Timing Is Everything

It had been a few years since James had been in a relationship. He'd been with women. Not a lot of women, but a fair few. When he was in Dallas there was one girl he saw for almost a year, but they were never anything serious. Coming to Pittsburgh he realized he'd quickly become somewhat of a celebrity there.

James enjoyed an occasional rendezvous with a lady, but it never went beyond a night or two. It wasn't because he never had any interesting women to date, he did. He just never found one he wanted to spend and infinite amount of time with.

James woke up later in the morning, nearing eleven. His stood up and shuffled towards the kitchen.

"He's awake!" His mother smiled, rustling his hair when she saw him.

"Hey," James smiled. "Sorry for sleeping in."

"That's okay, honey." His mother smiled. "You needed to catch up on your sleep."

"Did you guys find food all right?" James asked, sitting down at his island counter.

"Yeah," His mother smiled. "We went out for breakfast. Went to that breakfast dinner a few minutes away."

"Good," James nodded.

"Hungry?"

"Very," James replied.

Deborah went into James' fridge and pulled out a styrofoam box.

"Chocolate chip pancakes," She smiled, putting it in the microwave.

"Thanks, Ma." James laughed. "Where's Dad?"

"He went to go and see Paulie," She smiled. "Just to chat him up for a little while."

"I swear he's better friends with Paul than I am," James smirked as his mother put the plate of pancakes down in front of him.

Deborah sat down next to James and talked with him while he ate.

"So you really don't have any girl here?" Deborah asked.

"No," James laughed, frustrated with this question. "No girl here in Pittsburgh, and there hasn't been one yet."

"Do you want to have a girlfriend?" Deborah asked. She herself was frustrated. She at least wanted James to have a girlfriend. She was happy for him with his success as a hockey player, but she wanted him to have a girlfriend and want to get married. It was her own selfish dream for him as his mother.

"I don't know," James shrugged. "Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a girlfriend, but other times I don't care. Other times I like how I live."

"Well it's your life, Jay." His mother smiled. "I just want you to be happy, in every aspect of your life."

"I am happy, Mom." James smiled. "My need for a girlfriend isn't that big. I'd like one, but I'm not dying of loneliness."

Deborah smiled and kissed his forehead, clearing his plate. James got up and walked to his bathroom to have a shower. Later that night, once his parents headed home, James would be headed to a benefit hosted by the Penguins organization. James figured that's why his mother had brought up him being single. He didn't have a date.

James arrived at the benefit early, as requested by Dan Bylsma. He walked through the arena to the dressing room where the Pens were to meet up. James sat next to line mate Evgeni Malkin as they waited for instructions.

"Who's that?" Evgeni asked, pointing to the person who walked into the dressing room.

"I know that girl," James asked. Well, he knew that body and that face. The way that thin, silky black gown clung to her almost scary thin body. Her almost black hair pulled into a ballerina bun and those red lips.

"How you know her?" Evgeni asked.

"I went to that new steakhouse, RoxForce, last night. She works there. I don't understand what she's doing here," James shrugged.

"Hi, guys. I'm Roxanne," She smiled. "I helped plan this event tonight and I'll be here to help you guys out with anything you need!"

"So we're going to have you guys go out in order of your lines," Roxanne stated, smiling at all the guys.

"Event planner?" James mumbled, watching his teammates all stand up. He got up, following Evgeni.

"James," Roxanne smiled, touching his bicep. "Good to see you again."

"You, too." James nodded.

"Mr. Bylsma? I need you, Mr. Lemieux and Mr. Shero at the end of the line with all the assistant coaches." Roxanne smiled.

"Sure thing, Miss. Force." Dan smiled, nodding.

"Roxanne Force?" James mumbled, as the guys all started to walk out.

RoxForce.

Roxanne Force.

"The restaurant was named after her?" James mumbled, looking back to see her.

"Easy there, Nealer." Chris Kunitz laughed. "Might get hurt."

"Sorry," James laughed. He gave his head a shake and pulled his eyes off of the girl. He figured that it didn't matter who this girl was.

As the night progressed Roxy became more and more stressed, despite the fact that the event was going on without a hitch.

"I'm going to go and get some air," Roxy stated to her co-worker Melanie. Melanie nodded and told Roxy that was fine. Roxy picked up her dress a little as she grabbed her clutch and walked outside.

She breathed in the air and exhaled deeply. She dug in her clutch and pulled out her box of cigarettes and her pink lighter.

"I thought the point of getting fresh air was clear your sense out and not clog them with nicotine," Came a male's voice.

Roxy gasped and turned around, dropping the cigarette.

"James," She sighed, placing a hand on her chest. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry," James smiled, walking over to her. "It was hot in there, eh?"

"It was," Roxy smiled.

"You're a smoker?"

"Stress smoker," Roxy laughed. "It's one of my many vices."

"The party is great, if that's what you're stressed about. You did a really good job," James complimented, shrugging out of jacket and handing it to her. "You look cold."

"Thank you," Roxy smiled, pulling his jacket tightly around her body. "That's very gentlemanly of you."

"Thanks," James laughed. "So I have a question for you."

"Go for it,"

"RoxForce. You work there and you're a party planner?" James asked. The question had been bothering him all night long.

"No," Roxy smiled. "My Dad owns that restaurant and he needed some help the other night so, I said I'd help."

"He named it after you?"

"Yeah," Roxy smiled. "I'm the only one of his kids that isn't a total screw up, so he named it after me."

"That's nice in a kind of sad way," James laughed softly.

"Yeah, it's not bad." Roxy smiled.

A silence overcame them. The sexual tension between them was undeniable. The way they stood close to each other, James breathing a little heavily while Roxy felt too hot in his jacket despite the cold winter night.

"So what other vices do you have?" James asked, taking a step closer to her. He pressed his body against hers and held her hips in his hands.

"Sleeping with men I barely know," Roxy smirked up at him. James let out a shaky breath before smiling widely.

He liked this girl.