Leaping for Your Dreams

***Mari’s POV***

I got home at about 7pm. I would have been home earlier but Tyrone had decided to be a primadonna and leave at 4, locking hid office. It took me 45 minutes to remember the keys and letter, then another hour to find what I needed. Before he left Moka rescued me, giving me the keys to the filing cabinets. All the information I needed about vendors, clients and such was in there.

Being tired after my long first day, I was glad I’d roasted a whole chicken the night before. It meant the chopped chicken salad I was going to have was dead simple to make. A good thing with how I was feeling.

About a half hour after I got home, I was on the couch listening to one of the sports channels when the phone rang. Checking the caller ID, I saw it was Geno. “Hello handsome.” I answered.

He came back with. “You home late. I try several times.” Worry was in his voice.

“Yeah I know, I had to fight with some things today. Tomorrow should be better. How was practice?” I wanted to switch gears for my own sanity.

“It good. Habs tough team sometimes. Who you fight with? You need me there?” He was becoming agitated, not good.

Before I could calm him, a fur ball jumped onto the couch, scaring me half to death. “Do prdele! (Shit!)” I exclaimed into the phone. The ball soon resolved itself into a cat.

“What’s wrong?!” Geno asked, now more worried than upset.

“I think your cat has decided to investigate me.” She was sniffing around, oddly _not_ going for my dinner.

“Слава Богу! (Thank God!) That Dixie. She sweet girl. I could hear the relief loud and clear.

I giggled as Dixie sniffed at the phone in my hand. “That would explain the warm spot on the bed this morning.” I heard keys jangling in the lock. “Did you have someone coming over to care for her? Cause I think they’re here.”

The door opened and chimed, yep I’d _read_ the manual and figured out how to set it up I was glad now that I had. “That’s not normal.” Said a kid I couldn’t yet see.

On the phone I heard Geno smack his forehead. “Forgot to tell Kevin you move in. Hand him phone, пожалуйста. (please)”

By this time Dixie had decided I was her people and curled up half on me. “I’d love to give him the phone, but I know better than to disturb felis domesticus.”

A head popped around the door. “Who are you?” Before I could answer one of the biggest dogs I’d ever seen came bounding over. “Jeffery No!”

I reacted without thinking. “Сидеть! Остановитесь! Хороший мальчик. (Sit! Stay! Good boy.)” I heard Geno laughing on the phone. “I take it you’re Kevin. Geno’s on the phone, if you’d like to talk to him.” I held it out to him.

Kevin took it without hesitation. “Hey G. Yeah I could tell. It explains all the furniture that’s been moved around. No, he’s just sitting there. I can leave him here if you’d like. OK I’ll ask. Nah, it’s fine don’t worry about it. Ok, hold on.” He held the phone out to me. “He wants to talk to you. Oh wow, she never does that!”

I smiled knowing that he saw Dixie. Taking back the phone I chuckled. “Hey babe, any rules I need to know for this _monster_ you call a dog?” There was a warm humor infusing my tone.

“Nyet, he good boy. Kevin show you where everything is for them. You watch tomorrow?” Apparently I was about to have a conversation with Kevin.

“Yeah I’ll be watching. You sleep well and kick some Hab ass. Miluji tě. (I love you.)” Geno said his love filled goodbyes and then hung up.

Kevin was looking at Jeffery in amazement. “How’d you get him to stay like that?” The Dogue de Bordeaux hadn’t moved an inch from where he sat.

“Медленно. (Slowly.)” I commanded and Jeffery moved in that way. I offered my hand, which was promptly sniffed thoroughly and slobbered on. Once he had pushed his snout under my hand for pets, I breathed a sigh of relief. “It helps when you speak a language he understands. So Kevin, where do you live? I’m guessing close.”

Kevin laughed. “Yeah, I’m down the road. Been watching Dixie and Jeffery here for a few months after the Ice Queen left. Geno said he felt bad that he forgot to tell me you were moving in, but not _why_ you were moving in.” I felt the fishing lure in the water, so to speak.

I gently moved Dixie to next to me, not even earning a glare from her. “I’m the new head for Suite 66 for the Pens. I also happen to be Geno’s new girlfriend.” Jeffery sat on my foot, omg I hadn’t felt that kind of pain in a while. “Back up.” I commanded, he didn’t move so I repeated it in Russian. A sigh of relief escaped me.

Kevin did his best not to laugh. “I’ve had that happen. I had to push him off.” We both ended up chuckling while I recovered feeling in that foot. “If you’re ready I’ll show you where all their stuff is. I know there’s a copy of the feeding schedule in there too.” He led me into the laundry room and sure enough there were the bowls and such for them both. I even saw the litter pan in a corner. He pointed to the wall next to the door. “Geno’s got them on a schedule for feedings so it’s easy to care for them.”

I looked it over briefly; it was not just for feedings it was directions for how to deal with Jeffery too. I’d read that in more detail later. “Thanks. So I take it _she_ wasn’t well liked by those in the neighborhood either? I know she wasn’t well liked by the girls and such.”

Kevin scoffed. “Are you kidding? We didn’t call her the Ice Queen or the Ice Bitch for nothing! Most of us kid sin the neighborhood were _very_ glad when she, and I’m guessing her mother, moved out for good. G was upset for a little bit but he’s over that. You wouldn’t stop Geno from playing some road hockey would you?” He was trying to feel me out.

“Are you kidding? More likely I’d be asking if you need another goalie or ref.” I picked up the photo of Aleks and I’s Senior Night Photo. “Take a look.”

His eyes about bugged out. “You know Aleks?! This is awesome! You’re gonna make the girls _really_ want to play.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m serious, they’re always worried about taking hits and stuff, but if they see you doing it, they’ll be more willing to play in a pick up game.”

“Well I can hope they’ll be more willing to play. Girl’s hockey is _a lot_ different than Boy’s. Aleks and I actually like Men’s hockey better, we can hit harder and actually fight if need be.” We’d made it back into the living room by now. I sat back down and picked up my dinner. “Tell you what, you get some people together for tomorrow night and we’ll watch the Pens game here.” I figured if I was going to be here, I might as well make friends with the local pick up group.

Kevin was shocked. “Really? I can bring them over to watch the game?” It was like no one had ever invited him to watch a game with them before. “Normally I have everyone over at my place cause it’s the biggest screen, this would be great though!”

“How do you guys normally do snacks and stuff? I’m used to a potluck style myself. Everyone brings something to donate in.” I was thinking about this. I wouldn’t get beer until I was sure everyone was old enough.

“That’s how we do it. We are all too young to drink so normally we all chip in for pizza and soda and crap. I can have everyone over here at like 6:30 if that’s ok.”

I nodded. “That’s perfect, gives me a reason to get out of there at a normal time. One rule though, you make the mess - you clean it up.”

Kevin laughed and nodded. “We’ve got that rule at my place too. It makes post-game clean up go faster that’s for sure.” He left shortly after that, leaving me to now deal with Jeffery and Dixie. When I read the care of Jeffery rules I noticed that it said no sleeping on the furniture. I could see why.

Later that night I was curled up in bed, listening to someone’s monologue. Dixie was snug up next to me on the bed and I’d trip over Jeffery if I got out of bed. They weren’t Zhenya, but it was still nice to know there was life in the house with me. I fell asleep dreaming of the night he came home and listening to Dixie purr.