Start Me Up

“I hate this place already.” Tessa informed Shea the second they stepped into their hotel room in Montreal. His eyebrow raised, a small smile on his face as she added, “Mostly because you have a serious advantage over me here.”

“What’s that? The fact that we were stopped oh seven times between the front door of the hotel and the elevator?” Shea asked her with a grin.

Tessa informed him, “Nine but who’s counting?”

“Apparently you.” He joked as he lifted up their shared suitcase and set it on the bench at the foot of the bed.

Tessa approached him, wrapping her arms around his middle from behind, chin pressed gently against his back as she told him, “They’re just excited, I can hardly blame them. They finally have a looker on their team.”

Shea let out a laugh as he clasped his hands around hers at his stomach and he told her, “I’m pretty sure they actually hate me, but you always were one for looking at the positives in life.”

Tessa slipped out of his grasp and moved to face him and she told him firmly, “Some people haven’t gotten over the initial shock, I get that, I still haven’t. PK meant a lot to this city, no one can deny that, but that airport full of people that wanted to meet you when you got here says they don’t hate you.”

Shea smiled gently, wrapped an arm around one of her shoulders and across her back and he pulled her into him as he asked her, “What on Earth would I do without you?”

She made a thinking face for a moment before she smiled up at him, stood up on her tip toes and told him before kissing him, “Mm well you would definitely still think it’s okay to wear black and navy together.”

Rolling his eyes Shea said, “Once, I did it once.”

“More like a handful of times but it is okay because you’ve learned.” Tessa told him with a grin that made him let out a laugh. Eventually she pulled out of his grasp for a second time and she dropped onto the bed with a sigh, looking over at Shea as he unzipped their suitcase and began pulling things out. She asked him, “So what’s the plan for today?”

“We’re gonna do a little bit of sight seeing, got a list thanks to Carey and his wife actually.” Shea told her.

“Carey?” Tessa asked him, eyebrow raised as he stared at her for a moment.

“Price.” He told her.

“He’s the goalie… right?” Tessa asked him, and Shea knew she was purposely playing dumb so he shot her a look to tell her that and she couldn’t help but smile as she told him, “What? I don’t have to like your team or know anything about it right out of the gate you know. In fact… sorry… but I’m not sure I’ll ever like your new team.”

“Thanks Tess.” Shea joked.

She went on to voice, “Although… I suppose it’s better than Chicago… I guess there is a God afterall.”

Letting out a laugh Shea said, “Truth.”

Tessa nearly snorted, and Shea simply looked over at her in amusement. When she was finished laughing at him she rolled onto her side and mused, “But I know you must at least be excited to be back in Canada… and as much as I may not like them the Habs are kind of a big deal in the hockey world.”

“See, there’s my looking at the positive side of life girl.” Shea told her and she rolled her eyes.

“Doesn’t mean I’m gonna enjoy Canadian winters, have fun getting me to leave the house.” Tessa told him with a smile, and Shea smiled gently. He didn’t ask if that meant she was coming with him, he wasn’t about to push his luck now when they had only seen the city from a cab on the way to the hotel from the airport. He would wait until they had seen more of the city, maybe he could convince Tessa to tour the arena with him.

Tessa’s laughter pulled him out of whatever trance he had been in, and he looked over at her to find her looking down at her cell phone. Curiously he asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Tara just sent me a picture of Peks doing yoga and all you can see is her middle finger aimed at him.” Tessa told him, turning her phone around so that he could see the picture too. Shea let out a chuckle and she added, “By the way, I think we need to find a teeny tiny little Habs jersey.”

His eyebrow raised, “Please tell me it’s a prank to send to Peks and Tara?”

Tessa looked over at him with a blank expression and then she raised her eyebrow and said, “Duh…”

He let out a breath of relief and said, “I’ve had one too many pregnancy scares in my life. I was just making sure you weren’t about to surprise me that kind of news again.”

Tessa narrowed her eyes, “Don’t you think if I was pregnant and planning on surprising you I would have done so without mentioning the fact that we need to find a baby jersey?”

“Hey, I was just making sure.” Shea told her with a smile, adding in, “Not that I wouldn’t be happy, by the way.”

“I know you would… I would kind of too.”

His eyebrows raised again, “Kind of?”

Shrugging Tessa informed him, “Someday. Maybe soon, maybe in a while but I would like to be prepared, I would like to go into the idea of us having a family because we want to not because it just happened.”

