The Sake of the Show

Corey had the slightest intuition that perhaps, Blair Bailey was trying to kill him. It was a theory he had maintained since practically the moment she’d met him; but after what occurred in the last minute as he sat in his stall in Los Angeles for the first game of the season, he finally obtained a piece of conclusive evidence. Displayed on his phone was a photograph of the blonde in subject, wearing the cutest smile he had ever seen and and the jersey he’d gotten her hugging her body. He swallowed, finding it hard for him to put down his phone.

Despite that minor distraction, they won their first game effortlessly and all of the guys were congratulating him in the locker room with the exception of Kaner. The younger Patrick was still not talking to him, making a valiant effort of speaking with everyone in front of Corey loud enough so that he would catch the drift. Oddly enough, this didn’t bother him. He knew Patrick would eventually stop holding a grudge and come around. If Blair could forgive him, then Patrick could get over it.

The moment they were on the bus, everyone began to pull out their phones and start contacting their significant others and families. He decided to call Blair; he selected her name from his contact’s list, and after two rings she’d picked up. “Hey you. Dina and Elina just left, they were teaching me more about the game. You played really good, superstar.”

His heart lurched in his chest as he grinned. Patrick, a couple of rows in front of him, turned around and gave him a dirty look. He continued to smile to spite the young forward. “Thanks, B. I had a little bit of motivation. You looked absolutely stunning in that picture that you sent me. I can’t wait to see you when I get home.”

He would be home Monday, and it was Saturday. That already felt like too far away for him. After getting Blair constantly for so many months, this season was going to be brutal.

“I can’t wait to see you either,” She giggled, her voice sounding sleepy. She was two hours ahead of him. “I’m excited for my first real, live hockey game. You better win for me.”

“Trust me, I will.” Corey assured her. He heard her sigh contentedly through the phone. “Hey, on Monday, is it okay if I pick you up from work and take you for coffee or something on your lunch? I should be getting in early.”

“I would love that.” Blair insisted. The line fell silent after that, but it was the comfortable kind of silence that made Corey’s muscles feel very relaxed. He sighed contentedly. “Corey, I’m going to go to bed.”

“Alright, B. You sound tired, sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams to you too. I’ll call you before your game, okay?”

“Of course Blair, goodnight.” He waited until she disconnected the call before he set down his phone, smiling to himself. Jon was staring at him from across the aisle, toothy grin on his face as he watched him. Corey jumped a little when he realized he was being stared at. “Can I help you?”

“I know that look,” Jon informed him simply. “You love her, dude.”

Corey balked. “I do not.”

Jon didn’t comment any further, he just continued to sit facing forward with a gleeful look on his face the rest of the ride.



Corey felt rejuvenated despite the time zone jump as he haphazardly tossed his stuff in his apartment. It was Monday morning, and merely four hours ago he was in Phoenix. But now, he was already in sweet home Chicago, and he was more than ready to see Blair again. He freshened up with a quick shower, his spirits optimistic after the past few days. Nothing felt as good as kicking off the season with a couple of good wins, all the while knowing that his favorite blonde was cheering him on.

He left for Blair’s place of employment a little earlier than he intended, but he didn’t realize this until he was walking into the dentist’s office. The only person in the waiting room was an older man, who had his nose buried inside a tattered copy of ‘Golfer’s Digest’. Corey chuckled as he walked into the receptionist area, a smile breaking onto his face when he saw Blair’s blonde bun hovering behind the desk.

He couldn’t help the smile that broke onto his face at the sight of her little trademark. When he approached the desk he caught the attention of the other girl first- he couldn’t remember her name. Blair had introduced them once before back before the lockout when Patrick was in Switzerland- maybe her name was Jennifer? She smiled politely at him before swatting at Blair, getting her attention. “Blair, there’s somebody for you.”

