Status: One and Done

Tales of Online Dating.... Sort Of

1/1

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Jaime Benn exploded, jumping from the stall and pushing a hand furiously through his dark hair. He began to pace before stopping to glare at his brother Jordie and then his current roommate, Tyler Seguin.

"This a joke, right? Haha, really funny guys," Jamie continued. "Right? Guys?"

Jordie and Tyler exchanged a look before bursting into a fresh round of laughter. "You made me a dating profile on an online dating website? Are you fucking kidding me?!" He stormed. The season had barely started and this was a headache he did not want or need.

"It's awesome," Jordie told him.

"Take it down!" Jamie demanded.

"No way!" Jordie shot back. "This is great."

"It is not great!"

"Dude, you haven't even seen the responses yet," Tyler added.

"Yeah; you should at least check them out. Pick out a few to meet,” Jordie said.

"I am not meeting random people from the Internet. They could be crazy, or men,” Jamie shouted.

"Relax," Jordie replied. "We didn't say it was you."

"And we didn't use a picture. That gave it an air of mystery,” Tyler smirked. “Trust me, dude, this is a great way to meet girls.”

“Says the douche who chases all the skirts,” Jamie frowned. “I’m kicking you out for your part in this.”

“Whatever,” Tyler shrugged. “There’s an apartment coming available next week on a different floor I was gonna take anyway.”

“Come on baby bro,” Jordie pushed. “Just let us each pick one girl and see how it goes. I will definitely pick a winner.”

“You will definitely pick a psychopath.”

“Then you pick one too. Three women, three dates. My choice, Ty’s choice, and your choice.”

“No! There is no way in hell I am going to go on a blind date, let alone three of them.”

“It’s not a blind date if you see their pictures first,” Tyler pointed out.

“Just take it down, please,” Jamie pleaded with them, turning to walk towards the showers.

“Fine,” Jordie sighed. “We’ll take it down.”

“But!” Tyler started to protested. Jordie shot him a look that silenced him.

“Thank you,” Jamie said, turning to look at both of them. “I’ll find a girl when the time is right, you know?”

“Yep, totally,” Jordie smiled. “Fate and destiny and blah, blah, blah. Got it.” Jamie nodded and disappeared out of the room.

“Dude! Why did you give in to him? This was gonna be so much fun!” Tyler pouted.

“I’m not giving in to him,” Jordie replied.

“But you said.”

“I know what I said. I didn’t mean it. We’re keeping it up and we're gonna pick out a girl for him to meet. We just aren't going to tell him and we’ll tell the girl that he’s embarrassed and that she can’t tell him. It’ll be great. Let’s go grab lunch so we can check out the prospects.”

~*~*~


Morgan Whitfield scanned the people sitting inside the coffee shop. She knew she was looking for a dark haired man, tall, and wearing a green ball cap. Finally, she noticed him towards the back, dark hair sticking out from under the hat, scruff on his face. She frowned but made her way towards him.

"Jordan?" She spoke as she approached him.

He stood. "Morgan?" She nodded as he gave her the once over. He held his hand out to her. "You can call me Jordie. Everyone does."

"Darth!" They heard a male voice call across the shop. The man hurried towards them. "Is this her?"

Jordie rolled his eyes. "Morgan, this is my friend Tyler."

"Um, hello?" She replied cautiously.

"You said she was a redhead," Tyler said to Jordie.

"He didn’t mention a friend," she shot back. "Or having a beard. I'm out of here." She turned to leave and Jordie reached for her wrist.

"If I can just explain, please," he said politely. "Two minutes and then it's your choice, Morgan."

"Two minutes," she agreed.

The all sat and Jordie launched into his tale. About wanting to find someone for his brother, about setting up the profile on the dating website to find him a girl, about picking her profile with Tyler and wanting to meet her before introducing her his brother.

Morgan chuckled as Jordie wound down his story. What were the odds? Her sister had no idea she had set up a dating profile on the same website with the intention of picking a guy that would be perfect for her and setting her up unknowingly.

“What’s funny?” Tyler demanded as a smile spread across her face. “It was a good idea,” he said sullenly.

