Mondays are always a little bit nuts at work, and today is no different. Sid was gone before I even woke up, and I get up early, so he wasn't exaggerating when he said his life is about to get crazy busy. I haven't been working as much outside the office, so I'm swamped with paperwork today. Carter is busy trying to secure some insurance certificates for one of our funding partners and he looks like he's about to tear his hair out. We haven't even debriefed about the disaster that was our trip to Philly. Instead of interrupting him, I send Carter a text asking if he wants to go for lunch.
"Yes! And you're buying."
I stupidly told Sid I'd handle furniture shopping too, and I don't know when I'll get a chance to do that. Maybe online? I'm hesitant to move too much of my furniture over, as my family arrives soon, and I'm less eager to have them staying with Sid and I. Two beds, a dining room set, a kitchen table, living room furniture, coffee tables, end tables, area rugs...I start to panic a little bit. This is ridiculous, it's too big a job for one person.
"Carter," I whisper conspiratorially. "Do you have the name of the interior decorator who did the actor condos?" I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. Sid admittedly doesn't care about the furniture, and frankly I'm way too busy for this at the moment, and will be for the next few months. We don't need her to stage the whole place, but someone who can do the leg work and narrow down options would be more than helpful.
"Yep, her name is Francine Moffat," he types furiously on his computer and then an email pops up. "Got it?"
"Thank you!" I dial her immediately and I'm a little surprised when Francine gives me a song and dance about being terribly busy with high profile clients and tells me if I'd like her to fit me in on such short notice I'll have to pay extra. High profile? In Pittsburgh? Seems unlikely, but whatever. Something about her smug tone nearly makes me hang up, but then I remember how desperate I am and I do the one thing I promised myself I'd avoid at all costs. I name drop.
What do you know? She can fit in Sidney Crosby and his "girlfriend". "Kate," I remind her of my name, but she's clearly not concerned. We make arrangements for her to come by the house this evening for a tour, and she promises to have great ideas to show him by Wednesday. I don't bother to tell her she'll be dealing with me exclusively, somehow I don't think she'd be as motivated.
The morning flies by, my task list slightly alleviated since calling Francine, and I'm in desperate need of a break. "Lunch?" I ask Carter hopefully.
"Oh my god is it already lunchtime?" he frets.
"It is," I tell him. "Where do you want to go?"
"Quiet Storm," he replies immediately. "I'll drive." Ah, Carter's favorite joke. Who's driving? He's not in the best mood, and I can't help but wonder if I'm not somewhat responsible.
"How was the rest of your weekend?" I ask tentatively while we drive to the restaurant.
"Shit, yours?" he says curtly.
"Interesting, but you go first," I encourage.
"Well, the crew saw the video of course, and it was sent around like wildfire. Jeff saw it and was disappointed that I didn't stick up for myself," he mimics.
"You didn't even have a chance to say anything," I cry.
"Exactly! Anyway, apparently I'm a self-loathing-gay now and he doesn't know if that's what he's looking for," Carter huffs. Oh shit. Me and my big mouth.
"I'm so sorry," I tell him sadly.
"Yeah, well..." he trails off and it only makes me feel worse. "What did Sid say?"
"Not much," I tell him honestly. "He was pretty angry when he thought I was too drunk to get on the flight, but the video coming out kind of smoothed things over."
"At least the video helped one of us," he mutters.
"Do you want me to talk to him?" I offer.
"No!" Carter blurts out. I'm taken aback, and even he seems surprised by his outburst. "I think that would make things worse." Probably. It might come off as the boss pressuring him to keep dating Carter. Uncomfortable!
"So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know," he sighs. "It's not a big deal. We weren't serious anyway." This is typical Carter. He doesn't like to problem-solve in his own relationships, he just moves on.
"I wouldn't give up on him just yet, it's only been a day," I try to be encouraging. We pull into the restaurant, and Carter doesn't reply, so I know the topic is closed for discussion.
"So, Sid's family is coming to town next week and he wants us all to stay at the new house together," I tell him nervously.
"Whoa, that has major awkward potential," Carter laughs.
"Yeah, I know. Am I totally immature? I just think it might get a little, I don't know, uncomfortable in the evening when Sid and I head off to bed together. You know? Seriously, I'm just being weird, right?" I ramble, desperate to hear something that will make me feel less anxious about the situation.
Carter seems to consider this carefully as grab a table. "You're pretty sensitive to awkward situations," he says evenly. This is true. If there's a hint of uncomfortable, I feel it. "That said, you're both adults and they can probably guess that you two have sex. I wouldn't worry about his parents, they likely assume as much. His sister though, she might not be used to seeing her brother skip off to bed with a woman in tow."
