A Winter Classic

They did in fact go on to beat the Flyers and he’d called again, just like he’d promised. They’d talked for a while before he’d boarded another plane and she thought she might have heard them come in across the hall much later that night. She’d definitely heard them moving around that morning when she’d gotten up and headed to the gym.

After a quick workout and then lunch with some friends Ellie made her way to a little bakery just off Queen Street. She’d spotted it on her way home from work a few years ago and after trying every flavor of cupcake, pastry and tart they made, it had pretty much turned into her go to bakery. So naturally when she’d heard about Phil’s birthday she’d decided to stop off on her way home. She didn’t know if it was weird, if he’d find it strange that she’d bought him something but she was willing to take the risk. When she walked out of the bakery she felt good about her decision, and she still had a little sugar buzz going as she’d walked through her front door. Ellie looked at the little white box on her counter, after pretty much doing everything she had planned for the day that box was the only thing that remained on her to-do list. Checking herself out in the mirror, making sure everything was in place she grabbed the box and heading next door.

Knocking she waited a beat till the door slid open and there was Tyler, Phil’s roommate who she’d completely forgotten about when she’d decided to come over unannounced. He looked at her expectantly and before she has a chance to say anything he did.

“Hello?”

He looked confused and she didn’t blame him. Maybe strange people knocked on their door all the time, there were plenty of crazy people out there.

“Hi.” She started. “I’m your neighbor…”

She pointed over at her door like she felt the need to illustrate what a neighbor was.

“Ellie?” Tyler asked, brows winging up.

Well clearly he’d mentioned her, even if just in passing.

“Yeah, sorry about just dropping in…”

“No, come in.” he moved aside so she could slide by. “I’m Tyler but I’m sure you know that from all your late night phone calls.”

He winked at her suggestively and she laughed. He had mentioned Tyler a few times, when telling some stories and she’d recognized him when he’d opened the door. The thought that they’d talked about her while she wasn’t around was a surprise to her. Well when she really thought about it, it wasn’t that surprising, she talked about him to her friends why was it unheard of that he’d do the same.

“I’m a little concerned that you think our late night conversations revolve around you Tyler.”

He laughed a big vibrant laugh that made her smile. In just the few seconds she actually knew Tyler she had a feeling they would get along. His posture was laid back and he was friendly, he just rubbed her the right way and when she was about to ask him where his roommate was she saw a flash of movement darting around her feet.

“And who is this?” Ellie asked bending down to put the curly haired dog at her feet. “Aren’t you a beauty?”

The dog leaned into her leg, her head following Ellie’s hand as she pet her.

“Phil never mentioned Stella?” Tyler asked and she could hear the surprise in his voice. She shook her head, petting her once more before straightening up.

“How could he possibly mention her when we were so busy talking about you?” she teased.

“Well it’s nice to know his priorities are straight.” She watched Tyler turn, looking down the hall then back at her. “Is he expecting you?”

“Umm no.” she answered. “I heard it was his birthday yesterday so I just wanted to drop a little something off.”

She wiggled the little white box in her hands.

“He’s back in his room if you wanna go give it to him?”

“I could come back if he’s busy.”

Her plan had really been just to drop it off with him and head back to her place. She couldn’t imagine how tired either one of them had to be after days of travel and games as well as their early morning arrival today.

“No go on.” He started. “He’s just unpacking, boring.”

She looked down the hall then back over at Tyler.

“You sure?”

“Trust me; he’ll make an exception for you.”

Ellie smiled at him before he gave her a little shove in that direction. She followed his directions, around the corner and down the hall till she came across a closed door. She was feeling a little bit nervous now that she was here but decided to channel that into something positive. Three firm knocks later she got a reply.

“Yeah?”

She was gonna say something but decided against it and pushed the door open. She had told herself to be bolder, be more daring and let’s be honest if that horrible phone message hadn’t scared him away she must be doing something right.

“Hey.” She greeted standing in the doorway; then gave a little wave when he looked up at her from behind his suitcase.

“Hey.”

Phil moved around his room, away from his suitcase and towards Ellie. The last few days of phone calls had not done justice to the smoky quality in her voice but he’d gotten to know so much about her, about her personality and that taste had only made him want more.

When he stopped in front of where she stood Ellie reached over, sliding her hands around him, pulling him into a close hug. He was warm and smelled amazing; the clean, earthy scent of his cologne shot right to her head and nearly made her knees go weak. Ellie slid her cheek across his shoulder as he pulled her closer, settling against each other.

“How was your trip?”

“It was good.” He started rocking their bodies slightly. “Long night.”

Ellie pulled back looking into his face.

“I bet, I’ll make this quick then.”

She reluctantly slid away from him, bringing her hands between them and raising the small box to eye level.

“What’s this?” he asked before she flipped the lid displaying the fluffy chocolate cupcake inside.

“Happy Birthday!”

He looked down at the cupcake in her hands, then back at her. He couldn’t really remember the last time someone had actually acknowledged his birthday. He got calls from his family and a few messages from the guys but since it almost always fell during the beginning of the season it usually fell to the wayside.

“I know I’m late and it’s a little silly but…”

She was cut off by his lips on hers. The kiss she’d been waiting for was happening and it took her a few seconds before she could actually do something. Ellie felt his hand slide into her hair, felt the rough texture of his beard against her skin as he pulled her closer. Then she really felt it, fireworks as she slid her empty hand down his arm, resting it in the crook of his elbow. It only lasted a minute before he pulled away; looking down into her wide brown eyes as he watched the end of her sentence tumbled off those amazing lips.