“Wh- Oh! Corey!” Blair excitedly squealed, dropping the papers and moving around the desk. She engulfed him into a hug, her arms around her neck as he grabbed her waist and lifted her off the ground. She continued to giggle even after she was set down, slowly untangling her arms from behind his neck. “You’re here early!”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” Corey chuckled, his hand lingering on her waist longer than he intended to. “I didn’t pay the clock any attention before I left. I’m all turned around.”

“S’okay!” Blair waved him off, beckoning for the girl to hand her her purse. “Jessie, is it alright if I take my lunch now? I don’t want to leave you by yourself-”

“B, I’ve got it under control.” Jessie smiled. “Go on, it’s fine.”

“Alright, thanks Jessie. You’re the best.” Blair grinned at her, hoisting her purse over her shoulder before turning to Corey. “Onward ho, then!”

Blair curled her arm through Corey’s, hugging his bicep tightly as he led her outside. His car was parked by the curb in front of the office, so he easily helped Blair into his large truck before getting behind the wheel. She was instantly fiddling with the radio the minute he started the engine, finally landing on one of those pop stations that seemed to play the same five songs on repeat.

If it were anyone else, Corey would’ve changed the station. But for Blair’s sake, he allowed her to enjoy the washed up music. He couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her humming the tune underneath her breath. He cleared his throat, “So, how was your weekend?”

“Oh, it was great. I spent a lot of time with Dina and Elina, Abby too. We got together for the games and it was a lot of fun. I think we’re going to start doing that for the away games. Abby’s taught me so much about hockey!” Blair told him. She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes as she leaned back into the plush seat. He glanced away from the road for a moment to smile at her, shaking his head ever so slightly.

Lunch had been peaceful and relaxing. As usual the conversation with Blair flowed wonderfully. He found himself enjoying being able to tell her all about his weekend road trip, talking about the different restaurants he tried out with his teammates and how well the season had began. It was always a breath of fresh air with her.

When he dropped her off at work after lunch, she thanked him for paying for her meal with a swift kiss on the cheek. In turn they made plans for when she got off of work; they were going to see a movie that had just came out in theaters over the weekend.

The day went by slowly for him after that, but he was able to finally tidy up his place. After everything was clean and organized, he set the alarm on his phone and settled down for a quick nap.



Corey picked up Blair from her apartment promptly for the movie, which went just like any other outing they had. They argued over whether or not Corey should pay, which he did, just like he did every single time. Blair pretended to be huffy for a few minutes, but once they settled in their seats she snuggled up against his bicep.

The movie was a lot funnier than he has expected. It was a well-done comedy, and Blair had giggled nearly the whole time beside him. They talked about it the entire way home, which was hardly a ten minute drive to Blair's. Corey parked in his usual spot, deciding to walk Blair up since it was dark.

“Adam was totally talking about going to see that movie, I have to call him and tell him about it,” Blair giggled, pulling out her phone and scrolling through her contact’s list. Corey frowned, watching the phone light bathe her delicate face. In a moment’s decision, he stepped closer to her and pushed the phone away from her scanning eyes. “Cor, what are you doing?”

“Please, don’t call Adam.” Corey told her evenly, feeling empowered as he began. “I... I’m jealous. That makes me an ass, but I don’t care. I want you, Blair. And I don’t want to have to share you with Adam.”

Blair’s eyes widened as her hand covered her mouth. She felt her heart racing as she looked at Corey, who seemed to be steadily losing the color in his face with every second that passed. She gazed into his eyes, searching for the hint of a lie as she processed what he’d just said. “Corey...”

She moved toward him like she’d been sucked into a gravitational pull, falling easy into his arms as she faintly began to smile. He looked down at her, his face borderline frantic as he continued to talk. “I want you, and only you. I know-”


“Corey,” she murmured again, a soft giggle escaping from her throat. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him until she was standing flush against him. The tips of her fingers lightly tickled the base of his neck, making him shiver. “Kiss me, right now.”

