Status: In the process of revision.

Brief Encounters

Four

The memories from the wedding that had once been fond to me now were nothing more than a pen that's been pushed to the back of a drawer and quickly forgotten about as another writing utensil was found, and new memories took its place. I moved on since that day, recognizing that there were no big events in the next couple months for me to attend. Instead, I reverted back to how things were, and to be honest, this made me happy. I was never accustomed to change, after all; it only made me binded with stress and sick with apprehension. I hated knowing that there was an unknown to new experiences. Anything that was not acknowledged already was strictly a frightening concept to me, and I was sure I'd never change my preference on that matter.

Sticking to what I was used to, I woke up on early mornings and practiced yoga until Eden would arise from bed and make us both breakfast, him being the better chef in the house. Our conversations were short, keeping to our schedules for the day. As usual, he'd complain about how tedious my agenda was and would try to persuade me to stray from my normal route. However it was only after the fifth time of him doing that in my life, that I'd finally learned to forcefully shut him down, and allow no wiggle room for him to keep pestering me about it. I would have thought he'd leave it alone by this point, but nothing could subside his stubborn attitude. Therefore, after my peaceful demeanor that I once achieved from yoga was shimmied down into a speck of comfortability, I'd plop onto the couch to find something on TV that could potentially brighten my mood again. Eden would be getting ready for work, so it was implanted in my head after my first attempt of using the bathroom while he was, to not bother him. Otherwise, it'd just result in more sass, which would inevitably make me curl up into the bed after he would go out so that a few tears could escape me without feeling like I'd have to stay tough around him. When he was gone, I could vent properly.

Right now I was within the time period where I would go out shopping for groceries and other goods that'd catch my eye. Having already gotten dressed, I left the apartment and strolled down the sidewalk I walked every Sunday. Lucky for me, I lived in a neighborhood without the numerous tall buildings this city was plagued with. I could go to a park just down the street, and have a picnic if I wanted to, or just walk around, relishing the serenity as there was no bustle of traffic everywhere I looked. To add to the list of what made me happy, the weather was warmer than usual and the sky was an overcast gray- empathizing with my current mood.

My destination was Whole Foods, considering not only health class, but Eden too, told me that it was best to get food there rather than anywhere else. I've come to enjoy what healthy opportunities it offered, however I still could not get over my cravings for chocolate and fattening sweets. Sometimes if I was clever enough, I'd be able to sneak a cupcake into the house to save for a later time. Eden only found my hiding place once when I hid a chocolate bar in the pocket of my coat and it had melted. So, when he stuck his hand into my coat to grab a hold of mine as we walked around the chilly park, brown goop slobbered all over his fingers. To this day, I'm still not sure how the wrapper opened in order for that to happen, but it did, and I was kept on close watch after that. It was times like that where I considered leaving him, because my love for such delicacies appeared more vital compared to him. Though I had to tell myself that his restrictions on what I ate were only benefiting me, and that I shouldn't call everything off because of that, despite my instincts telling me to.

I arrived at the market, and I immediately took off towards the fruit aisles, considering that was where I got a majority of the foods to satisfy my sweet tooth. Knowing the list by heart, I carried on throughout the rest of the store with no hassle. It wasn't until I heard a specific voice call out behind me that I was stopped in my tracks, and my nerves shot up in fright.

"Are you following me?" A playful tone asked.

Turning around, I already inferred that it was the man I thought I'd forget about for the rest of my life. Seeing him two times prior in such a short interval of time was unusual, so I had my doubts that it would never happen again. Apparently, I was wrong.

Sidney's eyes scrunched up as a grin settled on his lips. In his hands were two smaller baskets to carry what food he had, which from what I could tell with a quick glance were protein powders and other necessities for a good diet.

"No," I smiled slightly. "To be honest, whenever we seem to have these brief encounters, I never know that you are in any perimeter of me until we are at least twenty feet away from each other."

"Huh... well, maybe we're just following one another around and neither of us know how or why."

"Is that actually possible?"

"I have no idea." He chuckled, before shifting the baskets in his hands. "So, how've you been since the wedding? Caught up on sleep, I hope."

"I've been great actually, thanks. As for sleep, well, I wake up early everyday to do some yoga- it's just a habit of mine. So, I'm never up super late like how I had to be at the wedding."

He nodded his head. "Ah, I see how it is. That's probably why you're shopping here, right? Gotta eat a good diet in order for yoga to really help you out?"

