Be With Someone...

Janine rubbed her eyes as she pulled her suitcase out of the trunk of her car. It was much too early to be up after a night out. Thanks to the boys’ win over Tampa, Janine had been dragged out to Diesel for the second time that week. She had had a bit too much to drink and was thoroughly hung over.

“Ready for your first road trip with the team?” Dan asked as Janine wheeled her suitcase out onto the tarmac.

Janine nodded and grumbled about God-forsaken wake up times.

Dan chuckled and let the young woman continue on with her business.

“Hey Jeanie!” Tyler Kennedy’s much too loud voice rang out.

“Shut up, TK,” she grumbled and squinted against the sun that was now shining. “You don’t need to talk so damn loud.”

“Oh,” Jordan smirked. “Is someone hung over?”

Janine nodded and tightened the belt around her trench coat.

“Why’s it so damn cold?” she asked to no one.

“Because it’s Pittsburgh in the middle of January,” Pascal chucked.

“Well that’s disappointing,” Janine let herself smile a minute.

“Haven’t you lived here your whole life?” Jordan asked.

Janine nodded. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“No,” Max shook his head. “You know what’s disappointing? Me being this close,” he gestured with his thumb and pointer finger. “to getting Janine to tell me about Spring Break. But then Captain Kid had to butt in with that huge ass.”

Sidney laughed. “If Janine doesn’t want to share the stories with you guys, that’s her decision. I just didn’t think it was fair that you were trying to convince her while she was drunk.”

“I was not drunk!” Janine protested.

“Mon cher,” Marc-Andre said patting her cheek. “You were hammered.”

Grumbling, she crossed her arms and listened to Max exploding at Sidney.

“Tell us?!” he yelled. “You say it like you already know the stories!”

“That’s because I do know,” the captain shrugged it off. “I’m married to one of the girls involved.”

“This is so not fair,” Tyler pouted.

“I’m getting on the plane now,” Janine announced. “I don’t need to be assaulted by angry hockey players.”

“Smart idea,” Max grumbled.

*****

“That,” Jordan said. “Is my seat.”

“Your point being?” Janine asked looking up from her book.

“My seat,” Jordan pointed to where Janine’s butt was planted and then to himself.

“Is it really that big a deal?”

“Yes!” Jordan exclaimed. “A huge deal! You gotta move your skinny ass, girl!”

Janine shook her head in disbelief but gathered up her things in her purse and stood up.

“Happy?” she asked staring up at the tall player.

“Ecstatic,” he deadpanned as Jordan plopped down into ‘his’ seat.

Janine decided that it might be a good idea to let the other boys pick their seats first so that she didn’t have a repeat of what had happened with Jordan.

Sadly, the seat she’d been hoping for next to Sidney was taken by Marc-Andre. The one seat left open was next to Kris. While it wasn’t quite ideal- he was suddenly making her nervous- it was better than sitting next to Max.

“Hope you don’t mind,” she said setting her bag down on the floor beneath her seat.

“Not at all,” he shook his head. “What are you reading?”

Janine showed him the worn cover of her paperback book.

“Animal Farm,” she blushed. “I fell in love with it in middle school.”

“I’ve never read it,” he said shaking his head after staring at the cover for a moment.

“Really?” Janine’s eyes widened. “Well, I guess that makes sense. I mean, you were raised in Canada. Maybe Animal Farm is more of an American school thing.”

“I’ll add it to the list of things you have to teach me about,” Kris smiled.

“What else is on that list?” Janine asked as she pushed her sleeves up.

“You’re a movie buff. According to you, I’ve been missing out on the classics,” he said.

“Ah,” she nodded. “We’ll have to make plans when we get back.” Janine couldn’t believe she had just said that. This was the first real conversation she’d had with Kris since the first night at Diesel.

“That we will,” Kris agreed. “Oui.”