Chapter 5 - Getting to Know You

"Ok… I'll see you later," Marie said into the phone to Simon before she hung up. She went back out to the living room and started back up on a puzzle that she began. She was into puzzles. She loved to put them together. For Marie it usually took her about a week to put a 1,000 piece puzzle together if she kept at it. When she heard keys being jingled outside the apartment door, she looked up.

"Hey Marie," Rob said when he saw her sitting on the floor. "I came over because Connie called and asked me to bring something in her room to her at work."

"Ok," Marie replied. She smiled when Dave Silk followed Rob through the door. "Hey Dave."

"Marie, how are you?" he asked closing the door.

"Good. You?"

"The same. Didn't see you with Connie in the stands at practice today," he replied.

Marie told him, "Well, I've been seeing this guy and we had a date last night. I slept in."

"You're into puzzles I see."

"Yeah. I'm putting a 1,000 piece puzzle together. I love working on them because they relax me. You would think after a while, it would get tiring, but I just find it fun going through the pieces," she told him.

"Like a get away from life in a way."

"Right."

Rob came back out with what Connie had asked him to get. "She's the only one I know who'll do those kinds of puzzles."

"I think it's cool," Silk replied.

Marie smiled. "Are you guys doing anything tonight?"

"Heading to the bar," Rob told her. "Do you have to work or are you seeing Simon?"

"Have the night off and I'm seeing Simon in a couple days," she replied.

"Then come with us," Rob said.

"You won't mind?"

"Some of the guys want to meet you actually," Rob told her.

Marie smiled once more. "Then I guess I'll head over there with you." She got up and got her things.

vvv

About an hour later, she was sitting with Jimmy Craig and Silk laughing up a storm. She was hearing stories about the Boston crew. They were in a middle of a story about Silk and Jack getting in trouble because they showed up to practice a little hung over.

"It's not that funny. I could have killed OC for keeping us out all night," Silk said.

"Did you get into major trouble?" Marie asked.

"Coach made us do laps, he made us…"

"Still bitching about that?" Jack came up and shook his head. "It happened a long time ago, Silky. Let it go."

"Maybe in the future."

Jack turned to Marie. "How are you?"

"I'm good. You?"

"Not bad."

"Hey Jimmy!" Verchota called out. "I want to ask you something!"

"I will be over there." Jimmy got up and left for Verchota's table. Jack looked back at Silk and Marie and nodded before heading over there with him.

Silk took a sip of his beer before asking Marie, "Have you ever gotten in trouble for being out late drinking?"

Marie shook her head. "No. Not even when I lived at my parents house."

"Were you born here?"

"Born and raised. Were you born in Massachusetts?"

Silk nodded. "I heard that you went to a wedding at a country club."

Marie shrugged. "It's true. My dad is a lawyer."

"Lawyer, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I wouldn't have thought you came from a background such as that," Silk stated.

Marie played with the piece of paper on her bottle before ripping some of it off. "That life isn't for me. I always hated it. When I was growing up, my dad wanted us to be carefree. He would wake us up early to go skating at a local rink where we would just be us. Then that stopped when he started getting a lot more cases and then became a known lawyer."

"Do you resent your parents?"

"I do love them, but I feel like we've all grown apart. I'm close to my brothers, but I think my parents don't get me. They want what's best for me, but I think that entitles a life of unhappiness."

Silk took a drink of his beer. "What would be unhappy about it?"

"My parents have been married for 27 years. I've seen all kinds of phases in their marriage. They were happy for 15 years. Eventually after that they started to go in different directions," Marie replied. "What about your family?"

"My parents are happy. My dad is a businessman, my mom is a teacher. I have one sister and no brothers," Silk told her. "When is your birthday?"

"April 12. Yours?"

"January 1."

"A New Year's baby."

"How old will you be this coming year?"

"23." Marie silently asked him the same question.

"22."

Marie tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Have you always played hockey?"

"Ever since I was little."

"So have my brothers."

"Are they playing right now?"

"Tom isn't. He's following dad's footsteps. He's at Yale. Josh is still in high school. His senior year is this fall. From there he's going to go to the University of Michigan to play for the Wolverines. They really think he's a great hockey player."

"They already made it official?"

"Yeah."

Silk saw Rob get up to go to the bathroom. "How long have you known Rob and Connie?"

"Connie is the same age as me. We meet at orientation of freshman year and became really great friends. She's from Iowa and I never knew anyone else that wasn't from Minnesota," Marie explained. "We did everything together. It was like we were lost sisters."

"That's cool."

"The next year I met Rob in one of my classes and we did a project together. At the time Connie was dating a guy, so what happened was we all became friends. Connie and the guy decided to split. Rob confessed his feelings for her two years ago and they've been together since then."

Silk smiled at the story. "What is your major?"

"Marketing. When I first started college I was undecided. I was going for a bachelor degree in general studies. Then one day I read something about research marketing… and I don't know why, but it sounded fun. Get a small focus group together and have them write what they think of a product," Marie told him. "What about you?"

"Business management," he replied. "After I play in the NHL, my plan is to take on a business with a partner."

Marie looked over at the bar and saw a hockey jersey. "Have you been drafted into the league?" she asked.

"The Rangers," he replied, "they drafted me."

"That's cool." Marie was thinking of something to ask him when she thought about how some of the guys were single. "First girlfriend?"

"I was 17, lasted a year because we went to different schools. Dated a couple people after her, but nothing serious. You?"

"First boyfriend was at the age of 16. Ended it because I wouldn't go to bed with him. Second boyfriend was first year in college, third boyfriend ended after 8 months only a couple months ago."

"And now…"

"Simon and I have only gone on three dates," she told him. "He's a great guy. We laugh all the time."

"Laughter is always a good thing in relationships," Silk stated. "If you can't laugh than there's no reason to be together."

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"How did you meet him?"

"At the wedding, but I had gone to school with him in high school. I had a crush on him."

Silk asked, "Does he know that?"

"Yes. He told me that he knew at the wedding."

"You said before that when you were little your dad took you and your brothers skating. Do you still skate?"

Marie smiled. "Once in a while I'll head over to the local rink."

"That's cool."

"Favorite hockey team?"

He gave her a look. "Boston Bruins. You?"

She gave him the same look back. "Minnesota North Stars."

"Mine if you want to know is also the North Stars," Connie said when she came up to the table.

"How was work?" Marie asked.

"Boring."

Marie laughed and took a sip of her drink. The rest of the night, they hung out with the rest of the guys.