Sequel: I'd Do Anything ›
Status: Say to me, "Why can't we look the other way?"
Hooked on a Feeling
Home Opener
On October 16th, Annalise met Joonas outside the Bell Center wearing her huge jersey. Joonas was shorter than Lars, and had hair so blonde it was almost white and ice blue eyes. He greeted her with an enthusiastic handshake and opened the door.
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” He informed her as they waited for their tickets to be scanned. “Lars doesn’t have a lot of friends outside the team.”
“Good things, I hope.” Annalise laughed.
“Oh, yes. We’re going to have to play pool sometime. So I can see if you’re actually as good as he says you are.”
“Hah! Whenever you want.”
The line moved forward quickly and soon they were on their way to their seats. You could almost taste the excitement in the air. The Bell Center was usually packed, but this was the home opener. Against Boston.
Annalise and Joonas were sitting in the 200’s section, behind the goal Boston would defend twice. Joonas explained that these were his favorite seats because you could see everything, but it wasn’t the 100’s where sometimes drunks made the game less than enjoyable.
Anthems, lights, the sea of the screaming masses in red. Annalise almost couldn’t believe she was there.
~*~
The game ended with a 6-4 victory, and the crowds rushed out to celebrate on the streets. Joonas and Annalise hung back until the crowds were mostly gone, and Joonas led her downstairs and to a restricted access area.
“Joonas!” a security guard grinned. The man was straight muscle, like someone had picked him right up off the Jersey Shore set. “That time of year again, eh?”
“Hey, Ivan.” Joonas said, shaking his hand. “It always sneaks up on us. Ivan, this is Annalise. She’s friends with Lars. Annalise, Ivan is chief of security here.”
“Good to meet you.” He smiled. “Eller told me you’d be coming. Anytime you’re here, I can let you in. I never forget a face.”
“Good to know.”
Ivan and Joonas exchanged a few more pleasantries before the former let Joonas and Annalise by. Joonas led her straight down a hallway.
“I take it you’ve done this before?” she laughed.
“Only every year since Lars was drafted.” Joonas rolled his eyes. “He used to get so homesick. Ah, here. Hold on, let me make sure they’re all dressed.”
Annalise patiently waited outside. The press had come and gone, fans had gone. She and Joonas must have waited longer than she thought for the stadium to clear out.
The door was thrown open to reveal Lars with wet hair and a huge smile. He immediately scooped her into a hug.
“You made it!”
She laughed. “Was it really that much of a concern?”
“Well, no. Come on, meet the guys.”
“Oh, I don’t want to – “
But he was dragging her into the locker room. The atmosphere was estatic, even if it was hot and smelled strongly of sweat and at least four different types of deodorants.
“Ice cream and strippers for everyone!” Carey Price was shouting as he stood on a bench.
“There’s a lady in the room, Price!” PK Subban shouted, reaching over to whack the goalie on the leg. “Don’t be such a pig.”
Price got off the bench and looked at the redhead. “Apologies, miss…?”
“This is Annalise.” Lars said, resting his hands on her shoulders.
Annalise and Carey shook hands. “You can pay for my stripper to make it up to me.” Annalise suggested.
Carey laughed. “Oh, you’re fun. You and Lars coming with?”
“I’m down.”
“Annalise.” Lars laughed, not quite sure what to think. “I have dinner reservations for the three of us.”
“Awh, I wanted to go to the strip club.” She muttered. “Lars, you hate fun.”
“Yeah, Lars.” Carey grinned. “How can you say no to strippers and ice cream?”
“Because, there’s dinner to be had. Maybe we’ll do strippers and ice cream after. Maybe.”
Carey sighed. “Next time, Annalise, ditch this one and come with us.”
She laughed. “Alright, next time.”
“Hey, Price! Quit hogging the pretty lady!” Pacioretty said, walking over. He swooped in and kissed Annalise on the cheek. “Hey, Princess. How’s that pool table treating you?”
“Still like royalty.”
Lars then took her around the room and introduced her to every teammate who was still present. Gallaher politely asked after her sister. Desharnais shamelessly asked why such a pretty girl was hanging around with “a toothless old fool like Eller”.
Later, at the strip club, Annalise would be a popular topic of discussion. The team appreciated that she wasn’t star stuck, that the jersey she was wearing was a slightly older design. But what the hell was Lars doing, stringing a sweet girl like her along?