"She's a senior in high school though, it's not like she's a little kid," I say hopefully.
"Yeah, but sisters are pretty protective of their brothers. Trust me," he says with a frown. Carter is the youngest of five, and his three older sisters pretty much always have their noses in his and his brother's business. "And she might be even more possessive of him considering that everyone she meets probably wants to get their hooks in him somehow. Think about it."
"You're right," I frown. Who would have thought I'd be afraid to meet his sister of all people. Maybe I won't have to! Sid said she would try to come out if she could figure out some stuff at school, that's not a definite at all. Actually, it seems pretty unlikely. Right? "I have to make her room special," I blurt out.
"Don't try too hard, that's just as bad as not trying at all," Carter warns.
"Well fuck Carter, what the hell do I do?" I plead.
"Ask Sid," he laughs at my little outburst. "He knows her, he'll be able to give you some do's and don'ts."
"Ugh, I just want to be good at it right away, I don't want him to coach me into a good relationship with his family," I pout.
"Well, give it a try then. High school girls are always sweet and easygoing, right?" he teases.
"She won't be a nightmare, look at her family!"
"She goes to boarding school, right?" I nod and Carter continues. "In my experience, girls without a lot of supervision can turn out pretty far from nice."
"How far?"
"Pluto."
Great. Sid is going to be busy with playoffs, I'll be trying to balance work and entertaining his family, all while navigating the world of mean girls all over again. "Set visit?" I offer weakly, and Carter just laughs.
"Her brother is Sidney Crosby, I doubt she's easily impressed."
The afternoon drags, and I'm completely consumed with trying to formulate a plan to win over Taylor. She did say I was awesome. In a text. A text to her brother that he probably didn't even bother replying to, and she'll probably blame me for keeping him too busy to stay in touch with her. Dammit Sid! I grab my phone and type a text, asking him if he's heard from his sister yet, but then I remember how crazy his life is getting and decide against sending it. He has enough on his plate without adding my insecurities to the mix.
I duck out of work a bit early, hoping to beat rush hour traffic and get home to prep for Francine. I'm not sure what there is to prepare, but I haven't spoken to Sid to give him the heads up, and it would be nice to talk about what he'd like to see before hand. I use the drive home to follow up on some emails, and knock a few things off my to-do list for tomorrow.
Sidney is already home, and to my surprise he's called in the cable company and they're busy figuring out the entertainment system in the living room. I start preparing supper, eager to get food made and the dishes cleared before the snooty designer comes over. "Babe, do you want a tv in your office?" Sid calls from upstairs.
"Yes please," I yell back.
"Bedroom?" he suggests.
"Up to you," I reply loudly.
"I'm saying yes, then."
I haven't even seen him yet, but I'm enjoying our little domestic exchange. "Have you eaten?" I call up to him.
"Yeah, but I can eat again," he shouts back. I had a big lunch, and by the sounds of it Sid has already eaten supper, so I opt for something on the lighter side. I make a simple fruit salad and toast some pita bread with cinnamon. Nothing fancy happening at the Crosby house tonight. Crosby house. I haven't really thought too much about that. Sid is obviously integrating me into his life, and we're moving forward at warp speed in some ways, but we haven't really talked about marriage since he called me his future wife. The memory still makes my stomach do back flips. Our baby's last name will be Crosby, and of course Sid is a Crosby, so that just leaves me - I'll be the odd man out. I frown at the thought, and try to perk up when I hear Sid and the cable guy approaching.
"Hey you," Sid ducks into the kitchen to give me a quick kiss. "Five minutes," he promises, and I wave him away, busying myself cleaning up the kitchen. I walk through the house, checking that everything is put away, and of course, we have so little stuff at the house, there's nothing to worry about. I absentmindedly wonder what Sid did with his magazines, but he was so embarrassed I don't dare bring it up again. The front door chime goes off and that either means we have company or the cable guy is leaving. "Love?" Sid calls from downstairs, and I know we're finally alone.
I pad into the kitchen and find him snacking away on the fruit salad. He pulls me toward him and I give him a tight squeeze. "I have good news and bad news," I tell him.
"Bad news," he frowns.
"A decorator is coming by in an hour," I tell him, anticipating a sour reaction, but he just shrugs.
"Good news?"
"She promises to get us furnished by the time your family is here," I say brightly and this catches his attention.
"That's really good news!" he beams. "And, did you notice I handled the cable all by myself," he adds proudly.
"I did! Someone is missing ESPN," I tease him, but when the tips of his ears redden, I know I've hit the nail on the head. I can't help but laugh. "Thank you, I appreciate it."
"You're welcome," he kisses me.
"I bet your sister will appreciate it too," I suggest, hoping to bring her up casually and see what I can get out of him without being too obvious.
