Chapter Twenty Seven
"So when will it be delivered?"
"In about two weeks," the sales man responded. "Our delivery department will contact you to set up a delivery day and time, probably tomorrow."
"Okay, great, thanks so much for your help," Sid shook the young man's hand and returned to where Amber was standing. "So at least we have bedroom furniture, that's something right?"
"Yeah I guess… I didn't think it would be such a process Mr. Picky," Amber teased, wrapping her arms around Sid's waist. "How much time do you plan on spending in this room?"
"Lots…" Sid softly grazed her lips. "I really liked that dining room table but I don't know if it's the right size... that room is huge. I don't know where we can even find a table big enough. I guess we better decide on a decorator. I have a couple of numbers, if you wanted to call and set up appointments. I don't really know how it works…"
"Yeah, I can call. I had talked to Nathalie about the process a bit and she said she'd help but now I don't know…" Amber looked down at the ground.
"I'm sure she'll help…" Sid said softly, watching Amber shake her head. "Hey, come on, I thought we decided we weren't going to think about it right now? Shopping equals happy, remember?" Sid placed his hands on her cheeks and turned his face up to hers, brushing her bangs to the side. Amber rolled her eyes at him and his shallow attempt at cheering her up. She was trying to put it out of her mind and concentrate on the afternoon activities that Sid had planned out.
"So Bed, Bath and Beyond? If we are going to live in that house, we are going to need some stuff…" Amber turned away from Sid's grasp.
"Oh God… I think I have stayed with Mario this long because I dread going to stores like that…"
"Come on, it could be fun… Shopping equals happy, right?"
Sid smiled and shook his head. "Shouldn't we make a list? Or have a plan? I can't really just walk around a lot… it always ends up with girls screaming and people pointing… I always end up running away…"
"Well don't worry. I will protect you from the big bad teenage girls and scary soccer moms. But I am not drip drying after my shower, nor am I sharing a spoon with you... seriously, who only buys one spoon?"
"I only needed one spoon… I'll let you use the spoon first…" Sid offered as a compromise. He hadn't really thought through the negative side effects of this shopping plan.
"NO! We are going to buy spoons… and bowls… and maybe a plate or two…"
"You're so mean!" Sid teased as he opened the door for her.
"You're right. The big bully is making you grow up!" Amber poked him in the ribs, laughing.
"If it makes you smile like that, I guess I'll do it…"
"Shopping equals happy."
-.-
Amber woke up and rolled over, looking at the empty space beside her. Sid had left early this morning to meet with his trainer. He said he would be back before lunch, but Amber had barely listened and just rolled over and went back to sleep. The previous day had been a long one and had taken a toll on her physically, mentally and emotionally. She had a sneaking suspicion that Sid would have let her buy just about anything yesterday. If she had wanted dinner plates with farm animals wearing tootoos, he probably wouldn't have said no. He may have accidentally dropped them, then jumped on them ten times in the parking lot, but he wouldn't have said no.
They had bought quite a bit yesterday. Nowhere near enough to make even a small dent in the ridiculous list that Sid has insisted on making, but enough that they could live in the house without running back to the Lemieux's house every morning. Amber's job for the day, as assigned by Sid, was to make a grocery list. The plan was to use the basement kitchen for the time being. Sid decided that by being around more, it would put more pressure on the construction crew to finish. Amber had a sneaking suspicion, after watching Sid hum and ha over every little purchase – from face cloths to veggie peelers – that it wasn't the construction crew's fault on their inability to get anything finished… so much as someone's inability to make a decision and then change his mind a hundred times.
