Le Coeur Veut Ce Que Le Cœur Veut
Five
Pearl headed into work in early March on a day filled with trepidation. It was her first trade deadline day and she knew from everyone else in the office that it could be good or bad but definitely stressful.
The night before had been a win against Columbus and at the guys insistence, she had joined them out to celebrate. No one had figured out that she and Simon were seeing each other and sneaking around together. It had been stressful at times, especially after a tough loss when all she wanted to do was squeeze his hand or hug him. But there were also lots of good times, happy times, that helped them grow as a couple.
Before they had started dating, she would hang out in Pittsburgh and on the road with Robert and Beau, so by default Simon had often been around too. That hadn't changed since they started seeing each other, except she liked to purposely pass by him a step too close and he liked to follow her away from the group to steal a kiss in an empty hall. They still enjoyed getting digs in at each other but now it was more of a game between them and they would laugh over them and tease each other when they were alone.
She had left Simon in her bed sleeping when she headed in to work that morning. He stayed over at her place often, except on nights before games. On her desk sat a bouquet of flowers with no card but she didn't need one. Only Simon knew how much she loved white daisies.
Shortly after one, her phone began ringing and she stepped out to answer it. "Thank you for the flowers."
"You're welcome. How's your day?"
"Quieter than I thought."
"It's about to get a little crazy. They traded Borts."
"What?!" She yelped. She hurried away from some co-workers nearby. "How is Beau?"
"You would worry about Sunshine," he chuckled.
"Robert can take care of himself. Beau is a special snowflake."
"Good thing he has you to worry then. Some of us are going over to have dinner tonight; Borts doesn't fly out until tomorrow. You should be there too."
"I don't want to intrude."
"Borts is like your brother. No one would think you're intruding."
"Text me the details later. I gotta get back to work."
"I'll be here when you get in."
"You're still at my place?"
"Your bed is bigger than mine. Comfier too."
"Did you at least clean the kitchen or something?"
"Guess you'll have to wait and see."
"Bye," she laughed as she disconnected. She headed back inside where Jennifer waited at her desk.
"Take it you heard about Robert?"
"Yeah, he just called to tell me," she lied. It wasn't a secret that Pearl had been closer to Robert and Beau, and that she and Simon had not always seen eye to eye in the beginning. Telling her that the news of Robert's trade had come from Simon might raise more than a few questions.
She nodded. "I know you two are like brother and sister and I'd let you go early but I really need you here. I'll try to get you out as close to five as I can though."
"Thank you, Jennifer."
"No problem. You'll have to keep a closer eye on Beau now though."
"Yes ma'am," Pearl laughed as she sat back down at her desk. As Jennifer walked away, she texted Robert to let him know she had heard and how sorry she was. She hated the thought of losing one of her really good friends and she just wanted the day to be over to deal with it.
The next couple of hours passed slowly. At three thirty Jennifer came by her desk again. "Got another one. Can you get the official press release together for this, and a picture for twitter and Instagram?"
"Sure thing," Pearl smiled. She took the paper from her and Jennifer walked away. Pearl turned back to her computer and looked down at the notes Jennifer had made. She froze, heart stopping as she read the words two, three times.
She felt the tears sting her eyes and she blinked them back furiously. This could not be happening. She pushed away from her desk and hurried to the bathroom to gather herself. After several minutes, she returned to her desk and wrote out the release as asked and uploaded a graphic to the server for someone else to put up.
She walked to Jennifer's office, knocking before entering. She handed her the completed release silently and Jennifer nodded her approval. "You're dating him, aren't you?" She asked as she looked up at Pearl.
"I...we..." She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Jennifer. How did you know?"
"I saw you leave your desk, and it's written all over your face. Your usual smile and sparkle have vanished which can only mean one thing: you're in love. I never had a clue; thought you guys couldn't stand each other to be honest."
"It just kind of happened. I wasn't expecting it to if that counts for anything."
"You're not breaking any rules," Jennifer smiled. She picked up some papers on her desk before continuing. "We're not making any more moves; get out of here and go see him. Make sure Robert gets to the airport on time for me too. We leave for Colorado tomorrow and it'll be crazy with two new guys joining the mix."
Pearl nodded, giving a quick thank you in response. She gathered her things and left the office. She drove home in record time, flying in the front door. Simon sat on her couch, head in his hands as the TV played in the background.
He looked up when she closed the door and she saw the tears in his eyes. Pearl flew across the room to him and kissed him for all she was worth. "Please tell me this is a terrible dream and I'm going to wake up now."
"I wish I could." He hugged her to him as she was no longer able to keep it together and began to cry into his shoulder.
"What happens now?"
"You could come with me," Simon suggested.
"I love my job though."
"I love you."
"Simon," she whispered. "Now you tell me that?"
"You love your job more?"
"I didn't say that. This is my dream job and I don't want to just up and quit. Would you stay here if I asked?"
"No," he admitted with defeat.
"I love you too, Simon. Despite the fact that I was never supposed to and you can't follow rules and I could've lost my job dozens of times by now."
He smiled. "I guess it's long distance then, at least until the season is over."
"We'll figure it out."
"I need to head home and pack my stuff; I have to fly out tonight. Game tomorrow."
"Are you serious? You can't go to dinner with the guys?"
"I'm sorry, Pearl. Do you want to come over and help me? I'm not on the team so I don't think you'll get in trouble."
