You and Me Together

Can you please stop sending me flowers?

I thought girls liked flowers.

We do when they come from people we like.

You don’t like me?

No.

Why not?

Because you are a jerk.

Taylor stared at her words. No one could ever accuse of Veronica Rodgers of being dishonest. Blunt, that they could accuse her of. But not dishonest.

Taylor had been groveling for the better part of two weeks. He had sent flowers every other day. In between he had sent chocolates, and fruits, and cupcakes, and anything else he could think of. And it wasn’t working. She wouldn’t talk to him and she wasn’t keeping anything he had sent her.

He could admit that he had really screwed up. In fact, he had been warned yet he still went and did it anyways. Veronica Rodgers, plain and simple, had captivated him and invaded his thoughts since practically the moment he met her in September when he had returned to Edmonton for training camp.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and his girlfriend Danni were already back, had been since early August when Danni returned to work. They had been together just over a year and had moved in together that summer. Justin Schultz had a girlfriend. Hell, even Ebs had a steady girl. Not Taylor. Taylor Hall could not and would not settle down. Why would he? He was a young, NHL superstar and as such, he could have whatever, and whomever, he pleased.

Except for Veronica Rodgers.

Veronica was an art teacher at the same school as Danni and she had brought her out with her on Taylor’s third night back in town. She knew all the stories about Taylor Hall and she had sat back, unimpressed, as he swaggered into the bar like the messiah. She had rolled her eyes as girls pushed and shoved each other to garner even a split second of his attention. She wanted to gag when that attention fell on her.

But then Taylor stepped up closer to her and damn if he didn’t have seriously pretty eyes that sparkled with boyish charm but promised mischief. His smile was large and toothy and his lips....they begged to be pulled and nibbled and kissed. They begged to cover every inch of her body and he hadn’t even said a word.

That was where things got messed up. Taylor expected girls to flock to him, to beg to be the one he took home that night. So he approached Veronica the way he did any girl that caught his eye.

“Hey, I’m Taylor. Taylor Hall.” He waited a beat for the recognition to dawn. “I play for the Oilers, first round draft pick,” he boasted.

“They obviously weren’t giving away humility along with million dollar contracts, were they?” Veronica retorted. She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and turned in her seat at the bar away from him.

Her words stung like she had slapped him across the face. Her eyes had gone icy and cold in seconds of his proclamation. And he didn’t care. No one turned him down. He always got what he wanted and what he wanted was the pretty blonde with the icy stare and the perfect little pink lips that Taylor was dying to kiss and the body he really wanted to get to know between the sheets.

“Who needs humility when you have millions of dollars?” he shot back. It wasn’t very witty but he couldn’t think of anything better to say. He just wanted her to keep talking to him. “You work with Danni?”

“Yes,” she answered shortly.

“So my millions of dollars could come in handy. What do teachers make a year? Ten grand?”

“What, I should quit my job and let you take care of me?”

Taylor shrugged. “Worse things in life if you ask me. I’m a superstar, baby.”

“You’re a douchebag, baby.” She turned away from him and hopped from her bar stool, crossing the bar, looking for Danni. She spotted her and Ryan at a nearby table and slid into one of the empty chairs with a grimace on her face.

“You met Taylor, didn’t you?” Danni asked with a frown.

“How do you stand him? He’s an egotistical prick. Do you know he had the gall to suggest getting with him would more or less make my life easier, perhaps even better because he makes more money than I do?”

Ryan groaned. “I’m really sorry, Roni. Taylor is...well, Taylor is Taylor.”

“Taylor is a douche nozzle.” Ryan snickered.

“I’m not a douche nozzle,” Taylor declared as he took a chair at the table. Veronica rolled her eyes.

“You are the king of the douche nozzles,” Veronica told him. “You might make more money than I do but I love what I do and I’d probably do it for free.”

“I’d play hockey for free,” Taylor shrugged. “I’d still get plenty of ass just by telling girls I played.”

