The Opportunity Has Just Begun

“We did it!” Sutsy cheered and the entire locker room erupted into celebration.
“Semi's here we come!” someone else shouted.
“Boston better watch out!”
“YEAH!”

I looked up at everyone smiling around me as we got undressed. Sid was sitting in his stall just that little bit straighter with a proud look on his face.

“You did good Cam,” Nealsy slung his arm around my neck and pulled me into him where he ruffled up my hat on my head.
“Thanks,” I struggled out of his grasp and readjusted my hat only for Cookie to come up and do the same.
“Nice job on that hat trick,” he beamed.
“Yeah your stealing Geno's thunder,” Nealsy laughed as Geno wriggled out of his lingering hands.

If there was one thing I learned quickly about James was to stay away from him when he was excited or drunk because he got handsy no matter who he was with.

I sat down in my stall to start on my skates when family members and girlfriends came in as equally as loud as us.

“Sid!” Megan screamed and ran over into the captains arms almost knocking him over.
“Hey,” he chuckled and gave her a kiss.
I loved those two together. Megan made Sid happy and she was slowly teaching him that it was ok to let his hair down every once and a while, that he didn't always need to be this big happy star and I admired that about her because no matter how much I had tried nothing worked. I knew I was good at playing cupid.

I let my eyes wonder the locker room at everyone else, most of them had partners, whether they were wives or girlfriends they were all happy but then I got to Geno and I was actually happy he didn't have Oksana hanging off him. He was pulling on his shirt and just before I could get away with staring he turned around and looked at me to find me already looking back. He flashed that big grin of his and nodded at me. I loved to see him happy, it was a big difference to how he was at the beginning of the playoffs.

“Hey Cam are you going to come out with us?” Megan smiled from her spot on the captains lap.
“Your going out?” I frowned not believing that Sidney Crosby was actually going to go out.
“Yes Cam, this is the only time of the year you will see me out,” he smiled.
“So are you coming?” she pressed.
“I will think about it.”

I got back to undressing as the locker room thinned out, some guys going for a shower and others opting to head straight home.

“Oh and a little birdie told me Geno was coming,” Megan smiled.
“So?”
“So, alcohol, adrenaline, music and dancing, you are coming to have fun,” she eyed me like there was no other option.
“Fine,” I sighed giving in.
“Good, no chop chop,” she grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, “you need to smell less like sweat and more like a girl.”
“Gee thanks.”
“Your welcome sweetie.”