‹ Prequel: Him and I
Scenes From an Elevator: James and Alex
Quarantine 2020
“Gah! Could he be any more adorable?!” Alex Gates squealed.
Her fiancé rolled his eyes. “Stop gushing over Tavares and look at me.”
“Ooooh, James, you’re so sexy and strong,” she giggled. “Steven wishes he was half the manly man you are.”
James Neal smirked. “Now you’re talking,” he grinned. “Let’s call Stammer so you can tell him that.”
“Or we could just call him and see what he’s up to.”
“That sounds boring but you do you, babe.”
She stuck her tongue out at him as he left the room and then grabbed her phone and sent a text in her group chat with PK Subban, Steven Stamkos, and John Tavares.
You boys busy? I wanna see your faces! Zoom chat?
I’m available
Me too
Me three
Sending you a link! See you soon!
Alex set her phone aside and grabbed her laptop, clicking into her zoom account, quickly setting up a meeting and sending the information to the others. She settled into her spot and waited for the others to join.
Steven’s smiling face entered first. “Hey, Alex. Where’s Nealer?”
“Kitchen I think, probably trying to figure out where I hid the brownies I made yesterday.”
“Hey, guys!” PK shouted cheerfully as he connected.
“Hi, PK!” Alex waved.
John entered their call last. “Hey, how is everybody,” he said.
“Johnny! Your hair!” Alex said. “It looks soooo good.”
Steven rolled his eyes. “If you want to gush over your bff do it on your time.”
“On our own time we just make fun of you,” John retorted.
“Burn!” PK laughed.
“Where’s James?” John asked.
“I’m right here,” he called out as he came back into the room. “I couldn’t find the brownies. Did you eat them all?” He asked Alex as he sat down beside her.
“No but I hid them so you wouldn’t eat them all.”
“You are looking a little fat, Nealer,” Steven smirked.
James lifted his shirt and Alex leaned forward to have a better look. “No one wants to look at your scrawny chest,” PK grimaced. “Put your clothes back on.”
“How did you end up with such beefy friends and you’re just...” she gestured at him with a teasing smile.
“Are you saying you’re not into this?”
“No but I do think you’re looking leaner than usual; hang on, let me get the brownies.”
He grabbed her arm to pull her back down onto the couch. “If you’re not nice I’m not going to let you come watch me work out tomorrow.”
“Are you going to be wearing those hideous orange shorts? Because if you are then I’ll pass and keep teasing you.”
“Seriously Nealer, you gotta get better workout clothes,” Steven said. “Give Alex a show.”
“I’ll send you some of the shorts I workout in,” PK offered.
“Don’t tempt me with a good time,” Alex winked.
“Ew, Alex! Don’t be gross,” Steven said.
She laughed. “You’re the one who told him to give me a show. Spandex is definitely a show I like.”
“Well you're only allowed to leer about spandex when it involves me.”
“Fuck you, Stammer,” James said. “She’s too busy leering at Justin anyway.”
“Who is Justin?” John asked.
“My trainer.”
“He’s adorable you guys!” Alex gushed. “Beefy too.”
“Can you not?” James said with a roll of his eyes. “He’s a Boy Scout, like Tavares, so clearly you have a type and it’s giving me a complex.”
“Because Pekka was a Boy Scout and she picked him first?” Steven asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
James growled and Alex leaned into him, squeezing his thigh. “Steven is jealous I picked you and you have to stop letting him goad you.”
“I am not jealous.”
“He’s totally jealous,” PK added.
Her fiancé rolled his eyes. “Stop gushing over Tavares and look at me.”
“Ooooh, James, you’re so sexy and strong,” she giggled. “Steven wishes he was half the manly man you are.”
James Neal smirked. “Now you’re talking,” he grinned. “Let’s call Stammer so you can tell him that.”
“Or we could just call him and see what he’s up to.”
“That sounds boring but you do you, babe.”
She stuck her tongue out at him as he left the room and then grabbed her phone and sent a text in her group chat with PK Subban, Steven Stamkos, and John Tavares.
You boys busy? I wanna see your faces! Zoom chat?
I’m available
Me too
Me three
Sending you a link! See you soon!
Alex set her phone aside and grabbed her laptop, clicking into her zoom account, quickly setting up a meeting and sending the information to the others. She settled into her spot and waited for the others to join.
Steven’s smiling face entered first. “Hey, Alex. Where’s Nealer?”
“Kitchen I think, probably trying to figure out where I hid the brownies I made yesterday.”
“Hey, guys!” PK shouted cheerfully as he connected.
“Hi, PK!” Alex waved.
John entered their call last. “Hey, how is everybody,” he said.
“Johnny! Your hair!” Alex said. “It looks soooo good.”
Steven rolled his eyes. “If you want to gush over your bff do it on your time.”
“On our own time we just make fun of you,” John retorted.
“Burn!” PK laughed.
“Where’s James?” John asked.
“I’m right here,” he called out as he came back into the room. “I couldn’t find the brownies. Did you eat them all?” He asked Alex as he sat down beside her.
“No but I hid them so you wouldn’t eat them all.”
“You are looking a little fat, Nealer,” Steven smirked.
James lifted his shirt and Alex leaned forward to have a better look. “No one wants to look at your scrawny chest,” PK grimaced. “Put your clothes back on.”
“How did you end up with such beefy friends and you’re just...” she gestured at him with a teasing smile.
“Are you saying you’re not into this?”
“No but I do think you’re looking leaner than usual; hang on, let me get the brownies.”
He grabbed her arm to pull her back down onto the couch. “If you’re not nice I’m not going to let you come watch me work out tomorrow.”
“Are you going to be wearing those hideous orange shorts? Because if you are then I’ll pass and keep teasing you.”
“Seriously Nealer, you gotta get better workout clothes,” Steven said. “Give Alex a show.”
“I’ll send you some of the shorts I workout in,” PK offered.
“Don’t tempt me with a good time,” Alex winked.
“Ew, Alex! Don’t be gross,” Steven said.
She laughed. “You’re the one who told him to give me a show. Spandex is definitely a show I like.”
“Well you're only allowed to leer about spandex when it involves me.”
“Fuck you, Stammer,” James said. “She’s too busy leering at Justin anyway.”
“Who is Justin?” John asked.
“My trainer.”
“He’s adorable you guys!” Alex gushed. “Beefy too.”
“Can you not?” James said with a roll of his eyes. “He’s a Boy Scout, like Tavares, so clearly you have a type and it’s giving me a complex.”
“Because Pekka was a Boy Scout and she picked him first?” Steven asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
James growled and Alex leaned into him, squeezing his thigh. “Steven is jealous I picked you and you have to stop letting him goad you.”
“I am not jealous.”
“He’s totally jealous,” PK added.
♠ ♠ ♠
I had this idea that I'd check in with all of my characters and see how they were handling quarantine. Well, it turns out that my real life job got even busier during quarantine and I just could not find the energy to tackle this the way I wanted to. But I do have a few quick of some other characters I'll share soon. :)