“I’m heading out, Danni. Thanks for inviting me.”

“Don’t leave, Roni,” Danni said. “We can go somewhere else.”

“No, it’s fine. It was a long week anyways. I just want to go home and take a bubble bath.”

“Do you need help with that?” Taylor asked. “I’m great at bubble baths, even better at massages.”

“Fuck off,” Veronica replied with a smile as she stood. “See you at school Monday.” She and Danni exchanged a hug and Veronica breezed out the door. Danni turned to Taylor with a glare.

“Haven’t you ever met a girl that you have feelings for?” she asked.

“I had feelings for that girl. I felt like I need to fuck her.”

“That is not what I meant and you know it. Don’t you want someone in your life that is there for you, that you can talk to share your life with?”

“Isn’t that why I have Ebs?”

“You’re hopeless, Hallsy. And I happen to agree with Roni. You can be such an asshole and I just don’t get it. I know you’re a nice guy but you come across as this total jerk. One day you’re going to meet a girl that you can’t forget, that stays on your mind, and she is not going to give you the time of day because of the way you act.”

“I don’t think we have to worry about that; it will never happen. I will never fall in love.”

“You say that now but just wait.”

Which is of course to say that obviously Danni cursed him. Taylor knew this with absolute certainty two days later when he woke up from a very explicit dream about Veronica involving finger painting and their naked bodies. So he sent her flowers at school, because he didn’t know her phone number and he didn’t know where she lived, but he knew where she worked. Danni had called him later that afternoon to inform him that the principal’s secretary very much enjoyed his flowers as Veronica had given them to the woman for her birthday.

He tried to push Veronica from his mind but her eyes flashed in his mind every time he thought he had pushed all thoughts of her aside. He begged Danni for her number and in the end, she had agreed to give it to Veronica and if she wanted to to use it, she would. And when a day passed without a word, he sent flowers again because that is what guys did, right? And when she didn’t respond, he sent an edible arrangement the next day, and flowers the next day and so so on until finally, she texted him and told him he was a jerk.

He supposed jerk was a vast improvement from douche nozzle though.

Go on a date with me.

HELL NO!

Why not?

You’re a douche nozzle, that’s why not.

“Back to that I see,” Taylor thought to himself.

Please? I promise not to be a douche nozzle Let me have a chance.

You don’t deserve a chance. You’re an ego maniac.

I swear I’m not. Ask Danni.

Danni said you hit on her when she was with very clearly with Ryan.

“Fuck!” Taylor cursed loudly in his empty apartment. He pulled Danni up in his contacts and texted her.

Did you have to tell the entire world I hit on you one time?

I’m pretty sure you hit on me a couple times.

You told Veronica.

And?

And she won’t go out with me!

So that is what this is about. Taylor Hall has feelings, for a girl.

I do not.

Bullshit. Admit it and I might help you out.

Danni!

Taylor!

Fine, alright, I like her.

Why?

Because she turned me down.

So she’s a challenge?

Yeah.

And that’s it? What if she agrees to go out with you? Then what?

How am I supposed to know that? I’m a guy.

Ryan is a guy. Justin is a guy. Jordan is a guy. They would never hit it and quit it. You would.

They all have girlfriends.

You don’t want a girlfriend?

I don’t know. Maybe?

If you're not going to treat her right, I’m not going to put in a good word for you.

Come on, Danni. Please?

Do you promise to be the version of you I know? The nice guy, who is kind of witty and full of charm, who knows how to talk to girl without being a complete ass?

I promise. On my career, I promise.

I’ll talk to her, see what I can do. But can I give you some advice?

Please.

A simple 'I love you' means more than money. Think about that, Hallsy.



Taylor replayed Danni’s words in his mind over and over, mulling their meaning and why she had said them to him as he walked up to the chic restaurant Veronica had agreed to meet him at. He paced nervously outside, fearing she wouldn’t show up when he saw her step from a taxi at the curb. He rushed over to hold the door open and offered his hand as she stepped out of the vehicle.

