Flying High

3. Part of the Business

(Regular POV)

It had been several weeks since Max had moved in. Preseason had come and gone, the Flyers having a 4-3-0 start. Max was getting use to the area and the team had welcomed him with open arms; his clown-like personality helped of course.

Cassidy had been in and out of the apartment with the guys, she was an enigma to Max; here was a gorgeous girl, surrounded by – arguably – handsome and wealthy men, yet she didn’t show the slightest interest in any of them.

Max had learned that Jakub and Mason lived in the other two apartments and left their doors open like Claude did; this was so the floor mates could come and go as they pleased. Unfortunately this also welcomed several unwanted wakeup calls from the girl across the hall.

One of these mornings, Max awoke to his bed bouncing as a redheaded tornado entered his room, singing at the top of her voice.

“Ugh!” Max groaned and rolled over, covering his head with his spare pillow.
Cassidy jumped on his back, “Wake up! It’s a BE-U-TI-FUL MORN-ING!!!!!”
“Cassidy! Get off!” Max easily rolls, causing the woman to slip off the bed.

She landed with a loud thump before springing to her feet and shaking the defenseman, “Please Max! Claude already tossed me from his room and Jak and Mase wouldn’t let me in. I’m hungry and you’re out of food.”

Max looked and saw Cassidy pouting, he chuckled, “Why are you looking in OUR kitchen for food anyway?”

“Because I’m out of food too. Besides, I know the BEST place to get waffles….. And I’ll buy. So PLEEEAAASSSEEEE come with me,” Cassidy batted her eyes.

Max let out a sigh, “Fine,” Cassidy squealed and wrapped her arms around the large man’s neck, “But you’re NOT buying.”

Cassidy sprung away, “we’ll see about that, Mr. Talbot.”

Cassidy waltz out of the room, leaving the Frenchman in awe.

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(Cassidy’s POV)

I watched as Max’s blue orbs rolled to the back of his head when he took the first bite of the buttery-syrupy goodness that was Mannie’s Waffles.

The place was little known to anyone who didn’t grow up in Philly but the locals loved it and Mannie knew everyone by name and order – including me.

I caught myself smiling as Max took another, larger bite, “You like ‘em?”
He swallowed before saying, “These are the best waffles I think I’ve ever had.”
“That’s Mannie for you. He’s from Belgium, his recipe is an old family one passed from generation to generation,” I say before taking a bite.

“She is correct, mon ami, and it is the best,” I hadn’t realized that Mannie had walked up behind me.

Max gains a look in his eye that I hadn’t seen before as he shakes Mannie’s hand, “ravi de vous rencontrer. Je suis Maxime Talbot.” (nice to meet you. i'm Maxime Talbot.)

Mannie perks up, my jaw hits the floor, “vous êtes français ! Quelle merveille! que faites-vous à Philadelphie?” (you are French! How wonderful! what are you doing in Philadelphia?)

“je suis de Montréal , ici pour le travail . Je joue au hockey pour les Flyers,” Max answers, my head swivels back and forth as the two men converse. (i am from Montreal, here for work. I play hockey for the Flyers.)

“ce est incroyable. vous devez revenir avec celui-ci - elle est une force,” Mannie motions toward me and I can only assume the two are talking about me. (that is amazing. you must come back with this one - she is a force.)

I speak up, “Hey! It’s not nice to talk about someone in another language while they are sitting right here.” I give the two men my best serious face as they both chuckle.

“For give us, mon fille. I was simply enjoying my native tongue. It has been many years since I have spoken to someone other than family,” Mannie apologizes.

Max pipes in, “You haven’t brought Roo here?”
“excusez-moi,” Mannie leaves to attend to another customer.

I turn back to Max, still slightly amazed, “No, I haven’t brought any of the guys here, except for you.”
Max gives me a quizzical look, “Why not?”

I shrug, fighting down the embarrassment that I feel creeping in, “I wanted to make sure you felt welcomed. It can’t be easy to move away from friends.”

Max stares at me but his mind is a hundred miles away, “Yeah, but it’s part of the business.”

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(Max’s POV)

It’s the end of practice and I’m the last person on the ice. I was just skating around, thinking about the conversation I had with Cassidy earlier that morning. It had caught me off guard, I mean, I knew the guys had welcomed me but I really hadn’t felt like the city was home yet.

My thought had drifted to our upcoming regular season, the first game would be against Nicole and her new team – the Blackhawks.

I still hadn’t spoken to her; she had ignored all calls and text from me over the summer and had done the same to all the guys she had befriended. I found out the previous day though, that she had started talking to almost everyone on the Pens team and had even gone to see them after Preseason was over.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn’t hear the other pair of skates hit the ice until a stick tapped my shin. I looked up and saw Giroux staring at me.

“That’s a look of a man deep in thought,” Roo said, giving me his signature missing tooth smile.
“I was until your ugly mug interrupted,” I chirp my new Captain back.

“What’s on your mind roomie?” Claude glided beside me.
I sighed, “Thinking about the Hawk’s game. It’s going to be strange playing against Nicole.”

“It’ll be okay,” Giroux brushed it off, “I thought you were thinking about Cass. You two disappeared this morning.”

I looked over at the man next to me, I sensed some jealousy, or maybe he was just being protective, “We went to breakfast since you wouldn’t get up and go with her.”

Claude let out an ‘hmp’ noise, “Just don’t hurt her. That girl has been through a lot and I would hate to have to kick your ass,” he shoved me playfully but I could see the seriousness in his eyes – the guy was jealous.

I laughed it off, “Don’t worry, Cappy. I’m not looking for anything right now.”
Claude thought it over for a moment before nodding, “Okay,” he said, “Let’s get ready to kick some Hawk Tail.”

With that, Giroux left me on the ice, alone with my thoughts once more.