Status: three shot
Dangerous Acts
three.
Vi hadn’t wanted to go out that night. In fact, it was only her second night off that week and she would have much rather been on her couch or better yet, in bed with a good book. But something had tugged at her and let Avery drag her out to some bar an El ride away from her apartment. Maybe it was her inability to say no to her little sister, maybe it was her foolhardy belief that she would somehow be running into Brandon.
It was probably the former, as she’d been out several times since returning to the Windy City and had yet to run into the hockey player. Maybe at first Vi’s hopes had been up and as each night passed without a storybook, movie ending, she slowly came to terms that they’d had a one night stand without it actually being a one night stand. There had been no sex, just a knee wobbling kiss at the end of a vacation. He’d probably forgotten who she was or that she’d even been a part of his retreat to Greece for less than a day.
But that was okay. She’d moved on and was happily back at work. Days and some nights were spent at the hospital treating patients and instructing doctor hopefuls on the proper procedures. Vi liked it that way. It kept most mentions of hockey a safe distance away.
Or most of it, anyway. Just the other day, a young infant had been brought in by his distraught parents. He had a fever and it was slowly rising. The father held it together just enough to hold his wife’s hand as Vi had asked them questions, doing all she could to ignore the Indian head on the man’s chest.
Just as the couple turned away to accompany their baby with a nurse, Viola gawked at the back of his shirt.
BOLLIG
52
And maybe tonight she was a little bitter. Zoella and Cal had just announced their engagement a week prior and despite the fact that she would be his second wife, there was no denying the fact that they were indeed in love. Maybe he would be the end to her sister’s serial dating ways. And maybe Viola should start some.
She’d yet to be on a date since returning from Greece and with the passing of another birthday, Viola was no closer to settling down than she was the day she was born.
A hand grazed her arm and she jumped turning and expected to find her sister.
“We have to stop meeting this way.”
The she was, seated at the bar, just like that night in Greece. Except, instead of a leopard print blouse, leather shorts, and high heels, she wore a gold metallic tank top, skinny jeans, and a pair of sandals. Never had he been so thankful for the fall chill than he was when he saw the denim stretched over her legs.
“We have to stop meeting this way,” he said as he reached out to her, just barely touching her warm skin.
She jumped again, turning around with an expectant look on her face. It morphed to confusion, disbelief, and then finally some mix of happiness and terror.
“Maybe you should stop scaring me!” Vi drew in a few breaths. “And using cheesy lines.”
“They’re all I’ve got,” Brandon stiffened at her hug but quickly returned it. “I’m not too original.”
“Maybe I can help you with that,” she offered as she ordered Brandon a drink. “This time, they’re on me.”
“That was free booze, though,” he reminded her.
“Do I care?”
“Probably not,” Brandon consented. “So, uh,” this was the awkward conversation setting in. He hadn’t thought through much when he caught a glance of a familiar looking girl walking away from the bar and to the bathroom. The sight of her older sister floored him enough to abandon his teammates for the bar altogether. “What have you been up to since I last saw you?”
“No dangerous acts, unfortunately. Just work and reading,” she shrugged. “Got a new haircut.”
“I see that,” he playfully tugged at the ends. “Quite a new style you’ve got going on.” Vi had to be missing four or five inches. “But I’m glad to hear you haven’t done anything life threatening without me present.”
“How could I?” she batted her eyelashes before becoming serious again. "Oh, and my sister’s getting married,” Vi rolled her eyes.
“Not Avery…” he trailed off, assuming. “So Zoella and Cal?” Brandon surprised himself with how much he remembered. Especially since he’d tried so hard to forget about her.
“Yeah, Zoella and Cal.”
“You don’t sound so happy about that,” Brandon rubbed her upper arm.
“Not unhappy,” she corrected him. “Just… disgruntled?”
“So is that to say your love life is nonexistent?” he hoped to God he was right and that he hadn’t just insulted her.
To his relief, Viola laughed and played with one of the triangles that made up her necklace. “Yeah, exactly that. And it looks like my other sister is making friends with your teammates.”
Following her gaze over his shoulder, he saw that Avery was indeed seated with Ben Smith, Andrew Shaw, Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane.
“Want me to introduce you to Toes?”
“Nah,” Vi shook her head. “I think I’m good for now. But for the record, I hope Saad asks her out.”
“Nah, he’s too much of a chicken shit,” Brandon told her, scrunching up his nose. “But maybe I should show him how it’s done.”
“Are you asking me out?”
“That depends,” he tugged her close. “Are you saying yes?”
“Pick me Friday at seven and I just might.”
What compelled her to agree to that date – no matter in what fashion she had done it – Vi found was the same thing that pulled her out of the house that night. It wasn’t just her inability to say no to her little sister; it was her own inner romantic.
At the time, she thoroughly believed she’d given up on love. Viola was content with living in the world of science and medicine and keeping the world of romance contained within the pages of whatever novels she was keeping on her nightstand and coffee table.
But she eventually found that her nightstand and coffee table needed room for someone else’s things and that a few of her books ended up in someone else’s apartment. That was okay, though. Vi found that she didn’t mind too much and as long as Brandon didn’t make fun of her reading choices (he had once made the mistake of teasing her about the various romance novels scattered across her apartment), then they would be just fine.
“Everything alright?” Brandon asked one afternoon that spring as they strolled down a Chicago street, she fresh off a 12 hour shift and he in a ball cap pulled low. She’d pulled them to a stop.
“Yeah,” she squinted up at the building in front of them. “You know, I don’t think I’ve been up there since I was a little kid.”
“The Willis Tower?” he asked before correcting himself. “I know, I know. ‘It’ll always be the Sears Tower.’” Brandon squeezed her close. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually gone up.”