He didn’t waste any time before fulfilling her request, pressing his lips firmly against hers. He ran his hands over the small of her back, his skin running over the material of the jersey and the bottom outline of his jersey. Her lips tasted like a sweet vanilla, subtly intoxicating as she gently tugged on his bottom lip. She pulled away from him slightly, her lips only inches from his as she spoke.

“I’ve been waiting for you to proper kiss me for ages,” She muttered, her hands rubbing his neck as they trailed their way down his chest. “It took you long enough.”

She thought of the first time she’d kissed him, or the hints of kisses she’d teased him with at the corners of his lips. Nothing had compared to the real moment that she was in now.

“Don’t sass me,” Corey chuckled as he leaned down again, pressing his lips lightly against her jaw bone. He heard her let out a quiet gasp in response as she fisted the front of his shirt in her hands, tugging on it gently.

Blair eyed him tantalizingly, nibbling on her bottom lip as she blinked at him. Her tone was sultry as she said, “I do what I want.”

He swallowed thickly as she giggled at him, fully convinced that Blair was indiscreetly playing with him. He watched as she glanced over her shoulder at the door ajar behind her, her blonde curls falling over her shoulders as she looked at him thoughtfully. “If you aren’t too tired, you should come in.”

There was no way in hell Corey would be getting any sleep tonight. He nodded, allowing her to grab his hand and pull him inside. He’d done this several times before- walk into Blair’s apartment, but everything felt different as he came in behind her with their fingers intertwined. She grabbed onto his biceps as she wiggled out of her stilettos, her eye contact with him unwavering. When she was freed from her shoes she tugged on his arms, bringing him in for a kiss.

Blair pulled away too quick for his liking, licking her lips dangerously as she eyed him coyly. “Let’s go pour some wine, yeah?”

Corey followed her into the kitchen dumbly, his mind blank of any coherent thoughts except for the blonde in front of him. She busied herself with selecting a bottle from her little wine cooler on the counter, glancing at the bottle in her hands for a few moments for deciding it would do. As she opened the top cabinet and got on the tips of her toes, Corey boldly stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Let me get that for you,” He muttered into her ear, leaving a hand on her stomach as he reached up and smoothly grabbed the glasses. He heard her inhale sharply as he set the glasses down, trailing his lips faintly over the side of her neck. He was unsure where the bravery was coming from, but he was enjoying being able to finally be this close to Blair.

She spun in his arms, her hands on him again as she smiled widely. Her fingers were constantly moving, tracing shapes into his toned chest. “How about you bring the wine into the living room? I want to change.”

“Of course,” Corey didn’t want to let her out of his sight. He wanted to drink up every minute and every inch of her, especially now since he knew she felt the same. He watched as she retreated before he abided her, gathering the bottle and glasses before heading into the living room. It felt good to sit down and melt into the plush cushions, stretching out his sore legs. He twisted the cap off of her bottle of cheap wine, unable to hold back his chuckle. If Blair was anything, she was a cheap wine aficionado. She claimed to like it better because it was more “easily attainable”.

It’d been a few minutes since she’d disappeared down the hall; Corey had already nervously inhaled his first glass of wine, and was beginning to fill his glass for the second time when she walked back into the room. He was in the middle of pouring the wine when let in a sharp intake of breath, nearly dropping both the glass and the bottle when he saw Blair’s figure. She’d removed her pants, and was sauntering toward him confidently in nothing but the jersey she’d been wearing. With every sway of her hips, he could catch the glimpse of a pair of black, lacy panties.

Corey had died and gone to heaven.

Blair nonchalantly grabbed her glass, taking a dainty sip as she sat down beside him and swung her legs over his lap. Her eyes never left his as she smiled innocently at him, running a hand through her hair. He allowed his hands to fall onto her shins, the skin smooth beneath his palms. Neither one broke the silence as they stared at one another. Blair progressively emptied the contents of her glass before leaning to set the glass on the coffee table. As she moved the fabric of the jersey lifted, and Corey’s eyes immediately flitted to the bare skin of her thighs and the perfect contrast of the dark panties.

