from his chest. “Adam you’re a professional hockey player, you have every girl in the world eating out of the palm of your hand. You have a fuck buddy in every major city in the US. And your my best friend Adam. I don’t know what to say.”

Adam looked down dejected. Charlotte made a sound like she was going to continue, but Adam stopped her. “Look I get it, Charlie I do. But this is different. I don’t know how to explain it.” Adam fumbled with his words. But, before he could finish Charlotte had thrown her arms around his neck before pulling his lips down to hers.

This time, however, Adam made sure the kiss they shared was tender and held every bit of care and emotion he felt for her in it.

Charlotte pulled away gently with a tear in her eye. “Adam I can’t. We can’t. I can’t be that girl. No, I won’t be that girl.” She turned to walk away.

“Charlie, please wait.” Adam begged.

“I care about you so much Adam, I do. You know that. But this...” she motioned between the two of them, “it won’t ever work. I can’t be used like every other girlfriend you have ever had. I’ll always be there for you, but I just can’t...” she trailed off. Adam dropped his head in defeat as she walked to the door to the balcony.

“I’m so sorry Adam, but I can’t lose you as a friend. Can we please forget this happened or something, and not let it effect our friendship.” Charlotte pleaded.

“Ya I guess, whatever. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Adam responded as Charlotte walked through the door, and out of sight leaving him to wonder how he could ever forget about what just happened.