“I’d be okay with only having one just so you know… as long as it’s a boy.” Shea told her with a grin that made her laugh, he added, “Gotta keep the Weber name going, you know.”

She rolled her eyes, “I’m okay with only have one but it better be a girl. Girls fashion is way better.”

“Then I guess we better plan for two.” Shea told her, adding in with a smile and joking tone, “Or we could luck out with twins.”

“Don’t joke, twins run in my family.” Tessa told him, and his eyebrow raised, she explained, “My dad’s side. Which would be why you never knew about it.”

Nodding his head Shea asked her, “Do you think I’ll ever get to meet him?”

“You want to meet him?” Tessa asked him in surprise and when he nodded his head she shrugged, “Honestly… I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in years and I don’t know if that’s something I want to do.”

“Fair enough.” She was surprised that he was so understanding of that, but she shouldn’t have been. Shea may have been the most understanding person Tessa had ever met in her life.

- - -

“So… what do you think?” Shea asked Tessa as they left the Bell Centre late that afternoon after spending most of the day there.

They had started with a tour of the facility, as well as a little history lesson about the team through their many years in the NHL as well as before as they went. Tessa had watched Shea when they stepped into the locker room, and she stayed out of the way, barely inside the doors, while he was given the full tour, a smile on his face the whole time. She had to admit she still wasn’t quite used to seeing him put on a different jersey, and she wasn’t sure that would ever change but at least he didn’t look horrible in red and blue.

They had been shown the wives room and Tessa was relieved when Shea had mentioned then that she preferred to sit in the crowd and they were told that wasn’t a problem. She had zero experience with being in the wives and girlfriends club and while she was glad that she could sit out in the crowd if she wanted she knew she had to make an effort in the wives room too. She wanted to make this transition as easy as possible for Shea.

While Shea had taken part in media things such as video questionnaires and even agreeing to have a few pictures taken of him in some new Habs fan gear Tessa had simply watched with a smile on her face. When he went to check out their work out facilities Tessa had spent the hour talking to a few of the staff members that were kicking around the arena that summer as well as the GM’s wife, who assured her that she would pick up the basics of French soon enough and that if she decided that she wanted to really learn it they would be happy to set her up to do so. Which was a relief, because Shea, thanks to growing up in a bilingual English and French country also went to a school where they taught both on top of continuing to learn it later in life spoke French rather fluently.

As wonderful as the day was Tessa was a little relieved when they were heading out to the vehicle Shea had rented for their trip. She was honest with him when she told him, “Ask me again like tomorrow, I’m a little too overwhelmed to answer right now.”

He chuckled and nodded, but before he could respond they were stopped by a teenage boy, who was holding the hand of a younger boy standing behind his legs. The teenage boy told Shea, “I don’t want to bother you but my brother is a big hockey fan and I think it would make his day to get to meet you, he hasn’t stopped talking about the trade since it happened.”

Shea smiled and knelt down to the younger boys level, he held his hand out which nearly made Tessa giggle, and he introduced himself, “I’m Shea, what’s your name?”

The little boy didn’t say anything, he simply continued to eye Shea from behind his brother’s legs, so his brother gave him a little tug to pull him out from behind him and he told Shea, “He’s a little shy, his name is Owen.”

“It’s nice to meet you Owen, thanks for being so excited for me to be here.” Shea was glad that he finally extended his own tiny hand to shake Shea’s much larger one, and he chuckled when Owen’s eyes went slightly wide at the sight of his hand being lost in Shea’s.

He seemed to find his voice because he told Shea, rather confidently, “You’re gonna win this season.”

Shea chuckled again, ruffled his hair and told him, “Thanks buddy, I hope so.”

Tessa looked over at the older brother and asked him, “Do you have a phone? I could take a picture if you want.”

“That would be awesome.” He fished out his phone from the pocket of his jeans but before he paused and turned to Shea to ask, “Is that cool?”

Nodding Shea stayed knelt down next to Owen and once they were all in position Tessa took a few photos, hoping everyone’s eyes were open in them before she handed the phone back, and with an exuberant thank you as well as a high five from Owen she and Shea were back on their way to their rental car.

Once they were in the car Shea turned to Tessa and told her, “Sorry for all the stops and interruptions.”

Shaking her head Tessa told him, “Don’t apologize. I kind of like it.”

“You do?” He asked her in surprise, adding in quickly, “I mean don’t get me wrong I don’t mind it in the least but I just… I’m used to it, you’re not.”