“It was a great idea. So great in fact that I did the same thing,” she replied.

“I don’t follow,” Jordie said.

“I set up that dating profile for my sister, Devon. I set it up to find a guy, to meet him, to approve of him first, and then set her up unwittingly."

Jordie laughed, a deep rumble that made the corners of his eyes crinkle and a smile spread across his face. It lit Morgan's skin on fire. "Great minds think alike. You the older sister?"

"Yep. Older brother?"

He nodded. "What else do we have in common, Morgan?" He asked, leaning forward and meeting her eye.

“I don’t know, Darth,” she teased, using the nickname she had heard Tyler use. “Should we get dinner tomorrow night and find out?”

Jordie grinned. “Dinner and a movie?”

She grabbed a napkin from the table and a pen from her purse, scribbling her number across it and sliding it to him before standing. “Pick me up at seven. We’ll brainstorm ideas to introduce our baby siblings without them knowing.” She waved before breezing out of the coffee shop.

Jamie turned to Tyler with a smirk, grabbing the napkin. “I think I’m in love.”

~*~*~


Devon Whitfield laughed as her sister pulled into the parking lot of the dive bar just outside the city. "Karaoke!" she exclaimed. "I love karaoke! Thanks, Morgie." She leaned between the seats to hug her sister before jumping from the car after she parked.

"You need to get out, meet people. And you love this so for one night, I can do it, for you."

"Best big sister ever!" Devon said before threading her arm through Morgan's and walking inside. She made a beeline to sign up to sing as soon as she spotted the table and Morgan chuckled to herself as her sisters red hair flew behind her.

It had been eight days since Morgan had met Jordie, seven since their date where they had concocted a plan to take their baby siblings to the same Dallas nightclub in two days. He had been on the road the last five days and the night out was to coincide with the two sisters going to the Stars game first and then heading to the club where the two would accidently on purpose bump into each other. It wasn’t the most solid of plans but Morgan and Jordie had been a little distracted with each other to hammer out all the details. An outline would have to suffice that had decided.

Morgan made her way to the bar and ordered a pair of martinis for her and Devon. She turned leaned back against the bar to survey the room after ordering, knowing she had a minute or two to appraise that night’s selections. She scanned the crowd, a healthy mix of people of all ages. And plenty of cute guys. She winked at one who caught her eye and as he made her way towards her, he abruptly stopped and hurried off, as Morgan felt a heavy arm slide around her shoulders.

She turned to yell at the offending owner and found herself face to face with Jordie. "Jordie!" She hissed. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing making eyes with guys that aren't me?"

"I asked my question first."

"Which I will answer after you answer mine."

“Not until you answer me.”

"You are a very stubborn woman, Morgan Whitfield."

"I know and I prefer headstrong. Now spill."

"Some of the guys thought it'd be fun so here we are."

"Some of the guys as in your teammates?"

"Yes."

"Tyler?"

"Yes. And Jamie."

"Jamie?! We agreed to have them meet Thursday."

"Your sister is here?"

"You think I like karaoke?"

"I thought you sang pretty good the other night," Jordie smirked.

"What happened in your bed was not singing," she teased back.

"When can we do that again though?" He pulled her into his body, an arm around her waist. "And why were you making eyes at that guy?"

"I was looking at my options for the evening and he seemed like a good start."

"You don't need options. You've got me."

"We've been on one date."

"One really great date that lasted two days."

"In your apartment."

"In my bed." She blushed. "I like you, Morgan."

"I like you too but weren't we supposed to be setting up our siblings?"

"No harm finding something for ourselves too, is there? Come on; you're sitting with us."

"Morgan!" Devon called out as she made her way through the crowd. "Oh! Hi," she said quietly to Jordie.

"Devon, this is Jordie. We met last week at that coffee house I love. Isn't he cute?"

Jordie shook his head and chuckled. "Devon, it's nice to meet you. I heard all about you from your beautiful sister. And I just invited the both of you to join me and my friends."

