Love. Sex. Magic.

"Aria! Oh my god! Thank you for changing shifts with me yesterday!" Carlee squealed, throwing her arms around the girl.

"Uh, you're welcome?"

"You will never guess who came in!" She didn't give her time to reply. "Viktor Stalberg!” Aria stared at her blankly. “You know, the really hunky guy who plays for the Blackhawks.”

"As I recall, they were all plenty hunky. Especially that captain," Leia said from behind the counter.

"He has a girlfriend," Carlee said. "She's best friends with Patrick Kane."

Aria perked up at the mention. Everyone knew who Patrick Kane was. You didn't have to be a hockey fan to know all about the exploits of the Blackhawks talented forward. The entire city knew who he was, Aria included. Plus he was cute and that never hurt.

"How do you know that?" Aria asked as she walked around the counter, pulling her blonde hair into a ponytail and tying on her apron.

"Kane said it in an interview, at the end of the season. They asked him if he was going home for the summer and he said he was staying here with his best friend and Jon who were dating. I don't think he meant to say that they were an item but whatever."

Carlee gasped and grabbed Aria's hand. Aria gave her a look as a customer approached the counter and ordered. Aria rang her out and she stepped away as Leia fixed her coffee.

"What is your problem?" Aria asked Carlee.

"That is the same girl that Viktor was in here with yesterday," she replied. "What if he comes in again? You have to text me if he comes in! Should I skip class?"

Aria pushed Carlee towards the door. "Go to class. I'll text you if anything exciting happens." Carlee groaned but grabbed her bag and headed out.

Whitney took her drink and sat at one of the tables at the coffee shop. She pulled out her iPad and flipped through the responses from the girls she was going to meet with. She looked up as the bell over the front door chimed and immediately frowned.

“Whitney?” the girl asked as she approached her. Whitney’s eye flicked over her.

“No,” Whitney responded. “Absolutely not.”

“Excuse me?” the girl responded.

“Dirty girl, dismissed,” Whitney announced. She turned back to her ipad and Aria couldn't help but giggle from the counter at the exchange. The girl stared down at Whitney before turning on her heel and stalking out of the shop.

Twenty minutes later, another woman walked in and made a beeline for Whitney. “Hello, you must be Whitney, I’m Karen.” She stuck her hand out and Whitney shook it, gesturing to the seat across her.

“Thanks for meeting me,” Whitney said. “I know the circumstances are unusual.”

Karen shrugged. “Unusual but intriguing. I’ve been here for two years and have yet to meet a decent guy. Any guy who's best friend is willing to go out on a limb on to find a girl for must be someone worth meeting.”

“You’re a nurse, right?”

“Yes; I work a lot of nights so dating hasn't been easy.”

Whitney smiled. “I can imagine. My boyfriend works nights so there are a lot of afternoon dates or incredibly late night dinners.”

Karen smiled. “But I can tell from the smile on your face that you love him endlessly so its all worth it.”

“It is. And so is Patrick. Which is why I’m determined to find him someone. Look, the truth is he’s made some really bad choices when it comes to women. Like, really bad choices. Even I’ve been embarrassed to be seen with some of the girls he’s brought around.”

“You’re not making him sound all that great right now, truth be told.”

“I know, but you have to know all of him to love him.”

“You feel very passionately about this, finding him a girlfriend.”

“You have no idea. Look, do you want to hang out tonight? There is this charity hockey thing I have tickets to. I’d love to hang out, get to know each other maybe?”

Karen wrinkled her nose. “Hockey? I’m really not much of a sports fan.”

“Oh.” Whitney’s face fell. “Really? Not at all?”

“Too many prima donnas,” Karen said with a shake of her head. “You wouldn’t believe some of things they will say, that they expect, just because of who they are. I remember this one guy, he played for the Blackhawks. Ugh, he was such an arrogant little prick. And when I say little, I mean little. Such a tiny thing. I always thought hockey players were tall and huge, like those redwood trees in California, you know?”

Whitney sighed. “He didn’t happen to be blonde, curly hair, and blue eyed?”

Karen snapped her fingers. “Yes! God, what was his name?”

“Fukcing Pat,” Whitney muttered. “I knew I hated him. I’m sorry I wasted your time, Karen. It was great to meet you.”

“That’s it?” Karen asked.

