One Night

Claire had dropped Geno’s parents back at his house at five thirty and then headed back for her hotel where Geno was coming to pick her up. She showered and dressed, pulling on a light tan colored pair of pants and brown boots. She pulled on a light brown and white colored sweater, adding a brown scarf in the same darker shade of her boots. She grabbed her purse, phone, and key card before heading down to the lobby to wait on Geno.

Geno spotted Claire just inside the lobby as he entered the hotel and approached her. He stopped when he heard her talking lowly on her phone. He had no idea what she was saying but recognized that she was talking Chinese to whomever was on the other end. She laughed lightly and looked up then, seeing him. She looked away quickly as she listened to the person she spoke to and smiled. The pretty smile on her face meant for someone else nearly broke his heart.

She ended her conversation a moment later and stood. “Ready?”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Geno,” she said softly.

“Is it the baseball player?”

“Can we not do this right now?”

“Please, Claire. Tell me.”

“Why is it important, Geno?”

“Because...” he sighed. “I like you. Always like you. I look at your Facebook every few days.”

“You’ve never friend-ed me.”

“Embarrassed,” he blushed.

“You stopped talking to me, remember?”

“Because I am idiot. Let hockey become more important than friendship.”

“Geno....”

“Just tell me, Claire.”

“Wei-Yin is not my boyfriend but we do see each other outside of our professional relationship.”

"He is fuck buddy?"

"No, and that makes it sound cheap. We see each other, casually, when our schedules allow."

"I don't like."

Claire sighed. "You don't have to like it Evgeni. You aren't my boyfriend."

"I could be."

"I don't know that this is a good idea, Geno."

"You have to eat, yes?"

"Yes."

"We catch up, be friends again."

"Fine, let's just go, ok?"

Geno led her outside to his car holding the door open for her so she could slide inside before rounding the car to get into the drivers seat. The drive was silent save for the one time Claire’s phone rang. Geno glanced in her direction. Inside he seethed when he saw the familiar face flash across the screen before she silenced the call. He turned his attention back to the road, gripping the steering wheel more forcefully than necessary.

When he reached his intended destination, he parked but made no move to exit the car. Claire reached for the door handle but hesitated as Geno stared straight ahead. She reached for him and touched his arm lightly. “Geno?”

“Do you even want to be here?”

“I don’t understand...”

“Do you want to have dinner with me?”

“I’m here, aren't I?”

“Are you?”

“You hurt me, Evgeni,” she admitted softly. “I almost didn't take this job because of you. Even though it’s your parents and I adore them, I didn't know if I could see you.”

“Why? We were friends.”

“We were friends. You were my best friend in fact. But then it just stopped. And that hurt. To go from having you to nothing? It sucked. I wanted my friend but he was gone.”

“I’m sorry, Claire. I was stupid. So stupid. I’m sorry.”

“I believe you, Geno. I do, but this is just hard. I’m having a hard time letting go of the those old feelings.” He nodded and turned the car back on, backing out of the space. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere else. You trust me.”

She laughed lightly. “I trust you? Why should I trust you?”

He looked over at her and winked. “Because I am Geno; I best.”

She laughed loudly then. “Keep telling yourself that, Malkin.”

“What? I am best. No one better.” She continued giggling. “What? You think Ovi better?”

She blushed. “You saw my phone.”

“Yes. You are friends?”

“Yes, Alex and I are friends. We have been for a long time.”

“You date him?”

“God no! Alex is not my type.”

“What is your type?”

“Not Russians.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re Russian, moron.”

Geno smiled broadly then. “You like me.” She shook her head before looking out the window. At the red light, he reached over and poked her in the side. “You want me to be your Russian teddy bear.”

“Definitely not.”

“Lie.”

He could see her smile in the reflection of the glass. "We don't even live in the same city so what's the point?"

"Baseball player does not live in same city. You make work."

"That's different."

"How? He is athlete, like me. He travel much, like me. You date him. Now you dump him and date me."

"Hockey is different than baseball, Evgeni, and..." She faltered before sighing. "It's just different."

He held his tongue until he reached his destination and parked. He went around to open her door and held it open for her. He motioned for her to follow and he set off.

"Where are we?"

"The strip," Geno answered.

"It's very public. People are going to recognize you."

"They see me with pretty girl and not bother. Are you hungry?"

"A little. Are you?" His stomach rumbled in response and he grinned sheepishly.

"Sushi?" She nodded her agreement and Geno grabbed her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. She glanced down at their entwined hands and then up at him but he looked straight ahead as they walked.

The feel of Geno's hand around hers felt good; warm and safe. Her skin tingled at his touch. When they had met as kids he had been taller than her but now he was even taller. She felt protected beside him. She saw people notice him and stare, whispering excitedly, but he kept moving, always looking straight ahead. She wondered what people would say tomorrow on the Internet.

She remembered the first time she had hung out with Alex and some of his teammates, and the first time she and Wei Yin had gone out to dinner together. This, with Geno, was different though as she held tightly to his hand, leaning into his touch. She paled around with Alex, almost always in a group of friends, and she never held his hand. Wei Yin was always careful to keep their physical contact to a minimum when they were out in public.

Geno though didn't care. He had taken control and she liked it. She liked the way his large hand engulfed her own small one. She liked the way his body language said ‘she’s mine’. Her eyes drifted to his backside. Yep; she liked that too as she giggled to herself.

