Charlie was running late.
She swept the mascara brush over her dark lashes once more before scrambling for her keys.
she skidded towards the front door of her apartment.
She was fumbling with the locks when her roommate yelled from the couch
"don't forget your shoes! And your wallet!"
causing the rushed redhead to realize her feet were only clad in socks, and her cell phone and wallet were near the toaster.
She shouted her thanks to her room mate and grabbed what she had almost forgot, slid her feet into a pair of vans and swung the door open.
"don't wait up" she shouted to her roommate as she left.
Charlie was meant to be at the rink 20 mintes ago to prep and get some quick photos before her interview.
She was writing a piece on the return of sid Crosby, since his concussion he had been off the ice, and Charlie had been selected to write the story for sport illustrated.
Charlie loved her job. She had grown up watching hockey.
And had always been a pens fan.
So writing the hockey pieces for S.I. had been a dream come true.
Getting to interview cute hockey players had just been icing on top of the cake.
Charlie was nervous. She didn't usually freak out like this.
But this was Sidney Crosby. Sid the kid. And not only was he incredibly talented, he was also incredibly hott.
This was meant to be his last game sitting on the bench.
And Charlie had been invited to sit with him during the game, and she was thrilled.
Not only was she getting the interview of a life time, but she was getting it, while watching a game from a players point of view, from the bench.
As the redhead parked her car in her designated spot.
Running her fingers through her long wavy red hair once, before grabbing her notebook and purse and hopping out of the car.
She locked the doors as she jogged towards the entrance.
Flashing her press badge to the ticket collectors at the door.
They nodded and pointed her in the direction she needed to go.
Charlie pushed the door to the locker rooms open without hesitating.
It was more than an hour before the game.
So she had assumed the locker room would be fairly vacant.
She had been wrong. The whole damn team was there, shirtless, some wrapped in towels.
Charlie sucked in a breath, trying to control her hormones as she made a path towards the coaches office in the back.
she knocked once on the door before swinging it open.
"Coach Bylsma, I'm charlotte Donnelly. I'm meant to be interviewing Crosby from the bench this evening." She announced confidently with A soft smile on her lips.
Dan Bylsma turned in his chair.
"Your from sports illustrated, right?" he asked her bluntly.
She nodded and held up her press pass as proof.
He nodded curtly. "Sid should be hanging around in there somewhere, you find him, and he's all yours. Keep him a while if a like" he joked.
Charlie nodded with a smile "thank you sir." She said politely as she left his office with a smile.
Charlie noticed the locker room had gotten considerably quieter.
She raised an eyebrow curiously.
She spotted Jordan staal, sitting on a bench by a locker with his number on it.
he was sharpening his skates. Charlie approached him cautiously.
She had never been comfortable around blade sharpeners.
Ever since she had seen her grandfather use one to lance and abscess.
She smiled at the blonde hockey player
"hi, do you know where I could find Sidney Crosby?" she asked curiously.
Jordon looked her up and down once, smiling softly at her.
He nodded "yeah. He's over there with max and letang."
He pointed towards a group of men gathered around a bench in the middle of the locker room
" Be careful around max though. He's a hound dog." He warned.
Charlie smiled "thanks for the heads up."
She added as she headed towards the group he had pointed out.
As she approached, she heard them whisper her name.
She rolled her eyes and shifted her notebook to rest on her hip.
She cleared the throat to get there attention "Crosby?" she asked curtly.
And when he turned to face her, all her confidence disappeared. He was gorgeous.
"I'm Charlie Donnelly, I'm here for the rink side interview" she informed him in as businesslike of a manner as she could.
Without revealing to him that she was undressing him with her eyes.
Not that it took much imagining…he was only clad in hockey trousers.
His jersey seemed to be elsewhere. Not that she was complaining.
Sidney seemed to notice her less than subtle eye fucking, and chuckled.
"You don't look much like a guy." He pointed out simply.
He received a nudge in the gut from his teammate, who she recognized as Max Talbot.
She smiled and shook her head.
"Nope. That would be because I'm Not a Guy." She said, motioning to her bodies' curves in an obvious manner.
Another player chuckled and nodded in appreciation. She recognized this one as Kris Letang.
He smirked and looked her up and down once.
"Merde, Mon ami, jeSuis bon fille." Talbot muttered, nudging Sid in the ribs.
Sid nodded in agreement.
"Charlie, is short for charlotte, if that clears anything up for you. Sorry to disappoint you." She said, cocking her head to the side, giving him a strange look.
Sidney shook his head. "You do not disappoint miss Charlie, not even in the slightest. It was just an unexpected surprise is all." He insisted, raising his hand in a form of surrender.
He gave his friends a meaningful look, and they shrugged and walked off to find another source of entertainment..
"You're much prettier than most sports journalists is all." He added, with a charming smile.
Charlie flushed but rolled her eyes
"you realize its not necessary to try and seduce me. This isn't an opinion piece. I'm just trying to get your story, and show the fans what its like to be you…no need to butter me up" she informed him.
He shook his head. "you get the package deal. Eh? You get to watch the game with me, but you have to let me take you to dinner after" he said seriously.
Crossing his large muscular arms across his wide chest, as if that settled it.
Charlie rolled her eyes "I didn't sign up for this." She told him. Resting her hands on her hips.
Sidney chuckled "lets take a walk" he suggested.
Taking her small hand into his much larger one.
Leading her out into the hallway.
Once he had her out of sight of the rest of his teammates.
He backed her into a wall.
His face was close enough, that the redheaded journalist could feel his warm breath across her face.
"Tell me you don't want me to kiss you right now" he whispered, His full lips only centimeters from hers.
Charlie couldn't seem to form words. "I-i…we..we shouldn't…I shouldn't get involved…with..you…it's not a good idea" she stammered.
Sidney chuckled and pressed one soft,gentle kiss to her lips before backing away. Giving her personal space back.
Charlie sighed, Her lips still tingling from where his had touched hers.
She looked at him curiously.
"I'm not giving up…just so you know…I'm just going to make you wait." He said, with a playful smirk across his lips.
"what do you mean wait?" she asked quietly.
Sidney chuckled "until tonight" he told her.
Charlie shook her head
"that's where your wrong. I'm not some puck bunny. I don't want to sleep with you because your famous. I've interviewed more famous players than you…that's not what this is about." She pointed out, her arms crossed over her chest.
. Sidney chuckled " I'm not that kind of guy" he insisted.
"that's max. or tanger. But I've never liked those kind of girls." He promised.
Charlie rolled her eyes. "your real convincing" she said sarcastically.
Sidney seemed to loose a bit of his composure at that.
He backed her into the wall again. "if I didn't really feel a connection with you. I wouldn't he hiding you from the gronk and the rest of the boys." He said gruffly
"I like you. I know that I hardly know you. But I want to have the chance to. So lets do this interview. And then let me take you out to dinner…and just take it from there. I promise to be on my best behavior." He swore.
Charlie scrunched her nose.
"cross your heart?" she asked in a small voice.
Sidney laughed softly, and made a crossing motion over his heart.
Charlie smiled "I'm not so sure you're worth losing my job over…" she muttered.
Sid smiled and shrugged "then let me prove it." He pleaded.