“It’s really nice to see, honestly. People coming up to you to tell you how excited they are for the new season and that you’re a part of the team now… it’s really something.” She told him honestly, and before he put the car in reverse to leave she told him with a smile, “It kind of makes me think we might be okay here.”

He pulled the gear shift down to reverse and then he paused, and slid it back up to park and when he took his foot off of the brake the car bounced forward a little as he turned to face her and he asked, “What did you just say?”

She smiled and told him, “You heard me.”

“No, see I’m pretty sure you just said that we would be okay here, as in you and I, as in you and I in the same city… I just wanted to make sure my ears weren’t playing a really mean trick on me.” Shea told her and Tessa let out a laugh.

She leaned over the center console and kissed his lips quickly, before she pulled back and she asked him, “What’s one more new adventure in a year that’s been full of them?”

Shea smiled widely at her and then he said, “Well damn… I had a whole evening planned to try to bring you back here in September… what am I gonna do with those reservations now?”

With a laugh Tessa told him, “Oh, we’re still going. You owe me at least that, plus maybe a decent winter jacket.”

“I’ll even buy you the boots to match.” Shea told her with a smile as he finally put the car in reverse with the GSP giving them directions back to the hotel.

Tessa asked herself, “What on Earth have I gotten myself into?”

“The best year of our lives.” Shea informed her with a dorky smile.

She couldn’t help but tell him, “You are such a nerd.”

“And yet you still love me.” Shea pointed out, reaching out to grab her hand for a moment, pulling it up to kiss the back of it quickly before he put her hand back in her lap and grabbed the wheel with two hands again.

“What can I say, I’m a real sucker for punishment.” She laughed when he rolled his eyes at her but the smile on his face told her that he knew she was joking. Things were back to normal between them it seemed.

When they arrived back at the hotel Tessa watched Shea in amusement and also confusion as he stripped out of his jeans and t-shirt and pulled a pair of dark blue plaid pyjama pants up over his hips. He caught her confusion as he grabbed her own pyjamas, a silky pair of shorts with a matching camisole, from their suitcase and tossed them to her.

When she caught them and looked over at him in confusion still Shea explained, “So maybe I didn’t actually have reservations after all. I know you, and I knew the best way for you to have a really good time is to show you what our nights here could be like.”

“So… ordering in and eating in our pyjamas?” Tessa asked him, eyebrow raised.

Shea nodded and added, “And watching movies. We might be in a different country, with a different team, but our time together doesn’t have to be any different Tess.”

She smiled gently and approached him, leaning up on her tip toes to kiss him softly. Shea wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, and when they pulled apart she asked, “Have I told you that I love you today?”

“Mmm… I don’t believe that you have.” He informed her with a smile.

She laughed and told him, “Well I do.”

She disappeared to the bathroom to change and get ready for their date night in while Shea ordered them room service and got them set up with a movie. When she returned he was sitting in bed with his back against the headboard and his legs stretched out in front of him so she crawled onto the bed next to him as well, leaning her head against his shoulder as he told her, “You know, that was hardly an actual I love you back there.”

“You know I do.” Tessa informed him and when he nodded she noted softly, “We’ll have to sell the house.”

“And pack it up.” Shea stated, sighing as he said, “That will take a month with the amount of crap you have.”

He laughed when she elbowed him in the side, and Tessa told him, “We should probably also talk about the elephant in the room.”

“What elephant?” Shea asked her, eyebrow raised.

“I don’t think it will be easy for me to work here… at least not right away.” Tessa told him softly. She was beginning to wonder if she had really thought this thing through enough.

Shea turned his head enough to kiss the top of her head and he told her, “I’m okay with that, and I’ll figure out how to help you as much as I can to get back into things when you’re ready.”

She smiled, “I love you.”

“I’ve only been waiting all day to hear that.” He told her with a grin that made her elbow him in the side again, and all he did in response was laugh.

Shea got up to answer the door when their food arrived and Tessa was rooting through a bag by their suitcase when he returned. He watched her with a raised eyebrow as she approached the bed with something folded up in her hand. She caught his brow raise and said, “What? So I made a little trip to check out the team gear while you were doing your thing with their exercise equipment.”

“And what did you get?” He asked her curiously as he set their food down on the nightstand and filled a glass with red wine for him, and the second wine glass with Sprite for her.

She sat down on the bed and spread out a throw blanket with the Canadiens logo on it and Shea let out a laugh as he sat down next to her. She spread it out over his lap as well and then he handed her the glass of Spite, and once they were comfortable Tessa extended her glass out slightly to him and said, “To new beginnings.”

“To great beginnings.”