Taking a deep breath, I stepped off the bus and towards the visitor's entrance to the CEC. It had been April the last time I had been in The 'Burgh, just one of the changes between now and then. It's now October, the 12th to be exact, and while I might still be the unknown, long time and long distance girlfriend of a certain Penguins' Captain, I am also now the "enemy".
I'm getting ahead of myself, as always… I'm Alexandra Malahkov, before you ask no I'm not Russian. My father is/was but he defected years and years ago. Born in Windsor, raised in the D and played hockey all my life. In fact that's how Sid and I met. In 2002 we bumped into each other, literally, during free ice time at school. We, along with a few others, began hanging out and training together. That was probably my favorite year at SSM.
Anyway, back to now… I'm in my final bit of schooling for my Master's Degree in Sports Medicine. I either had to work with the school's Ladies team or find someone that would allow me to work for them. I chose the latter option. So, here I am, helping unload various bits of medical gear in preparation for tomorrow night's game. The team I picked, The Washington Capitals.
I know, I know… I can hear you all now screaming out WHAT? Truth is I could have gone to the Pens and worked for them this year, except that there is a very real no fraternization policy in place. It's there to protect the players and everyone else from what could turn nasty. I don't disagree with having it, hence I'm in D.C. working with a team I know little about. Actually even that's not the complete truth. I know some about the team, the roster for one. I'm learning a lot more on the fly.
"Mal!" I hear my name called out by someone I haven't seen in a while, but I'm busy moving a piece of equipment so I hold an arm with the 'just a minute' gesture. Hearing a chuckle behind me I continue on into the room that this needs to be in and come bopping back out.
"Hi Chris, how's life in the brand new building?" I ask happily as I join him in the hallway. I was going to miss The Igloo, a.k.a. Mellon Arena, I'd seen so many great things happen. I'm sure that great things would happen in this new building as well.
"Hey Mal. We're still working a few of the kinks out, but overall it's great. Can't imagine my surprise when I saw your name on the Caps training crew roster." He eyed me with that 'if I didn't know better I'd say you don't love us look'.
My heart sank. Damn you Sidney, you were supposed to tell everyone where I'd decided to work this year. My thoughts must have shown on my face as Chris again chuckled. "I'm gonna kill him." I said in a hushed voice as my eyes closed briefly.
I opened them again to find a smile on Chris' face. "Don't worry your secret is safe with me. How do you like it so far?" He was honestly asking my opinion, not fishing for information, which he knew he wouldn't get.
I rolled my eyes and sighed. "How was your first year?" I asked, knowing he'd told me horror stories over then years about being a trainer. "Actually that's not true. Most of the guys aren't horrible, just different than I'm used to. At least most of them have finally stopped hitting on me." I chuckled and smiled.
Chris smiled. "That is a good thing. Had to bitch anyone out in their native tongue yet?" That made me smile. Chris was one of the few who knew my double secret, Sid's girl and fluent in 8 languages.
The bags were being moved in so we moved a bit further down the hall. My own boss, Greg Smith, came over and joined us. "No not so far. It's a matter of time for a few of them though." I turned expectantly towards Greg and got the wave off.
"Don't mind me. Our part is done. I just wanted to say hi to Chris. Be around long enough and you get to know everyone." While Greg knew I had deep roots in Pittsburgh, he didn't know exactly how deep.
We stood there chatting for a few more minutes when Flower came bounding up. "Bonjour!" He said, with his trademark 500 watt smile lighting up his face. He put his arm around me and hugged me slightly, then noticed the Caps tracksuit jacket I was wearing. "Your taste in clothes, it 'as gone down." He teased, he looked as serious as he could look but I saw the sparkle in his eyes.
"Pfft." I said, waving my hand as if his words didn't matter. "You're just jealous I can rock the rouge, bleu and blanc and you can't." This was how we were, teasing and joking all the time. I laid my head on his shoulder and sighed. Now I felt like I was home. I looked at my boss who stood there just shaking his head.
