Kings and Queens

I smiled and crossed my arms. The Kings had a great 2-0 lead going into the third and things were only looking up. The Vancouver Canucks defense wasn’t very solid and their offense was having trouble getting to the net. It was funny, now that some of the wives had explained the game more thoroughly; I could enjoy it a whole lot more.

“You looked amazing for all the premieres,” Jaclyn Quick smiled with her daughter on her lap. “Those dresses… ah.”

I blushed. “Thanks. I won’t lie about it. The dressing up is the best part. The blue dress in Chicago was my favorite.”

“I loved the pink one you wore here in LA,” Nicole Brown said. “And Langley! Your gold dress was gorgeous.”

My sister looked up from her phone, no doubt looking at Twitter. “Thanks. It was surprisingly comfortable.”

“Anything new with her?” I asked as I leaned over her shoulder to see her phone screen.

Langley tilted the screen so I could read it easier and I barked out a laugh.

@THEJessW80- The one thing that could cheer me up tonight? A bad loss for the @LAKings.

“Now this is just pathetic,” I rolled my eyes. “Can I?”

Langley pretended to weigh her options, but a smile broke across her face and I was tapping away on my phone like lightning.

@therealbridge87- @TheJessW80 A good little southern belle knows when to keep her mouth shut. Guess it’s a good thing my sister and I are a little rebellious. Why don’t you grow up and move on?

“Good thing Mom doesn’t have a Twitter,” I said quietly to Langley as the third period got under way. “We’d be screwed.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

“And that’s how we do,” Mike bellowed as he, Jeff, and Dustin came out of the locker room.

The Kings were adding to their now five game winning streak with a 4-1 win. Mike had recorded the last goal of the night, while Dustin got the assist on Jeff’s second period goal.

“So are we partying?” Jeff asked with a hopeful grin. “I feel like partying. What about you guys?”

Mike high fived his friend. “Oh yeah!”

“I don’t know,” I sighed. “My birthday is at the end of the week and we planned on going all out then, right Lang?”

Before my sister could agree, Mike was already talking. “I meant, oh yeah, how about no? You know what I mean? I’m pretty tired.”

“Well then you party poopers can go home together and I’ll go out with the fun Washington sister,” Jeff draped an arm around Langley who shrugged him off and inched closer to Dustin.

“Fine,” the big blonde threw his hands in the air. “Forget it. But we’re all going out for your birthday.”

“Fine, fine,” I nodded. “Friday. You guys are free right?”

“We have an afternoon game then and we leave Saturday afternoon,” Dustin said. “But I’ll be there.” As discreetly as he could, I saw him reach for Langley’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Cute.

“What about you guys?” I asked Mike and Jeff, already knowing their answer. “No plans with… a lady friend?”

Jeff snorted and Mike gave me a smile.

“I do now,” he winked. “But I’d like to have plans with you tonight.”

I cocked my head to the side and stood up on my tip toes with my mouth close to his ear. “Too bad you’ve already scored once tonight.”

I waved to the others and Langley and I linked arms after she gave Dustin a fleeting hug and congratulations. But we weren’t far before Mike was calling after me.

Langley laughed as we watched him jog to catch up with us. “I’ll get the car. Meet you out front.”

I sighed as my sister went in one direction and I went the other to meet Mike halfway.

“What’s up Mike?” I shifted onto the heels of my Vans.

“Well I couldn’t just let you have the last word, could I?” he smiled, brushing some hair out of my face.

“Oh really?” I stubbornly shook my head and let the same lock of hair fall against my cheek. “And what might you have to say, Richards?”

He smirked. “One day, you’ll see just how many times I can score in one night. And then after the game,” Mike leaned forward so that he was now whispering in my ear. “I’ll show you again.”

“Well, Mr. Richards,” I feigned decency and let my accent seep into my words, knowing he liked it. “I never.”

“Oh, but you will,” Mike dropped an arm over my shoulders and he walked towards my sister and our idling car. “Just you wait.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

“Let’s go!” I bounced in my designer heels. “The guys’ll be here any minute.”

“I’m coming!” Langley scolded. “Jesus, breathe a minute.”

“It’s not every day a girl turns 25,” I said as I glanced over a few itineraries on our counter. The coming week would be busy for both Langley and me. “Did you ever decide what you were going to do about the… Playboy offer?”

“Turned it down,” she brushed my question off as she emerged from the staircase clad in a dress that was sure to leave Dustin feeling very uncomfortable.

“I don’t know,” I teased. “Looking like that, you look like you’d fit right in.”

“Har har,” Langley rolled her eyes. “You’re lookin’ quite good yourself, little sister.”

I made a face. “This old thing?”

Actually, that was totally untrue and Langley knew it. The dress reached my mid-thigh, but that’s about it. There was practically no neckline and no back was existent. America’s sweetheart my ass.

She laughed and linked arms with me as a car honked outside. “Let’s party.”