~*~
Dinner was at a nice sushi-bar not far from the Bell Center. Luckily Annalise had thought to wear a nice sweater under her jersey, so she didn’t feel awkward in surrounded by suits on business meetings. The three of them were seated at the bar as opposed to a table, but Annalise preferred it anyway. She loved to watch the the sushi-chefs work.
“There’s this great documentary.” Annalise said as Joonas poured her more warm saki. “Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It’s about the only three-star Michelin sushi-chef. His restaurant only serves sushi. Nothing else. Training with this man takes a lifetime.”
“You really know a bit of everything, don’t you?” Lars asked, amused.
She smiled and shrugged, mixing wasabi into her soy sauce.
“Isn’t that considered rude?” Joonas asked her.
She shook her head. “Only in Japan or places where they make their own house mixes. Sides, I’m not as bad as you asking for a Fork.”
“I’m European! We don’t know how to use chopsticks!”
“Lars does.”
“Lars has lived here too long.”
Annalise excused herself and headed towards the hostess to ask for the bathroom.
“Lars?”
“Hm?” Lars tore his eyes away from his sake.
<<Not to seem rude, but why do you hang out with her?>>
The question was posed in Danish, as if it was a big secret.
<<She…>> Lars sighed and shook his head. <<You have to understand, I’ve met a lot of people doing what I do. So many of them are one dimensional. Even some of the people I’m closest to are like that. But Annalise. She’s…special. I feel like every time I talk to her there’s a new side to her.>>
Joonas narrowed his eyes at his oldest friend. He had originally assumed that Lars was just bored of Tess. But this was almost worse.
<<She won’t go with you.>> Joonas warned. <<Not while you have Tess. Annalise is a good girl. She’s trying hard to do the right thing with you, but she won't give you up either. I can tell.>>
<<I know.>>
<<So will you leave Tess?>>
<<I don’t know.>>
Joonas made a face in disgust. <<You’re a coward.>>
<<This is a lot harder than you think.>>
Annalise returned to her seat and Joonas poured her another sake, telling a joke about a monk, a rabbi and a priest who walk into a whore bar. But Lars didn’t listen, instead pondering his own cup.
He and Tess had been together for four years. He couldn’t just end it. And then there was that chance that Annalise didn’t want him. Then he’d be even more alone than in an empty apartment full of Tess’ things.
A coward. Joonas had called him a lot of things over the years, but that one hurt the most. Probably because Lars knew it was true.
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” He informed her as they waited for their tickets to be scanned. “Lars doesn’t have a lot of friends outside the team.”
“Good things, I hope.” Annalise laughed.
“Oh, yes. We’re going to have to play pool sometime. So I can see if you’re actually as good as he says you are.”
“Hah! Whenever you want.”
The line moved forward quickly and soon they were on their way to their seats. You could almost taste the excitement in the air. The Bell Center was usually packed, but this was the home opener. Against Boston.
Annalise and Joonas were sitting in the 200’s section, behind the goal Boston would defend twice. Joonas explained that these were his favorite seats because you could see everything, but it wasn’t the 100’s where sometimes drunks made the game less than enjoyable.
Anthems, lights, the sea of the screaming masses in red. Annalise almost couldn’t believe she was there.
~*~
The game ended with a 6-4 victory, and the crowds rushed out to celebrate on the streets. Joonas and Annalise hung back until the crowds were mostly gone, and Joonas led her downstairs and to a restricted access area.
“Joonas!” a security guard grinned. The man was straight muscle, like someone had picked him right up off the Jersey Shore set. “That time of year again, eh?”
“Hey, Ivan.” Joonas said, shaking his hand. “It always sneaks up on us. Ivan, this is Annalise. She’s friends with Lars. Annalise, Ivan is chief of security here.”
“Good to meet you.” He smiled. “Eller told me you’d be coming. Anytime you’re here, I can let you in. I never forget a face.”
“Good to know.”
Ivan and Joonas exchanged a few more pleasantries before the former let Joonas and Annalise by. Joonas led her straight down a hallway.
“I take it you’ve done this before?” she laughed.
“Only every year since Lars was drafted.” Joonas rolled his eyes. “He used to get so homesick. Ah, here. Hold on, let me make sure they’re all dressed.”
Annalise patiently waited outside. The press had come and gone, fans had gone. She and Joonas must have waited longer than she thought for the stadium to clear out.
The door was thrown open to reveal Lars with wet hair and a huge smile. He immediately scooped her into a hug.
