When Dean was on fire, he was unstoppable.
As he bathed in Gatorade at the Staples Center locker room, Dean celebrated his amazing night. Everyone cheered on the Kings 5-1 victory over the Nashville Predators but the big story was Dean's unbelievable play. Four of the Kings goals were from him. The other goal was due from Dean's assist.
He tried to be as respectful as possible when he answered the reporters' questions about the game but his only thought was Sydney. He wanted to be on the next flight to San Francisco where he'd spend the next five days with his love, not answering what was his mindset when he shot his second goal.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous about seeing her. He'd been to San Francisco many times over – both for hockey and just for fun – but this time would be drastically different. He would be on her turf, meeting her friends and possibly, her family. He would get to know more about her in the form of where she grew up, where her safe haven is, and what place was her favorite to go for a little mayhem and mischief.
He'd get to know her friends, her fellow sorors, as she called them, and possible co-workers. He'd hear little antidotes about Sydney and embarrassing stories from her past as they both silently contemplated about her future.
He was beyond nervous. His insides felt like someone put them in a violent tumbler, and then stuffed them back in with an 'Atta boy!' to go along.
"So you're about to see your boo thang, huh?" Randy asked. "Gonna meet her parents and all that shit?"
Dean bit back an eye roll. The closest Randy had ever met any girl's parents was when he carefully dropped off a drunken date back at her parents' home and rang the doorbell before he sped off in his Ferrari. He was the living embodiment of Animal House. "I don't know, maybe."
"Going on her turf…meeting the parents…" Two-Tone began.
"A casual trip to Tiffany's will take place sometime that weekend. Watch." Jimmy added.
John glanced back at Dean as if he just committed the ultimate sin. "You're going to marry her?" John was famously (or was it infamously?) known to make his stance about no children and no marriage very clear. It was almost laughable his girlfriend (using that term very loosely), Nikki, didn't get the memo.
"Dude, we just started dating like two months ago, if that. I don't know what the future holds." That was a half-truth. Dean had a good feeling what the future held; he just didn't know where Sydney stood in it. That wasn't to say, however, if she did suggest a trip to the jewelry store, he would be against it.
"Well, good luck, dude." Cesaro added. "You're gonna need it. The parents are a tough sell."
"You had issues with Paige's parents?" Dean asked.
"Not really," Cesaro shook his head, "but they're so cultured and then there's Paige…I wonder if she was adopted."
"You know, you didn't have to come with me," Sydney casually waited at San Francisco airport.
"What?" Sarah shot her a look. "Nah, girl. I wanted to see Mr. Big Dick for myself."
"Okay, you can't call him that to his face." Sydney cringed. "He can't know I told you about him."
"You are smoking some good shit if you honestly think he wouldn't know that I know that he hides a foot-long." Sarah rolled her eyes. "I did my research on him online. Did you know that one girl said it was so big, he tickled her intestines?"
"Sarah!" Sydney admonished and Sarah chuckled, causing Sydney to crack a smile. "Enough of that!"
"Hey, I'm just happy you're happy, for real though. You've been through so much bullshit with your exes and I'm glad Dean is a good guy and he treats you right." Sarah commented. "You deserve all of the happiness in the world, Syd. I'm really happy for you."
"Awe, thanks, Sarah." She gave her best friend a hug. "It means a lot to me."
"And I want you to hook me up with a player," Sarah's eyebrows wiggled. "I know he has some single teammates."
"I thought you just wanted tickets?"
"If you can have a dick report, I need my own." Sarah defended. "You can't be the only one who's getting her back blown out!"
"I'll see what I can do," Sydney promised.
"Hey, you owe me from everything. Especially the last one," Sarah's eyes widened before they narrowed again. "And you thought I was a bad influence."
"Enough about him," Sydney admonished, "I'm moving on and upward."
Sarah looked over Sydney's shoulder and made eye contact with a blast from Sydney's past. "Speaking of which, I think we should to another spot."
"Why? This is a good one. He said he'll come down the stairs and we'll see him." Sydney pointed out.
"I think he can walk a few steps," Sarah began to nudge her best friend, "I'm sure he won't mind."
"What? What is wrong?" Sydney asked. She turned to the direction that was causing Sarah's hysteria. Sarah was about as obvious as a seat with a hole in it. "Crap."
"I say that's a very accurate description of him." Sarah agreed.
Seemingly walking in slow motion, the man kept his eyes on Sydney as he approached her. His eyes twinkled and a bright smile appeared on his face as he walked closer to her. Out of all of the exes that had come and gone in Sydney's life, there was something about that particular one. She had permanent reminders of him on her body, since he was the one that did her tattoos. He was good for nothing except for one thing, which he excelled at. Okay, he was really good at two things.
Just when Sydney thought she completely scrubbed everything about him out of her system, there he was, right in front of her. He looked like sex and smelled like it as well, with notes of wood, earth, and just plain man tickling her nose. It was a lethal combination. She felt her heart racing and mouth become increasingly cottony.
"Syd," his deep baritone greeted her as he picked up one of her hands and kissed it, "long time, no see, baby girl."
Sydney grinned as her brain once again traveled down to her heart, which was seemingly loading up an arsenal of weapons in defense because a new competitor, her loins, was making a play. It was something at least the two agreed on. "Roman," Sydney cleared her throat, "Hello."