Be Mine

“Valentines day sucks,” she muttered as she flopped onto the couch in the apartment she shared with her roommate Keri.

“Aww, it’s not that bad,” she smiled in reply.

“Not all of us have impossibly good looking boyfriends.” Her roommate and best friends boyfriend, Brett Bellemore, had met by chance after a game when Brett and his roommate happened to be seated at a table beside Keri and Jenny at a restaurant in downtown Raleigh. They had exchanged a smile and then a conversation was struck. Before long, the two men were moving from their table to the girl’s table and they were having a late night dinner as a group.

Keri laughed. “I wouldn't call Brett impossibly good looking. Incredibly good looking, yes, but not impossibly. Now the Staal brothers, that is impossibly good looking. I mean, there are four of them. Four!” She shook her head in disbelief. “Look, Brett is having a bunch of the guys over for the game at noon tomorrow. Why don’t you come with me? You busted your ass last semester, you’ve been busting your ass since this semester started. You need a break.”

“By hanging out with you while you act all lovey dovey? I don’t think so.”

“Come on, Jenny. I promise we won’t be one of those couples. It’ll be fun.”

“Fine, I’ll go, but I'm totally cheering for Austria.”



Jenny rode with Keri to Brett’s apartment the next morning and followed her onto the elevator to his fifth floor digs. She knocked at the door before letting herself inside, the door unlocked.

“Hey Bo!” Keri called out cheerfully as they entered. She hugged her boyfriends roommate and kissed his cheek. “Happy Valentines Day!”

Drayson Bowman rolled his eyes at her but smiled and returned her greeting before turning to Jenny. “How have you been, Jenny?”

“Good, thanks. How are you?” Jenny asked politely. They had been introduced on a few occasions. Since he was Brett’s roommate and closest friend on the team, Keri knew him just as well as she did her own boyfriend and she often had both boys over for dinner. Drayson was a nice guy with a girlfriend back home in Michigan that Jenny had met once.

The two made small talk as Keri disappeared down the hall to Brett’s room. They heard Keri’s laugh as she made her way into the kitchen. Brett appeared moments later and picked his girlfriend up in a hug, holding her tight before kissing her.

“Put me down!” Keri protested loudly. “I promised Jenny there would be no funny business. We are in serious hockey mode here.”

Brett chuckled as he set her down. “Later,” he winked at her. Keri blushed and turned, busying herself with making food.

“Who all is coming?” Jenny asked as she moved to help Keri with the food.

“Riley, Jiri, and Justin for sure....Jared too I think.”

Jenny raised an eyebrow at Keri who only looked back at her innocently. She should have known Keri was up to no good when inviting her to spend the day with them. She knew that Jenny had a little bit of a crush on the youngest Staal brother and she should have realized that Jared would already be in Raleigh since the Hurricanes AHL affiliate was playing their next two games at the Hurricanes PNC arena home.

“Well you have enough food to feed a small army,” she commented.

Keri laughed. “Even feeding five or six of these boys is like having to feed a small army. I still don't know where they put it all.”

“Our asses,” Brett smirked.

“And what a nice ass it is,” Keri grinned, swatting him playfully as he passed her.

Twenty minutes later, Riley Nash, Jiri Tlusty, Justin Peters, and Jared Staal had joined them and the six guys were sprawled across the couches with the game on TV. Keri was squeezed in between Brett and Riley on one couch. Jenny surveyed the places left and deemed a spot in the floor her best option. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and started out of the kitchen when the front door opened and Jeff Skinner barreled inside.

“Did it start yet?” he asked.

“You’re just in time!” Justin yelled back.

He moved towards the living room, nearly colliding with Jenny as she stepped out of the kitchen. “Oh, sorry,” Jeff smiled sheepishly. “Hi, I’m Jeff.” He held his hand out towards her and Jenny shook it.

“I’m Jenny, Keri’s roommate.”

“I’ve heard her talk about you. You’re a dancer, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“That’s cool. Are you from here too?”

“No; but close, about five hours away. I moved here for school.”

“Is that how you met Keri?”

“Yeah; we were neighbors in the dorm my freshman year and just clicked. We’ve lived together ever since.”

“Hey! Are you two joining us or what?” Drayson asked. “The game is about to start.”

“You better be cheering for Austria with me, Bowman,” Jenny said as she walked into the living room, taking a spot in the floor. Jeff slipped into the space beside her.

The others groaned. “Austria?” Jared said. “Why in the hell would you pull for them?”

“Because I’m American. Of course we want our neighbors to the north to lose.”

“But we’re friends and as friends, we should support each other.”

“No, it’ll be more fun my way."

When Jeff Carter scored his third goal of the game, Keri and Jenny cheered excitedly and exchanged a high five. Jeff poked her side and she looked over at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Thought you were cheering for Austria," he teased.

"No one can resist Jeff Carter though."

"Does being irresistible apply to all Jeff's or just Carter?"

Jenny blushed and he winked at her before turning his attention back to the TV. She glanced back at Keri who nodded her head towards the kitchen. Jenny nodded and both girls stood, retreating away from the guys.

"What was that with Jeff? You were blushing!" Keri exclaimed quietly.

"It was nothing. He was just teasing me about cheering with Jeff Carter with you when I said I was going to pull for Austria."

