Chances Taken

“Hold still will you! I want to see it!” Emma whined as I kept turning my head so she wouldn’t see it.

“He got ya good,” Nick said as he held my face still so my parents and Emma could see.

“Shut up, I got a few good ones at him too,” I bragged, a smile on my face.

“I’m surprised that you didn’t go and help her!” Mom said to Mike as he walked over and smiled towards my cut face and forming bruise under my left eye.

“She didn’t need my help, he’s a cheap shot pansy anyways,” Mike said and I smirked and he high fived me listening to my mom sigh, “That’s my sis.”

When I started another shift on the ice, about five minutes before the game ended and right after the Flames scored their first goal. Just after Sidney won the faceoff and passed the puck to me, I was heading for the Flames’ net when I saw a stick come up, out of the corner of my eye. I didn’t react fast enough and I was hit just under my eye and went down. I quickly got up and saw that Tanguay was the one who hit me and I glared at him. The refs were coming over to bring him to the box, but I wasn’t going to let them just yet. I called him out on his hit and before we both knew it, he threw the first punch, but I was throwing them right back. I managed to shove him to the ice and was on top of him, both of our helmets, sticks and gloves were scattered on the ice as I threw punches at him, feeling the refs trying to pull me off. Tanguay got a got punch to my face and then at least three or four to my ribs; I mostly stuck to his face. The refs pulled me off, I stood up and was held back from going at him again by Max and Jordan, they were laughing at Tanguay for getting his ass handed to him by a girl.

“Well we should go out and celebrate for Mags’ fight and Sid’s hat trick!” Max yelled and heard us cheer out.

Sidney had scored again about thirty seconds before the game was over; the final score was four to one, Penguins. I wasn’t on the ice, I was serving my five minute major penalty for fighting, so I was in the locker room being checked out by Doc, and since there were only five minutes left in the game during the fight, there was no point on going back out, so I had started to get out of my gear as soon as I got to the locker room.

Mike and I looked at our parents and they smiled, they were supposed to leave tomorrow, but I was happy to hear that they were leaving the next day, the same day that we were leaving to go to New York for our game against the Rangers.

“Go have fun, you two,” Dad said and I smiled and hugged him, “We’ll see you at home.”

“Come on Emma!” I smiled as I took her hand and pulled her into the crowd of boys, “You’re comin’ out with us.”

“Really?!” she asked surprised and I smiled and nodded my head.

“Calm down, we’re just going for food,” Mike said and I laughed.

Coach called out that he wanted us to sit down because he had something to say before we left to go for food. I sat down in front of my stall and Emma sat down on the floor in front of me, leaning her back against my legs. I was happy at the fact that I didn’t wear a dress today; I wore a black pencil skirt with a dark green nice silk blouse with some black pumps. Coach announced that we were getting a new teammate and that his name was Pascal Dupuis, we were trading two of our AHL players for him. Pascal would be here sometime this week because he was playing the home game on Thursday against the Thrashers, his old team.

When Coach was finished we all headed out to our vehicles and left to meet at the restaurant that we knew was big enough to house all of us. I was happy that I drove today, because with Emma with Mike and I, there would have been nowhere for her to sit in his car.

I felt bad for the steakhouse as we pulled into their parking lot because they had no clue that the Pittsburgh Penguins were about to be their next customers. Some of the guys snickered when they saw the hostess’ face when she caught glimpse of all of us, she almost fainted when we told her we needed a table for thirty people, or maybe because she recognized us, maybe both.

We had to wait about twenty minutes, but she finally got us seated in the private area of the restaurant, during our wait we kept ourselves busy, Max was trying to sweet talk Emma while some of the other guys wanted to see the cut on my cheek from the stick and bruise on my left eye from the punch. I didn’t know what was bigger news, Sidney’s hat trick or my fight.

We sat at the big table, Emma to the left of me, Kris to the right, the team knew about us, so there was no need to hide it anymore. I made sure that Emma sat on the side that my bruise and cut was because I didn’t need Kris to keep looking at it the whole time we were here like how he was in the locker room.

The team put their orders to the three waiter and waitresses that took care of our table. Emma and I were the only girls there, some of the married men decided not to come, wanting to go home to their families. I smiled when I felt Kris’ hand on my thigh under the table, I blushed and then slid my hand on top of his and laced my fingers with his.