“What?” Geno asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

“What?”

“You laughed.”

“Oh, it was nothing.”

“Tell me.”

She shook her head. “No way.”

He chuckled. “Must be something very good. Tell me.”

“You’re not going to stop until I tell you?” He only smiled in response and she sighed. “Fine. I was checking out your ass.”

Geno stopped mid stride in the middle of the sidewalk and slowly turned to face her. He blinked and his mouth was slightly agape, which made Claire giggle again. “Like you don’t know you have a great butt,” Claire told him.

“Never had girl just say it.”

“Bullshit.”

“Is true. Distracted by Sid first.”

“Well he has a big butt too. Yours is just better.”

“Thank you. You have great butt too.”

“You checked out my ass?”

“Of course. I am a guy.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “Check out everything,” he said lowly. “Really like everything too.”

“Geno,” she started but he silenced her with a kiss, soft and gentle with the perfect amount of pressure as his hand moved to the back of her neck, tipping her face and allowing his tongue sweeping access to her mouth. Her hands curled around the fabric of his shirt as she clung to him, falling head over heels into the moment, into him. When he slowly pulled away from her, she blinked up at him.

“Dinner?” He nodded his head in the direction of the restaurant behind them.

She hesitated a beat before taking his hand. "Let's go back to my hotel."

Geno swallowed hard. "Your hotel? You are sure?"

"It doesn't mean what you think it means," she smiled. "I just know we'll never be able to talk if we're here. You're too popular, Evgeni and I want you all to myself."

"I like sound of that," he replied, his voice husky. "I want you all to myself too."

Claire shivered at his words. She had spent many a night dreaming about him over the years. He had been a big part of her life growing up and when he had success as a player, she was happy for him, despite the circumstances of the way they lost touch.

She had wondered about running into him again, contemplating even casually bumping into him at a game in Washington. She never did though, worried he'd forgotten who she was and that she had put more stock in what was between them than he did. It was a year into her friendship with Alex before she told him about her past with Geno, after she had begged off again from meeting his friend who played in Pittsburgh and was still learning English.

It was obvious to her now that he had never forgotten her, and that perhaps the crush she had always had on Evgeni Malkin was one he returned. His kiss, his touch, held promise, but first she wanted to catch up without interruption.

Over dinner at her hotel, they caught up on the years since they had last spoke and Geno hung on her every word. Everything he had ever felt about Claire came rushing to the forefront and his heart pounded in his chest. He didn't want to mess up a thing between them, not now, not here.

"Claire, I am sorry," he declared after they had been there for over two hours.

"You're sorry? For what?"

"I lose you for so long. I am sorry."

"I'm here now though," she said softly, standing up and crossing to him. She put her hands on his shoulders and lowered herself onto his lap. "I'm right here, with you, and all that is in the past. It's what happens now, in the present, that will determine our future."

He smiled. Their future. He liked the way that sounded. "You move to Pittsburgh?"

"I could potentially relocate my business, but it would take some time, probably four to six months at least, maybe longer."

"But we be together, with distance?"

"We could, if you wanted to do that."

"I want that," he nodded eagerly. "You break up with baseball player?"

"We're not together, Geno. I told you."

"You don't see him anymore though?"

"I won't see him outside of our professional relationship. What about you though? Alex tells me that you have a girl from Russia that visits you often."

"I tell her to stay home, not need her. Not when I have you."

"Alex is going to interrogate you next time you play each other."

"Probably threaten to kill me if I hurt you," he added. "He have nothing to worry about though. I never hurt you, I promise."

"I know you won't," she smiled before leaning in to kiss him. "But you should probably head home soon. Your parents are all alone and it's late."

He stood, holding her against his chest as he did. She squeaked in surprise and Geno walked towards the bed. "You really want me to go?" He asked, kissing her neck.

She shivered. "No," she whispered.

"Then I stay."

"Stay," she repeated as he set her down on the bed. She tugged him down with her and he stretched out beside her. Her fingers moved to the buttons of his dress shirt and deftly undid each. He sat up and let Claire pull it off him. With a smile, she stood and disappeared into the bathroom with it. When she opened the door a few minutes later, Geno gaped at her, mouth hanging open.

She giggled to herself as she crossed the room, his dress shirt brushing against her bare thighs. He hurried off the bed and out of his pants, letting them pool around his ankles. Claire sucked in a breath at the sight of Geno in just his snug, black boxer briefs.

"Jesus," she whispered, looking him up and down.

"Ты такая красивая," he said reverently.

"Geno," she blushed.

"Is true, Claire. You are so beautiful. Have always thought so, even when we just kids. In my shirt only better."

She laughed and took his hands in hers. "Can we just sleep tonight, together? I just want you to hold me."

"Anything you want," he smiled. He pulled her against him and lifted her up to him, kissing her. He felt her nipples pucker against his chest through the material of his shirt as she pressed into him.

When he set her down, Claire stole a glance at the front of his underwear, seeing the clear outline of his cock straining the material. She blushed when he tipped her face back up to his. "Can you stay another week, after my parents leave?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. She'd need to cancel one thing on her calendar but knew a colleague that should be able to cover her.

"At my house?" She nodded. "Good; we play the Capitals; we can tell Alex we're together."

"Okay," she agreed. "Now come to bed."