Perfect Symmetry

I woke up to the smell of bacon and coffee – every food lovers dream. I took my time getting up, lying on the sofa for a while and checking my phone for all the annoying “Merry Christmas” text messages that were probably flooding my inbox. Luckily, most people had gotten the memo from last year and realized that those texts were tacky. I did get one from Kaner, who left me a quick Merry Christmas. Jazz; I’ll see you tonight! I sent him a quick reply and sent Viktor a Christmas message before getting up and yawning loudly before entering the kitchen.

“Merry Christmas, Mom!” I grinned, kissing her on the cheek as she placed the bacon onto a serving plate.

“Merry Christmas, Jasmina,” she smiled, pulling me in for a quick hug.

I greeted my dad too, before sitting down on one of my barstools and sipping coffee. Hailey emerged from her room and hovered nervously, as if afraid to intrude on our little family movement. My mom, social as she was, ended the awkwardness immediately.

“Merry Christmas, Hailey! Do you want some bacon?” my mom offered kindly.

Hailey grinned. “Merry Christmas to you all too! And nothing says the holidays like bacon!”

We ate leisurely, and soon the phone calls from friends and family came in. I was eying my little tree, which had a few parcels littered underneath; one from me to Hailey and vice versa, and then a couple from my parents...I kept wondering what was inside.

My dad asked what time we were leaving, and when I told him it wasn’t until 5, he nodded, saying we could spend some time together beforehand. A grin decorated my face for quite some time after that, and we spent a couple hours playing charades and watching The Peanuts Christmas DVD special.
Then, at about two, we took turns taking showers and doing hair. I straightened my hair this time, keeping it sleek and soft. Hailey wanted help with her curls, so I gave her a hand. My mom wanted to see the dress I planned on wearing, so I showed her the short, mahogany dress that I was wearing. After hemming and hawing about the length and the slightly sexy neckline, she pronounced me pretty and helped paint my nails to match the outfit. I wore a statement necklace and small studded earrings.

“You look good, Jasmina,” my mom smiled sadly. “I hope Viktor is good enough for you.”

I shrugged. “It might have been a bit early for you to meet him. But I really like him. He’s so good to me, Mom. And he’s so sweet, didn’t you think?”

She nodded. “He’s certainly charming; I’ll give you that,” she acquiesced.

I gave her a hug before grabbing my coat and heading back out to the living room to check out what Hailey was wearing. Of course, she donned a bright red, clingy dress that would probably have Seabrook aroused the whole night.

“You look hot,” I said cheerfully to her.

Hailey just laughed. “And you look gorgeous as usual.”

As I suspected he would, my dad pulled out the camera and we put on cheesy smiles and posed cooperatively. Then we chatted amiably for a few minutes. I told my parents that I may not be home until quite late, and their flight was at 9 the next morning, so I gave them warm hugs and told them Merry Christmas again in case I missed them.

“We’ll wake you up, don’t worry,” my mom chirped as I hugged her. I blushed; she didn’t quite grasp that I may not even come home to sleep. I didn’t bring this up, of course, so I just hugged her.

“Let’s hand out gifts now,” Hailey suggested gleefully.

My parents offered to give me mine first. One was a beautiful beaded handbag from my mother. It was so ornate and shiny that I was utterly surprised when she told me it was from their local retail shop, TJ Maxx. I always appreciated a good bargain buy, so I gave her a huge hug. Dad presented me with two plane tickets to San Jose, with open dates.

“You should come home more often,” he insisted, “bring Hailey...or that boy.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s not a boy, dad.”

“Whatever. Use them soon, okay? Maybe for your birthday in the summer or even Easter,” my mom patted my hand.

I gave them one last hug each before presenting Hailey with her gift. She opened it and thank God, she seemed to love it. It was a brand new make-up case, with tons and tons of compartments and spaces for her brushes and her bottles and compacts. Her old one was tearing and looked a bit ratty, so I sprung for the posh leather one with the beautiful handles for her to carry around.

She squealed in delight and spent a few minutes just gaping at how many different pockets there were before handing me my present. It was wrapped gorgeously, which was a given for any of Hailey’s packages. I opened it, and found one of those really cute phone case/wallet combos that charges your phone while its inside!

I gave her a huge hug of gratitude and hurried to put my phone inside and into my new beaded purse. I needed to utilize all my presents! Hailey left a few minutes later, explaining that Brent was downstairs. I told her I’d see her there, and then she said bye to my parents before disappearing.

My dad and I were marveling at my new portable charger when my phone buzzed with a text from Viktor, who was downstairs waiting for me. I said one last goodbye to my Mom and Dad before going downstairs to the lobby and joining my date.
~
Viktor looked great, as per usual, and he tried to sneak a peek at my dress from under my coat, but I buttoned it stubbornly and smacked his hand away. To make up for it, I kissed him quickly and whispered Merry Christmas.