Amber got up and climbed out of bed, searching the floor for something to wear. She didn't have much by the way of clothes at this house, as most were still in her designated room at the Lemieux's, so she would have to settle for something of Sid's. In the late night acrobatics which had occurred when they got home last night, the suitcase Sid was living out of had been up-ended and several articles of clothing kicked across the floor. Amber smiled and chewed on her bottom lip, remembering the exact moment when that had happened. Sid had picked her up over his shoulder and carried her to the bedroom. He tossed her down on the bed, like a doll, smiling down at her with a mischievous look in his eyes. She had tried to escape, playing a little hard to get but clearly there was no real challenge – she certainly wasn't going to say no. Dinner had felt like one long foreplay session. They had already christened the family room and stair case leading to the second floor, since getting home. Amber thought that by the time they made it to the bedroom, Sid would have been exhausted but she soon realized that Sid had an insatiable appetite. All their other times together, there had only ever been time for a single session, so Amber had never experienced this side of him – but she liked it.
Amber fumbled into a pair of sweats and found a baggy t shirt of Sid's to slip over her head. She slowly headed down the stairs to the main floor, smiling again as she recalled some of her more impressive moves, sprawled out across the landing last night. She walked into the living room, where they had dumped all their bags when they had come home. She began digging for the coffee maker that she had insisted on getting and the small bag of coffee grounds from Starbucks. There were easily twenty bags, and some had smaller bags tucked into them, so it was far from an easy task. She made quite a mess in the heap of bags with stuff spilling out everywhere, their new towels were mixing with the thin air of sawdust and a dress that she had bought with Nathalie for dinner tonight was getting dirty.
"Looks like you're settling in… You haven't run away screaming yet?" Amber heard a familiar voice behind her. This was not what she wanted to deal with before having a coffee and she still hadn't found the Starbucks bag. She slowly turned around to face Nathalie in the door way, gently moving bags out of her way so she could stand up without tripping.
"Yeah, well, that wasn't really an option…" Amber retorted sharply, raising to her feet. Nathalie was holding two coffee mugs in her hands.
"Good to know. I thought you might need this…" Nathalie extended one of the mugs towards her.
"Thanks but I'm good. We bought a coffee maker yesterday, so as soon as I find it, I can make my own," Amber defiantly crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Don't be a bitch. It's not going to get you anywhere," Nathalie warned. "Take the coffee."
Amber grit her teeth and kept her arms crossed in front of her. "I am just trying to fit in."
"You learn quick," Nathalie smiled. "The girls will be much nicer next time."
"Well they couldn't get much worse."
"Yes they can. You just haven't done anything to piss them off. And if you thought that they were bad, you better think again. Other women will be much worse. We were just trying to prepare you, give you a dose of reality."
"Oh, you thought you were helping me? I suppose you want a thank-you then?"
"No, I certainly don't expect that and I don't expect you to see that we were helping but in time you will. I sincerely want the best for you and Sid but its not going to be all roses and champagne and the sooner you figure that out the better," Nathalie offered in explanation.
"I am not some deluded teenager. I am not some stupid puck fuck. I get it, okay? I have lived in the hockey world my entire life. I know what they are going to say because I would probably say it too… but I am here. Despite all the shit I know I am going to take, I am here. Despite the fact the no one thinks I belong here or I'm not good enough, I am here. So I don't need any more of your fucking tests or your so-called help because I can handle it, okay?"
"Would you have said that to me yesterday?"
"What?" Amber hissed.
"Would you have had the confidence to say that to me yesterday?"
"Confidence has nothing to do with this."
"Yes it does. You were nervous and uncomfortable yesterday. You took it from those women, barely standing up for yourself. You wouldn't have said boo to me yesterday. This is the Amber we need to see, the one that needs to face Michelle and Vero next time. This is the Amber that needs to face Sid's parents. This is the Amber that Sid fell for, the reason you are here, the reason that you belong here," Nathalie explained.
Amber stood silently facing the woman in front of her, gritting her teeth. It was true that the she hadn't felt like herself yesterday. She was normally a confident person, who prided herself on not taking shit from anyone. Why she had backed down yesterday was beyond her. When she had talked to Max yesterday, he had been shocked that she had taken it from them. It was truly uncharacteristic of her. Maybe Nathalie, as much as she hated to admit it, and probably never would out loud, was right.
"I do belong here and I'm not going anywhere," Amber extended her arm. "And I'll take that coffee now."