“Hey, thanks for coming,” Taylor said in a rush.

“You sent in reinforcements,” she replied flippantly. “Plus Danni promised to introduce me Sam so...”

Taylor frowned. “So this is a pity date?”

“More or less. Are we going inside?”

Taylor glanced at the door leading inside and shook his head. “No.”

“No?”

“No. Come on, I have a better idea.” He grabbed Veronica’s hand and led her down the street to where his car was parked. He opened the door for her and she stood on the sidewalk and stared at him.

“I’m not getting in a car with you.”

“Then I guess Danni isn’t going to introduce you to Sam then. He’s single too you know.”

She shot daggers at him and slipped past him and into the passenger seat. Taylor closed the door behind her and then jogged around the front of his car to climb into the driver's seat. He pulled into traffic and drove out of the city. He pulled into the parking lot of a shopping center twenty minutes later and parked before hopping out. Veronica followed him and he led her towards a store.

“Paint your own pottery?” Veronica asked as she gazed up at the store.

Taylor shrugged. “You’re an art teacher, right?” Veronica nodded. “I’m a terrible artist. You can make fun of me. I thought you’d enjoy that since you don’t like me.”

“Yes, I can see the appeal in this,” Veronica laughed. Taylor held the door open and let her pass inside first before following her.

“Welcome to Cracked Pot Pottery,” the woman behind the counter greeted them. “Would you like to paint with us tonight?”

“Yes,” Taylor answered her with an easy smile.

“Pick anything out and we’ll get you started.”

Taylor and Veronica wandered through the store and each found something to paint. The store employee set them up in a space side by side to work, setting out paints and brushes for them.

“Just have fun,” she advised. “And let your imagination do all the work.”

“Thank you,” Veronica smiled politely. She grabbed a brush and immediately set to work on her mug, painting vivid zig zag stripes around the mug in bright neon colors. Taylor watched her as her eyes narrowed and she moved with precision around the mug, carefully changing between colors. The bowl he had picked up for himself sat blank as he watched her for ten minutes or more. Finally, she stopped and looked over at him.

“I think you’re forgetting something,” Vernica pointed at his bowl.

“I’m watching the artist work. Mine is going to look like shit.”

“I’m sure it will be fine. Why don’t you paint the outside with your team colors?” she suggested. “Maybe some stripes?”

Taylor nodded and picked up a paint brush, dipping it into some navy paint and painting a shaky and not at all straight line around the bowl. He changed brushes to orange and did the same, chewing his bottom lip in concentration. Veronica giggled and Taylor looked over at him.

“What?”

“It’s cute; you’re trying.”

“Some people find me extremely adorable,” Taylor replied.

“Those people need their head examined.”

“You know you’re breaking my heart, right?”

“You don’t have a heart, just a dick.”

“Wow. You really don’t think much of me, do you?”

“You haven’t done anything to prove there is much else to you.”

“I brought you here. Isn’t that a start? Would you have rather had dinner at the swankiest place in town?”

“Not particularly.”

“Didn’t think so.”

“Okay, so you got one thing right. That earns you a chance?”

“Maybe.”

“No. Paint your bowl,” she said as she turned back to her own creation.

“I need your help.”

“With what?”

“To finish it.” Taylor dipped his thumb into the navy paint and pressed a row of his thumb print, spaced apart around the inside lip of the bowl. He pushed the orange paint towards Veronica. “Now you.”

“Now me what?”

“Dip your thumb in the orange and overlap yours with the bottom of mine.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I want you too. Please?”

She sighed. “Fine.” She did as he asked, dipping into the orange and placing her orange thumbprint into the empty spaces. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what Taylor had set up, their overlapping thumbprints forming little hearts all around the inside of the bowl.

“Perfect,” he announced as she finished.

“Sneaky,” Veronica corrected.

“Genius,” he countered. Veronica laughed.