I averted my gaze, feeling nervous. "Somewhat, yeah. Eden's also recommended I come here, and I have been, so."

Sidney looked confused for a moment before registering in his head who Eden was. I was partially glad about that because it meant he didn't dwell on the awkward introduction Eden and him had at the wedding. However, it still felt burdenous to bring my relationship up again in another one of our conversations.

"Oh right," his lips twitched into a quick smile, before faltering. "I actually wanted to ask you a bit about that, and just what's happened since we last saw each other in Canada. I mean, I know we were never close and all, but it's never happened to me where I suddenly keep coming across someone I once knew. It kind of seems like a sign, I guess."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at his explanation, but there was nothing more that could have adequately touched upon what we were both experiencing. For once, even, I wasn't afraid of something this new to me, but that could be because I've known Sidney since we were younger and I have seen him grow up. Perhaps it was the fact of being acquainted with him beforehand that made me feel so relaxed around him and easy for me to talk to him. Although, it surely didn't feel that way the first two times I was in his presence.

"Well, if you're offering to go out to lunch, I'll gladly accompany you. I haven't eaten anything in a while..."

Sidney's appearance seemed to visually brighten as he chuckled, "Yeah, sure, if that's what it'll take for you to chat with me. Um, I'm not sure if you're buying any food that will have to immediately be put into the fridge, so could I meet you in a half an hour at Lorenzo's?"

His eyebrow quirked up a bit as he was trying to figure out if I had known where to go with him later. I nodded, refraining until we met up again to tell him about how I came to Pittsburgh shortly after he did, so I obviously knew where he was talking about.

"I'll see you then," I said, slowly backing away from him in the direction of the checkout lanes.

"All right." He smiled. "Oh! And you don't need to bring any money along; I'm inviting you, so I'll pay."

Normally I'd refuse, but I felt like it would have only made us seem closer than we really were to have done that, so instead, I thanked him quietly and continued on my way to a register. I felt hopeful, which was foreign to me in this day and age, but my mind couldn't quite shut out the new thought of how I'd tell Eden about this. He and I would typically take a walk around the time I'd be out with Sidney...

. . .


A note seemed to be the quickest and least stressful way to get across to Eden that I'd be out. All I had to do was write the truth, purposely leave my cellphone at home so there was no chance of him bothering me when he'd discover my absence, and just leave the house to carry out my plan. It felt rebellious to do such a simple thing, but then again, going out when I was supposed to be with Eden was never an option before. Now, that didn't mean I abhorred spending time with my boyfriend, it was just that I missed the company of others. If I was lucky, I could sometimes spend the weekend at my friend Libby's house, but even she was busy with the men that came in-and-out of her life. Relationships were confining, after all.

Rushing to tape the note onto the counter and put my shoes back on, so there was no chance of Eden catching me if he came home early, I jogged out the door and down a block so that I was closer to the restaurant. Again the feeling of being scandalous hit me, as I tried to control and slow down my breathing. The jolt of excitement and the fear of getting caught mixed into one disposition that completely took over my body. My thoughts felt as jittery as my hands were, and my eyes flickered at my surroundings like how my previous actions replayed in my head. Everything felt like it was in fast-forward, but for once, I didn't mind.

I arrived at Lorenzo's several minutes later, allowing my perseverance to stall as I tried to find where Sidney was sitting. When my eyes landed on him, I felt my heart pang; he was already staring at me. My feet moved on their own and I was somehow sat next to him a moment later. He took the initiative of pulling the chair out for me, and then when we were both comfortable, he smiled and began talking.

"I'm glad you made it. A waitress came over just before you got here, so I hope you don't mind that I got us just a pitcher of water to drink from."

"No, that's all right," I said, placing the table napkin on my lap. "I'm actually trying to drink more water anyways. Apparently, I'm dehydrated, says my doctor."

"No kidding." He chuckled, mirroring my actions and then taking a bread roll to snack on.

"I was surprised to hear it, too. Though, I guess it make sense. I used to only have about thirty four ounces of water a day, which is less than half of what I'm supposed to be drinking."

"That's hard to believe, but I guess I can't recall you carrying a gallon of water around the hallways in school like some people did."

A laugh escaped both our lips at the memory of seeing a student bring the first ever gallon into homeroom. The notion only caught on after that, and soon enough, there were numerous athletes following suite and carrying their own large capacity of water around. However, I remember that Sidney, even though playing hockey back in his days, never followed the rest of the crowd despite his friends begging him to.

"Those were the times, weren't they?" I smiled, feeling nostalgic.

