Part 19 - Pure Gold

At about 6, my hotel room phone rang. I was in the process of getting ready for dinner, one that I wasn’t quite sure who I was eating with. I mean, did D want me to eat with him tomorrow night or tonight? If it was tonight, then I was eating with Sid tomorrow, and if it was tomorrow, I’d promised to eat with Sidney tonight. Either way, I was getting ready, because its always better to be safe rather then end up being sorry. I picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Hey Drew, who are you coming for dinner with?” D’s voice asked gruffly. “’Cause tomorrow night we’re having a team supper with all our families apparently… Coach says that you’re welcome to come to that.”

I bit my lip tentatively. I knew that D wanted me to come for dinner with him and his family… after all, I was here because he wanted me here. But part of me wanted to go for dinner with Sidney. I sighed… bros before hoes and all that jazz. “You want me to come with you?” I asked.

“Only if you want to.” He replied.

“God D, just tell me one way or the other.” I snapped irritated. “Do you want me to come for dinner with your family? I mean, because if you’re going to be all offended if I go with the Crosby’s then I’ll go with your family.”

“Fuck Drew, go with whoever you want.” He snapped.

“Fuck D.” I replied. “Not if you are going to be pissy. Fuck it Phaneuf, I love you, you’re my best friend in the entire world and probably the only real friend I’ve got. I do not want to fight with you.”

“I just thought you’d want to spend your time here with me.” He said in a pouty voice.

I rolled my eyes. Boys can be such babies at times. “D I totally want to hang out with you.” I said. “And you should totally know that. I just thought that tomorrow night, the real Christmas dinner kind of thing; I’d eat with you and your parents. I figured that tonight I’d spend some time with Sidney.”

“But you spent all afternoon with him….” Dion whined.

“Yeah and when this is over, you and I will go home to Red Deer together and I will see you nearly every day until hockey season ends, and then I will see you every single day once it does.” I snapped, feeling a little irritated with his jealousy. “Sidney and I just met, but I feel nearly as close to him as I do to you. But when this is all over, he goes back to Rimouski until the end of the hockey season where the only time I will see him is on TV. Then, at the end of hockey season, he’ll go home to Cole Harbour, and I might get to see him for a few weeks this summer.”

D sighed. “But if there’s no NHL next year then I go to Lowell on the east coast of the US, and who knows when I’ll see you.”

Lowell… so that’s where Calgary’s AHL farm team was. “And who knows where Sid will go.” I countered. “With my luck it will probably be Europe.”

He sighed again. “Tomorrow night I get you all to myself then?” He said sounding a little sad.

“Completely.” I said. “Well, minus your parents, who probably want YOU all to themselves.”

I could almost see D shrug, well at the very least, I knew that’s what he was doing on the other end of the phone. “They had me to themselves for years. They’re used to it.”

I laughed, mainly because well, he was right. His parents were used to him not being around a lot. “I’m going to finish getting ready.” I told D. “Sidney said he would come see me before supper either way.”

“Wear those jeans you bought in Winnipeg… the fancy ones with the fake diamond thingies.” Was D’s advice. “With your black boots, and a nice top. Nothing too lacy or low-cut though.”

“Thanks babe.” I said smiling. “You know I love you.”

“Damn straight.” He replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“’Kay.” I said. “Have a good one.”

“You too Drew.” He said, hanging up.

I hung up and got dressed, wearing exactly what Dion told me too. I’m not exactly tall, and since I spend most of my time hanging out with hockey players who tower over me, I get to wear really high heels a lot so I don’t feel short. Though with Sid only being 5’10” I didn’t have to bring out the four or five inch heels. Three inches would be just fine. I grabbed my cell and sent Sidney a quick text message, realizing that though we’d talked about it, we hadn’t really made any firm plans for dinner.

Five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. “Ready to go?” Sid asked, smiling down at me.
“Yep.” I replied, itching to hug him… itching to be hugged by him. “Just let me grab my purse.”

“You look great.” He said smiling. “And even my Mom and Dad will approve.”

I laughed. “Well I have a feeling that’s what D was going for when he told me to dress like this.”

Sidney laughed. “I still think it’s weird that he dresses you.” He said. “But I can’t say that I mind the look.”

“D’s got good taste.” I said simply.

“Is he upset with you for coming to dinner with my family tonight?” Sid asked, looking a little concerned.

“Naw, not really.” I said with a shrug. “I promised he could have me all to himself tomorrow.”

“But what about me?” Sidney said, pretending to pout.

I hit him playfully. “You’ve had me almost all of today.”

“No.” He said, trying to sound mournful. “I had to share you with Reggie and Getter.”

“Poor baby.” I said, not really feeling sorry for him at all. “You’ll survive.”

“I know, but I’d rather spend time with you.” He said with a boyish grin.

“I’m sure you would.” I replied, as he helped me put on my jacket. I smiled up at him. “So gentlemanly.”

He shrugged with a pleased grin. “What can I say?” He said. “My Mom raised me right.”

If he were older I would have stretched up and kissed his cheek. Boys who love their Moms know how to treat a girl right. Instead I reached up and patted his cheek. “You’re a good kid Crosby.”