“I wouldn’t go that far.” They finished painting and cleaned up, Taylor paying and leaving his number to be called when the pieces were ready to be picked up. They walked outside and Taylor pointed at a small Italian restaurant further down.

“Hungry?”

“Starving,” Veronica admitted. They walked down to the restaurant and were led to a booth in the back. Taylor knew that the kind, older woman that sat them recognized him although she didn't say a word, only leading them to the booth that was partially hidden near the back corner. She placed menus in front of them with a smile before walking away.

“She knows who you are,” Veronica commented as they looked over the menus.

“Seems like it,” Taylor replied.

“But you didn’t make sure.” Taylor shrugged.

“Not important.”

“What pray tell is important then?”

“You.”

“Oh.”

Taylor grinned. “I’m trying to change your mind about me.”

“I hope you know that’s a tough sell.”

“I’m persistent.”

The Oilers went on a two week road trip a few days later and Taylor and Veronica kept up a steady stream of texting throughout the trip. When he was back in Edmonton, he got a call from the pottery place that their items were ready for pickup.

What are you doing tonight? Taylor texted Veronica right after he got the call even though he knew it was the middle of her work day. He was surprised when she replied twenty minutes later.

I don’t know. What did you have in mind?

Wanna go pick up our pottery and grab dinner?

Will you bring Sam? Danni hasn’t delivered.

No. Just me or nothing at all.

Guess I’ll have to take what I can get. ;)

I’ll pick you up at seven.

Taylor pulled into the parking lot of Veronica’s apartment building at quarter to seven and walked into the building. He pulled out his phone and called her.

“Hey. What floor are you on?” Taylor asked when she answered.

“I’m on my way down.”

“Come on, Veronica. Let me come up and get you.”

“Why? This isn’t a date.”

“Yes it is.”

“Who told you it was a date?”

“Me.”

“There’s the jerk Taylor Hall I know and love.” Veronica froze in her spot in the middle of her living room as the word came out of her mouth.

Downstairs in her lobby, Taylor stopped and grinned victoriously to himself. “I knew you’d fall in love with me.”

“I am not in love with you.”

“But you’re getting there.”

“Whatever, Hall. I’ll be down in a minute.” She hung up on him and threw her phone into her purse before locking her apartment and waiting on the elevator. When the doors opened on the lobby, Veronica smiled as she saw Taylor across the lobby, leaning against a wall, playing on his phone. He looked up a second later and his smile grew when he saw her and the smile gave Veronica butterflies.

“Ready?” Taylor asked as Veronica approached him. She nodded and Taylor extended his arm to her and she slipped her arm through his and let him lead her to his car. As he held the door open for her, he caught her hand as she ducked to settle in.

“You should come to the game Friday.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Because you love me,” Taylor shrugged nonchalantly. He dropped her hand and moved around to the other side and climbed in. Veronica shook her head and slid in.



Where do you buy art stuff?

Veronica stared at her phone, considering Taylor’s text two days later.

Why?

I want to go buy stuff.

For?

You.

Haven’t we been through this with all the flowers?

Danni said you guys don’t get paid enough to get all the things you wish you could for the kids. But she has Ryan so she can get whatever she wants because Ryan is whipped and will do anything to make her happy.

And?

And I thought, what kid doesn’t like art class? And I bet you don’t have everything you wish you could have so I want to go shopping and then Ebs and me are gonna come do art with one of your classes.

You can’t do that, Hall.

Why not?

You’re not my boyfriend.

And?

And that is something your boyfriend does for you, or even your friend. You are neither of those things.

We’re not friends?

No.

Taylor frowned at his phone. “What’s wrong?” Jordan asked as he sat down next to him in the locker room after practice.

“Veronica hates me.”

“She went out with you twice, right? She can’t hate you.”

“She just told me we weren’t friends. And she called me Hall. And I’m pretty sure I offended her when I told her I wanted to go buy art stuff and come to one of her school.”

“Holy shit,” Jordan muttered. “Holy shit.”

“What?” Taylor asked.

“You like her.”