“You made it!”
She laughed. “Was it really that much of a concern?”
“Well, no. Come on, meet the guys.”
“Oh, I don’t want to – “
But he was dragging her into the locker room. The atmosphere was estatic, even if it was hot and smelled strongly of sweat and at least four different types of deodorants.
“Ice cream and strippers for everyone!” Carey Price was shouting as he stood on a bench.
“There’s a lady in the room, Price!” PK Subban shouted, reaching over to whack the goalie on the leg. “Don’t be such a pig.”
Price got off the bench and looked at the redhead. “Apologies, miss…?”
“This is Annalise.” Lars said, resting his hands on her shoulders.
Annalise and Carey shook hands. “You can pay for my stripper to make it up to me.” Annalise suggested.
Carey laughed. “Oh, you’re fun. You and Lars coming with?”
“I’m down.”
“Annalise.” Lars laughed, not quite sure what to think. “I have dinner reservations for the three of us.”
“Awh, I wanted to go to the strip club.” She muttered. “Lars, you hate fun.”
“Yeah, Lars.” Carey grinned. “How can you say no to strippers and ice cream?”
“Because, there’s dinner to be had. Maybe we’ll do strippers and ice cream after. Maybe.”
Carey sighed. “Next time, Annalise, ditch this one and come with us.”
She laughed. “Alright, next time.”
“Hey, Price! Quit hogging the pretty lady!” Pacioretty said, walking over. He swooped in and kissed Annalise on the cheek. “Hey, Princess. How’s that pool table treating you?”
“Still like royalty.”
Lars then took her around the room and introduced her to every teammate who was still present. Gallaher politely asked after her sister. Desharnais shamelessly asked why such a pretty girl was hanging around with “a toothless old fool like Eller”.
Later, at the strip club, Annalise would be a popular topic of discussion. The team appreciated that she wasn’t star stuck, that the jersey she was wearing was a slightly older design. But what the hell was Lars doing, stringing a sweet girl like her along?
~*~
Dinner was at a nice sushi-bar not far from the Bell Center. Luckily Annalise had thought to wear a nice sweater under her jersey, so she didn’t feel awkward in surrounded by suits on business meetings. The three of them were seated at the bar as opposed to a table, but Annalise preferred it anyway. She loved to watch the the sushi-chefs work.
“There’s this great documentary.” Annalise said as Joonas poured her more warm saki. “Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It’s about the only three-star Michelin sushi-chef. His restaurant only serves sushi. Nothing else. Training with this man takes a lifetime.”
“You really know a bit of everything, don’t you?” Lars asked, amused.
She smiled and shrugged, mixing wasabi into her soy sauce.
“Isn’t that considered rude?” Joonas asked her.
She shook her head. “Only in Japan or places where they make their own house mixes. Sides, I’m not as bad as you asking for a Fork.”
“I’m European! We don’t know how to use chopsticks!”
“Lars does.”
“Lars has lived here too long.”
Annalise excused herself and headed towards the hostess to ask for the bathroom.
“Lars?”
“Hm?” Lars tore his eyes away from his sake.
<<Not to seem rude, but why do you hang out with her?>>
The question was posed in Danish, as if it was a big secret.
<<She…>> Lars sighed and shook his head. <<You have to understand, I’ve met a lot of people doing what I do. So many of them are one dimensional. Even some of the people I’m closest to are like that. But Annalise. She’s…special. I feel like every time I talk to her there’s a new side to her.>>
Joonas narrowed his eyes at his oldest friend. He had originally assumed that Lars was just bored of Tess. But this was almost worse.
<<She won’t go with you.>> Joonas warned. <<Not while you have Tess. Annalise is a good girl. She’s trying hard to do the right thing with you, but she won't give you up either. I can tell.>>
<<I know.>>
<<So will you leave Tess?>>
<<I don’t know.>>
Joonas made a face in disgust. <<You’re a coward.>>
<<This is a lot harder than you think.>>
Annalise returned to her seat and Joonas poured her another sake, telling a joke about a monk, a rabbi and a priest who walk into a whore bar. But Lars didn’t listen, instead pondering his own cup.
He and Tess had been together for four years. He couldn’t just end it. And then there was that chance that Annalise didn’t want him. Then he’d be even more alone than in an empty apartment full of Tess’ things.
A coward. Joonas had called him a lot of things over the years, but that one hurt the most. Probably because Lars knew it was true.