Run-Ins and Recognition

It hit him hard when he read that she was ending things with her boyfriend. One might say too hard. Sid sat there for over an hour while he debated if he should find out what was going on. He should be trying to rest and focussing on the Oilers but every time he tried to think about anything but what might be happening with Jo, his focus crashed.

Eventually, it was Tanger who knocked on his door and ended his internal debate. Letting his long time friend in, Sid sighed. “For once, I actually need one of you assholes to distract me.”

Tanger chuckled. “What’s got you locked in your head Sid? Let the last game go already.” Kris sat on the end of the bed while Sid moved around a bit, closing his laptop and picking up his phone.

Sid ran his hands through his hair, spiking it a bit as he did. “It’s not about a game, although I can’t focus on finding the Oilers weaknesses right now either.” Tanger just hummed, waiting for his friend to get to what was bothering him. “I was texting Jo, you remember her. The model that you assholes invited yourselves to dinner with in September. Anyway, she’s in Nashville for a couple days to calm her nerves before some big announcement. Her asshole brings friends to the house when she told him she wanted a chance to relax and then makes her go to a party. An hour ago she texted me that she was ending it with him and I haven’t heard anything since.”

Tanger listened through the word vomit and sighed. “Sid, you can’t get in the middle of her and whatever is going on. You know that’s stupid.” Sid nodded, his head hanging down. “I know we were jerks inviting ourselves to what you wanted to be a semi-sorta date but ever since Kathy dumped you, well mon capitan we have been worried about you.”

Sid groaned. Of course Tanger would bring her up. Sid knew he didn’t do it to hurt but it still kind of did. “I know… I got blindsided by Kathy, the back to back win kind of made me not look at it like I should have. I’ve learned though!” He had too, he had been single for the first time in almost 9 years and _not_ gone looking for anything but friendship.

Tanger sighed. “We hope you have, but we also know you like a well formed women.” Tanger dropped a hand on Sid’s shoulder. “I know you’re worried about what might going on, so I will say this. Be a friend. Extend an ear and if she wants to let her say whatever she needs to.”

Sid sighed and scraped his hand across his face. He knew that Tanger was right, being a good friend was all he _should_ do. He picked up his phone and opened the text messages he and Jo had been exchanging. “Stop me before I send something dumb huh?” Tanger snorted. Sid wrote. ‘Checking on you, am around if you need an ear.’

“Good start Sid. Don’t judge her for whatever she says, if anything tonight. Just be a friend.” Tanger pressed a kiss to Sid’s hair. “Now I have to go warn the rest of the core that you’ll be a bit off until things are sorted.”

Sid swiped at Tanger as he left the room. “Asshole!”

“We love you too Sid.” Tanger said just before the door closed.

It took another 45 minutes before Sid got an answering text from Jo, but he got plenty from the core all telling him to be a friend and go slow. ‘Sorry was busy getting the asshole out of my house and life. You still up, I kind of need someone to talk to and all my friends in NYC are out.’

Sid’s heart jolted as he read that. Getting it back under control, he texted back. ‘I’m up still. Want me to call?’

Seconds after he saw his message was read, his phone rang. “Hello?”

“Oh god Sid, why do I have to fall for selfish bastards?!” It was clear by how Jo sounded she had been crying. Sid got comfortable and made sure the overhead lights were off.

“If I could answer that for you, I would have known why Kathy felt she had to wait until July to dump me.” He said simply. He hadn’t even seen that final breakup coming, though if he were honest with himself there were signs well beforehand.

Jo barked out a laugh. “Please, every hockey fan knows you’re a robot without feelings.” She was of course teasing him a bit and he knew it. She then proceeded to start actively crying again. “God I need to listen to my friends more. They told me he was just using me but I didn’t want to hear it. I found him with his tongue down another girls’ throat tonight. Seeing that just triggered something and I knew I couldn’t do it anymore.”

Sid’s hand tightened on the bedspread. He wanted to hurt the jerk for even doing that small thing and hurting Jo. “Sounds like you did what you needed to. Jerks like that don’t deserve to have people like you in their lives.” There that was a friendly thing, right?

Jo sniffled. “Thanks, everything hurts right now and I have to be on a flight tomorrow night for the Fantasy Bra Announcement in New York. Can you give lessons over the phone on how _not_ to act disappointed when you are?” She blew her nose.

Sid’s mind went blank, all of his media training went right out of him. “Uh… Maybe try to act happy for whoever does get it?” He had no real clue what this Fantasy Bra thing was but he knew it was important to her.

Jo laughed again. “That’s the fucked up thing! I already know who’s getting it, they told us a while ago! I love Lais really I do, but god I wanted it this year! Of course everyone thinks Elsa is getting it but she isn’t.” Then a bubble of laughter escape her. “You have no idea what this could mean for a model’s career do you? What this is for us?”

