Indian Summer
one.
Vladimir Tarasenko had only been in the United States for a little under a week before finding himself sitting in a club at the bar with a few of his teammates. The Russian casually drank a few beers, still a wary of his new surroundings. There was a slight frown of disappointment at how different American beer tasted compared to what he could find back home.
“Hey hey, Tank!” TJ Oshie bounded over to the NHL rookie with a stupid grin on his face. Not too far behind was a lady whom Vladimir assumed was number seventy-four’s girlfriend. She had a disapproving look on her face which meshed into an apologetic one as she met eyes with the Russian, “See any ladies you like yet?”
Vladimir grimaced at the nickname and shook his head. It was not because he did not like women he had met, but it was because their was a very specific brunette he could not get out of his mind. They had crossed paths briefly at the airport. She had a neat bun of chocolate hair, one that reminded the athlete of those worn by the ballerinas he had seen as a child.
TJ shook his head with that goofy smile, “No worries, man! My lady’s got a shit ton of friends she could set you up with. Quinn, too! You remember her, right? Blonde, ye high?!”
With a slow nod, Vladimir’s eyes began to search the floor behind his blabbering teammate. The music was so loud and trying to breakdown the foreign language so quickly was impossible. It was easy to tune TJ out with all the surrounding noise- getting him to actually leave was the hard part. Vladimir pat TJ’s back with his paw of a hand and began maneuvering through crowded dance floor. As he made a slight left toward the restrooms, out of the corner of his eye, Vladimir felt his heart skip a few beats.
The brunette from the airport was dancing in a gaggle of girls. Her rich chocolate brown locks were no longer tied tightly in a bun but in loose waves brushing against the bottom of her shoulder blades. Vladimir stopped moving completely and just watched as her petite frame swayed so fluidly with the beat of the music pounding through the stereo system.
Unable to control any more of his urges, Vladimir pushed his way through the bodies until he found himself standing before the brunette. She looked up at him through her mascara coated lashes and pulled her red lips into a devilish smirk. Her tiny hand reached out and took Vladimir’s in her own. In a quick swift movement, the girl had managed to spin into the athlete’s embrace, reveling in the feeling of his toned hockey arm wrapped tightly around her.
The pace began to pick up and two bodies soon found themselves beneath the sheets on Vladimir’s brand new mattress. They tossed and turned all night, hardly ever coming up for air. Neither seemed to care for anything else in the world at that point, all they focused on was each other. For the first time in a while, Vladimir finally went to sleep with a smile on his face.
Waking up the next morning, Vladimir felt the cold spot of the bed beside him. His smile faltered as he pulled himself up, grabbing a pair of gym shorts to pull on before walking into the kitchen. The hockey player slowly shuffled into the hardly touched kitchen and began making a pot of coffee when he saw a piece of paper held up on his refrigerator by a magnet his mother had sent him as part of her house warming gift.
He ran his finger over the neat, looping handwriting and felt the corners of his mouth tug upward as he traced over the ten digit number at the bottom. The note was signed with a kiss with no evidence of a name being left. Vladimir pulled the note off his fridge and stuffed it in his pocket and finished brewing his coffee. He stepped into his sneakers and popped a baseball cap over his head before pouring his coffee in a to-go cup and heading out the door, smiles and all.
“Hey hey, Tank!” TJ Oshie bounded over to the NHL rookie with a stupid grin on his face. Not too far behind was a lady whom Vladimir assumed was number seventy-four’s girlfriend. She had a disapproving look on her face which meshed into an apologetic one as she met eyes with the Russian, “See any ladies you like yet?”
Vladimir grimaced at the nickname and shook his head. It was not because he did not like women he had met, but it was because their was a very specific brunette he could not get out of his mind. They had crossed paths briefly at the airport. She had a neat bun of chocolate hair, one that reminded the athlete of those worn by the ballerinas he had seen as a child.
TJ shook his head with that goofy smile, “No worries, man! My lady’s got a shit ton of friends she could set you up with. Quinn, too! You remember her, right? Blonde, ye high?!”
With a slow nod, Vladimir’s eyes began to search the floor behind his blabbering teammate. The music was so loud and trying to breakdown the foreign language so quickly was impossible. It was easy to tune TJ out with all the surrounding noise- getting him to actually leave was the hard part. Vladimir pat TJ’s back with his paw of a hand and began maneuvering through crowded dance floor. As he made a slight left toward the restrooms, out of the corner of his eye, Vladimir felt his heart skip a few beats.
The brunette from the airport was dancing in a gaggle of girls. Her rich chocolate brown locks were no longer tied tightly in a bun but in loose waves brushing against the bottom of her shoulder blades. Vladimir stopped moving completely and just watched as her petite frame swayed so fluidly with the beat of the music pounding through the stereo system.
Unable to control any more of his urges, Vladimir pushed his way through the bodies until he found himself standing before the brunette. She looked up at him through her mascara coated lashes and pulled her red lips into a devilish smirk. Her tiny hand reached out and took Vladimir’s in her own. In a quick swift movement, the girl had managed to spin into the athlete’s embrace, reveling in the feeling of his toned hockey arm wrapped tightly around her.
The pace began to pick up and two bodies soon found themselves beneath the sheets on Vladimir’s brand new mattress. They tossed and turned all night, hardly ever coming up for air. Neither seemed to care for anything else in the world at that point, all they focused on was each other. For the first time in a while, Vladimir finally went to sleep with a smile on his face.
Waking up the next morning, Vladimir felt the cold spot of the bed beside him. His smile faltered as he pulled himself up, grabbing a pair of gym shorts to pull on before walking into the kitchen. The hockey player slowly shuffled into the hardly touched kitchen and began making a pot of coffee when he saw a piece of paper held up on his refrigerator by a magnet his mother had sent him as part of her house warming gift.
He ran his finger over the neat, looping handwriting and felt the corners of his mouth tug upward as he traced over the ten digit number at the bottom. The note was signed with a kiss with no evidence of a name being left. Vladimir pulled the note off his fridge and stuffed it in his pocket and finished brewing his coffee. He stepped into his sneakers and popped a baseball cap over his head before pouring his coffee in a to-go cup and heading out the door, smiles and all.