“I mean, she’s Danni’s friend and she’s really nice and...”

“No, dude, you like her. You might even could love her.”

“Whatever.”

“She doesn’t like you and you are straight up pining over her, in the locker room.”

“Are you going to help me or not?”

“You’re still going through with this?”

“Yeah. We can’t disappoint the kids, Ebs.”

“You are so gone. I won’t miss this for anything.”

“Miss what?” Sam Gagner asked as he sat down to dress.

“Hallsy is in love,” Jordan declared.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. We’re going shopping for art crap and then we’re going to show up unannounced and take over some girls art class, so he can impress her.”

“You should come too,” Taylor spoke up.

“Dude, you don’t want to miss this. Come,” Jordan encouraged him.

“Yeah, I’m in,” Sam replied. “Something tells me I don’t want to miss this.”

An hour later, they drove across town in Jordan’s SUV, loaded down with five hundred dollars worth of stuff from a local art store. Taylor strode into Veronica’s school and walked straight into the office. “I’m here to see Veronica Rodgers.” The secretary looked up and her eyes went wide as she stared up at the three Oilers players. “We’re sitting in on one of her classes today.” She nodded and picked up the phone to call Veronica’s classroom.

“You need to come to the office,” she said quietly.

Several minutes later, Veronica walked in and stopped, staring at Taylor, Jordan, and Sam. “Hi,” Taylor said brightly. “We come bearing art supplies.” Her eyes narrowed and she motioned for them to follow her. Jordan elbowed Sam as they followed Taylor, who moved quickly to Veronica’s side.

“You are a god damn prick,” Veronica hissed as they moved through the halls.

“What? Why?” Taylor asked innocently. “I even brought Sam with me. I thought you wanted to meet Sam.”

“Douche nozzle.”

Sam snickered. “Did she just call him a douche nozzle? I think I love you mystery art teacher.”

Veronica stopped and turned back to face the other two. “My name is Veronica.”

“It is very nice to meet you, Veronica,” Sam said with a smile.

“My friends call me Roni.”

“You never told me that,” Taylor complained.

“You’re not my friend.”

“I’m Jordan; I think we met once though," Ebs spoke up to try to kill the tension between Veronica and Taylor. She turned to him and smiled.

“Briefly, the night I met Taylor. He was the epitome of an asshole that night as I recall.”

“That sounds like Hallsy,” Sam added. “Except this is out of the ordinary behavior for him.”

“What is?” Veronica asked.

“This,” he gestured. “He just dropped a ridiculous amount of money on art supplies, for kids. And he choose to come here, to sit in on an art class with a bunch of kids, for you. I don’t know that I’ve seen the kid go out of his way to try and prove himself to a girl.”

Veronica nodded curtly and proceeded down the hall. “This is my classroom,” she said, pushing open the door. “My next class is in fifteen minutes. You can stay if you’d like. I’m sure the kids will love it. In fact, it’s Danni’s class and her kids know that Ryan is her boyfriend so they’ll be very impressed with the three of you.”

“They’d probably be more impressed if you gave this guy the time of day,” Jordan pointed out.

“No.”

Taylor walked inside the classroom and set the bags of things he had purchased on the desk in the front of the room. “Give me your keys,” he said to Jordan.

“Why?” Jordan asked.

“I know when I’m not wanted. I’ll wait in your car.” Jordan nodded and passed the keys to Taylor who turned and walked from the room.

“Okay, who is that dude, for real?” Sam said. “That is not Taylor Hall.”

“I’m pretty sure Roni killed him,” Jordan replied.

“What? How is this my fault?” Veronica asked.

“He likes you,” Jordan told her. “Hallsy doesn’t like girls, like ever. I mean, he likes girls, but he definitely does not decide on his own to do something nice and selfless. He’s trying to impress you and show you that whatever you think about him is wrong. And he’s trying really hard.”

“Yeah, because I’m sure his hotel bed was cold during your road trip the last two weeks.”