“God, B, are you trying to kill me?” He murmured, moving his hands further up her legs. His thumbs lingered on the skin just above her knees.

“Maybe I am,” She admitted with a playful shrug. “Is it working?”

“Yeah, it is,” He said, his words husky. Corey’s eyes made her feel like she was being ignited by a fire. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

He massaged her legs softly as his hands continued to move up her legs, which were even longer than he had imagined. He was on the verge of drooling as he continued to stare at her, watching as she chewed on her lower lips. Her eyes were heavily lidded as she occasionally glanced down at his hands, her fingers toying with the hem of the jersey. The moment was more sensual than Corey could handle.

“Come on,” She uttered breathlessly, pleading with him. “Kiss me again, Corey.”

He obliged once again as he tugged on her legs, pulling her closer to him as he crawled over her. She instantly wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him toward her with her eyes. He felt drunk off of her as he craned his neck so he could place a kiss on her throat. His hand danced on her hip, his thumb now toying with the material of her panties as his lips moved up her neck. When he reached her jaw he took his sweet time, the kisses becoming farther apart has he made his way toward her lips. He teasingly let his lips linger at the corner of her mouth, but Blair wasn’t having it. She grabbed his face impatiently, connecting their lips passionately with a soft moan.

Corey felt himself fully getting pulled in by her as she used her legs to pull him in closer, their lips meshing together as his hands began to travel all over her body. They moved around to her backside as Corey tried to focus on her marvelous ass in his hands, but he was too distracted by Blair nipping at his neck.

As the essence of the situation hit him, Corey suddenly became very nervous. He’d been with women before, but Blair was of a different caliber. She was gorgeous in a way that was mind blowing, and he definitely didn’t want to disappoint her. He hoped he wasn’t taking advantage of her, since he hadn’t even-

“Corey, I want you.” Blair all but purred, sensing his hesitation as she continued to kiss him. “Please. Just take off your jeans and get comfortable.”

Corey moved at her commands, standing up in front of the couch and unbuckling his belt. He embarrassingly already felt like he was going to explode as Blair watched him hungrily, inconspicuously lifting the jersey further up her navel. His pants dropped to the floor and he stepped out of them quickly as he hastily began to unbutton his dress shirt.

“Corey,” Blair sang quietly, a smile tugging on her lips as her eyes scanned over his body. Her body was shaking with nerves, her fingers trembling as she tried to keep them occupied with the cloth of the jersey. Blair was by no means a virgin, but every hook-up she’d ever had had been quick, and most of the time, drunken. With the way Corey was looking at and touching her, left her feeling in a way that she couldn’t explain. It was overwhelming.

Once he got out of his shirt he moved back over her, this time slower as he took in every inch of her. He leaned down above her knee, pressing a chastise kiss against her warm skin. Blair had lost her ability to speak as she watched him, his lips inching further up the inside of her leg. The stubble of his beard tickled her skin, causing her to bite down on a giggle. He sensed her reaction and smiled up at her, something that nearly sent her over the edge.

He stopped when he reached her panties, looking to her for permission. Blair nodded as if she were under a spell, lifting her hips off of the couch to help him. They barely made a sound as he tossed them onto the floor, gazing at her in a way that she could only describe as lovingly as he continued his actions. Blair’s breath hitched as his his lips brushed over her sensitive spot, wiggling her hips. Corey waited for a moment, her legs quivering in his grasp as he slid his tongue against her spot.

“Oh god,” She choked out as he began his assault, quickly working her up with his tongue. She reached to grab at his short hair, finding a way to tug at it. He couldn’t help but smirk against her body as he pressed further, hearing her moan as she arched her back. He gripped her thighs tightly as his tongue dipped a little further, emitting further moans from her. “Corey, oh god.”

Hearing his name was all of the motivation that he needed. He brought her to the edge, enjoying the feeling of her nails scraping his scalp as her hips finally fell against the couch. He took in her flushed, beautiful face as she caught her breath, watching him with hooded eyes. Corey kissed up her stomach, unsure of how he was able to contain himself as gripped her sides. “How was that, baby?”

