Getting Back Up

Rebecca had butterflies in her stomach all day at work, nervous about her date with Scott later. She couldn't concentrate on her work, hardly ate lunch, and texted Lindsey what had to be 500 times. Lindsey tried to calm her nerves by reassuring her that he's just a guy and she's just a girl that are getting together for a meal.
Rebecca stared at the dress she layed on her bed, a knee-length, sleeveless black dress with a gold floral pattern. Lindsey had convinced her that it was perfect for the date even though October can be rather chilly, this weekend was going to be unseasonably warm.

She slipped the dress over her head and onto her body. It hugged her curves in all the right places. She put on a pair of earrings that dangled from her earlobes and a necklace that landed perfectly into her cleavage. She fixed her long blonde hair, reapplying a bit of hairspray to her soft curls.

Tyler knocked on her door and poked his head in to see her standing in front of the full-length mirror, nervously playing with her necklace. "You look beautiful mom," he said as he crossed the room towards her.

"Thanks honey," she said as she turned around. "You sure you're going to be alright?"

"Alright? I'll be great. I'm going to meet Scott Hartnell!" Tyler exclaimed.

"Right. Of course. Well if you need anything, I'll have my cell. If something major happens go next door to the Newbury's. I told Erin that you'd be home by yourself and that you'd come over if you needed anything," she said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ok. Don't worry, I'll be fine," Tyler said as he put his arm around his mother's waist and led her out into the hallway. "What time is he picking you up?"

"Seven," she answered as she looked at her watch, "which is in fifteen minutes."

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Scott pulled up to the address she gave him earlier in the week when she relunctantly agreed to the date. He turned off the engine to his SUV and removed the key from the ignition. He exited the vehicle, shut the door, looked up at the house and took a deep breath.

He adjusted the sleeves of his navy blue suit jacket, followed by his pale yellow tie. He carried a single pink carnation, Rebecca's favorite flower according to Tiffany. He wondered if he should have gotten her a dozen.

The walk to the door seemed to take forever, but he had finally arrived. He just needed to ring the doorbell. He looked at his watch. "Come on Scott," he said to himself, "you can do this. Just a man and a woman going out for a meal. Ring the damn bell."

He pressed his index finger to the white glowing doorbell.

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"Oh my god! He's really here!" Tyler exclaimed as Rebecca tried to shush him. "I'll answer the door," he said as he ran down the stairs and flung himself at the door. He composed himself, turned the knob and opened the door to see Scott standing in their doorway, his six foot two frame forces Tyler to look up with his mouth slightly agape.

"You're really...I mean...you're Scott Hartnell. You're standing in my doorway," Tyler stammered as he stared at Scott.

Scott chuckled, "I am. Is Rebecca home?"

"Tyler, pick your jaw up and let him in," Rebecca laughed, "excuse him, he's a fan obviously," she said to Scott as she pulled Tyler away from the door.

"That's alright. I'm used to it," Scott laughed as he put out his hand to offer the carnation to Rebecca, "this is for you."

"A carnation. It's my favorite flower. How did you know?" She said as she put the flower up to her nose to smell it.

"Tiffany. I hoped she was right," Scott smiled and Rebecca nodded. "So, who is this young man?" He asked as he looked at Tyler.

"I'm sorry Scott, this is my son, Tyler." Rebecca said as Scott extended his hand for a handshake. Tyler, still in awe that Scott Hartnell was standing in his house, shook his hand. "Hi," was all he muster to say.

"Nice to meet you Tyler. I hope you don't mind that I'm stealing your mother for the evening. I promise I'll have her home at a decent hour." Scott said as he smiled at the teenager.

"Keep her as long as you want," Tyler said, not really knowing whay he was saying. "Tyler!" Rebecca shouted and smacked his arm.

Scott laughed. "It's alright. I knew what he meant. Are you ready to go?" He asked Rebecca.

"Yes, I'm ready." She responded. She picked up her shawl from the arm of the sofa and draped it around her shoulders and arms. She grabbed her purse from the counter and kissed Tyler on the cheek. Scott opened the door and placed his hand on the small of her back as she walked passed him into the night. Scott watched Tyler plop onto the couch as he shut the door behind them.

"He seems like a nice kid," Scott said, referring to Tyler.

"He's great. Perfect even. I don't know what I would do without him," Rebecca smiled as she talked about her son.

"How old is he?" Scott asked as he led her to his SUV.

"He's fifteen," she answered as Scott opened the passenger side door for her.

"I remember when I was fifteen. I was not nearly as well mannered as he is." Scott said as he closed the door. He walked around to the driver's side and got into the vehicle. "I hope you like Italian," he said as he started the SUV and shifted into gear.

"Perfect," she responded and turned to smile at the handsome man in the seat beside her.

They continued smalltalk on the way to the restaurant. She mentioned seeing the story about his goal the other night, and he seemed impressed that she knew. When they arrived at the restaurant, Rebecca noticed that the small eatery seemed too dark to be open for dinner.

"Are you sure they're open? Doesn't seem like there are any lights on inside." Rebecca asked as she took Scott's hand as he helped her out of the SUV.

"They are very much open," Scott said as he escorted her into the building. The restaurant was empty with only one table donning the white china dishes and crystal glasses for a dinner service. The lights were dim, but there was a single candle flickering in the middle of the table. Other candles had been strategically placed throughout the intimate establishment.

