Days of Black and Gold
The Most Romantic Way I've Got
“You two have the worst luck,” Catherine laughed, shaking her head.
I had just told her about Evgeni’s unannounced visit the night before, and how he had decided to order pizza and spend the night on the sofa.
“I swear, I’m never going to get laid as long as he’s in the country.”
“Maybe you and Sid should take a little trip to West Virginia,” she smirked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“I don’t think Sid will go for that,” I murmured, rubbing my arm.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I think so. He told me last night that he has been trying to surprise me, but I’m not sure I’m sold on it.”
“Why not?”
“Come on, Cath, am I really supposed to believe that he hasn’t been answering Kris’ calls because he’s planning a surprise for me?”
“Yes.”
“Really?” I cocked a brow at her. “Do you know something about it?”
“You are so nosy,” she giggled.
“Oh my God! You do know about it. You have to tell me what’s going on.”
“Hell no!” She shook her head erratically. “Sid would never speak to me again.”
“I don’t care,” I joked. “I hate surprises. I always end up crying.”
“This one better make you cry,” she hinted.
“Shit,” I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. “I’m not sure I’m going to like this.”
“Trust me,” she grinned. “You’ll love it. Are you ready to head out?”
“Now?” I glanced around the café in confusion. “I feel like we just got here.”
“We’ve been here for nearly an hour, Margot.” She stood from her seat, and checked her phone.
“Do you have somewhere to be?”
“Not at all. Do you?”
“Not yet,” I confirmed, glancing at my own phone to make sure Sidney hadn’t tried to get in touch. “Where did you want to go?”
“Back to your place?” She suggested with a shrug. “Kris wanted to have a boy’s day with Alex, and I don’t want to interrupt them by going home.”
“That should be fine,” I nodded. “Just let me text Sid to make sure he’s not busy with some of the guys.”
As Catherine pulled away from the café, I pulled out my phone again and sent a short message to Sidney. “He’s fine with us heading over. Said he’s just playing with the girls.”
“When are you guys heading to Nova Scotia?”
“I guess Sid’s heading up in a month, but I’m not sure I’ll go, yet.”
“What? Why not?”
“I was thinking I would take the summer to familiarize myself with Wheeling, and I thought Sid would be there, too. Then he sprang it on me that he was going to go train in Cole Harbour, and that he was leaving in a month. I really don’t know what I want to do, but I’m sure I’ll head up for a bit at some point.”
“Maybe you can make a stop in Montreal. You’re always welcome to stay with us.”
“Thanks, Cath, but I’ll have to see what happens the next few months.”
“Don’t hesitate to call, if you do happen through.” She pulled into a spot next to my Rav 4, and turned off the car.
“You know I won't," I grinned, hopping out and leading the blonde woman into the house. "Sid?"
Catherine raised a brow in my direction as silence filled our ears. "I thought you said he was here."
"That's what he told me," I muttered, wandering further into the house.
"Maybe he's in the back?"
I shrugged and headed for the back door. Sliding the patio door open, I peeked my head around the corner and gasped at the sight of my family, Sidney's family, and the entirety of the Pittsburgh Penguins. "Shit."
"Sorry?" Catherine chuckled, as I turned to glare in her direction.
"You knew, didn't you?"
"Of course, I knew," she laughed. "Kris and I have been helping him plan it for ages."
"Ages?" I questioned, raising a brow.
"Okay, well, maybe not ages, but for the last month or so. Anyway, you should get out there."
"Let me guess, he knows I'm here?"
"Get your ass out there." She gave me a gentle shove, encouraging me to exit the house.
"Sidney," I intoned, walking down the path to where he was standing.
"Margot," he mimicked, a smile spreading across his full lips.
"What have you done?" I mumbled, looking around again.
"Look, I know I should have asked," he started. "But I this is what I want, and I hope this is what you want."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's not traditional, but I want to marry you."
"Sidney," I whispered, finally realising what was happening. I covered my face with my hands, trying to hold back the sudden tears that were filling my eyes.
"Shit, Margot, are you okay?" He whispered, placing his hands on my shoulders.
I drew in a deep breath, and removed my hands slightly. "You want to do this now?"