“Oh god,” Blair’s head fell back, the two words being the only ones she could reiterate right now. Her entire body was tingling as he finally brought his face to hers, grinding his hips against hers. She wanted him now more than ever as she felt him against the inside of her thigh.

Blair reached with shaky hands, teasing him by running a finger underneath the band of his boxer briefs. In the meantime, his lips became acquainted with the skin on her collarbone while he got intoxicated off of the smell of her flowery perfume. She instinctively shivered as she yanked the material from around his hips, Corey helping her get them off all while continuing to suck at her neck. She let out another moan as he rubbed against her; she needed him, and she felt like she was going to come undone.

She reached down to guide him and Corey stopped her for a moment, his hand on top of hers. “Are you-”

“Make love to me Corey, please,” She insisted, her voice a whisper as his eyes bore into hers. He released her hand, letting out a groan as she maneuvered their bodies together. When they were fully connected he pushed his hand into her hair, bringing her forehead against his. Blair cried out as he continued to roll his hips against hers, finding a rhythm with her as she moved with him.

“Blair,” He sighed. “You’re so perfect.”

He felt a tugging feeling against his heart as she weakly smiled at him, her hands running over his shoulder blades. Blair was amazed at how sculpted and muscular Corey truly was, his arms easily wrapping around her and cradling her body against his as he consumed her. Blair easily felt like she was coming apart as she clutched onto Corey, struggling to regain her breath as he crashed their lips together.

"Are you close baby?" He focused with all that he could to hold on, determined to make her hit her sweet release yet again. Blair nodded with a whimper as he quickened his speed, bringing her to the edge.

After they had both collapsed, Corey's hand caressed her cheek as he pressed his lips to her forehead. Her eyes fell shut as he rested there for a moment, finally pulling away and looking down at her. He reached for one of her hands, knotting their fingers together before he brought her knuckles up to his lips and kissed those too. "That was absolutely amazing."

Blair's body felt exhausted in the good kind of way, her limbs feeling pleasantly warm as she breathed against him. Her heart was swelling as she melted under his dark eyes, as they unblinkingly surveyed her glow. She had so many thoughts running through her mind as she surveyed him, the jersey and the emotions she experienced making her break into a sweat.

"It was," She finally said. He smiled at her, his thumb tracing her cheek bone idly. "Do you want to maybe go lay down in bed? This couch isn't too comfortable."

The truth was, she needed a moment to breathe because she was freaking out. She kicked herself for assuming that he would automatically just stay the night, but she honestly didn't know what to do in this situation. Her and Corey were friends, but now there were feelings out in the open and she was sure that she was developing something even stronger for the dark-haired man. She watched as he nodded, standing up and bending over before her gloriously to slip his underwear back on.

Blair slipped into her panties before she followed him down the hallway, waiting until he was occupied with the sheets on her bed to slip out of the jersey and into a comfortable t-shirt. Her mind was still racing as she clambered into bed next to him, unsure of what move she was supposed to make next. She never really had boyfriends, and she certainly had never slept with one of her friends and then proceeded to spend the night with him.

"Hey," Corey gathered her attention, placing his forefinger under her chin and directing her to look at him. "Is everything okay?"

Blair laughed nervously. "This is all just new to me, so, I'm sorry. Please, don't take it the wrong way."

He kissed her forehead again, sending her heart into overdrive. Blair was afraid that one more move, and Corey would cause the organ to overheat and quit. "We'll do things right. I want to do things right with you and make you happy."

She was unsure what he meant by those words, but she assumed she would just have to trust him. Her fingers were itching to find her phone and call Abby, or perhaps Dina, so she could freak out. Instead, she decided she would trust Corey's words. Mumbling a "goodnight" to him, she curled up against his chest and focused on his hand rubbing her side until she fell asleep.