"That 'a girl…" Nathalie smiled warmly, handing the coffee over. "So what can I help with today?"
Amber let out a deep sigh. "I don't even know where to start!"
-.-
Again with the lists. Sid stared down at the pile of papers in front of him. Amber and Nathalie, who had clearly made up from yesterday's situation while he was away, had set up a make-shift office in the corner of what would become the living room, and gone room by room, floor by floor, making lists of everything that needed to get done. Amber had talked to the contractor and received a list of tasks that Sid had given him and Nathalie had called in an emergency consultation with her decorator. When Sid returned home from his workout, the house had more people in it then ever before and it had taken some time for him to locate the girls. Amber quickly filled him in on the plans and then all but brushed him aside. Sid knew well enough to stay out of it. He was just glad to have someone else around who could take care of these details so he could concentrate on his training. He figured the safest place for him was out of the way – so he took the opportunity to hide in the basement and play video games.
"So this is where you're hiding?" Amber came down and plopped beside him on the couch.
"I'm not hiding… just staying out of the way…If you need me to do anything… just let me know but otherwise I'll be here…"
"Actually I do need you to do something…"
"Damn."
"Hey! You just said…"
"I know! I'm just kidding…" Sid paused his game, even though he was winning. "What's up?"
"There are some tile samples we need to look at and then we need to go pick the counter top. I talked to the contractor and made a few changes in the kitchen, I hope you don't mind…"
"Nope, not at all… I certainly don't cook…"
"Danielle – the decorator – is coming back tomorrow with some plans for some of the rooms. I told her that we needed the main floor done ASAP because Nathalie said you wanted to host some kind of party before the season starts…"
"Yeah, that would be great…"
"She called this design store, that you need an appointment to go to and made us an appointment for this afternoon. She said to go and look around and make a list of stuff we like and then we can base the design from that… She said that that is where we will find the dining room table the size we need for that room…"
"Great…" Sid listened to Amber explain the rest of the plans and for the first time since he had taken possession of the house a couple months ago, he felt like something was getting done. There was finally a light at the end of the tunnel.
"You don't care do you?" Amber poked him in the ribs.
"I do… I'm listening… I swear!" He laughed as she looked at him with a pout on her face. It reminded him of a look his mother had given his father on a fairly regular basis when he was growing up.
"Come here," Sod insisted, pulling Amber across the couch to him. "I am just happy things are getting done! I needed you to make my house a home…" he added, kissing her cheek.
"You are okay with running errands then?" Amber asked.
"As long as we don't have to go back to the bath store! I don't think I can take that again…" Sid agreed.
"Yeah, that was intense… I'll leave you at home next time…" Amber teased him. "Nathalie went home to make the kids lunch and then start dinner. She wanted to know if you were going to pick up your parents or if she should… you need to call her and then we can get going."
"So I am guessing that you two made up?" Sid asked innocently.
"I've never met a woman so happy when I told her off…" Amber admitted.
"You told off Nathalie Lemieux? Are you kidding?" Sid asked, shocked.
"I guess I got a little confidence…"
"Funny, that's what she said you needed yesterday…"
"Yeah, she said it was some kind of plan… evil plan if you ask me…"
"But it worked… you're clearly back to your regular self today… It's a bit of a turn on…" Sid kissed her ear lobe and down the side of her neck.
"Sid…" Amber moaned.
"What?" he moaned into her hair.
"We have sooooo much to do…"
"This is important to…" he said while running his hand up under her shirt, cupping her breast.
"No! We have to go…" Amber stood up beside the couch and straightened her shirt. "Later. I promise."
"I am holding you to that! Even if my parents piss you off!"
Amber laughed. "You might have to kiss my ego better again tonight…
"Or take you shopping again… apparently that works too…"
"If you take me shopping every time someone hurts my feelings, you're going to go broke!"
"I'll do whatever it takes… I can always make more money…"
"Let's go then… the contractor called me a bitch under his breath earlier, so I guess that's my excuse to shop…" Amber teased. Sid laughed and watched her barrel up the stairs, following close behind.