“And pretty soon Drew….” He said slowly, his body inches from mine, his eyes burning with desire as his gaze bore into mine. “You won’t be able to call me a kid.”

I pulled away. I was thinking that August 7th was NOT soon enough for me, but I wasn’t about to say that. “Well by that logic, you should never call me baby.” I replied instead. “Because I am clearly six years older then you are.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He replied with a small smile… the kind of smile that Mr. Phaneuf smiles at Mrs. Phaneuf sometimes, the kind of smile my Dad used to smile at my Mom… it was the kind of smile a guy in love smiles at the girl he loves. “You’re still my baby.”

“I’m not sure whether or not that’s a compliment.” I replied warily.

“Of course it is.” Sidney replied looking really happy. “I’ve met a lot of girls Drew… heck I’ve been with a lot of girls… and none of them can compare to you.”

“How can you know that without ever having “been” with me?” I replied, my eyebrows raised in question.

He smiled that smile at me again, and said softly. “I don’t have to be with you to know that you’re more amazing then any other girl I’ve ever met.” He said simply. “What makes you so damn special is that I know without having been with you just how wonderful you really are.”

“Are we going for supper or not?” I asked, trying to change the topic of conversation.

Sid grinned wickedly at me, letting me know that he knew full what I was trying to do. “Only if you insist.” He replied. “I mean we could stay here and make use of your hotel room, but somehow I think that you’ll object to that.” I just smiled at him and held the hotel room door open. “See?” He said, grabbing the door and holding it for me. “I knew you wouldn’t like that idea.”

I shook my head before my mouth decided to take over without consulting my brain. “Actually sexy, the problem is, I like the idea far, far, far too much.” I said with a wink as I passed through the door.

“That’s my girl.” He said, smacking my ass.

I grinned at him, even though I said admonishingly. “Sidney you shouldn’t do that.”

“You know you liked it.” He replied.

I shook my head. I’m not about to lie here or anything… I enjoyed the teasing that went on between Sidney and I. He’s a flirt. I’m a flirt. We couldn’t help ourselves. It didn’t matter how hard we tried. Honestly, around this point of the trip is when I think we gave up. We both realized that we could flirt, but we couldn’t let it go any farther then that.

“You are an arrogant little thing you know that?” I replied.

“Look whose calling me little.” He replied, smiling down at me. “Shorty.”

I raised my eyebrows. “D could squash you like a bug little man.”

“That is because he is a giant.” Sidney replied defensively.

“No, it’s because you’re only 5’10”. If D is a giant to you I’d hate to see what you think about Zdeno Chara.” I said. “I mean, he’s nearly 7 feet tall.”

“And he is most definitely a giant.” Sidney said. “Plus I am not the shortest guy here.”

I giggled. He was being so defensive that it was actually funny. “No that’s Dawsey, easily. So don’t get your tighty whities in a bunch kid.”

“Has anyone ever mentioned that you can be a real bitch?” Sidney grumbled, still smiling at me, so I knew he wasn’t too angry.

I grinned wickedly at him. “D a few times.” I replied. “And now that you mention it, I think a few other people may have mentioned it.”

He shook his head. “Let’s go.” He said gruffly.

“I was just joking Sidney.” I said, rolling my eyes. Then I glanced teasingly at his pants. He was wearing a pair of black dress pants, a blue dress shirt, and a leather jacket. “In fact… I’d say you’ve got boxer-briefs on.”

He shook his head again. “You really are a piece of work, you know that right Drew?”

“You know you love me.” Was all I said as we entered the elevator.

We rode down in silence, Sidney looking at my hand every now and then. I followed his gaze and our eyes met his startled. “Sorry.” He muttered.

I smiled at him softly. “Don’t be.” I replied with a shrug. “I’m not.”

“You’re not the one who’s acting like a horny teenage boy.” Sidney replied, sounding completely disgusted with himself.

I giggled. “Sid, sweetie, I hate to be the one who has to break it to you, but last time I checked, you are a horny teenage boy.”

He sighed. “But I don’t want you to see me like that.” He replied.

The elevator stopped. “Are your parents waiting for us in the lobby?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Yeah, with Taylor.” He said. “I hope you don’t mind that my little sister is coming too.”

“Doesn’t matter to me.” I said. “I’m nervous enough as it is.”

“You shouldn’t be nervous.” Sidney told me. “It’s just my parents.”

“I know.” I said. “But how would you feel if it was my parents?” I asked pointedly.

“Umm afraid that they would start a food fight with each other.” He said with a lopsided grin at me.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Sadly I could actually picture my parents having a food fight. “Well they might do that… that’s why we’ll go to McDonalds or something like that.” I said. “I mean, they have a play place where they could argue and throw things at each other in.”

Sidney laughed. “But you do want me to meet your parents though right?”

I paused, actually thinking about it for the first time as we approached his parents. “Umm someday. When they aren’t acting like they’re fifteen years old.”

“I’m going to hold you to that Drew.” Sidney said with a smile.

“I figure you will.” I replied.

“Good.” He said, reaching over and briefly squeezing my hand in his. “Because I want to be a part of your life for a long, long time.”