"Everyone is here, so I thought it would be the perfect time."
"Are you sure?"
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
I had just told her about Evgeni’s unannounced visit the night before, and how he had decided to order pizza and spend the night on the sofa.
“I swear, I’m never going to get laid as long as he’s in the country.”
“Maybe you and Sid should take a little trip to West Virginia,” she smirked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“I don’t think Sid will go for that,” I murmured, rubbing my arm.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I think so. He told me last night that he has been trying to surprise me, but I’m not sure I’m sold on it.”
“Why not?”
“Come on, Cath, am I really supposed to believe that he hasn’t been answering Kris’ calls because he’s planning a surprise for me?”
“Yes.”
“Really?” I cocked a brow at her. “Do you know something about it?”
“You are so nosy,” she giggled.
“Oh my God! You do know about it. You have to tell me what’s going on.”
“Hell no!” She shook her head erratically. “Sid would never speak to me again.”
“I don’t care,” I joked. “I hate surprises. I always end up crying.”
“This one better make you cry,” she hinted.
“Shit,” I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. “I’m not sure I’m going to like this.”
“Trust me,” she grinned. “You’ll love it. Are you ready to head out?”
“Now?” I glanced around the café in confusion. “I feel like we just got here.”
“We’ve been here for nearly an hour, Margot.” She stood from her seat, and checked her phone.
“Do you have somewhere to be?”
“Not at all. Do you?”
“Not yet,” I confirmed, glancing at my own phone to make sure Sidney hadn’t tried to get in touch. “Where did you want to go?”
“Back to your place?” She suggested with a shrug. “Kris wanted to have a boy’s day with Alex, and I don’t want to interrupt them by going home.”
“That should be fine,” I nodded. “Just let me text Sid to make sure he’s not busy with some of the guys.”
As Catherine pulled away from the café, I pulled out my phone again and sent a short message to Sidney. “He’s fine with us heading over. Said he’s just playing with the girls.”
“When are you guys heading to Nova Scotia?”
“I guess Sid’s heading up in a month, but I’m not sure I’ll go, yet.”
“What? Why not?”
“I was thinking I would take the summer to familiarize myself with Wheeling, and I thought Sid would be there, too. Then he sprang it on me that he was going to go train in Cole Harbour, and that he was leaving in a month. I really don’t know what I want to do, but I’m sure I’ll head up for a bit at some point.”
“Maybe you can make a stop in Montreal. You’re always welcome to stay with us.”
“Thanks, Cath, but I’ll have to see what happens the next few months.”
“Don’t hesitate to call, if you do happen through.” She pulled into a spot next to my Rav 4, and turned off the car.
“You know I won't," I grinned, hopping out and leading the blonde woman into the house. "Sid?"
Catherine raised a brow in my direction as silence filled our ears. "I thought you said he was here."
"That's what he told me," I muttered, wandering further into the house.
"Maybe he's in the back?"
I shrugged and headed for the back door. Sliding the patio door open, I peeked my head around the corner and gasped at the sight of my family, Sidney's family, and the entirety of the Pittsburgh Penguins. "Shit."
"Sorry?" Catherine chuckled, as I turned to glare in her direction.
"You knew, didn't you?"
"Of course, I knew," she laughed. "Kris and I have been helping him plan it for ages."
"Ages?" I questioned, raising a brow.
"Okay, well, maybe not ages, but for the last month or so. Anyway, you should get out there."
"Let me guess, he knows I'm here?"
"Get your ass out there." She gave me a gentle shove, encouraging me to exit the house.
"Sidney," I intoned, walking down the path to where he was standing.
"Margot," he mimicked, a smile spreading across his full lips.
"What have you done?" I mumbled, looking around again.
"Look, I know I should have asked," he started. "But I this is what I want, and I hope this is what you want."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's not traditional, but I want to marry you."
"Sidney," I whispered, finally realising what was happening. I covered my face with my hands, trying to hold back the sudden tears that were filling my eyes.
"Shit, Margot, are you okay?" He whispered, placing his hands on my shoulders.
I drew in a deep breath, and removed my hands slightly. "You want to do this now?"
"Everyone is here, so I thought it would be the perfect time."
"Are you sure?"
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."