"You weren't kidding when you said you had deep roots in Pittsburgh were you?" He asked semi-seriously. He chuckled when both Flower and myself shook our heads no in unison. "Just be careful when the boys get in here. None of them know yet I'm sure." He was alluding to my roots of course. "Team curfew is 11 pm. I expect you in at the same time." He said warmly as he got called away.
Chris laid a warm hand on my cheek. "I'll see you later. Just remember that," he said motioning to my jacket ", is not allowed in my locker room without prior knowledge or an emergency. Got it?" His face was stern but his mannerisms were not.
"An emergency is the only way I'd go in there in this Chris. I value my hide." I smirked as I replied. He chuckled and walked back towards the Pens Locker Room. I, however, turned my gaze to my long time friend. "So, anything planned for this afternoon?" I knew Marc-Andre and, consequentially, his fiancée Vero very well. It wasn't a game day and it was now after Noon, chances were that they either had no plans or ones I could easily fit into.
He grinned, knowing what I knew about him. "No'ting you would not be welcome at." He said with a smile. "In fact we, well Vero, invited some of de guys over for lunch. I can call and see if she wants…" He was pulling out his phone as he tried teasing me.
Faster than he expected I grabbed his phone and dialed his home number. "Bonjour mon amour." She sounded all kinds of sultry which means she was really in for a shock in a second.
"Bonjour, mon meilleur ami." I said brightly into the phone, laughing as I heard a gasp. "Guess who was too slow for me." I began giggling as Flower and I wrestled for his phone.
"Alex!" Her happy reply was. "Where are you? If you are wit' Marc tell 'im he doit apporter vous maison pour le déjeuner." She lapsed into French without a word, but that was Vero. She'd go back and forth in a conversation as long as she knew you could keep up.
"Where else would I be that I, Hey stop that," I said as Flower began to unfairly try and tickle me. I rolled out of his embrace and headlong into someone else I'd been dying to see. "Oof. You âne." I snarled at Flower. I heard Vero laughing on the phone which made me start doing so. "Here, you tell him." I smiled as I spoke to Vero and handed Flower back his phone.
Flower smiled triumphantly, until I heard Vero begin teasing him over the phone. I turned around and smiled at the man I had rolled into. "Hey there you." I said. I hadn't meant for it to come out as if I was trying to turn him on, it just did. God the things this man could do to me.
I found myself dragged down the hallway a bit into a spare room. That was one thing I had a hard time getting over. He wanted to hide us from the world all the time. However, I understood his need to hide for a while longer. He wanted to keep me from the insane female fans he had. He pulled my jacket off of me, exposing my white tank top. Then gently, as if he was trying not to crush me, his lips met mine. After a few minutes, air was needed by both of us. Breaking the kiss I looked into those warm hazel eyes I loved so much. "I missed you." He said as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
"I missed you more." I replied. We hadn't moved apart from our embrace so I snuggled my head into the crook of his neck. We stood like that until I heard his stomach grumble, which of course made me laugh. "We better go feed you. Otherwise I might fear for my life."
He had tucked his head on top of mine so his reply came out garbled a little. "Inna Minute." His arms wrapped a bit tighter around me, not wanting to miss a second of being together. True to his word about a minute later I heard him sigh and release me. He took my hand gently and refused to let go. "Come to lunch with me." He said, sounding so much like a lonely little boy.
I smiled. "I'd love to go to lunch with you. Vero invited me over." I knew that it was a less than zero chance he'd been invited too. The guys were so close. I saw his eyes light up and a smile spread across his face and knew I was right. "Come on, I wanna change before getting over there." I tugged lightly on his hand as I began trying to move to the door.
"Wait… Won't you get in trouble?" There was his inner captain peeking out, always making sure no one would get into trouble.
I turned and smiled seductively. Coming in close I whispered. "My curfew is 11. Think we can find something to do before then?" I knew I had him when I heard him swallow hard and watched his adam's apple bob just a bit. I placed a kiss on it and broke all contact as I walked out the door.