Leaping for Your Dreams

***Mari’s POV***

Saturday, it came faster than I expected. At least Thursday and Friday hadn’t been drama filled like Wednesday had been. Friday afternoon I had even gotten on the ice a bit and skated. Today was my first event and home game. You’d think I’d be nervous about it but I wasn’t. I _knew_ we were ready for tonight’s event, just like I knew the guys were ready for the Jets. So instead of micromanaging my servers and such who were setting up, I was watching the Jets morning skate. I was far enough back that I could keep an eye on my personal team and still see. I felt a set of hands being laid on my shoulders. I could tell who it was by how gentle they were. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for morning skate?” I asked quietly, not even turning around.

“Am almost ready. Why you watch them? Try to learn secrets for us to win with?” He was in a good and loose mood, it made me chuckle.

“No, just kind of taking myself back to my own game day routines is all.” He gathered me against his chest and just stood with me for a little bit. Todd and Gilles came out to see how much longer they’d have and spotted us.

Todd was chuckling as he came over and thumped Geno on the shoulder. “Spying Mari?” We both badly suppressed giggles.

“No, missing my own game day routine more like. I’m still adjusting to everything and, well, yesterday afternoon reminded me how much I miss playing. I’m probably going to look into Rec League and see if I can find one I can work with.” Geno kissed my temple as I spoke. He knew how much I missed being on the ice.

Gilles nodded and Todd laughed. “Don’t tell me no one told you. What position did you play?”

I looked over at him. “No one told me what?” I spotted a puck flying towards us and the bench door open. Instinct kicked in. Geno much have felt it too as he let go of me as I moved and caught the puck without flinching. I walked the puck back out to the ice and found myself being stared at. “What you’ve never seen a goalie catch without a glove before?” I tossed the puck back onto the ice, closed the door and came back to where I had been. Geno looked so proud and Todd looked like he’d been gob smacked.

Gilles stepped forward. “My dear lady, do you have your gear with you? I do believe we have a spot open for you on the in house rec team.” I blinked rapidly.

“I didn’t know you had an in house rec team. My gear is back at the house actually. I would have grabbed it if I had known.” Todd was dying of laughter, which of course drew more of a crowd.

Dan finally made his way to where we were and began breaking it up. Todd finally had caught his breath enough not to laugh in Dan’s face. “Dan, you forgot to tell Mari something.”

I tapped my foot kind of impatiently as I could see Dan mentally searching his brain for what he could have forgotten. The crowd dispersed back to where they belonged, mostly into the locker room to finish getting ready. Finally Dan admitted defeat. “I got nothing.”

I shook my head and turned to Todd. “What time and where?” Yeah I was jonesing, I’ll admit it. Pick up games could only do so much to help with my fix.

“1 pm, right here. Be warned we don’t tend to hold back much.” He answered back.

I laughed fully. “Please, you don’t have _anything_ _I_ can’t handle. I grew up around some of the best thanks to dad.” That’s when Dan got the clue and smacked himself in the head.

“I am _so_ sorry, I though for sure I told you about the tradition.” Dan apologized. “I know I _meant_ to.”

I put a hand on Dan’s arm. “Relax, at least I found out early enough to be able to get my gear and be ready. I mean I’d be _angry_ if I found out later. Anyway it sounds like they’re almost done and you guys have to get moving. Not to mention I need to make sure my own crew is sharp and ready.” Geno squeezed my shoulders and left to finish getting ready for morning skate.

Dan smiled. “Just don’t take it out on me later ok?”

I walked into the Suite and checked that everything was going well in there. Not only was the floor plan taped to a wall and tables set up correctly, I found my head server waiting to talk to me.

“Morning Lou. Looks good in here.” Louis Gerber, head server and bartender of Suite 66. I’d met him Tuesday as he had taken Monday off.

“Thanks Boss Lady.” I tried to get him to call me Mari, but he insisted on Boss Lady. Moka had told me that was a huge compliment; Lou called Tyrone something Moka wouldn’t repeat. I asked Lou directly and fell off the seat when he told me Tyhoe. “What do you know about tonight’s guests?” That was Lou too, always tried to know something about the guests so that he could have a conversation.

I chuckled. “Nothing really. I don’t know tomorrow night’s either. Wednesday though we’ll have NFL players in. They’re here to support the Pens like the guys support them in the fall. Treat them like you would any of the guys and you’ll be golden.” I sat down on one of the bench seats; he joined me.

“You really play or was that just blowing smoke?” He asked as he flipped through the file.

