Sammy Boy

The surprise on Sidney’s face was evident as he walked out of Bean There, Done That. Mackenzie straightened up and smiled at him. His heart skipped a beat.

“Mackenzie,” he breathed. “Hi.”

“Hi, Sidney,” she smiled. “Aren’t those the best ever?” Mackenzie indicated to the glazed doughnut in his hand.

“Yeah, they are. I figured I’d treat myself to one,” he replied sheepishly.

The silence lasted a little longer than a comfortable pause as they looked at each other, Sam panting in the middle of the two.

Sidney broke the trance: “Well please, let me treat you.” As Mackenzie started to shake her head in resistance, he continued: “It’s the least I could do to repay you for taking care of Sam. Please?”

That smile, Mackenzie thought as her stomach erupted in a flutter of butterflies. She considered objecting again, but thought better of it. Hey, she countered, it’s not every day a handsome man offers to buy you a doughnut.

They walked into the coffee shop and Sidney was thankful he had gotten the autograph out of the way. The boy behind the counter looked confused to see Sidney twice in one day, but didn’t acknowledge his celebrity status a second time.

Thank God, Sidney thought.

Mackenzie smiled at the boy – his nametag read Brandon – and his attention was soon transfixed on the girl in front of him. It was clear to Sidney that her smile had some sort of mystical power; it took someone special to be the center of attention when Sidney Crosby was standing in the same room.

“An apple chai latte, please,” Mackenzie ordered. “Oh, and a glazed doughnut,” – she smiled at Sidney – “you made it look so good.”

Sid’s cheeks grew hot as color flushed them.

Really? You just had to blush didn’t you? Sidney cursed himself.

He gave a shy smile in return.

Just because you made him blush doesn’t mean you have to blush back, Mackenzie scolded herself, color rising in her cheeks.

Brandon handed her the order and the pair exited the coffee shop.

“Thanks for this,” – she lifted the cup and pastry – “I really appreciate it.”

“Well, I appreciate you taking care of Sam. I honestly have no idea how he even got out of my apartment. There’s a doorman and everything,” Sidney said.

“Hmm, well, maybe Sammy Boy just outsmarted him,” Mackenzie smiled as she took a bite of the doughnut. “You know, between this and Scoops Ice Cream, I have a feeling that Pittsburgh is trying to make me fat.” She laughed, and even though Sid had heard it once before, he was still caught off guard by the loveliness of the sound.

She can laugh at herself and joke about her weight, he thought.

A lot of the girls he’d dated in the past took themselves and their diets way too seriously. They acted the way they believed a girl dating an NHL player should and Sidney rarely got to experience any real substance from the girls he took out.

Just because Sidney had to be serious for his job, it didn’t mean he wanted that to be carried over into his personal life. He wanted to be with someone who he could be himself around, and they would reciprocate. He wanted the sounds of laughter and the smells of delicious food to fill his home.

Calm down, Sidney thought. You’re getting ahead of yourself.

“Um,” Sid cleared his throat. “Would you like to join us on our walk?”

Don’t, Mackenzie’s inner voice warned. Don’t, don’t, don’t. Don’t even think about. Tell him you have a ton of work to catch up on or you’re meeting the cable guy in twenty minutes. Walk away, girl. Just walk away.

“I would love to.”

And with that, armed with an apple chai latte, glazed doughnuts, and a dog named Sammy Boy, the threesome made their way through the city.