The drive to Sharpie’s house was longer than I thought it would be. It was on the other side of the city, and the building looked amazing. His apartment was on the second highest floor, and I expected it to be somewhat like Kaner’s place – big and airy, but just big enough for two. I was wrong. Patrick and Abby had an enormous place, with tall ceilings and at least six rooms. Patrick dragged us inside to join the rest of the crowd. I recognized some of the players in various places, sipping alcohol and talking amiably, but a lot of the people were strangers.

Abby found me immediately, giving me a crushing hug and introducing me to some of her fellow mom friends. It was early, so I asked whether Maddy was awake. Abby giggled at that.

“I left her with Kaner to see what would happen,” she confided.

I was partly amused and partly legitimately concerned.

“Does Kaner know which end of a baby goes up?” I said incredulously.

Abby laughed. “He has three sisters, doesn’t he? Anyway, they’re by the tree if you want to say hello.”

Abby went to socialize with some more people, so I made my way to the tree to see Pat and the baby.

“Merry Christmas, Pat,” I greeted him, taking off my coat and placing it on the sofa next to me.

Kaner was sitting on the couch, bouncing Maddy off his knee awkwardly, and looking rather out of his element. Several players had already captured this moment with their cell phones, and Patrick was giving them the finger with one hand and gripping Maddy with the other.

He looked up at me, and a grin spread across his face.

“You too, Jazz. You look amazing,” he exclaimed, leaning over to kiss my cheek.

My face burned. “You do too. Is this Maddy?”

Pat nodded, the grin sliding off his face. “Abby stuck me with her, and every time I try to stand up, Maddy screams bloody murder. And I desperately need the toilet.”

I laughed. “Here, I’ll take her.”

He looked suspiciously at me. “Really? Everybody else laughs at me because I got stuck babysitting.”

I tickled Maddy under her chin playfully, and she giggled. She was dressed in an adorably red onesie with the words “Santa’s Little Helper” embroidered in green on the front. Her eyes were bright blue, and her skin was perfectly soft, and her feathery hair was thin and stopped in the middle of her forehead.

“Are you kidding? I love babies,” I held out my arms for her.

Patrick handed me Maddy with a relieved look on his face. After a quick word of thanks, he disappeared to the bathroom. I gave Maddy a cuddle and played peek-a-boo with her before standing up tentatively. She kept quiet, so I went around the room with her on my hip. Duncan Keith had a good laugh when he saw me.

“Starting early, huh Jazz?” he snickered, giving Maddy a little pat on the head.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh shut up, Keith. No one else wants to play with her, and she’s adorable!”

He laughed again, and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before wishing me a merry Christmas and introducing me to his date, a tall blonde woman who seemed a bit bored.

I then reunited with Viktor, who was chatting to Hjalmarsson.

“That baby looks great on you, Jazz,” Hjalmarsson gave me a wink.

I smiled. “I know; I just picked her up. I thought she looked great with this dress.”

Just then, Patrick Sharp emerged from the kitchen with that dazzlingly handsome smile on his face.

“I’m sorry you got stuck with the kid,” he said contritely.

I waved him off nonchalantly. “I love her! Call me for babysitting anytime.”

He smiled in gratitude. “I’ll come and put her to bed in a minute; I just need to finish putting out some more food for Abby.”

I nodded. “Take your time.”
~
3rd person Jon

Jon kept thinking that Christmas came to early this year. Usually he rejoiced in the charm of the holidays and in the lights that decorated the entire city, but not this year. He couldn’t make it home to Winnipeg, and his parents were too busy to come to him. He was glad Sharpie was having this party thing tonight; it gave him a reason to leave the apartment for once. The thought of bringing a date made him want to sink back into his bed. The girl he had been seeing, Danielle, was a fine girl, just not for him. And she knew basically nothing about hockey, which annoyed him to no end.

He had told her about the party, so he would have to pick her up. It was all so exhausting.
~
When Jon entered the apartment, with Danielle latched onto his arm, he could smell the Christmas in the air. The woody smell of the tree, the warm smell of cinnamon, and the confusing smell of eggnog were all so enticing. Then he looked over to see Jazz, looking as good as ever, clutching baby Maddy with Viktor’s arm around her waist. They looked good together. Jon had a hard time with that concept. It looked like they were a little family; mother, father, and child. His hands balled into fists. Danielle felt him tense.

“Are you okay, Jonny?” she whispered, rubbing his upper arm gently.

Jon nodded quickly. “Yeah. Do you want a drink?”

“Eggnog would be good,” Danielle smiled brightly, but Jon just averted his eyes.

“I’ll be back,” he murmured.
~
Jazz

Viktor’s arm was warm around my waist, and Maddy was nuzzling my chest. She was getting a little fussy. She must be tired. I looked around for one of the Sharps, but none of them were in sight. I saw Jon wandering around. He didn’t appear to have a date.