Morgan smiled and took Devon's hand in hers, squeezing it. "It'll be fun. You said you were ready to get back out there." She nodded just as the bartender set their drinks on the bar top.

“You can put those on my tab,” Jordie said firmly. The bartender nodded and moved on to his next customer as Morgan slid a couple singles into the tip jar.

“Thank you, Jordie,” Devon smiled.

“No problem. Come on, we’re this way.” He placed a hand at the small of Morgan’s back and guided her through the bar, Devon close behind him. He reached back and grabbed her hand in his to keep from losing her as the small bar was quickly becoming crowded.

“I had no idea karaoke was so popular,” he mused aloud.

“This is one of the best karaoke nights in all of Dallas County,” Devon told him. “If you got a table, you either got here early or are just plain lucky.”

“I hope to get lucky tonight,” he grinned as they neared the table.

Morgan smirked back at him over her shoulder. “I’ll have to see how you handle a microphone first.”

He pulled her back to his side, holding her close to him and bent his head close to hers. “I’m pretty sure you’ve seen me work my microphone just fine already,” he said low in her ear.

She felt her whole body come alive at his words but she only smirked at him. “I might need a refresher.”

“Doubtful. I bet your panties are wet just thinking about it.” He straightened and smiled at his friends. “Guys, this is Morgan and her sister Devon.”

Morgan flashed a dazzling smile at the table. “Hello boys.”

“Hey Morgan!” Tyler called back.

“How do you know her?” the tall brunette beside him elbowed him.

“Tyler rudely interrupted mine and Jordie’s meeting at the coffee shop last week,” Morgan answered.

“I wasn’t rude!” Tyler protested.

“You kind of were. You must be Jamie,” she continued.

“Uh, yeah. I’m Jamie.”

“Nice to put a face with the name,” Morgan smiled as she reached across the table to shake his hand. "Jordie told me all about you." The others introduced themselves as the first person took the stage for the night.

An hour in and Morgan was joking and laughing with the table of hockey players like she had known them her whole life. Devon sat just removed from the group, sipping her drink and watching all of the people. She wasn’t a social butterfly like her sister, tending to be much more quiet around new people and letting them come to her. She was three years younger than Morgan but they shared the same heart shaped face and the same little turned up nose, brown eyes, and high cheek bones. They were the same height (an average five foot five) with similar builds, but where they differed was their hair. Morgan had bouncy, jet black curls, shiny just like their mom, and Devon had straight, copper red hair inherited from her dad’s side of the family.

“Hey,” Tyler said, as he pulled a chair over and sat beside Devon. “I’m Tyler. It was Devon, right?”

She nodded politely. “Mmhmm. It’s nice to meet you, Tyler.”

“Can I get you another drink?”

“Um, okay.”

“Great,” Tyler smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

Morgan elbowed Jordie sharply as she watched Tyler stand and head towards the bar. “What is he doing?” she whispered to him, inclining her head in Tyler’s direction.

“Probably flirting with your sister,” he answered.

“Why?”

“Because she’s pretty and a girl and Segs likes girls?”

“Is he mentally challenged also? Like, he does realize that’s my sister, the same one we talked about a week ago, right?”

Jordie laughed. “Possibly he is also mentally challenged.” He glanced around the table for Jamie and whistled to get his attention. “Jamie, do me a favor and keep Tyler away from Devon, will ya?” Jamie nodded and made his way towards where Devon sat by herself, taking the seat Tyler had vacated.

“Hey.”

She looked up and found herself startled by his dark eyes but then drawn into their kindness. “Hello,” she replied.

“So I guess your sister didn’t like that Segs was talking to you so my brother sent me to keep him away. Unless you’re into him in which case I can tell them both to fuck off and let you have your fun.”

“I’m not...we’re not...I mean...” she swallowed and took a calming breath. “He just came over and asked if he could buy me a drink.”

“That sounds like Tyler,” he nodded. “I’m Jamie by the way.”

“I remember,” she smiled shyly. “I’m Devon.”

“I remember,” he teased. “So, are you going to sing tonight?”

Devon nodded. “I signed up as soon as Morgan and I got here. Just waiting to hear my name. What about you?”

