Be With Someone...

“Just relax, Jeanie,” Sidney said squeezing her shoulder. “Rory said you were really worried.”

“Not worried,” Janine protested. “Just a little nervous. It’s a new job; I just want to make a good impression.”

Sidney smiled. “They guys love you already. Especially Kris.”

Janine swatted his arm. “We got snowed in. What the hell did you want me to do?”

“Janine, chill. I was just joking,” he assured her. “C’mon. I’ll take you to Ray and Dan.”

“I can’t do this,” she halted in the hallway.

“Yes you can,” Sidney nodded. “Jordan! Kris! Come here!”

“What’s up, Cap? Hey, Janine,” Jordan nodded.

“Hey, Sid. Hey there, Janine,” Kris said trying not to look at Janine. The fact that she, her dead twin, and Luc all shared the same birthday was a little odd.

“Tell Janine that she’s gonna be fine and that she’s worrying over nothing,” Sidney gestured towards his cousin-in-law.

“You’re gonna be fine and you’re worrying over nothing,” Jordan smirked as the smart-ass he was.

“Not what I meant, Gronk,” Sidney frowned at his teammate.

“Fuck,” Janine muttered looking at her phone.

“What?” Kris asked.

Janine’s eyes darted up at the three men around her.

“Oh, nothing,” she blushed.

“Kris,” Sidney said. “Don’t be a smart ass like Gronk.”

Kris looked at his captain for a moment before turning to the girl that had occupied his thoughts for so long.

“You’re going to do fine. The self-doubt’s not going to help you. Just take a deep breath and go. You’ve already met Dan and Ray at the party. This is just a formality, you’ve already gotten the job,” he said.

Janine looked at him with her head cocked to the side.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “That was much more helpful than Jordan’s.”

“Hey,” Jordan protested. “At least I’m not Max. He would have fit in some cheesy pickup line.”

****

Kris watched Janine and Sidney walk away towards Dan’s office. She was putting on a brave face, but you could see that she was still terrified. There was a quiver in her hands and a certain wide-eyed quality to her bright eyes.

He found himself looking at her legs again. This time, they were sheathed in a pair of skinny trousers that made Kris nervous about where his blood was flowing. The way she stood in her high heels was almost intoxicating. The way her shirt clung to her body wasn’t helping either.

Tearing his eyes away from her, his mind was drawn to her attitude. She was confident most of the time. But she was aloof when it came to how every unattached man seemed to very nearly drool over her. Did she not care?

Doing his best to focus on practice, he threw himself wholeheartedly into his drills. Or at least, he did until Janine was standing rink-side.

Seeing her, he very nearly face-planted onto the ice. She stated onto the ice with Ray at her side and they came to a stop next to Dan.

“So, I know that almost all of you met her at Mario’s, but I figured she deserved a formal introduction to the team,” Dan started as the team took a knee. “Say ‘hello’ to Janine Lux, our new team therapist.”

There was a chorus of ‘heys’, a few cat calls, and even a few ‘Is she related to Rorys?’.

Janine smiled a little and waved. “Hi, boys. Yes, I’m related to Rory, we’re cousins. So yes, I’m related to Sidney. No, this isn’t nepotism. Um, I’m turning 23 in February. I’ve got a Bachelor’s degree in anatomy and I’ve got a Master’s right now and am in the process of earning my Ph.D. Is there anything else?”

“Janine’s going to be here for a long time hopefully. Her office is next to mine,” Dan said.

“You’re all expected to behave around her,” Ray said not allowing his eyes to linger on any specific players. “Understood?”

There was a chorus of agreement, although a few grumbles were included.

“Great,” Dan nodded. “Back to work, boys.”