“…I wanted to give you this.”

Ellie looked down and saw that cupcake still sitting in her hand; she could not have been more surprised she hadn’t actually dropped it. His eyes followed hers, taking the cupcake from her before he spoke again.

“I’ve wanted to do that for days.” Phil confessed then laughed as he watched her eyes narrow on him.

She felt so relieved she almost hit him but instead slipped onto the tips of her toes and kissed him again. He was warm and firm with a slight hint of mint and this time she was actually able to take in the moment. When she pulled away this time she was glad he was holding the cupcake instead of her.

“I guess now I know the way to your heart.” Ellie joked watching him unwrap the cupcake, break it into two with his hands and pass her the bigger half. She watched him eat his half as she did hers and when the last bite was gone he leaned in and kissed her again.

“Thanks.” Phil watched her for a second, making sure he hadn’t overstepped but she looked completely comfortable as she sat on the edge of his bed. “How did you know?”

“About your birthday? He nodded and she continued. “They mentioned it in that article Casey sent me and then I might have googled you, maybe…”

Ellie had told herself she wouldn’t, that it was an invasion of privacy but in the end the temptation had been too much. Luckily for him there was nearly nothing on him that he hadn’t already told her or she couldn’t have read in some statistics magazine.

“Yeah? Anything interesting?”

She watched him look away then move across the room, back to the other side of the bed and back into his suitcase.

“Nope.” she answered watching him. “You’re much more interesting in person.”

He didn’t acknowledge her answer, throwing clothing into a basket and looking pretty much anywhere but in her direction. She didn’t know where she’d gone wrong but something she’d said had made their step forward turn into a step back.

“I guess I’ll get going then.” Ellie suggested sliding off the bed and back onto her feet. “I just wanted to drop that off.”

She watched the tension in his shoulders disappear; could actually hear him exhale before he spoke.

“No, don’t…” Phil slid the suitcase under the bed then looked over at her. “I’m sorry.”

He moved back to where she was, sat down then motioned for her to sit with him.

“It’s just hard knowing what’s out there and not being able to control it.” He explained. “Things I might not be ready to say yet.”

She knew what he was talking about, the one thing he might not be completely comfortable bringing up with her yet and decided that until he was comfortable enough she wouldn’t bring it up either.

“I didn’t mean to overstep.” She shifted closer to him; they sat knee to knee facing each other as she reached out to take his hand. “It was a stupid thing to do.”

And even stupider to actually tell him.

“I just…” he paused and looked at her shrugging his shoulders.

It wasn’t so much how uncomfortable that conversation could be, it was more that little short coming he still felt sometimes when it came down to it. It was stupid, he knew it was stupid, but it didn’t stop that little seed of doubt deep down inside.

“You don’t have to talk about it.” She reassured him. “Not till you’re ready.”

She dealt with this kind of thing every day; cancer was easy to approach in a clinical sense but in a personal since it was completely different. One day when he was more comfortable with her he might talk to her about it, after they’d built more trust. He was a private person, it was the one constant she’d read and this was his story to tell; she had no intent on snooping anymore then she already had.

“And I promise my google-ing days are over.” Ellie reached over placing her hand on an imaginary bible and crossing her heart.

He knew it would come up again and if he took this opportunity he could just get it out of the way but now wasn’t the time, not yet.

“Okay…” Ellie got up again rubbing her hands down her thighs. “I’ll get out of your hair.”

She’d put her foot in her mouth again, it was becoming a pandemic.

“No Ellie stay please.” He looked over trying to convince her to stay. “We just ordered a bunch of food.”

“You sure?”

He nodded reaching for her hand pulling her down into his lap.

“Stay.”

-----

Ellie stayed for dinner, spent the whole night on the couch between two guys who were polar opposites but in a way a lot alike; a lot like her and Casey. They’d ripped on each other, watched TV, eaten food and Tyler had pretty much asked her each and every question he could possibly think of. He was looking out for his friend; she knew that, she could appreciate that, so she’d answered anything he’d wanted to know. If this thing between her and Phil was going to go anywhere she knew Tyler could be a big part of it too.

“Well if Tyler is done with the Spanish inquisition for the night I’m going head back home.” Ellie teased moving up off the couch sliding Stella off her lap. She could tell that some of the questions had made Phil uncomfortable, some were a pretty unsubtle way of asking her what her intentions were with his friend but she’d taken them how they were meant and rolled with them.

“I’m just a curious guy.” Tyler laughed then did something she didn’t expect; her sat up and hugged her. She didn’t know what to read into that but she decided to take it as a stamp of approval, the first of many she’d need in this relationship.“Don’t be a stranger.”

“I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

Phil watched them hug then watched Stella follow Ellie to the door. Stella looked like she was ready to go home with her and he didn’t blame her, he couldn’t compete with a pretty girl and Ellie was definitely that.

“We’ve got practice tomorrow but then I was thinking we could go out maybe grab some dinner.”

They’d had two meals together, two dates even if one had involved Tyler, and they hadn’t left the house. He was determined to actually take her somewhere this time.

“Dinner and a movie?” she countered.

In her head she was already planning what she’d wear.

“Can you be ready by 7?”

“I think I can manage.”

“Good, I’ll see you then.”

Ellie nodded and looked across the hall at her door. It was gonna take some time to get used to the fact that she was dating her neighbor. There was usually a buffer that with them just didn’t exist and if things happened to go sour one day it would make this pretty uncomfortable. But she couldn’t think that way, not this early on so she smiled up at him, pressed her lips to his, and then disappeared behind her door.