Fantasy Reality

Dinner was served outside with the breeze blowing just enough to keep us cool. With 32 couples including the Lemieux’s and Ron and Lisa, there were 8 tables of 8 to accommodate everyone. For the first time since I had met the Lemieux’s, we were separated for dinner and instead seated with some of the younger captains. At our table there was Alex Ovechkin and his girlfriend Maria, Jonathan Toews and his girlfriend Gabrielle and Eric and Tanya Staal. There was a lot of uncomfortable silence among us girls as the guys talked hockey and we listened. A few questions were thrown my way and of course, the inevitable question about how we met. Thankfully, Sid took over and made our story sound quite interesting, I almost believed it myself.

“Yo Sid, who are we going to pick on now that you’re taken?” Jon asked about halfway through our meal. Sid grinned and casually put his arm around me, “I’m sure you’ll find someone to take my place.” Mission accomplished, they were buying it and it took very little acting on my part. Maybe I could actually do this after all.

Once dinner was over, drinks were served and we were left to mingle. Well, technically Sid mingled and I just kinda hung out at the table taking everything in. I wasn’t alone very long before others started to descend upon me and wanted to know how we met and the details of our relationship. I tried to keep the details to a minimum; I had heard that the more details you had, the more it sounds like you are lying. Questions were being thrown my way and I felt like I was under siege. Nathalie must have sensed my anxiety because she suddenly appeared by my side and used an excuse of needing to discuss something with me that lead me into the safety of the house. Once inside, I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“That’s right, just breathe. You’re doing great”, Nathalie said as she guided me to a couch. “It will get easier, trust me”, she added as we sat down.

“Thanks for saving me out there. It was just so overwhelming”. I looked out at the yard and all the people standing around in groups, talking and drinking. It was something so simple, yet why was it so hard?

Nathalie rubbed my back, “I know it’s not easy, especially because it’s Sid. But for what it’s worth, I think you are doing an amazing thing for him. He’s having a genuinely good time and I know it’s because he doesn’t have to deal with all the personal jokes and digs”.

Suddenly Sid appeared at the door and came in. “Is everything okay?” he asked as he looked at me.

“I think we’re good here, she was just a little overwhelmed with all the attention”, Nathalie said as she stood up. I nodded in agreement and Sid gave a heart melting smile. As Nathalie walked towards the door, she stopped in front of Sid and placed a hand on his arm. “Just one tip Sid, you might want to remember she’s your girlfriend and not to leave her alone to fend for herself. Have fun”, she let herself out and Sid took her place next to me on the couch.

“I didn’t even realize, I’m sorry”, he said as he turned to face me. “Don’t worry about it, it was just a lot of questions and I was trying to remember everything and it’s been a long day. I’m fine”. The clock on the wall showed that it was only 10 pm but we were still on east coast time and my body was well aware that it was 1 am.

Looking out the window, I saw that people were starting to leave and head towards their Villas. “Let’s go say goodnight and end this day”, I suggested as Sid nodded. We walked towards the door and as he opened it, he grabbed my hand. “For show”, he added as we exited the house and I tried to ignore the tingly feeling I felt as he held tightly onto my hand.

About 30 minutes later, we were back into our room and standing there looking at each other. “So I really have to sleep on the floor?” Sid said as he glanced from the bed to the floor to me. “You can always sleep outside, you did offer that last night… remember?” I reminded him.

“I honestly thought there would be a couch”, he paced around the floor for a moment and I left him alone to wash my face and brush my teeth. When I exited the bathroom, I found that he had pushed the chairs together and was in the process of trying to figure out how to sleep on them.

Amused, I watched quietly as he sized up the situation and tried to lie on them and curl up into a ball at the same time. The chairs shifted and before he could stop it, the chairs slid apart and he ended up in a heap on the floor.

Unable to control my laughter, I was in a giggling fit as Sid swore, picked himself off the floor and kicked the chairs, sending them sliding across the floor. “I don’t see the humor in this”, he said as he grabbed blankets and pillows from the closet and started throwing them on the floor. For some reason, his statement made me laugh even harder and I had tears rolling down my face.

“Laugh it up, you’re sleeping in a soft bed and I’m on the fucking floor”, he said as he flopped onto his makeshift bed and tossed and turned trying to get comfortable.

Not knowing if he would get angry with me laughing at his expense, I tried to stop and keep a straight face as I walked past him and climbed into bed. Turning off the lamp, I muttered a goodnight and received a grunt in response.

Lying back against the pillows, I found a comfortable spot and closed my eyes. The sounds of Sid tossing and turning and swearing under his breath continued for at least 15 minutes before I gave up on the thought of sleep and leaned over to turn on the lamp again.

“Are you having issues?” I asked as I crawled to the foot of the bed and looked down at him.

“No, I’m fucking fantastic”, he said as he turned again and muttered another “fuck” under his breath.

“Look, it’s like this, I can’t sleep with you down there rooting around and swearing. So because I love my sleep and to keep my sanity, I’m going to be nice and offer you half the bed”. Sid looked up at me in surprise. “Are you sure?”

I rolled my eyes, “it’s either that or I’m going to stick you in the bathroom to sleep”. Not wasting anytime, Sid was up in a flash and under the covers before I had even moved from the foot of the bed.

“Before you get too comfortable, there has to be rules”, I said. “Are you serious?” he asked as he fluffed a pillow and lay down. I pointed to the bathroom and he sat back up. “Okay, rules. What do you want?”

“Stay on your side of the bed and if you snore, you’re outdoors”. He rolled his eyes and extended his hand, “Deal”. I shook his hand and he promptly lay back down and closed his eyes. I reached over and turned off the lamp again and got comfortable. Just as I closed my eyes, he whispered a “thank you” that brought a smile to my face in the dark room as I drifted off to sleep.

*~*

There it was again, the pounding in my head was back. I struggled to open my eyes and I couldn’t move. Where was I? Why was there an arm across my neck? There was another loud knock and a distinct voice calling out “Room Service”, I was awake in a flash and lifted my head off the pillow. Sid’s head and mine collided as we both struggled to sit up at the same time.

“Fuck!”

“Ow! Shit! There were rules!” I hissed as I gingerly touched my forehead.

“Room service!”

Rubbing his head, Sid yelled “Come in”. Ron and Lisa entered with a tray of pancakes and orange juice for us. “Sorry it’s so early, but most everyone is up for their workouts and we didn’t want your breakfast to get cold”, he explained as Lisa laid the tray on the table and glanced at the discarded blankets on the floor and the chairs that were pushed towards the other side of the room. She gave us a smile and a wink and exited as Ron explained to Sid that some of the guys wanted to get together and discuss a few things after lunch. Sid assured him that he would be there and Ron left leaving us to our breakfast.

“What do the girls do while you guys have a discussion?” Sid looked up from his pancakes, with his mouth full he muttered “I dunno”. Okay, this wasn’t so bad. Maybe I could do something by myself; I could probably have a nice nap or explore the secluded beach. I started to imagine all the great things that I could do while Sid was occupied but those thoughts were interrupted when he added “probably hang by the pool and do girl talk or whatever you girls do”. Girl talk? I’m officially fucked.