“So three assists today,” I said as I smiled towards Kris, wanting to talk about what he accomplished today.

“Was hoping for a goal, but three assists is pretty good,” he said and I smiled and nodded my head.

“I just got two penalties today,” I said and Kris scoffed.

“Mags,” I heard Emma call and turned to her, “Nick texted me.”

“I left my phone in the car,” I said and she nodded her head and handed me her phone. I looked at the texted and laughed, shaking my head. I looked down the table for Mike and called for him, “Read this!” I said and passed the phone to Kris who passed it to Geno, who passed it to Mike, who sat across from him.

“That little twerp!” Mike laughed and I nodded my head.

“What?” Kris asked and looked at me.

“Nick has a fantasy account through ESPN, and has Mike and I on his team,” I said and Kris nodded his head wanting me to continue, “He was just busting me on how I got him five point six points today and Mike got him nothing.”

“Oh,” Kris said and smirked as I rolled my eyes and nodded my head.

“I’m beating him,” Emma said and I looked at her.

“You’ve got one too?” I asked and she nodded her head and smiled.

“Yeah, Nick, Cas and Ashley have one,” Emma said talking about my brother, my cousin and another friend, “This week I’m against your brother and beating him,” she said proudly and I laughed, shaking my head, “I tried to get you on my team, but Nick got you first and the bastard won’t trade with me.”

I laughed and patted her shoulder, “It’s all right, and there are better players than me out there.”

“Doesn’t matter,” she said and I smiled and hugged her.

“You ready for your interview?” I asked and she nodded her head, “Good. Portfolio all finished?”

“Almost, pictures are all printed- By the way, I owe you more ink, kind of killed two cartridges,” she said and I nodded my head, “I just need to go and get a book.”

“We’ll go after this,” I said and Emma smiled towards me and nodded her head.

“Thank you- Seriously, for everything,” she said and I nodded my head.

“You’re my best friend, I’d do anything,” I said and she smiled and wrapped her arms around me.

Our food came out and I smiled down at the Prime Rib that sat in front of me. I was practically drooling at the fact that it smelled and looked so good. I guess the other guys that sat around me thought the same thing and kept on wanting to try a piece of my meat, I fought them all off, even Kris, with my fork and knife. However, half way through the meat, I was full and ended up sharing with Kris, Jordon, Max, Ben Lovejoy and Dustin Jeffrey; it was that big of a steak.

At the end of our meal, all of us put our credit cards in the middle of the table, I told Emma not to worry about her meal. This was a game that we played, there were about thirty cards in the middle of the table, the waitress picked them up and we told her to pick five out of the blue and who’s ever she picked, the five would be in charge of paying for the bill.

The girl picked one and read the name, “Jordan Staal,” she called and we laughed as Jordan groaned, she picked another one, “Mike Marshall,” I laughed harder at the fact that my brother’s name was called, “Ben Lovejoy,” the other waitress came over and picked two random cards and looked at them, “Marc-Andre Fleury and Mike Rupp.”

“Well gentlemen,” I said as I smiled towards the guys, “Thanks for the meal.”

“Shut up,” the five said as the two waitresses laughed and then handed back the cards that she didn’t need. I got my card back and placed it back in my wallet and smiled towards Emma who was giggling at our silly actions.

By the time everyone was finished and they all had their cards back, we stood up and decided to leave, saying goodbye to each other, ready to go home and relax. Although, some of the guys were going to continue their celebrating; however, Mike, Emma and I weren’t one of them. I said goodbye to Kris and watched as he walked over towards his car as Mike, Emma and I continued to my SUV. Mike was next to me when I felt arms around my shoulder and looked to see Emma’s head between ours, she was smiling brightly.

“I’m happy for you two,” she said and we looked at her confused, “You guys found a good home and a good team. I like them.”

Mike smiled towards her and then towards me, “I think we’ll keep ‘em,” he said and winked towards me and I laughed.

“I mean it though,” Emma said seriously and we turned to look at her, “You guys deserve everything you’re getting.”

“What do you want, Emma?” Mike teased and Emma and I slapped his arm and she laughed.

“I don’t want anything, just my friends to be happy,” she said and we smiled, “And for you to not get any points when I play your brother.”

“EMMA!!!”