Sid sighed. He could either lie his teeth off or tell the truth. Lying always got him caught in the past so he went with the truth. “No, not really. I know it’s important to you which makes it important for me, but I have no clue where this lands on the scale of awards for anyone.” Now he felt dumb, he should know how important this was to her and he didn’t.

She sadly chuckled. “It’s kind of our version of The Cup, Sid. There is only one victor and everyone wants it. Then everyone wants you on their team after you get it.” Sid coughed over the phone which made Jo smile.

“So, you’re saying that our Cup holds more liquor than yours but yours is worth more.” He pulled his laptop onto his legs and did a quick Google search for Fantasy Bra then hit the images tab.

Jo truly laughed then. “Actually, My cup holds something more precious than liquor. At least they try to make them semi-comfortable. Some of them had the stones sewn onto the fabric, while others were all made of metal and the stones were all cast on them. It depends on the model and the designer really.”

Sid sighed. “This is making my head hurt.” Both of them kind of but he was trying _not_ to think about Jo in what he was seeing past winners in. “I’m sure you’ll get it next year.” He said trying to be supportive.

“Well I will have to work hard for it. Now that I am without a boyfriend that should make it easier.” Jo sighed. She had bummed herself out again. “So I guess I will just have to work hard for it and damn anyone who gets in my way.” The conversation turned to other things before it cycled back to her breakup. “God, Sid what if I’ve forgotten how to be single?”

Sid chuckled. “I know exactly what you mean. From what I have figured out so far, you need to find what makes you happy outside of work and friends and make time for it. That’s part of the reason I’m doing another college class this season. Not a history class this time, a statistics course.”

Jo snorted. “You, taking a stats class. Like that isn’t right up your alley like history.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “You know the worst thing about this breakup with Alex? He actually thought you were only being my friend to get into my pants.”

Sid choked on the sip of water he had taken. “He what?!” Ok yes he was male enough to admit she was damn hot and everything but that wasn’t where his head was most of the time they spoke. “You know that’s not true right. I mean, yes I want to spend time with you, but I want to spend time with all of my friends, not just the jerks who invite themselves along to dinner.”

Jo went silent for a few minutes. Sid could hear her breathing but she wasn’t saying anything. Finally in a small almost whisper she spoke. “You mean you didn’t invite them?”

Sid sighed. “No, they invited themselves and I had no clue how to tell you. I’m sorry, I should have.” He did feel bad too, not only was their dinner crashed by well meaning friends but he felt he hadn’t even had more than 2 hugs worth of time to tell her anything and he couldn’t find the words at the time.

A giggle escaped Jo. “I have those kinds of friends too. It does explain why they kept themselves between us though. Maybe we can find a time for just us to go to dinner?” Maybe it was presumptuous of her but she did want a dinner of just them.

Sid chuckled. “Well I know my schedule for most of the rest of the year, we _might_ be able to find a chance.” He opened his laptop again and then the Calendar. “Next week is too soon I’m sure, at least to get decent priced tickets. What about the 19th of November? I should have that day completely off and most of the guys spend off days with families.”

“Verdorie (Damn it)” Jo cursed as she opened her own schedule. “That won’t work for me. I’ll be in China.” She saw that she was leaving on the 17th and wouldn’t be back until at least the 22nd. “The VSFS show tapes on the 20th and they want us there a couple days beforehand to acclimate.” She looked at his game schedule but before she could say anything he was a step ahead of her.

“Early December? Around the 8th or 9th. How's that look?” He wanted to spend some time with her but there was _no_ way he wanted his sister anywhere near Jo yet! To say nothing about their folks. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself…

He heard Jo sigh. “Maybe on the 28th? Come to New York to watch the show with me.” She didn’t really want to wait until December to see him in person. She always had passes she could use for the show itself.

Sid was quiet for a bit. “You are saying November right? Just to be clear.” He was trying to figure out exactly when she was talking about.

“Yes Sid, November. I know you have a game the night before so if you don’t want to I’ll understand.” She opened her email to find out how many passes she could get for the show airing. Normally they were limited to first come first served, so she wanted to jump on it if need be.

“That could work. I’ll have to beg off with the guys after kicking the Flyers asses but they'll understand, eventually.” He opened his travel site and plugged in a few numbers.

“Sid, you should know they normally have a party after, you might want to plan on spending a day or two there.”

Sid chuckled at that. “I'm sure Sully won't begrudge me taking a maintenance day. Especially if it’s an it’s an optional skate anyway. Mental health is important too.”

They settled on a plan and he booked his tickets. Yeah the guys wouldn’t be happy that they weren’t going to be there but Sid didn’t really care. This was about being maybe more than friends in time with Jo.