"Yeah," Sidney cleared his throat. "So, what happened after you graduated, anyways? Everyone seems to know that I left for hockey, but I didn't get to hear about where others went."

The waitress came over with our pitcher before I could answer, and then I was pressured to find something on the menu. Due to the fact that Sidney already knew what he was getting and only took a second to speak up about it, I said the first food that seemed appealing to me. I was happy when I realized it was something I'd enjoy eating, but not so proud when I noticed how expensive it was and knowing I wasn't going to be paying for it. The guilt I felt must have carried on into my explanation, because once I said I went to university here in Pittsburgh, Sidney questioned why I sounded so glum about it. I could feel my face flush at the expense of his worrying over nothing, really, but I couldn't bring myself to telling him that I bought one of the most pricey meals on the menu, so instead, I took a different route. However, it only made the circumstances worse for me.

"Well, I met Eden at university and so it was during a time that I didn't hang around my other friends as much as I should have... I kind of only have a couple close ones now."

Wanting to mentally slap myself in the face, I reached for a bread roll to begin stress-eating off of. I felt Sidney's gaze on my face, and I could only hope that the shadow created from the tree outside the restaurant covered what red inflamed my cheeks.

"So, you and Eden have been going out for a long time then? A couple of years?"

Swallowing a lump of bread, I turned my head to face him. I was shocked to see that he looked genuinely interested in my relationship. If anything, I figured he would have looked a bit repulsed, especially because of how rude Eden was to him when they first met.

"Yeah, about five years now." Trying to brighten the mood, I turned the spotlight on him. "I'm sure you've had a girl way longer than that, though. The fame must have done you good."

A rush of satisfaction filled within me at the sound of his laugh.

"Actually, no, there hasn't been a girlfriend since last April. I've been trying to focus on my career more, and whoever I'm with seems to complain a lot about how I don't get hang around them as much as they want me to. It's a shame, but I'm not sad, you know?"

I felt my body tense with shock and confusion. "What about that blond lady I've seen you with?"

Sidney chuckled again, pondering over his thoughts. "I wouldn't exactly consider her a girlfriend. She's more of my friend, but um, I'm not sure if she wants to take it to the next level."

The intimacy of our conversation only made me feel more heated. I suddenly yearned for the window to be opened so that the fresh air could cool me off. I was flustered because everything seemed so mundane in the grocery store, yet now that this was our first official 'hang out,' I was nervous all over again. Having this be one of the initial conversations of the afternoon and us already going in depth about our love lives was unsettling. Therefore, I cleared my throat, flashed a small smile, and changed the subject. Subtlety was key.

"Well, at least you'll be able to focus on your career, like you said. That reminds me, I've heard you play for the Penguins now. How's that going for you?"

I kept it a secret that I only knew so much about his affiliation with hockey because the day after the wedding, I couldn't restrain myself from looking him up on Google. I figured if he still played just as good as how he was in school, which he was most likely even better, then he must have made it big. I felt smart when the page results showed that Sidney did, indeed, play professionally.

The smile on his face grew larger, and the look inside his eyes told me hockey was everything to him.

"It's fantastic- definitely one of the best things in my life. I've made friends with the best people someone could ever know, I lived with one of the greatest hockey players in the NHL for five years, I participated in the Winter Olympics, and I'm living the opportunity to play how I want to and be rewarded that way." He paused when he noticed the waitress come over with our food, and after he was done adding what spices he wanted to his pasta, he looked back up at me. "It's more than anything I ever expected it to be, and it keeps getting better as life goes on. I'm just really grateful, you know?"

I nodded, having a feeling what it would be like. To pursue in something you spent a lot of time trying to perfect your entire life, and be appreciated because of that, could definitely be deemed extraordinary. For some reason, though, to acknowledge this only made me feel saddened. Growing up, all I've ever wanted to do was make people happy by what I could offer through my relationship with them, and to this day I still try to give it my all. Yet, unlike Sidney, I haven't achieved any of my goals. If anything, my relationships with others keep deteriorating as time flies on by, and therefore everything I've ever hoped to make me feel successful has instead made me feel worthless. I found this was an aspect of Sidney that I felt envious of, but not wanting to plague his happiness, I continued to smile and focused on eating my salmon.

"What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?" He suddenly spoke up after a minute.

My eyes refused to meet his, and instead they wandered on the sights outside the window. I know I shouldn't have felt ashamed, but compared to his career, mine seemed infinitesimal.

