Here's Your Sign
2
“You wanted a sign,” James walked up to Evgeni after their practice in Columbus, “Here it is.”
Evgeni watched as Neal pulled out a poster board and marker. “What this Lazy?”
James laughed, “You said if you got a sign, you’d tell Meg how you felt..here you go bro.”
Geno sat with a dumbfounded look on his face as if his friend were speaking one of the few
languages he had yet to pick up on.
Sidney Crosby laughed, “Told you he woudn’t get it.”
“I meant a sign from…I don’t know who from, but not actual sign you idiot.”
James laughed harder and some of the guys joined in his joke, “I know, but it’s time Geno. I can’t
hold these boys off forever and she’s ready, probably waiting actually.”
“What you know?” Evgeni asked, interested all of a sudden.
“I know that she likes you and that she thinks you don’t like her. I’d say that’s more of a sign than
you really need.”
“She think I don’t like her?”
“You should probably prove you do, just saying…”
“What this for?”
Paul smiled, “Whoever gets interviewed tonight, you bomb it and hold up this sign with whatever you
come up with on it. just write, “I like you,” or “Be my girlfriend already,” on it and there ya go.”
“That easy?”
“That easy,” Paul nodded with a chuckle.
After the game Potash pulled Paul to the side for an interview. Paul nodded at Evgeni who shook his head, “No.”
“Yes.”
Potash gave them a funny look, “He going to bomb this one too?”
“For a good reason,” Paul stated, “And we’re counting on it this time.”
A couple of the guys helped him write down a few words before the interview was over. Paul held
out for as long as he could and then saw Evgeni come into view. Paul grinned and watched his
Russian teammate hold up the sign Meg, dinner tomorrow?
He was high fived and cheered for when he sat in his stall. He waited for the text from Meg, but
dreaded it all at once.
It wasn’t until he and his teammates got to the hotel that he was able to check his phone. he had
texts from friends and his mother, but the only one he wanted to see was Meg’s.
A text would have worked, you know?
He felt stupid, completely fucking stupid.
I know. Bad idea.
He waited for her response but got nothing. He decided to keep this a secret from the guys and tried
to stay to himself that night and until they arrived home the next day. it was hard, considering all the
guys were harassing him about what had happened. He just put on a fake smile and went on with
his day.
Evgeni got off the plane and started walking to his car. He had been the driver for the over night trip
to Columbus, but all of a sudden, none of the guys needed a ride home.
As he rounded the corner to his parking spot he saw a poster board lying flat on his bumper.
Pick me up at 7? was all it said.
He took a quick picture of it and sent it to Meg with a text:
Can’t wait.
The four hours Evgeni waited to pick her up went on forever. He started getting ready around six
and was on his way to Meg’s house by 6:45. He knew that Neal and Martin were probably watching
from a safe distance, but he wasn’t prepared for the line of cars sitting between Paul and James’
houses.
“Great,” he mumbled to himself.
He pulled into her driveway and got out, ready to walk up to the door. When he turned to start his walk, she was already outside, “No, I don’t want to deal with all of this,” she motioned to the mob now outside James’ house.
He chuckled and turned to get back in his car.
“Come on Geno, not very gentleman like!” he heard Fluery yell.
Evgeni flipped him off but did round his car to open the door for Meg. She smiled at him, “Thank
you.”
He nodded and got into the car too.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
He looked at her, finally taking in her dress and heels, “The new place opened last week.”
“Oh,” she nodded, “High hopes for spending all that money on me.”
“Not like that,” he shook his head.
Meg laughed, “I know. But that is a very nice gesture for a friend…”
“And that very nice dress for friend…”
“Is this just a friendly dinner?” she finally asked.
He pulled into the parking lot, “No…?”
“Good,” she leaned over the center console, “I was hoping I didn’t read too much into that gesture
last night.”
He rested his elbow next to hers and smiled. with his free arm, he brushed a strand of hair back,
“Should of done this long time ago.”
Meg nodded, “Should have.”
Evgeni leaned in and gently kissed her lips, “I was waiting for sign that you…that you want this.”