"That's it? That's what made you blush?"

"No."

"Well?" She asked expectantly.

"I said that no one could resist Jeff Carter and he asked if all Jeff's were irresistible or just Carts."

Keri squealed and Jenny clamped a hand over her mouth. "Everything okay, babe?" Brett called out.

"Just peachy!" Keri called back. "Okay, so Skinner. What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything. He winked and went back to watching the game and I came in here with you."

"Why didn't you say something?!"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Maybe that he's way more irresistible than Carter."

"You want me to lie to him?"

"Okay, so that one is a hard sell," Keri giggled. "Jeff Skinner versus Jeff Carter? That isn't even a contest."

"I think he's just being nice, since I'm your friend."

"I will give you that Jeff is a nice guy but that was flirting and I've never actually seen him do that. I think you're selling yourself short. You're hot. I think he likes you."

"No," Jenny said, looking away.

"Yes. Look at you. You're tiny and lean and all perfect dancer body. Your hair is shiny, your eyes always sparkle, and you smile probably as much as he does."

"Come on; we're missing the game."

They returned to the living room and Jeff looked over at Jenny as she sat. "Everything okay?" He asked as the others chatted amongst themselves.

"Mm-hmm."

"Girl talk?"

"Yeah."

"About valentines day?"

"Yeah. She was telling me about her and Brett's plans tonight."

"What about you? Do you have plans?"

"For valentines day? No."

"What about tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Tomorrow. Do you have plans?"

"No."

"Do you want to go with me to the checkers game tomorrow? We can get dinner after."

"Like a date?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" Jenny asked.

"Why not?" Jeff countered.

"Did Keri put you up to this? Is she paying you to be nice to me?"

Jeff chuckled. "I was not coerced into anything. I think you're pretty, you seem very nice, and I'd like to get to know you."

"Oh. Will you excuse me?" She stood abruptly and hurried to the kitchen. Keri watched her go and when she was sure Jenny was out of earshot, leaned forward and bopped Jeff in the back of the head.

"What did you do?" She hissed at him.

"Nothing, I swear. We were just talking."

"Go fix it."

"I'll fix it," Jared offered, standing up. "Your friend is hot, Keri."

"You most certainly will not fix it, Jared Staal. Sit your ass down. You, Skinner. You need to stand up and get into that kitchen right now."

Jeff stood, only slightly intimidated by Brett's girlfriend and walked into the kitchen. "Do you want to get out of here?" Jeff asked as he leaned in the doorway.

Jenny looked up at him. "In case you hadn't noticed, most of the city is still closed from the last three days of snow we got."

"Do you want to go to my place and watch a movie?" Her eyes widened. "Or your place if you'd be more comfortable. That way you can kick me out."

"I rode over with Keri."

"I drove."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

She nodded. "We can go to my apartment."

"Cool." He pulled his keys from his pocket. "You ready?"

"Just give me one second."

"Of course."

As she moved past him, Jeff reached out and grabbed her wrist. "If I make you uncomfortable, you can tell me. I won't be offended."

"You don't make me uncomfortable. Guys just don't usually talk to me."

"College guys are dumb then. I've seen you with Keri a few times but was too nervous to say hello before and introduce myself. But I wanted to. Eric teased me about it."

"I'm really glad you said hello today."

"Me too."

Jenny stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek quickly. "I just want to tell Keri I'm leaving." Jeff nodded and watched her as she leaned over the back of the couch and whispered with her friend. Keri looked back at Jeff as Jenny turned away, pointing two fingers at her eyes and then at Jeff with a serious expression.

He nodded and Jenny glanced back at Keri who had already turned her attention back to Brett. "She's protective," Jenny said as she followed Jeff outside.

"Keri's older than you?"

"She's twenty five, I'm twenty two. She was a junior when we met. She's like my big sister."

"Does she tease you?"

"Not usually. Mostly she just gives me advice and encouragement."

"Eric is kind of like an older brother but he picks on me a lot. And if I ask him for advice, he either laughs or gives bad advice."

"Do boys ever grow up?"

"Probably not."

Jenny giggled and Jeff held the door to his car open for her as she climbed inside. They talked on their drive to her place, Jenny giving him directions.

"This is nice," Jeff commented as she let him inside fifteen minutes later.

"It's close enough to campus I can walk when it's nice out," Jenny replied. "Do you want the grand tour?"

"Sure," he smiled.

"Kitchen," she pointed as she led him deeper inside. "Living room, which I apologize for my mess. I have a paper due next week I've been working on." She walked down the hall and he followed. "Bathroom, Keri's room," she pointed, "and my room."

Jeff peered around her to glimpse her room for himself. Somehow it was exactly as he imagined it would be and he smiled to himself as he followed Jenny back to the couch. She took a spot at one end and Jeff immediately sat beside her. She smiled shyly at him.

"Movie?" Jeff suggested.

She picked up the remote and turned on the TV, flipping through the on demand selections, agreeing on a recently released comedy. She set the remote aside and Jeff lifted his arm.

"Cm'here," he said.

Jenny moved closer to him and settled in against him, Jeff with his arm closed around her shoulders.

"So tomorrow?" Jeff asked as the movie started. "What do you like to eat?"

FIN