Keeping my voice strong, I answered, "I work with a lot of animals, actually. I offer help at clinics every week day, and during my free time I take up pet-sitting."

"That's awesome!" He exclaimed. "Really, that's a great job to have."

The chirpiness to his voice worked wonders on me, and a second later I was smiling all over again as if nothing had ever diminished my mood. I easily felt pride as Sidney continued to assure me that I was notably impacting the United States by helping animals. His praise even made me feel bashful at a point, and I had to tell him to 'shush' because I knew I had been complimented one too many times. The room was beginning to feel hot all around me once more, and my hands grew clammy. However there was not much I could do but sustain the next half hour sitting next to Sidney and try to talk with a leveled voice. When the time came and our dishes were being taken away, and the bill left on the table, shudders shot throughout me. Although I knew of his enormous wealth, I still felt that the salmon I ordered, totaling up to nearly forty dollars, was beyond what was acceptable. This was the first time I really ever hung around Sidney, not the twenty-fifth. I regretted not taking my wallet just in case, because for him to pay that much was insane.

His gaze, though, did not hitch once as he went down the list. All he did was reach into his jean pocket, fish around for the exact number of bills he had to pay plus tax, and lay the money down inside the waitress' check holder. The next moment, Sidney began getting up, and I quickly did the same not wanting him to lavish me anymore than he already did by pulling the chair out for me. I could get up on my own.

We exited the restaurant, and once I felt the wind blow against me, relief flooded my thoughts. There was nothing better than to feel the air connect with what sweat was left over on me and instantly cool me down. The uneasiness that held me captive as I spoke with him inside seemed to have attached to the gusts that went on by.

"Well," Sidney began, putting his hands into his pockets, "thank you for coming out with me, Lottie. It was really nice."

I reached over to give his arm an affectionate squeeze to try to convey how much it meant to me to get out of the house with someone other than Eden.

"It's no problem. Thank you for taking me out."

Both of us stayed implanted to the ground we stood on, neither of us feeling driven to separate just yet.

"Of course..." he drawled. "Say, do you think we could do this again some time? Maybe I could stop by your workplace and play with some of the animals there as you work?"

The Cheshire grin on his face became contagious as I, too, began to sport it. The impulse thumping in my head was telling me to accept the offer and make a date, but my core, going against my will, was demanding that I stop now before making things worse. After all, Eden would grow jealous and who knew if I would develop feelings for Sidney. Though, the words he once stated inside the restaurant came flooding back to me. He wasn't looking for a relationship; he wanted to focus on his career. Therefore if I hung out with him, it was harmless. Romantic intentions would not get the best of us, especially so soon.

"Yeah," I laughed. "That would be fun. You could stop by on Friday- that's the day I spend most of my time in the kennel room."

"Sounds like a plan."

I told him where it is I worked and muttered out a farewell before he and I turned away from each other, and walked in opposite directions. He had a car to drive him back home, which should have made me jealous, considering I was already exhausted from the day, but I swallowed down my laziness and enjoyed what relaxing effect the weather had on me before I actually encountered the storm. The storm being Eden. I already knew we'd get into an argument, but if I made him feel sorry at one point, he'd soften up in the end. What was expected, at the least, was to just spend the rest of my day with him. It wasn't that hard to do, considering I did it all the time.

And if I still wanted to be a rebel by the time I was home, I could even tell Eden of my plans with Sidney for Friday. My reason: "I'm changing up my schedule. That's what you wanted right?"
♠ ♠ ♠
Long time no update, ey? Well, I'm glad to have gotten myself together and put this out at last. I deeply apologize for it almost being a month since my last chapter being posted. I have an explanation, if you are willing to hear it: lots of school testing that I had to study for, tons of homework because my teachers enjoy killing me after just having a vacation, and a lot of resting because of some illnesses I found out I had in the ER of a hospital.

March was a very busy month, so I'm sorry.
This should not happen again.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this update! Things are finally starting to click between Lottie and Sidney- very exciting. Also, what do you think about Lottie's job? I kind of incorporated a piece of me in there because I love animals and my mum constantly tells me that I should be a vet when I am older, heheheh!

I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about the story so far, especially because it's been so long since an update! :)

Also, I just wanted to say that I do read all the comments, so I'm sorry that I never respond back to them. I will if you really want me to, though :3

And as a final note, feel free to check out my Jonathan Toews one-shot, which was another reason I forgot to mention above as to why I was not able to update this story as soon as I wanted to. Yeah.

Ciao!