Status: Finished!

Sunshine

Negotiating

“Well, as long as everything’s feeling okay, you’re cleared to play.” The doctor smiled at Mike, who’d returned for a check-up after two weeks of sitting out. Mike grinned back, thanked the man and shook his hand. He headed back out to the reception desk to check out, only thinking about how he’d be able to fly out tomorrow morning and play with the team for the upcoming three-game road trip. He’d already missed practice, but maybe he could hit the ice this afternoon by himself.

As the woman working at the reception desk checked him out of his appointment, he saw a familiar face emerge from the back of the office. It was the same girl he’d spoken to two weeks ago, only now she looked different. Maybe it was because he was in much higher spirits or maybe because she wasn’t insulting him now, but he finally noticed how pretty she was. Her dark red hair fell in loose curls around a heart shaped faced. She had a light splattering of freckles on strangely pale cheeks for living in southern California, and Mike wondered if she had to put on sunblock just to go outside some days.

She’d been reading something on her phone and only looked up to say goodbye to the receptionist. “See ya on Monday, Sheila,” She said, and the woman at the computer glanced up and returned her goodbye. Her eyes fell on Mike next, and he made a choice.

“Hey,” he said to her, the very same way she had initiated their first conversation.

She stopped and slipped her phone into her back pocket. “Hi. Feeling better today?”

Mike laughed. “Yeah, a little. I can finally start playing again and hopefully not suck. I wouldn’t wanna disappoint.”

“Me? You wouldn’t want to disappoint me? Or just ya know, the general fan base?”

“Maybe a little of both,” Mike said. He’d decided in the past 30 seconds that he was definitely attracted to this girl, and that if he didn’t manage to get her number now, he wasn’t going to get another chance.

“Well then, I guess you should back check tomorrow.” She smiled at him, and pushed one of her curls from in front of her face. “Good luck, by the way. Kick some ass, Mike Richards.” She gave him the same goodbye wave she had two weeks ago, and Mike silently cursed himself as she started to walk away. Normally, he would’ve thought, ‘fuck it, I definitely don’t need to chase this girl,’ but she was a very specific type of interesting and different that he missed.

“Hey,” He wanted to say her name, but he realized he had never asked for it. “I didn’t even get your name.”

He fell in stride with her as she made her way down the hallway of the office building and toward the elevator. “Melanie.”

Mike decided that if he was going to try to get this girl’s number, he was just going to ask her out. He didn’t want a one night stand with her or a booty call. He actually wanted to sit down, and make opinionated conversation with her, so he threw caution to the wind. “I know this is kind of weird and last minute and sudden, but do you want to go out with me tonight, Melanie?”

They had entered the elevator by now, and were heading down to their respective floors. She leaned her back against the side of the elevator, and observed Mike. He stood awkwardly, wishing he’d at least had the foresight to realize that if she didn’t say yes they were going to have to stand in this elevator together in silence.

“How about we make a deal,” Melanie finally answered. “You guys are playing some away games right?” Mike nodded and shoved his hands as far into his pockets as they would go. With this confirmation she continued. “Score a goal for me while you’re away, and I’ll go on a date with you when you get back because tonight I’ve got a hot date with a text book. Give me your phone, and I’ll give you my number.”

Mike wasn’t sure if he should take her seriously or not, but he handed her his phone anyway. She gave it back to him just as the elevator dinged, and the doors open to the first floor lobby.

They both exited the elevator, and she pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her purse. She put them on and turned to Mike one last time. “I’ll see ya around. Better get to those boards tomorrow night.”
He watched her walk away once again, and even though he thought this was a ridiculous premise to date a girl on, he figured a little extra motivation to play better couldn’t be a bad thing.
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