She kissed him, “That a good sign?”
“Very good,” he smiled.
Evgeni watched as Neal pulled out a poster board and marker. “What this Lazy?”
James laughed, “You said if you got a sign, you’d tell Meg how you felt..here you go bro.”
Geno sat with a dumbfounded look on his face as if his friend were speaking one of the few
languages he had yet to pick up on.
Sidney Crosby laughed, “Told you he woudn’t get it.”
“I meant a sign from…I don’t know who from, but not actual sign you idiot.”
James laughed harder and some of the guys joined in his joke, “I know, but it’s time Geno. I can’t
hold these boys off forever and she’s ready, probably waiting actually.”
“What you know?” Evgeni asked, interested all of a sudden.
“I know that she likes you and that she thinks you don’t like her. I’d say that’s more of a sign than
you really need.”
“She think I don’t like her?”
“You should probably prove you do, just saying…”
“What this for?”
Paul smiled, “Whoever gets interviewed tonight, you bomb it and hold up this sign with whatever you
come up with on it. just write, “I like you,” or “Be my girlfriend already,” on it and there ya go.”
“That easy?”
“That easy,” Paul nodded with a chuckle.
After the game Potash pulled Paul to the side for an interview. Paul nodded at Evgeni who shook his head, “No.”
“Yes.”
Potash gave them a funny look, “He going to bomb this one too?”
“For a good reason,” Paul stated, “And we’re counting on it this time.”
A couple of the guys helped him write down a few words before the interview was over. Paul held
out for as long as he could and then saw Evgeni come into view. Paul grinned and watched his
Russian teammate hold up the sign Meg, dinner tomorrow?
He was high fived and cheered for when he sat in his stall. He waited for the text from Meg, but
dreaded it all at once.
It wasn’t until he and his teammates got to the hotel that he was able to check his phone. he had
texts from friends and his mother, but the only one he wanted to see was Meg’s.
A text would have worked, you know?
He felt stupid, completely fucking stupid.
I know. Bad idea.
He waited for her response but got nothing. He decided to keep this a secret from the guys and tried
to stay to himself that night and until they arrived home the next day. it was hard, considering all the
guys were harassing him about what had happened. He just put on a fake smile and went on with
his day.
Evgeni got off the plane and started walking to his car. He had been the driver for the over night trip
to Columbus, but all of a sudden, none of the guys needed a ride home.
As he rounded the corner to his parking spot he saw a poster board lying flat on his bumper.
Pick me up at 7? was all it said.
He took a quick picture of it and sent it to Meg with a text:
Can’t wait.
The four hours Evgeni waited to pick her up went on forever. He started getting ready around six
and was on his way to Meg’s house by 6:45. He knew that Neal and Martin were probably watching
from a safe distance, but he wasn’t prepared for the line of cars sitting between Paul and James’
houses.
“Great,” he mumbled to himself.
He pulled into her driveway and got out, ready to walk up to the door. When he turned to start his walk, she was already outside, “No, I don’t want to deal with all of this,” she motioned to the mob now outside James’ house.
He chuckled and turned to get back in his car.
“Come on Geno, not very gentleman like!” he heard Fluery yell.
Evgeni flipped him off but did round his car to open the door for Meg. She smiled at him, “Thank
you.”
He nodded and got into the car too.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
He looked at her, finally taking in her dress and heels, “The new place opened last week.”
“Oh,” she nodded, “High hopes for spending all that money on me.”
“Not like that,” he shook his head.
Meg laughed, “I know. But that is a very nice gesture for a friend…”
“And that very nice dress for friend…”
“Is this just a friendly dinner?” she finally asked.
He pulled into the parking lot, “No…?”
“Good,” she leaned over the center console, “I was hoping I didn’t read too much into that gesture
last night.”
He rested his elbow next to hers and smiled. with his free arm, he brushed a strand of hair back,
“Should of done this long time ago.”
Meg nodded, “Should have.”
Evgeni leaned in and gently kissed her lips, “I was waiting for sign that you…that you want this.”
She kissed him, “That a good sign?”
“Very good,” he smiled.