The City of Chance

"Hey G, you up for lunch?" Flower threw a role of stick tape at the tall lanky Russian who was slumped over in his stall.
"Huh," Geno looked up, "yeah ok lunch."

The team didn't always have free time to hang out away from the rink so when the chance came around they always jumped at it. Geno knew he needed it with everything going on, his girlfriend leaving him without a word and the seven game pointless streak he had were getting to him more than he would have liked. He knew he was trying with hockey and the puck just wasn't going into the net but Oksana, she had been something he hadn't expected to leave like she did.

"So Oksana did a runner huh?" James nudged him as the group of them walked down town to their usual cafe.
"Yeah," Geno sighed.
"You ok?"
"Yeah I am good, for best," he shrugged.

She hadn't exactly just left, he kind of forced her away. He wanted her but not forever. Some days he wanted her more than others but the latter had been becoming more often. His life was completely consumed by hockey and he just didn't want to make time for her, so she left.

He put his head down feeling rather guilty about the whole thing and didn't bother to look up until he walked straight into someone.
“I am sorry,” he pulled his hands from his jacket pockets and knelt down by the woman on her knees, “let me help.”
“It's ok, I've got to learn how to walk around these streets again, so many people I just don't watch where I am going,” she pushed her fringe out of her face never really looking him.
“I not watch either, sorry.”

Evgeni found himself staring right at her and she fumbled with her papers, putting them back into the folder she had. Something about her, she seemed so familiar but he just couldn't quiet put his finger on it.

“Umm I need to go, sorry,” she scrambled to her feet, pulling her bag over her shoulder and beginning to walk off in the opposite direction.

“Who was that?” James appeared in the corner of Evgeni's eyes sight.
He continued to stare at her as she walked away and then hit him like a tonne of bricks.
“Ayren...” he breathed and took off after her. He was 99.9 percent sure it was here and if it was there was no way he was letting her out of his life again.
“Wait Geno where are you going!” James called out after him.
“Meet at cafe!”
James waved him off. Evgeni was whole other person, he never made sense and if he mind set on something whether it was crazy or not he did and there no stopping him.

It was Ayren Brannon. The girl he had been head over heels for so many years now. She was probably part of the reason it was never going to work out with Oksana. His mind was elsewhere. He never thought he would see her again after what he did but here she was back in Pittsburgh walking the streets like everyone else.

“Ayren!” he called out and to his surprise she actually stopped looking around for whoever was calling her name, “Ayren wait,” he finally caught up and stopped a little out of breathe in front of her. He was definitely going to have to work on his cardio for the season.
“Umm yes?” she frowned looking completely confused by the man standing in front of her.
“It's me Evgeni... Zhenya, long time ago, we 19 and you on holiday with friends,” he was rambling and he knew he was rambling but he was so desperate for her to stop looking at him like he was crazy.
“Yes,” her eyes widened and a smile crossed her face, “oh my god Zhenya, it's been so long,” she threw her arms around him.

He had broken her heart and everyday when she thought about where her life was going he was always that what if? What if she decided to stay in Russia longer? What if he never left in the middle of the night? What if she had just called him? But she didn't do any of those things and her life didn't have Evgeni in it.

“How are you?” she pulled away but kept a hold of his hands and Evgeni he was just lapping up the feeling of having her in his arms again.
“I am good, you?”
“Great...”

Evgeni didn't really expect the conversation to be perfect between them but it lulled a lot sooner than he would have liked. Everything before had been so easy and back then he couldn't even speak English.

“Um you busy?” he looked at her with hopeful eyes.
“I was supposed to be meeting my fiance for lunch but he is swamped with work so I was going to just head home.”
“Fiance?” Evgeni didn't know whether he was going to throw up or pass out but that was not what he wanted to know, that she was well and truly over him.
“Yes, one month today,” Ayren put her hand up so he could so the ring.
“Congratulations,” he forced himself to say only because he knew it was the right thing.
“Thanks.”
“So you not busy now?” he pressed because he guess having her in his life somehow would be better than not at all.
“Uh no, no I am not. Why what did you have in mind?”
“Going for lunch with team, what to come?”
“Sure, I am all yours,” she smiled gesturing for him to lead the way.