Five Dollar Mocha: 9
Sydney can hear their voices far before she can see them. The smile she can feel growing peaks as she sees Michael. His sparkling teeth flash from the flourescent lighting as he smiles back at her. She takes a step towards him and they meet, sharing a quick kiss. Michael's arm goes around her waist protectively as Brian starts telling the rest of the crowd their destination.
"—and you guys know the drill. Now, Sydney here is a first-timer, and I know that Mike doesn't want us embarassing him, so feel free to act as stupid as you usually do."
"Not including yourself there, Brian?" Jack shouts over gales of laughter. Sydney notices a pretty blonde next to him and they smile at one another.
"This is Brian we're talking about, Jack," Michael says as the group begins its way towards the parking lot. His hand slips off Sydney's waist and he threads his fingers through hers. "But before Sarah, he was a nobody like the rest of us."
"Just like you before Sydney?" Brian asks, one eyebrow raised.
"Mike's still a nobody," another man says, "that government job of his must hide him pretty well."
Michael laughs along with everyone else and says to Sydney, "Seth, and that's his wife Amy." She reaches up to peck him on the cheek. "What was that for?"
"You can be my nobody all you want."
"I feel privileged." He pushes the glass door open and California sunshine drowns them both. Most of the rest of the team has already dispersed to their separate cars, but Jack and the woman with him walk up to Sydney's side.
"Hi Sydney, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Caitlin, Jack's girlfriend."
"It's nice to meet you, Caitlin."
"Going out after a game is the usual for the team, whether they win or lose."
"And we usually win," Jack puts in. He stops suddenly, and Sydney looks back only to realize that they had reached Jack's car. She and Michael stop in front of a Vespa.
"Oh my god," she laughs, "you have got to be kidding me."
"What, you think I can't ride a Vespa?"
"No, I think a government employee can't own a Vespa. What happened to the Volvo?"
"It's right here." He opens the passenger door of the silver midsize sedan and Sydney sits down inside. She waits for him to seat himself before speaking.
"You know, when I met you I did not have you down as a Volvo man."
He backs out of the space. "When you met me I wanted a coffee."
"I know."
He glances at her as he exits the parking lot. "You imagined what kind of car I drove the first time you saw me? What makes me think that wasn't all you imagined..." She slaps his arm playfully and replies, leaning towards him.
"I imagined you without a shirt shortly after, but I've yet to see if I'm right about that."
They stop at a red light. He looks at her, and his green eyes shimmer as he speaks. "We'll have to do something about that, won't we?"
Unsure at what exactly he is going for, she smiles and kisses him. "I guess we will."
The rest of the ride is spent speaking of Michael's hockey-playing history. A large building appears before them too quickly. They step out of the car; Sydney takes his hand as they head towards the eatery. Michael holds the large door open for her, and as she walks through he says, "Welcome to Nardi's. Trust me, you will never forget it."
Sydney can hear their voices far before she can see them. The smile she can feel growing peaks as she sees Michael. His sparkling teeth flash from the flourescent lighting as he smiles back at her. She takes a step towards him and they meet, sharing a quick kiss. Michael's arm goes around her waist protectively as Brian starts telling the rest of the crowd their destination.
"—and you guys know the drill. Now, Sydney here is a first-timer, and I know that Mike doesn't want us embarassing him, so feel free to act as stupid as you usually do."
"Not including yourself there, Brian?" Jack shouts over gales of laughter. Sydney notices a pretty blonde next to him and they smile at one another.
"This is Brian we're talking about, Jack," Michael says as the group begins its way towards the parking lot. His hand slips off Sydney's waist and he threads his fingers through hers. "But before Sarah, he was a nobody like the rest of us."
"Just like you before Sydney?" Brian asks, one eyebrow raised.
"Mike's still a nobody," another man says, "that government job of his must hide him pretty well."
Michael laughs along with everyone else and says to Sydney, "Seth, and that's his wife Amy." She reaches up to peck him on the cheek. "What was that for?"
"You can be my nobody all you want."
"I feel privileged." He pushes the glass door open and California sunshine drowns them both. Most of the rest of the team has already dispersed to their separate cars, but Jack and the woman with him walk up to Sydney's side.
"Hi Sydney, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Caitlin, Jack's girlfriend."
"It's nice to meet you, Caitlin."
"Going out after a game is the usual for the team, whether they win or lose."
"And we usually win," Jack puts in. He stops suddenly, and Sydney looks back only to realize that they had reached Jack's car. She and Michael stop in front of a Vespa.
"Oh my god," she laughs, "you have got to be kidding me."
"What, you think I can't ride a Vespa?"
"No, I think a government employee can't own a Vespa. What happened to the Volvo?"
"It's right here." He opens the passenger door of the silver midsize sedan and Sydney sits down inside. She waits for him to seat himself before speaking.
"You know, when I met you I did not have you down as a Volvo man."
He backs out of the space. "When you met me I wanted a coffee."
"I know."
He glances at her as he exits the parking lot. "You imagined what kind of car I drove the first time you saw me? What makes me think that wasn't all you imagined..." She slaps his arm playfully and replies, leaning towards him.
"I imagined you without a shirt shortly after, but I've yet to see if I'm right about that."
They stop at a red light. He looks at her, and his green eyes shimmer as he speaks. "We'll have to do something about that, won't we?"
Unsure at what exactly he is going for, she smiles and kisses him. "I guess we will."
The rest of the ride is spent speaking of Michael's hockey-playing history. A large building appears before them too quickly. They step out of the car; Sydney takes his hand as they head towards the eatery. Michael holds the large door open for her, and as she walks through he says, "Welcome to Nardi's. Trust me, you will never forget it."