I chuckled and took off my boot. On my ankle I had the MSU Spartan with crossed goalie sticks and the years we won it all. “Oh I played. Was born in Windsor Ontario grew up in the D with Aleks and her folks pretty much. We both went to Shattuck and MSU together. Haven’t you noticed that when Katya or Pavel come around I’m more playful? They’ve known me forever, I’m like their second daughter.”

I rubbed at my ankle a bit; I must have turned it somehow. Lou nodded. “I had noticed you weren’t as formal with them or the Big Boss Man as Tyhoe was. I take it you’ve known him a while too.”

I chuckled. “Hard to have someone working for the team as your second dad and _not_ know Mario. I don’t know him as well as Aleks does, but that’s to be expected too.” Dom had joined us; he didn’t look upset either. “How’s things in Savory Goodness Land?”

He chuckled. “We’re hardly working ya know.” He held out a fax to me. “Tomorrow Night’s guests have attempted to add something to the menu. I thought you should know so we could discuss it.”

I frowned. I thought I had made it clear that they could not add things; apparently they thought they were special enough to go around me. A birthday cake, and not just any cake a hockey themed cake. I felt the vein in my forehead begin to throb. “The answer is no.”

“If the answer is no, what was the question?” Mario came in asking. Dom and Lou both looked like deer in the headlights, I took it in stride.

“Tomorrow night’s Guests have decided that I’m _not_ the end all be all for their event and have attempted to have Dom make them a hockey themed birthday cake.” I looked up at Mario. “My answer is no. They were told they were not allowed any more additions or changes when I spoke to them yesterday. I won’t do that to the Kitchen Crew.”

Mario took the fax from me and looked it over. “How difficult would something like this be?” He looked at me for an answer.

“With a little over 24 hours notice? Very. Specialty cakes like this would require the pastry team to dedicate time to it on top of their normal duties. It’s completely unfair to even ask at this point. Monday I would have discussed it with Dom and his team before getting back to them, now… No.” I was firm on this.

He read over the paper again. “That’s why you’re the boss here. I have every confidence in your ability. Although I am a bit concerned with Wednesday’s event. We don’t often have NFL players in the building.”

I smiled. “They were actually _very_ easy to work with. I’ll be busy with them during most of the game so Moka is going to be making sure Lou and the gang has everything they need.”

Mario’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure that’s wise? Has he ever…” Lou cut the Big Boss Man off.

“Sir, relax. Michael has been the go-to guy like this before. We’ll be just fine. I can assure you that my entire team is very happy with how the Boss Lady is handling things. She hasn’t _told_ us how she wants things done; she’s _asked_ how we do things and if we’d like to do them differently. Michael has _always been very good with my team as well. You could _not_ have a better pair running this place.” I knew from talking with others that Lou had just given us _very_ high praise.

Mario smiled and nodded. “If you have any trouble with Tomorrow Night’s people have Katya discuss it with them. She’s normally very good with these sorts of things.” He stood up and began looking around the displays.

“Who do you think I learned it from? I think we’re pretty much set for tonight.” I looked at Lou who nodded. “The staff have a 5 pm show up time where we’ll go over last minute things. Tonight should go well.”

Standing in front of his 5 ways stick Mario smiled again. “And are you going to have the kids down for warm up entrance and after the game?”

I shook my head. “No we’re going to be starting that on Wednesday. The football players were actually happy to have the kids join them for those times. After that it will be a standard part of the contract.”

“Perfect. So will we be seeing The Mariposa on the ice for the afternoon game?” He walked over towards me, eyes dancing.

I chuckled. “I think so. I have to go home and grab my gear but I had to go home to change anyway so that’s not a big deal.” Dom looked confused. “Dan forgot to tell me about the in house rec game during home stands when we were discussing things in Toronto. I gotta show him whose boss now.”

Mario came over, kissed my forehead and walked out. That was pretty typical of him. Dom finally was able to gather his thoughts enough. “I’ve never seen him so relaxed. Like he knew that you had everything under control and yet had to verify.”

I shrugged. “That’s just him. He’s always like that around me. I’m not one of his kids per se but I am someone he cares about a lot. And I think if this place is ready for now, we’re going to lock it up and go make sure everything _else_ is ready.”

Lou hugged me. “I don’t normally hug my boss, but girlie you’ve made my job a _lot_ easier. Would you mind if I changed the uniform a bit for here?”

I looked at him. “Tell you what Lou, when we have our next meeting, Monday by the way, we’ll discuss it. For now we’ll just keep it as is until we come up with something we all like.”

The three of us locked the Suite behind us and dispersed into the arena. I was the lucky one who got to call Sunday’s Event people and tell them that I knew about their attempted end run and was putting my foot down. Lucky me.