"I don't think Taylor watches a lot of tv," he says neutrally.
"No? Well she might want to watch a movie."
"She'll be glued to her phone," he tells me with a grin. Great. Zero help. "So, what do you want for supper?"
"You're eating it babe," I giggle.
"Fruit?" he shakes his head.
"And pitas! No good?" I ask with a pout.
"It's just...not supper food," he says seriously.
"Well, eat the leftover pizza and then have it for dessert," I say annoyed. What would he eat if I hadn't have come home to cook for him?
"I already ate the pizza," he whines.
"Well Sid, figure it out!" I hiss, my frustration coming out a little more forceful than intended.
"Whoa," he takes a step back. "Easy Kate, let's keep it friendly."
"Sorry," I mutter.
"What's got you all worked up?" he asks seriously.
"Nothing," I tell him. I don't want him worrying about something as stupid as whether or not I make a good impression on his sister. "What can I make you?"
"I can cook for myself," he replies sweetly.
"Can you?" I ask seriously.
"I think so," he giggles. "Maybe." Sid digs through the fridge, but doesn't find what he's looking for.
"Did you buy any real food?" he asks.
"It's all real food," I laugh.
"Like chicken or eggs maybe?" he suggests.
"No babe, I didn't," I frown.
"So...I'm a little lost here," he admits. Okay, cooking isn't his strong suit. Got it.
"I'll make you something," I tell him, playfully shoving him out of the way. I grab an onion, some garlic and a potato from the fridge. "Can you pull out a pot?" Sid obliges and sets it on the burner while I make short work of chopping the veggies. I pull a tin of chickpeas from the pantry as well as some curry powder, cumin and turmeric. "Do you know how to make rice?" I ask seriously.
"Yes Kate, I'm not a complete idiot," he says sarcastically.
"Babe," I coax him.
"I just don't do a lot of cooking," he confesses.
"I know, you're on the road a lot and you've never really lived alone. I get it. We're doing it together," I say softly. Sid relaxes and hops up on the kitchen counter, asking about my day and telling me all about practice and their upcoming game. He's not nervous yet, but he's convinced the nerves will settle in eventually. He thinks it's healthy.
"This doesn't seem that hard to make," he says taking an inventory of the nearly finished chickpea curry.
"Nope, it's easy." I scoop some rice onto a plate and top it with the curry. I tear some pita bread and place it on the side for him, handing him the over-sized portion while making a smaller plate for myself.
"No fruit salad for supper?" he asks me.
"We'll eat that later," I grin. Sid stays sitting on the kitchen counter and I jump up on the island across from him and we balance our plates on our laps. I watch his reaction carefully as he tries the unfamiliar dish.
"Mmm," he moans. "I like it."
"Really?"
"Yeah," he digs in heartily. I don't think there's much in the way of food that he doesn't like, so it's not exactly my crowning achievement. "I wish you'd tell me what's bothering you. I can tell you know." Ugh.
"I'm just a little nervous about meeting your sister," I confess, and as the words leave my mouth it's like a tremendous weight is lifted. "I really want her to like me."
"She'll love you," he insists. "Baby, don't worry about that."
"It's just that we'll all be staying here together, and I don't want anyone to be uncomfortable with us sharing a bed..." I blush, and Sid bursts out laughing. He places his plate on the counter and moves toward me. He takes my plate and sets it beside me, places his hands on my legs and presses his forehead to mine.
"Babe, I'm pretty sure they know I'm not a virgin," he says quietly.
"That's different than being in the same house as you when..."
"Katie, it's a big house, thick walls, and hun, it's playoffs. I won't really be able to get too busy in the bedroom for a bit," he reminds me.
"Okay," I sigh.
"Okay?" he questions.
"Yeah," I smile at him and he rewards me with a kiss.
"Don't worry so much," he scolds. Before I can defend myself the doorbell rings and I know Francine is waiting outside.
"Great, the kitchen is a disaster," I sigh. Sid rubs my shoulders and shakes his head.
"What did I just tell you?"
Don't worry so much. How can I not worry? Navigating the world as Sidney Crosby's girlfriend hasn't exactly been smooth sailing! He seems pretty confident that Taylor will like me, but it's not terribly reassuring. I guess it feels like she's the last hurdle before the finish line. His parents and I get along great, and I don't want that to change. I fret over this while making my way to the front door.
I swing it open and come face to face with Francine Moffat, and she's exactly what I expected. Tall, brunette, slim, a bit older, a little too much makeup, and all the goods pushed up and out and on display. "I'm here to meet with Sidney," she tells me, looking right past me into the house, her eyes darting around hoping to catch a glimpse of Sid.
I'm sure you are.