From Boston to Pittsburgh With Love

Adriana P.O.V.

Late July
********

As I was lying on the couch in the west wing of the castle, the phone on the table rang. David, the butler that my mother so kindly enlisted the help of to watch me informed me that I had two visitors. Ugh, not something I was in the mood for. I looked down at the pitiful excuse I was calling an outfit, black baggy sweatpants and a long-sleeve tight white t-shirt. I looked like utter shit with my hair thrown up in a messy bun and strands falling out all over the place.

When I arrived down in the front hall the look David and Gretta, the maid gave me when they took in my atrocious outfit just proved to me even more how much I loathed staying here. I swallowed the hateful comment that was bumbling in my throat and opened the front door. Only to reveal the two people in the whole world that could brighten my day.

"Sid! Geno! What can I do for you two?" I asked smirking at Geno and seriously regretting not showering today.

"Oh uh...we um...thought you could use a break from the castle life." Sid said gesturing towards the high ceilings of the front hall.

"Absofruitly!" I said with way to much excitement, suddenly realizing I had just said the one word Milan never let me live down in an argument when I was a kid; something that happened quite a bit.

The two of them looked at me with an amused puzzled expression before answering. "Well go get changed if you want." Sid said

"Ugh, yes. I'll be right back. You can just wait right here. It'll take 5 minutes!" I said before rushing up the stairs attempting to take them two at a time.

I sprinted into my room on the east wing frantically looking for something to wear in front of Geno. As I tossed clothes from my closet in hope of finding that one perfect outfit, I noted that Geno hadn't muttered a word down at the door. Instead choosing to inspect the floor with his eyes and fiddling with something in his pockets. I made a mental note to watch for that later on.

YES. I FOUND IT. I put it on staring at myself in the mirror. I looked down at my dark wash, skin tight skinny jeans with knee high brown riding boots. And my tan long sleeve t-shirt with my cashmere sweater, all tied together with my African themed infinity scarf. I knew I felt good in the outfit question was, would Geno like it.

As I made my way downstairs my palms starting sweating frantically. Shit. I frantically wiped them on my jeans, praying no one would notice. Geno and Sid stood in the front hall awkwardly taking in the vast wealth my grandmother and grandfather had accumulated over the years. As I took the last stair Geno's head snapped up and looked me dead in the eyes, a huge grin appeared on his face; instantly washing away any of my previous reservations on his suspicious behavior.

"Well boys were to?" I said as we walked out the front door.

"Um we thought coffee or something to eat then who knows, whatever we're feeling up to at that point." Sid said as we jumped into the Range Rover they had rented.

I noticed Geno had been awfully quite. But I wasn't about to be that clingy girl who flipped her hair around and acted dumb just for a guy to talk to her. In other words I was just gonna "play it cool".

"So boys, how long you guys staying here?" I asked settling into the backseat.

"We stay one week. Leave Thursday." I heard Geno mutter from the front seat.

"Oh!" I said totally shocked and realizing that that was only 6 days away.

We drove on talking about what they had seen so far here in Prague and what they thought of the castle. All the while I waited for the dreaded question to come. The one question I had spent the last 5 years avoiding in desperation. This question haunted me when I went to job interviews, when I met new people, or in my love life even. Answering this question has since become a monotonous process, I've come to slightly begin to hate it. I waited...and waited...and waited for it come.

The car has become eerily quite, only the cars whipping by made a sound. I couldn't take this silence anymore. "Screw it..." I muttered and perked my head up.

"Well aren't you gonna ask me? I know you're both thinking it." I said looking between the two of them.

Silence.

"We no want upset you..." Geno said scratching his head turning around to look me in the eye.

"Ah, well it always comes up. Mind as well get it over with now." I said smiling over at him.

From the driver's seat Sidney sighed, "Well alright then if you insist, what's it like to be Milan Lucic's baby sister, and why are you in Prague?"

I took a deep breath before responding, "It fucking sucks. I mean I love Milan, like I'd seriously die for him. But the past four years have royally sucked ass. And then he goes and pulls this stunt on me and sends me here. Like are you kidding me? All I want to do is support him and he won't let me. Like seriously?!? And really like he doesn't even try to hear my side of the story. HOLY SHIT!" I didn't realize I was yelling until we had stopped at the coffee shop and the boys were turned around just staring at me.

I blushed. "Sorry...side effect of being a Lucic. You tend to have a temper.." I mutter smoothing my hair.

"Don't worry about it." Sid said with a grin as we got out of the car.

"I'm sorry this is happening to you." Gino said quietly in Russian smiling over at me as we took our seats inside.

"Spasibo." I said smiling back; replying thank you in Russian.

"Alright let's keep this all in English. Only speak English over here!" Sid said mockingly glaring at us.

"So what are you guys doing here in Prague?" I asked sipping my coffee.

"We here for 'guys week'. All Sid's idea." Geno said rolling eyes at his grinning teammate.