“Well let’s go then,” Vi tugged him towards the entrance. “Our latest life threatening activity: standing in tiny glass boxes on the side of a skyscraper.”
“Who knew you liked living on the edge?”
Viola stopped and let him bump into her chest. “You always knew.”
It was probably the former, as she’d been out several times since returning to the Windy City and had yet to run into the hockey player. Maybe at first Vi’s hopes had been up and as each night passed without a storybook, movie ending, she slowly came to terms that they’d had a one night stand without it actually being a one night stand. There had been no sex, just a knee wobbling kiss at the end of a vacation. He’d probably forgotten who she was or that she’d even been a part of his retreat to Greece for less than a day.
But that was okay. She’d moved on and was happily back at work. Days and some nights were spent at the hospital treating patients and instructing doctor hopefuls on the proper procedures. Vi liked it that way. It kept most mentions of hockey a safe distance away.
Or most of it, anyway. Just the other day, a young infant had been brought in by his distraught parents. He had a fever and it was slowly rising. The father held it together just enough to hold his wife’s hand as Vi had asked them questions, doing all she could to ignore the Indian head on the man’s chest.
Just as the couple turned away to accompany their baby with a nurse, Viola gawked at the back of his shirt.
BOLLIG
52
And maybe tonight she was a little bitter. Zoella and Cal had just announced their engagement a week prior and despite the fact that she would be his second wife, there was no denying the fact that they were indeed in love. Maybe he would be the end to her sister’s serial dating ways. And maybe Viola should start some.
She’d yet to be on a date since returning from Greece and with the passing of another birthday, Viola was no closer to settling down than she was the day she was born.
A hand grazed her arm and she jumped turning and expected to find her sister.
“We have to stop meeting this way.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
The she was, seated at the bar, just like that night in Greece. Except, instead of a leopard print blouse, leather shorts, and high heels, she wore a gold metallic tank top, skinny jeans, and a pair of sandals. Never had he been so thankful for the fall chill than he was when he saw the denim stretched over her legs.
“We have to stop meeting this way,” he said as he reached out to her, just barely touching her warm skin.
She jumped again, turning around with an expectant look on her face. It morphed to confusion, disbelief, and then finally some mix of happiness and terror.
“Maybe you should stop scaring me!” Vi drew in a few breaths. “And using cheesy lines.”
“They’re all I’ve got,” Brandon stiffened at her hug but quickly returned it. “I’m not too original.”
“Maybe I can help you with that,” she offered as she ordered Brandon a drink. “This time, they’re on me.”
“That was free booze, though,” he reminded her.
“Do I care?”
“Probably not,” Brandon consented. “So, uh,” this was the awkward conversation setting in. He hadn’t thought through much when he caught a glance of a familiar looking girl walking away from the bar and to the bathroom. The sight of her older sister floored him enough to abandon his teammates for the bar altogether. “What have you been up to since I last saw you?”
“No dangerous acts, unfortunately. Just work and reading,” she shrugged. “Got a new haircut.”
“I see that,” he playfully tugged at the ends. “Quite a new style you’ve got going on.” Vi had to be missing four or five inches. “But I’m glad to hear you haven’t done anything life threatening without me present.”
“How could I?” she batted her eyelashes before becoming serious again. "Oh, and my sister’s getting married,” Vi rolled her eyes.
“Not Avery…” he trailed off, assuming. “So Zoella and Cal?” Brandon surprised himself with how much he remembered. Especially since he’d tried so hard to forget about her.
“Yeah, Zoella and Cal.”
“You don’t sound so happy about that,” Brandon rubbed her upper arm.
“Not unhappy,” she corrected him. “Just… disgruntled?”
“So is that to say your love life is nonexistent?” he hoped to God he was right and that he hadn’t just insulted her.
To his relief, Viola laughed and played with one of the triangles that made up her necklace. “Yeah, exactly that. And it looks like my other sister is making friends with your teammates.”
Following her gaze over his shoulder, he saw that Avery was indeed seated with Ben Smith, Andrew Shaw, Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane.
“Want me to introduce you to Toes?”
“Nah,” Vi shook her head. “I think I’m good for now. But for the record, I hope Saad asks her out.”
“Nah, he’s too much of a chicken shit,” Brandon told her, scrunching up his nose. “But maybe I should show him how it’s done.”
“Are you asking me out?”
“That depends,” he tugged her close. “Are you saying yes?”
“Pick me Friday at seven and I just might.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
What compelled her to agree to that date – no matter in what fashion she had done it – Vi found was the same thing that pulled her out of the house that night. It wasn’t just her inability to say no to her little sister; it was her own inner romantic.
At the time, she thoroughly believed she’d given up on love. Viola was content with living in the world of science and medicine and keeping the world of romance contained within the pages of whatever novels she was keeping on her nightstand and coffee table.
But she eventually found that her nightstand and coffee table needed room for someone else’s things and that a few of her books ended up in someone else’s apartment. That was okay, though. Vi found that she didn’t mind too much and as long as Brandon didn’t make fun of her reading choices (he had once made the mistake of teasing her about the various romance novels scattered across her apartment), then they would be just fine.
“Everything alright?” Brandon asked one afternoon that spring as they strolled down a Chicago street, she fresh off a 12 hour shift and he in a ball cap pulled low. She’d pulled them to a stop.
“Yeah,” she squinted up at the building in front of them. “You know, I don’t think I’ve been up there since I was a little kid.”
“The Willis Tower?” he asked before correcting himself. “I know, I know. ‘It’ll always be the Sears Tower.’” Brandon squeezed her close. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually gone up.”
“Well let’s go then,” Vi tugged him towards the entrance. “Our latest life threatening activity: standing in tiny glass boxes on the side of a skyscraper.”
“Who knew you liked living on the edge?”
Viola stopped and let him bump into her chest. “You always knew.”