Remembering My Childhood Crush

Evgeni’s POV
Having her in my arms all night made me remember the way I treated her and how if I didn’t let the hockey get to my head my best friend could have become the most amazing girlfriend. But then again the fact that she was in my arms gave me that hope that she would let me prove to her that I was done with other girls, that she was the only one I had my mind set on.

“You ready?” she bounced down the stairs excited about her first day at work.
“Aren't you nervous?” I frowned at her enthusiasm.
“Oh yeah, I am freaking out. This is how I hide it, can you tell?”
“Not at all,” but now I could see it. They way she bit her bottom lip and smiled awkwardly, I could see the butterflies flying around inside her.
“Oh and can we not do this in front of everyone else?” she gestured between us.
“Do what?”
“The talking in Russian, I feel like its rude and I don’t want them to hate me.”
“Ok, but they won’t hate you.” I was going to have a hard time keeping some of them away from her.

“Hey,” Sid smiled as we walked into the room giving Kira a welcoming hug. That action alone caught the attention of everyone else, “Who is this?” Max smiled his eyes wandering up and down her body.
“Max this is Kira, Kira this is Max, he is an asshole.”
“Oh so I have heard, we can be rude in front of him if you like,” she smiled at me.
“Ok,” I nodded liking the sound of that idea. Any chance I got to torture Max I took full advantage of it.
“What? Stop speaking Russian, that’s not fair,” Max looked desperately between us.

Before any of the others came over I whisked her off to Mike’s office like he had asked me before returning to their questioning eyes.

“That is your childhood best friend?” Max stood with wide eyes.
“Yes,” I sat down opening up my gear bag.
“Dude you have to tap that,” he was too busy making provocative gestures to pay attention to my disapproving face.
“No he doesn't. One day you will meet a nice girl Max and you will grow up,” Sid offered me a smile.

After an intense practice, I showered and got changed before setting out to find Kira.
“Mike, where Kira?” I peered into his office.
“In her new fancy office,” he smiled as he got up and came to the door, “just down the hall,” he pointed to her door.

Kira Petrov, a piece of paper with her name on it was stuck to the front of the door.
I laughed to myself and knocked.
“Come in,” her voice echoed through the door.
“Hello,” I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.
“Hey… take a seat Mr Malkin,” she smiled and poked her tongue out.
“You like your office?” I looked around at the bare room with a desk, a couple of chairs and couple of shelves in it.
"I love it, isn’t it cool?” she spun around in her chair.
“It is. Penguins logo looks good on you,” I commented on her new black tracksuit.
“I think so too,” she looked down admiring it.

“I still can’t believe I am here.”
“Neither,” it felt like there was something else in that sentence; I knew there was in my answer. I honestly believed she would go the rest of our lives ignoring me but I was so glad she wasn’t.

“Marc our goalie wants to know if we want to go out for a few drinks and dinner with him and his fiancée tomorrow night so you can get to know some of the women.”
“Is she nice?” she twiddled her pen in her fingers.
“Veronique is a very kind woman .”
“Ok, I guess it can’t hurt.”

************************************

If I was blown away when I saw her for the first time in years the other day I was completely blown over when she walked down the stairs
“It’s too much isn’t it?” she stood shyly at the bottom of the stairs in a white mid thigh length sundress with her wavy hair tossed over her shoulders. “I mean it’s just the pub, just drinks,” she began rambling.
“No it’s… you look amazing,” I grabbed her hand.
“Thanks,” she began to blush.

God did I love this girl.

Kira's POV
Evgeni thought I looked good in my plain old dress; he looked, like someone I would want to jump if I meant them in a club. In his jeans with that perfect ass of his and his red plaid shirt, I was distracted. He was definitely going to be a man who aged well.

He held my hand as we walked into the pub, “Flower, Vero” he cheered happily too the couple sitting alone at the back.
“Hey Geno,” the skinny man replied.
“Flower, Vero this is Kira,” he stepped aside putting his hand on my back and gently encourage me forward.
“Kira this Marc and fiancee Veronique,” he looked adorable stumbling over the introduction.
“Hello,” they welcomed, Veronique stood up giving me a hug.

I was relieved to see her in a dress as well, simple but still not too dressed down. I honestly hated dressing up but I hated feeling out of place even more.

“So how long have you and Evgeni known each other?” Veronique took a sip of her beer as we watched Evgeni and Marc hustle each other over pool.
“For as long as I can remember, our parents are best friends,” I couldn’t help but laugh at the fist pump Evgeni was giving me as he put another ball in the pocket.
“So you guys are really close?”
“Sort of,” I sighed.
“What do you mean?” she frowned inching forward ready to listen.
“Well when I was 10 my parents moved out to America, obviously as much to my disapproval I had to go with them. I would go back every summer and visit Evgeni and his parents that was until we turned 18 and he started dating Oksana…”
“Uck not her,” she sat back in her seat with a disgusted look on her face.
“Not a fan then?” I laughed.
“No, not at all… anyways continue,” she pestered.
“They started dating and he turned into a real asshole. I went over to Russia to visit and he pretty much ignored me the whole. I through a drink in his face, gave him a piece of my mind and left, I hadn’t seen or talked to him until just the other day when I arrived.”

“So you love him?” she smiled.
“I have been trying to ignore him for like 5 years now, it didn’t work I can’t help it,” I shrugged.
“I think it’s sweet, Marc and I have been together since we were 16.”

I would do almost anything to take back what I did that night to him. Maybe if I had have just talked to him I wouldn't have missed out on those 5 years with him. I mean just being friends with him and having him in my life is way more important than having him all to myself.