“That’s it. You’ve met my best friend already.”

Her jaw dropped. “Your best friend was that asshole? How do you stand him?!”

“Years of practice, trust me.” Whitney rose from her chair and stuck her hand out to her. “Thanks for coming though.”

“No problem,” Karen said, rising to her feet. She grabbed her purse and headed for the door and Whitney approached the counter. Viktor held the door open for her, smiling as she passed. He walked up beside Whitney and leaned against the counter.

“Not going well?” he asked her.

Whitney sighed. “I thought Karen was great....until she told me a story about this asshole hockey player in the hospital one night.”

Viktor laughed, drawing the attention of the girl behind the counter. “Kaner?”

“Yes, fucking Patrick Kane,” Whitney answered him. “Girls that don’t even know he is don’t like him! What am I supposed to do now?”

Aria approached the counter and heard what Whitney said but choose to ignore the statement, although intrigued by the comment. “What can I get you?” She smiled.

Viktor turned to look at her and smiled warmly. He glanced at the name tag on her chest. “Aria, do you have anything strong you can add to this coffee? I believe my friend Whitney needs vodka.”

Aria laughed. “Nothing stronger than espresso I’m afraid. I do have a little house secret drink I can whip up, if you think she needs a pick me up and all.”

“That would be perfect, Aria.”

“Anything for you?”

“Just a bottle of water,” he grinned.

“Coming right up,” she promised. “Have a seat; I’ll bring it out in a few minutes.”

Viktor threw an arm around Whitney’s shoulders. “Come on, Whit. Let’s take a look at the other winners you’ve chosen.”

“I didn't ask you for to come here,” Whitney pointed out as he steered her back to her table.

“This promises to be great fun though.”

“You’re really pushing your luck on being my favorite blackhawk, you know that, right?”

Viktor chuckled as he sat down beside Whitney, grabbing her ipad. “Jon’s your favorite and everyone knows it.”

“I believe its your jersey I wear so obviously you’re my favorite, then Jon.”

“No; it goes Jon, then Patrick, then me if I'm lucky. You wear my jersey to tease me, because I can never have you.”

She shoved him lightly and he laughed. “Trust me; you, then Jon, and everyone else ahead of Pat, even Car Bomb and he skeeves me out.”

“He’s good people....just a little sleazy. Maybe you should find him a girlfriend. You know I think he somehow manages to find even dirtier dirty girls than Kaner.”

Aria appeared at the table, setting a mug in front of Whitney and handing Viktor a bottle of water. “Thanks, Aria,” Viktor said with a smile. “What do I owe you?”

“On the house...as long as you’ll sign something for my friend Carlee. She’s in class and is going to be very sad when I tell her you were in today,” Aria smiled back.

“How about I do you one better?”

“I’m listening.”

“Can I interest you in some tickets for a charity hockey game tonight? I happen to have a connection.”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you to offer but I couldn’t.”

“Is your friend cute?” Viktor asked.

“Yes.”

“Is she a dirty girl?”

“Viktor!” Whitney exclaimed. “You can’t ask people that!”

He shrugged. “I’m Swedish and therefore do not understand your American ways. Also, I am very handsome and can do whatever I want.”

Aria laughed. “She’s not a dirty girl.”

“See?” Viktor said to Whitney. “She’s not a dirty girl. I bet Aria isn’t either, are you Aria?”

“Last I checked I wasn’t,” she answered.

Viktor motioned to the seat across from him. “Sit. I want to get to know you.”

“Leia!” Aria called out.

“Yea?” she called back.

“I'm taking a break!”

“Okay,” she answered. She walked out of the back and to the counter to see Aria sliding into the seat on the opposite side of the table as Viktor and Whitney. “Oh!” she squeaked. “Um, hi,” she said with a weak smile.

“That’s Leia. We’re roommates. We went to Northwestern together.”

“And Carlee?” Viktor asked.

“She’s a senior. She’s taking some summer classes to graduate in December. Leia and I graduated back in May.”

“What did you study?” Whitney asked.

“Journalism,” Aria answered her.

“And Leia?” Viktor asked.

Aria smiled at the look in Viktor’s eye as he glanced towards Leia who was busy helping a pair of women who had walked in. “Dance major,” she replied. “She’s very flexible,” she added with a wink.