Scott led Rebecca to the table and pulled out her chair for her to sit. Rebecca removed her shawl, draped it over the back of the chair, and took her seat. Scott pushed in her chair and walked to the other side of the table and took his seat. "You look beautiful tonight," he said as the soft glow from the candles illuminated Rebecca's blonde hair.

"Thank you," she responded as she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling a thick strand behind her right ear, "you look very handsome."

"Thank you. We hockey players clean up good, eh?" he chuckled.

The waiter approached the table and greeted his guests. He offered them a choice of wines, and handed them their menus. They made their wine selection and ordered their entrees.

While they waited for their entrees to arrive, Scott took this time to try and get to know the gorgeous woman across from him. They traded stories about their childhoods, him growing up in western Canada, her growing up in Paoli, Pennsylvania. The conversation kept moving fluidly, not once did they share an awkward silence.
They avoided talking about their past relationships, specifically his divorce and Rebecca's relationship with Brad.

They kept the mood light, Scott occassionally teasing Rebecca for her complete lack of sports knowledge. Rebecca apologized for being rude and snarky the first time they met. Scott forgave her and joked that she had to come to a game to watch him play as her punishment.

Rebecca looked at Scott and smiled as they shared a piece of tiramasu for dessert. Scott smiled back and Rebecca noticed that his blue eyes shimmered in the candlelight. She wondered how someone that she barely knew could make her feel so safe.

Scott noticed that Rebecca had been smiling more as the night went on, and hoped that she would be receptive if he asked if she would grant him another date. The waiter brought the check to the table and without even looking at it, he took his wallet out of his pants back pocket, removed a credit card, and handed it to him. He didn't want to take his eyes off of Rebecca.

"Did you enjoy dinner?" he asked.

"Yes, it was delicious," Rebecca responded.

The waiter returned with the receipt and the credit card and waited as Scott signed it and handed it back. "So, would you like to take a walk to burn off some of that amazing meal?" Scott asked, praying that she said yes. He did not want this night to end.

"Sure," Rebecca answered with a smile, her eyes twinkling as the corners of her mouth rounded upward. She didn't want the night to end either.

They thanked the waiter and asked to pass on their compliments to the chef and exited the restaurant. They headed west and made a right onto Broad Street. Rebecca felt like they weren't walking to anywhere in particular, but Scott seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go. Before she could ask, he was leading her across the street towards the Academy of Music. Unlike the restaurant, the venue was filled with people.

"What are we doing here?" Rebecca asked nervously.

"The Philadelphia Ballet is performing Carmina Burana. I thought you might like it," Scott said as he handed the usher their tickets and followed him to their seats.

Rebecca fidgeted in her seat, feeling uncomfortable with her surroundings. Scott noticed she was continuing to look around the room while the other patrons took their seats. He gently placed his hand over hers, which was nervously rubbing her knee, and whispered, "Don't be nervous. We're not the ones that are getting up there in tights." and he shot her a cheeky grin. Rebecca giggled and took his hand in hers and laced their fingers together.

They sat through the performance, not moving except to glance at each other and smile, and when it was finished walked back into the chilly October air. "This is a beautiful city in the fall," Scott said as he and Rebecca walked back to his SUV.

"Yes it is," Rebecca responddd as she felt a chill come over her. Feeling the small shudder, Scott removed his jacket and placed it around Rebecca's shoulders. Shd slid her arm between his arm and his body so that their elbows were hooked and took his hand in hers. "Your hands aren't as rough as I thought they'd be," she said with a smirk.

"It's a secret how I'm able to keep them that way," Scott kidded. They reached the vehicle and Scott opened the passenger side door and helped Rebecca into the SUV. They drove back to Rebecca's house, their folded hands resting on her lap. When they reached the house, they walked towards the door, their pace slowing with each step.

Rebecca took her keys out of her purse and held them in her hand as she looked at Scott. "Do you want to come in for some coffee?" she asked nervously.

"I better not. I have a game tomorrow and have to be up early for morning skate. But thank you for the offer," Scott responded. If only he didn't have to play the Penguins tomorrow, he would have accepted her offer.

"Oh, ok. Well, thank you for dinner and the ballet, I enjoyed them both," she said as she played with the keys in her hand.

"Thank you for agreeing to join me. I hope we can do it again soon," Scott said as he inched closer to her, reaching for her hand he brought it up to his lips and kissed her fingers. He looked into Rebecca's eyes, placed his hand on her jaw, and brought her lips to his.

Although she was hesitant to kiss him at first, having their lips pressed together ignited a flame inside that hadn't been lit in too long. She opened her mouth slightly and allowed his tongue to merge with hers. Their mouths opened more as their tongues massaged each other, until Scott pulled back and placed small, gentle kisses on her lips. He smiled as he opened his eyes and saw her smiling back at him.

"I'll call you tomorrow before the game if that's alright," he said as he held their hands at her sides.

"Ok," Rebecca sighed. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Scott kissed her on the cheek, took the keys out of her hand and unlocked the door. "Sleep well beautiful."

When she finally managed to close the door behind her, Scott took a deep breath and returned to his SUV.

"I'm in love," he said as he pulled away from the house.