“Uh, actually, it was,” Sam spoke up. “We room together on the road and Taylor didn’t pick up any chicks the whole time. I thought it was a little weird but now I understand why. Jordan is right; he’s into you.”

“Taylor Hall is not into me.”

“Yes he is,” Jordan said. “Trust me.”

“But he’s a jerk,” Veronica complained.

“Yeah, sometimes he is. Taylor can be a showoff but he’s a nice guy, a really good guy that cares about his friends and goes out and spends five hundred dollars on art supplies to spend an hour, in any way he can get it, with a girl he likes.”

“He spent five hundred dollars on art supplies?”

“He bought everything in the store that the sales dude said he should. God knows that dude probably made a bundle off of Hallsy’s own stupidity but whatever. All he wants is to impress you.”

“I don’t want him to impress me. Can’t he just be him?”

“The bowl in our kitchen!” Jordan exclaimed, snapping his fingers. “Did he make that with you?”

Veronica nodded. “We went to a paint your own pottery place a couple weeks ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Sam interrupted. “Taylor did what? Paint your own pottery?”

“I told him I’d have dinner with him but we left the restaurant before we ever went in and that’s where he took me.”

“You have to go talk to him.”

“What?! No! I have a class.”

“We’re here, it’ll be fine,” Sam continued. A group of kids trailed into the room, whispering among themselves as they saw the two hockey players. Jordan and Sam waved when Danni entered the room. She looked around and turned to them expectantly.

“Where’s Taylor?”

“Outside,” Jordan answered.

“Why is he outside?”

“Roni blew him off. I think he’s giving up.”

“Giving up isn’t in Taylor’s vocabulary.”

“I think he’s sick of getting blown off and has finally taken the hint.”

Danni sighed and turned to her friend. “You need to talk to him. He’s trying really hard and I don’t mean to get in your pants. He actually likes you and if you gave him a chance, I think you’d really like him too. Go talk to him. I’ll help the boys with this.” Danni pushed her gently towards the door.

Veronica walked outside the the visitors parking lot and found Taylor sitting in the passenger seat of Jordan’s vehicle, his head leaned back against the seat, his eyes closed as she approached him.

“If we’re not friends, why did you talk to me every day of our road trip? Why did you go out with me when I got back? I don’t get you, Veronica. I just want you to see me and every time I think you are, you slap me back down to reality. You win. I give up. I’ll lose your number and I’ll never bother you again.”

She took a deep breath and leaned into the open door and crashed her lips into Taylor’s. His eyes popped open in shock and then closed again, pulling Veronica down into his lap.

“I knew you’d be a great kisser,” she whispered.

“Wanna know what else I’m good at?” Taylor said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Hardly.”

“Well you kissed me so I guess the ball is in your court.”

“Why did you buy art supplies for my students?”

“I thought you would like it. And I wasn’t buying you anything, which you hated. It was for the kids. You can tell the kids no?”

“And coming to my school?”

“Something nice? Community service?”

“And?”

“Ok, so maybe I thought it’d earn me some brownie points with you. But can you blame me? You were mean to me!”

“You were an egotistical jerk!”

“In my defense, that usually works. You’re not like most girls.”

“Good. If you want to date me, I better not be anything like those girls. And you better not treat me like you would treat them.”

“I took you to paint your own pottery. I’m pretty sure that is the complete opposite of what I would normally do. I really like you, Veronica and I want to try this. I’ll probably screw up and I’ll probably have to grovel a lot but at least I know not to buy you flowers. I know you’ll call me on my bullshit or if I’m acting like a douche nozzle and maybe that’s what I need. Maybe that’s what I want from you. Because now I know that my words and my actions mean more than my money, or anything my money can buy. So the question is, are you in or are you out? I’m all in. I’m all yours, only you.”

Veronica leaned back and studied him for a minute, his sincere stare, his hopeful smile and then she smiled back at him before leaning in and kissing him again before whispering in his ear.

“My friends call me Roni.”

FIN