She laughed as she climbed off of him. "Do we have time to say goodbye first?" She asked, grabbing his hand and tugging him up. She pulled him towards her bedroom.
"We always have time for that," he grinned.
The night before had been a win against Columbus and at the guys insistence, she had joined them out to celebrate. No one had figured out that she and Simon were seeing each other and sneaking around together. It had been stressful at times, especially after a tough loss when all she wanted to do was squeeze his hand or hug him. But there were also lots of good times, happy times, that helped them grow as a couple.
Before they had started dating, she would hang out in Pittsburgh and on the road with Robert and Beau, so by default Simon had often been around too. That hadn't changed since they started seeing each other, except she liked to purposely pass by him a step too close and he liked to follow her away from the group to steal a kiss in an empty hall. They still enjoyed getting digs in at each other but now it was more of a game between them and they would laugh over them and tease each other when they were alone.
She had left Simon in her bed sleeping when she headed in to work that morning. He stayed over at her place often, except on nights before games. On her desk sat a bouquet of flowers with no card but she didn't need one. Only Simon knew how much she loved white daisies.
Shortly after one, her phone began ringing and she stepped out to answer it. "Thank you for the flowers."
"You're welcome. How's your day?"
"Quieter than I thought."
"It's about to get a little crazy. They traded Borts."
"What?!" She yelped. She hurried away from some co-workers nearby. "How is Beau?"
"You would worry about Sunshine," he chuckled.
"Robert can take care of himself. Beau is a special snowflake."
"Good thing he has you to worry then. Some of us are going over to have dinner tonight; Borts doesn't fly out until tomorrow. You should be there too."
"I don't want to intrude."
"Borts is like your brother. No one would think you're intruding."
"Text me the details later. I gotta get back to work."
"I'll be here when you get in."
"You're still at my place?"
"Your bed is bigger than mine. Comfier too."
"Did you at least clean the kitchen or something?"
"Guess you'll have to wait and see."
"Bye," she laughed as she disconnected. She headed back inside where Jennifer waited at her desk.
"Take it you heard about Robert?"
"Yeah, he just called to tell me," she lied. It wasn't a secret that Pearl had been closer to Robert and Beau, and that she and Simon had not always seen eye to eye in the beginning. Telling her that the news of Robert's trade had come from Simon might raise more than a few questions.
She nodded. "I know you two are like brother and sister and I'd let you go early but I really need you here. I'll try to get you out as close to five as I can though."
"Thank you, Jennifer."
"No problem. You'll have to keep a closer eye on Beau now though."
"Yes ma'am," Pearl laughed as she sat back down at her desk. As Jennifer walked away, she texted Robert to let him know she had heard and how sorry she was. She hated the thought of losing one of her really good friends and she just wanted the day to be over to deal with it.
The next couple of hours passed slowly. At three thirty Jennifer came by her desk again. "Got another one. Can you get the official press release together for this, and a picture for twitter and Instagram?"
"Sure thing," Pearl smiled. She took the paper from her and Jennifer walked away. Pearl turned back to her computer and looked down at the notes Jennifer had made. She froze, heart stopping as she read the words two, three times.
She felt the tears sting her eyes and she blinked them back furiously. This could not be happening. She pushed away from her desk and hurried to the bathroom to gather herself. After several minutes, she returned to her desk and wrote out the release as asked and uploaded a graphic to the server for someone else to put up.
She walked to Jennifer's office, knocking before entering. She handed her the completed release silently and Jennifer nodded her approval. "You're dating him, aren't you?" She asked as she looked up at Pearl.
"I...we..." She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Jennifer. How did you know?"
"I saw you leave your desk, and it's written all over your face. Your usual smile and sparkle have vanished which can only mean one thing: you're in love. I never had a clue; thought you guys couldn't stand each other to be honest."
"It just kind of happened. I wasn't expecting it to if that counts for anything."
"You're not breaking any rules," Jennifer smiled. She picked up some papers on her desk before continuing. "We're not making any more moves; get out of here and go see him. Make sure Robert gets to the airport on time for me too. We leave for Colorado tomorrow and it'll be crazy with two new guys joining the mix."
Pearl nodded, giving a quick thank you in response. She gathered her things and left the office. She drove home in record time, flying in the front door. Simon sat on her couch, head in his hands as the TV played in the background.
He looked up when she closed the door and she saw the tears in his eyes. Pearl flew across the room to him and kissed him for all she was worth. "Please tell me this is a terrible dream and I'm going to wake up now."
"I wish I could." He hugged her to him as she was no longer able to keep it together and began to cry into his shoulder.
"What happens now?"
"You could come with me," Simon suggested.
"I love my job though."
"I love you."
"Simon," she whispered. "Now you tell me that?"
"You love your job more?"
"I didn't say that. This is my dream job and I don't want to just up and quit. Would you stay here if I asked?"
"No," he admitted with defeat.
"I love you too, Simon. Despite the fact that I was never supposed to and you can't follow rules and I could've lost my job dozens of times by now."
He smiled. "I guess it's long distance then, at least until the season is over."
"We'll figure it out."
"I need to head home and pack my stuff; I have to fly out tonight. Game tomorrow."
"Are you serious? You can't go to dinner with the guys?"
"I'm sorry, Pearl. Do you want to come over and help me? I'm not on the team so I don't think you'll get in trouble."
She laughed as she climbed off of him. "Do we have time to say goodbye first?" She asked, grabbing his hand and tugging him up. She pulled him towards her bedroom.
"We always have time for that," he grinned.