"Let me explain. Well actually this trip is probably the most spontaneous thing I've ever done. I heard through some friends in the KHL that if you want to get in absolute perfect shape for the next season there was a trainer in Prague that worked miracles. Like you didn't even know you could be pushed that far. SO I convinced Geno to come with me, no one else wanted to come. So um yea." Sid explained.

"Huh. Well not a bad excuse. And Jakub does work wonders, he helped Milan before he came to the NHL. So you guys are only here for a week?" I asked somberly glancing over at Geno.

"Da." Geno said; switching to Russian to answer yes for me.

What the hell? I literally have the worst luck imaginable. I can't even explain the feeling I'm developing for this goofy Russian. They may not be serious feelings but I definitely wasn't happy about only having on week left to get to know him.

We proceeded to chat about the ups and down of the Lucic household and the anger I have been feeling towards Milan and my mother. We talked about hockey in the NHL and how much Sid missed that he couldn't be there for his sister's hockey career in Minnesota. The subject of Geno's escape from Russia 6 years prior actually came up too, but was quickly brushed aside by him. Suddenly Sid's phone rang.

"Hello?" He said and turned his back on the table to hear.

"Hey Pat. Yea hang on, let me get somewhere quiet." He said as he walked outside, leaving Gino and I alone at the table.

We sat in silence for a what felt like a lifetime and a half before Gino dropped an absolute bomb at the table. "I like you." Three words, that's it. Those words had my head spinning and my palms sweating.

"Um...wow..." I couldn't even get the words out my mouth. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Sorry. Words just slip out. It fine you don't feel same way." Gino said softly looking down at the table.

Shit. I wasn't about to let this slide by. "No Geno it's just-" I reached out my hand and touched his. I felt the whole world stop, everyone around me vanished as I looked into his soft brown eyes.

"You no finish..." Geno said looking up from our touching hands into my stunned eyes.

"Oh... Geno even if I say that I uh..feel the same way...you only have a week here until you leave..." I finally managed to spit out before blushing like an idiot.

"No! That no matter. One week not perfect, but we make work!" He said pleadingly into my eyes. "Just tell me you feel something too."

I smiled at him, not able to keep it inside anymore. "How could I not?"

He ginned back in response. "Then we make every day count."
*****
Geno's P.O.V.

I couldn't believe it! She felt the same way. I was absolutely ecstatic with excitement!

Sid had come back into the the cafe a short while later telling us that Reebok wanted a last minute commercial done. Meaning he had to go back to the States. We told Adriana that we would figure something out and see her tomorrow at the gym.

After dropping Adriana back at the castle I turned to Sid in the car, "You can't go. I can't go. I like her." I said not really forming a sentence.

"G, breathe bro. Look I have an idea. I know how crazy you've suddenly become about this chick so why don't you stay. Just stay till the end of the week and I'll see you back at training camp in the beginning of August." Sid said throwing me his lopsided smirk.

"Like idea. You smart. When you leave?" I asked as we pulled into our hotel and rode the elevator up to our room.

"Tomorrow night. This is literally the last thing I wanted to do. But Pat practically reamed them out for not setting up a date and instead saying they wanted me back state side tomorrow."

I nodded my head not responding. Just listening, I had too much on my mind to get into a discussion about sponsors with Sid. I had to call Oksana and figure things out. Because I was not going to give up on whatever Adriana and I were beginning to develop.

"Sid. I need help." I turned to him as we entered into the room.

" 'Course man. What's wrong?"

"I like Adriana. But Oksana still in Russia." I said stripping my my shirt off and lying face down on one of the beds.

"Ah, shit. Well I see what you mean. Look you have to look at it straight forward. Do you or do you not love Oksana? Are you willing to push aside whatever you and Adriana are developing here, cause let me say that I can see something between you too, and go back to Russia." Sid said sitting up speaking seriously.

He had a very good point here. I've been with Oksana for two years now but within the past two days the feeling I'm developing towards Adriana were far superior to the ones I had towards Oksana.

"Adriana." I simply said smirking at Sid.

"Wise choice if I do say so myself, sorry bro but the guys weren't the biggest fans of her." Sid said laying back on the pillows. "But you may wanna give your homeland a call soon bro."

"Good idea." I grabbed my phone and headed out into the hallway.

"Hello?" Oksana said in Russian as she picked up.

"It's me. We need to talk." I answered back in Russian.

"Oh Evgeni! Have you finally decided to come home ad leave this ludicrous idea of playing hockey in America behind?" Oksana said sarcastically.

"No. Oksana, I'm sorry but my career in the NHL is here to stay and things are not working out between us." I said back.

"WHAT?! Evgeni you can't be serious! After everything we've been through, after all the support I've shown you, you do this to me!" Oksana screamed back at me.

Her yelling didn't phase me, all I had to do was picture Adriana's face, "We're done Oksana. I'm sorry and I wish you all the best."

She had begun to cry as I hung up the phone and turned back to my room. That night I went to bed picturing the smile Adriana had on the first day we met and how beautiful her lips were. I drifted off into sweet bliss that night.

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