“No one wants to hear me sing.”

“I’m sure you’d do great.”

“I don’t think so,” he chuckled. “But let me have a couple more beers and maybe.”

“Up next, Devon,” the DJ announced. “Devon, come on down.”

“Looks like I’m up,” she said as she stood.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks,” she smiled as she made her way towards the stage.

She waited for the person before her to finish and then stepped up, accepting a microphone and stepping out into the middle of the stage. She waited for the familiar strains of the uptempo Shania Twain song she had chosen to start but instead the slow piano start to Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now came on. She looked over at the person running the night and spoke into her microphone.

“I'm sorry, but this isn't the song I picked.” The man shrugged and motioned at her to sing. She was frozen for a moment. It was a duet but she was standing alone. “Anyone want to duet with me?” she giggled nervously before launching into the first verse.

Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor.
Reaching for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore.

And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?
For me it happens all the time.


“Oh no!” Morgan exclaimed. “That isn’t her song. Jordie, you have to go sing with her.”

“What?! Why me?”

“Because someone has to be the hero!”

“I’ll do it,” Tyler offered.

“No!” Jordie and Morgan yelled at him.

“I don’t know this song,” he said to her as Devon began to sing the chorus.

“How do you not know this song? You like in Texas!”

“But I'm Canadian.”

“They don’t have country music in the great white north?”

“Jamie listens to this. He can do it.” They noth turned ot him expenttantly and he looked back with wide eyes.

“You aren’t serious, are you?” Jamie asked.

“Don’t you want to be a hero, Jamie Benn?” Morgan asked, hands on her hips.

“I’m pretty sure you have to, you know, since you’re captain. Rescuing Texas girls in distress is like an obligation of the job,” Jordie added.

Morgan pushed him forward. “Just go. It’s almost your turn.”

Jamie pushed his way through the crowd and reached the stage just as Devon finished singing the chorus. He grabbed a microphone from the host and stepped onto stage with her, saying a silent prayer and hoping for the best.

Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door.
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before.

And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?
For me it happens all the time.


Devon felt her heart in her throat as she watched Jamie approach the stage and then step out with her, singing the male part of the song. She mouthed a silent thank you to him and he smiled and her heart stopped. He moved closer to her and reached for her hand as they sang the words to the chorus together.

It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call but I've lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without.
I just need you now.


She stepped into him, their bodies only separated by mere millimeters. His gaze held hers as they faced each other, the rest of the room fading away with the world. It was a definite moment, one that she had always thought happened only in fairy tales but it was happening in her real life, right then, right now. She reached out, pushing a stray curl of his hair off his face.

Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all.

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without.
I just need you now
I just need you now.
Oh, baby, I need you now.


Jamie wasn’t sure if it was the lights or the music or the three beers he had consumed, but he was definitely drunk on the moment. As the music faded, he leaned in and kissed her. Deaf to the approving roar of the crowd, he was lost in Devon, the feel of her lips against his, the way she kissed him back, wrapping an arm around his neck to steady herself.

“Wow,” she whispered, touching her lips as they broke apart.

“Yeah,” Jamie agreed softly. He looked away from her and out over the crowd, realizing then they were still in the middle of a karaoke stage in a bar. He tugged her hand in his and pulled her off the stage and back towards his friends and her sister.

Morgan pulled Devon into a hug. “That was soooo good,” she gushed. “I’ve never heard you sing better.”

“Nice save,” Jordie added, knocking his shoulder into Jamie’s.

“And you thought meeting someone online would be a bad idea,” Tyler laughed.

“What?” Jamie asked, turning to glare at Tyler.

“I, uh..oh, hey, is that Cody over there? I think I’ll just...” He moved to get away from the table but Jamie grabbed his collar.

“Spill. Right now.”

Tyler looked helplessly at Jordie and he sighed. Morgan reached over and slapped the back of Tyler’s head. “Fucking moron.”

“You told me you took that down,” Jamie said to Jordie.

“I did. But I met Morgan first.”

“You met a girl based on my profile?!”

“Sort of,” Jordie grinned.