I gently wriggled out of Viktor’s grip and went to go get champagne. With a glass in one hand and a baby in the other, I felt like the ultimate bad mother. I met Marian Hossa’s wife, who was really lovely and commented on my natural instincts with babies.

“I have lots of cousins,” I explained with a smile before walking out of the kitchen.

I was in the hallway when Jon and Sharpie approached me at the same time. Patrick smiled charmingly and reached for Maddy.

“Thanks for taking care of her, Jazz. She definitely loves you,” he thanked me, gently taking a now very fussy Maddy off of me.

“She’s exhausted,” I laughed. “And I love her back. Merry Christmas, Maddy! And good night.” I kissed the sleepy baby on the forehead and then Patrick carried her off to some room to sleep.

So, it was just Jon and I standing in that little hallway. I hadn’t talked to him since that phone call after Viktor and I had...well, you know. I stood there awkwardly before giving him a small smile and trying to walk past him. His hand reached out and gripped my shoulder.

“Jazz,” he said softly, “I just wanted to say sorry. I’ve been an ass.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Yeah, you have.”

“And I admitted it, didn’t I? It’s Christmas, and I want to make amends and all that,” he explained, shoving his hands into his pockets rather adorably.

I nodded. “Thanks. Merry Christmas. Where’s your usual hot date?”

Jon shrugged and opened his mouth to answer when the sound of heels and a throaty voice interrupted us. A leggy blonde arrived and draped herself onto Jon. Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. But she definitely grabbed his bicep.

“This is Danielle,” Jon answered my question with a gesture.

The blonde smiled widely. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Jazz,” I offered, “it’s nice to meet you too.”

“Are you a friend of Jonny’s?” she asked curiously.

I gave Jon a look as soon as she called him “Jonny,” and he gave me a shrug, indicating that he had nothing to do with that.

“Um, yeah, I guess you could say we’re friends,” I admitted with a small smile.

Danielle turned to Jon. “I thought you were getting me eggnog.”

Jon frowned. “I was. Sorry, I got...distracted.” His eyes focused back on me.

I blushed. “Well I definitely need a drink. I’ve barely had any; I’ve been watching the baby.”

Jon smiled at that. “You looked good with Maddy. She liked you.”

“She’s adorable,” I gushed. I looked at Danielle, who looked a little left out. I was feeling slightly uncomfortable, so I wrapped up this awkward situation. “Anyway, I’m going to get another champagne. It was nice meeting you, Danielle. Bye, Jon.”

“I’ll see you later,” Jon said meaningfully.

I wrinkled my brow in confusion at that and re-joined the party. I had to admit, Danielle had exceeded my expectations. She was gorgeous, nice, and seemed to have a firm grasp on the English language, which is always a plus.

The food was good, and we all enjoyed the games we played; Taboo, Charades, and lots of alcohol games were the most common. After a couple hours of that, the crowd settled down and mellowed, and most of the conversation was quieter. Many people slipped away and then reappeared slightly frazzled. Kaner and his date did so several times. Hailey and Brent did too.

Viktor was playing cards with Brandon Bollig, so I left him to finish and was going to get another roll of bread when Jon intercepted me in that damn hallway again.

“Can I talk to you outside?” he murmured.

I frowned. “What for?”

“Jazz,” his voice was firm. “Please.”

He took me out into the apartment complex’s hallway. I wrapped my arms around my arms around my middle protectively and refused to look him in the eye.

“So what do you want?” I demanded coolly.

Jon sighed. “I just want to talk to you.”

“Yeah?” I think you said all you wanted to say on the telephone,” I snapped, tossing my hair over my shoulder indignantly.

He groaned. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? God, I feel like all I ever do is apologize to you.”

“Well, maybe if you stopped being a jackass, you wouldn’t have to apologize so much,” I retorted.

Jon was silent for a minute, and so was I.

“You look good tonight,” he spoke up gruffly.

“Thanks,” I mumbled grudgingly. “Now if you’re finished...”

Jon stopped me from leaving again, pushing me against the wall firmly, but not painfully.

“I don’t mean to be such an idiot, you know,” he explained quietly.

“Well I don’t think anyone really means to be an idiot,” I teased lightly.

Jon cracked a smile. “You make me act stupid. You...bewitch me.”

I gulped. He looked gorgeous. His eyes were dark and clouded with lust, and his mouth was just so close. He leaned in even closer, judging my face for my reaction. I didn’t have one. My expression was blank. My heart was racing, and there was more silence.

You could have cut the sexual tension in the air with a knife. I could feel his breath on my cheek.

“Jazz? Where are you? We’re going to play Mafia!” I could hear Hailey’s voice calling for me.

Her voice broke the spell, and I slid out from under Jon’s body.

“So...I’ll see you back in there,” I said awkwardly, glancing at him before heading back inside.

Jon squeezed his eyes shut and let out a deep breath before pushing off from the wall and heading back to the party.