“I made a profile for Devon,” Morgan admitted. She turned to her sister. “Dev, I just wanted to find a really great guy for you. And Jordie was just trying to find a really great girl for you, Jamie. It turns out we found each other, two older siblings trying to do what’s best for our little brother and sister. Don’t our good intentions count for something?”

“You made a dating profile and pretended to be me?” Devon squeaked.

“Jordie is the only guy I met through the profile. And when I heard his story, I knew that was it. It’s fate!”

“And didn’t you tell me you’d meet a girl when the time was right because of fate and destiny, and blah, blah, blah?” Jordie questioned Jamie.

“Okay, look,” Morgan started. “We might have planned to set you two up but tonight, you're meeting here, that was not a setup. We were going to introduce you on Thursday night. Not here, not like this. Those stars aligned all on their own.”

“And you’re going to have to see each other constantly anyways since Morgan and I are together and shit,” Jordie added.

Devon looked over at Jamie who stared at her. “Are you crazy?” Jamie finally asked.

“No,” she replied indignantly. “Are you?”

“Probably. I mean, this is somehow making sense to me.”

“They did have our best interests at heart.”

“You didn’t know?”

“No idea. You did?”

“They told me they had done it but they also told me they were gonna take it down. I’m an idiot for believing them.” He ran a hand through his hair. “That was really fun though....do you want to get out of here, go someplace quieter?”

“There’s a vietnamese place not far from here.”

“Bistro B?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“I love that place. They have the best pho.”

“I love their pho,” Devon smiled.

“Did you drive?”

“No.”

“Great; that means Jordie and Tyler can hitch a ride with your sister because I did. Come on.” He took her hand in his and Devon waved a goodbye to her sister before letting Jamie lead the way out of the bar.

~*~*~


“So?” Morgan questioned, jumping on her sisters bed the following morning. “How was your pho date with Jamie?”

“Very nice. I know I should be mad at you for making a dating profile of me and screening guys on the internet but I can’t be.”

“He’s hot, right?”

“Yes, but he’s also kind and caring and considerate and funny and basically perfect,” she swooned.

“And there’s two of them!” Morgan squealed. “We’re dating brothers!”

“Jamie and I aren’t...I mean, we didn’t talk about that.”

“Trust me, you’re dating.”

“If you say so.”

“I know so. I'm making breakfast. Should be ready in twenty minutes.”

Devon waited until Morgan had closed the door behind her before grabbing her phone to text Jamie.

Are we dating?

Yes.

Oh.

Unless there’s someone else?

No! I just....okay.

Is that a facebook official kind of okay? ;)

Yeah, something like that. :)

Wanna grab dinner tonight?

Yes. I know this really great burger place we can go to.

Please tell me you love Maple and Motor as much as I do.

Yes!

Pick you up at seven?

It’s a date.

I’m really glad Jordie made me an internet dating profile.

Me too...but replace Jordie with Morgan.

Gotta head to practice. I'll call you later.


Jamie walked into practice with a beaming smile. He dropped his things at his stall and began to get undressed and into his gear, whistling to himself as he did.

“Good night?” Jordie asked as he sat down in the stall beside his brother.

“I’m sorry for ever doubting you,” Jamie answered.

“That good, eh?”

“It wasn’t like that but she did let me kiss her again, and gave me her number. We’re going out tonight."

Jordie smiled and slapped his brother across the back. “Way to go, Chubbs!” he said before sauntering across the room.

“Would you quit calling me that?” he called out after him.

"Maybe one day but not today."

"Asshole."

"I know but you love me anyways," Jordie smirked. He picked up his phone and texted Morgan.

Mission accomplished.

FIN
♠ ♠ ♠
You would think having five months to figure out a story would be more than enough time to properly write a story, especially when I had an idea right away. Not the case. I knew how I wanted it to start, and how it should be getting there? That proved to be a great difficulty for me. It's probably not all that great but I got it done on time for the deadline of the contest which was important to me. So I hope you enjoy it and maybe one day I'll revisit these characters. There's plenty of relationship to explore after all.