Chapter 3: Every girls crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man...

"No, absolutely not, there is no way I am spending today in the mall!" Flower was fighting a loosing battle and we all knew it. I sat at the living-room beside Oksana, both of us laughing at Flower's attempts to get out of the day-trip that Vero and her had planned.

"I think you might as well accept it, you will be going." Sana chuckled loudly over her shoulder, her deep Russian accent a cold contrast to the light flowing French that was now coming out of the kitchen.

Marc walked into sight, a giant pout playing on his lips as he plopped his skinny body onto the couch next to me. "Women... not only do they want to spend all our money... they want to make us watch them do it!"

"You would think I was bringing him to the slaughter!" Vero laughed, following Marc out into the living-room. She affectionately messed up his hair before walking to the door and slidding on a pair of shoes. "We'll be in the car once you get dressed... come on Sana I want to show you where we're thinking of putting in the pool." Oksana got up and followed Vero outside, throwing a wink and Flower and I before departing.

"Ugh!" Flower exclaimed flopping back into the couch. I couldn't help but laugh at him... he really was a baby sometimes.

After a few minutes of saying nothing and listening to the sounds of Vero and Sana giggling from outside, Marc finally broke the silence. "So... how was last night?"

"It was alright, I mean, she's gone with mom and Taylor this morning but she said she had plans to get ready with Vero and Oksana tonight. Best I can hope for."

"Well it might be better to take things slow anyway, eh?" He looked over at me and I adverted my eyes. "Eh?" I couldn't keep the heat from rising in my face, just like I couldn't keep a goofy grin from spreading across my face. "Woah! ...woah! When?"

"Remember when I said I found her in my bed?"

"You mean she was waiting to have sex with you?!"

"Not exactly... let's just say it was... well... kind of a surprise...?"

Flower shook his head and laughed, "only you could get away with waking a girl up like that..."

"Who is to be wake up?" A deep voice caused us both to jump. In the course of our conversation, neither of us had heared Geno come in. Now the oversized Russian was looking up the stairs towards the bedrooms.

"No Geno, no one has to be woken up... Sidney woke Karrington... oh nevermind!" Flower flopped back down on the couch for the third time, once again in defeat.

Geno shrugged, "We're going now?" He asked pointing at the front door, "girls are in the car waiting, they tell me to come get you."

I pushed myself up off the couch and made my way over to the door, Geno close behind me, "No... no way! She made me go last week, and as man of this house I refuse to be used as a dress-up doll again!"


Fifteen minutes later Marc, Geno and I were squeezed into the backseat of Marc's truck as Vero pulled the black, tinted vehicle into the parking lot of the mall. It was a beautiful sunny Thursday in Pittsburgh, and as such, the mall was fairly quiet.
We spent two hours following the girls from store to store before they turned their attention onto us. Apparently they felt that my wardrobe was in complete shambles and that all the pieces needed to be updated immediatly; much to the satisfaction of Geno and Marc. After finding out my size and giving up on trying to force anything on me, they had taken to stealing my credit card and taking matters into their own hands.
The guys and I sat on a bench in the middle of the hall, signing the occasional autograph and poseing for a few pictures.
As 3 o'clock rolled on I was getting impatient, but the guys looked completely at ease. "They're not even close to done, you know that right?" Marc laughed, taking in my bouncing legs as I tried to sit still.

"How is that even possible? We've been here for like four hours!"

"Get use to it man this is what they do best..."

"Oksana only leave when they turn off lights." Geno agreed, playing with the straw of his slushy.

"If this is what the girlfriends of pro hockey players are like... I'm starting to re-evaluate my whole perspective on being single..." They laughed as I shook my head, luckily for me Karrington hated shopping just as much as I do; I didn't feel like gloating though, so I kept that to myself.


We were back at Vero and Marc's by 4:30, with more bags on floor than I thought could possibly have fit inside Marc's truck.
It had been decided that I would be wearing a dark blue button-down shirt and beige dress pants that the girls had just purchased - along with about fifty other things. I grabbed the bags that Vero indicated to be mine and stuffed them into the back of my rover before peeling it back to my place with Marc and Geno.

Mom was in the process of beginning supper when we got home. Geno headed into the den to talk to my dad as Marc and I headed upstairs to my room.
I was unnaturally nervous about tonight. It didn't seem to make sense. It wasn't like I had never gone on a date with Karrington before, and this time I would have my closest friends with me.

I hopped in the shower and changed quickly, heading downstairs to find my family already eating. Marc was showering in the upstairs bathroom, Geno had taken the bathroom off the spare bedroom.
I cursed myself for rushing to get ready; what was I going to do with all this time now? I paced back and forth in the living room, to the amusement of my father. "Nervous Sidney?" he chuckled from the kitchen table.

"No, why would you think that?" I replied sarcastically, never pausing my step.

"You know, for someone who goes head to head with the biggest guys in the NHL, you'd think spending time with a 100lb girl would be nothing." My dad and Taylor both started laughing. Mom shushed him but couldn't contain the smile that was spreading across her own face. This was the last thing I needed.
I headed outside to take a walk around, maybe the fresh air would calm me down a bit.

I had taken a full walk around the neighbourhood when I saw Marc and Geno waiting out on the porch for me. "Vero called," Marc shouted over to me, "we're meeting them at the resturaunt." I nodded as I headed towards my rover.

The drive to the restuarant flew by. The boys spoke words on encouragement to me but I remained silent, focusing on the road; trying to keep my mind positive. Karrington had given me so many positive signs since she had arrived in Pittsburgh, but I still couldn't be sure. Everything had seemed so perfect when she had ended it before.

We were the first ones there and made our way back to the VIP section that Flower had reserved for tonight.
We were already on our second round of beers when the girls finally came up the stairs. Vero and Sana looked beautiful, as they always did; like the girls right off the magazine covers. Yet there was nothing to hold my attention on them as Karrington came into focus. She was wearing a simple dark-blue cocktail dress, one that matched my shirt perfectly (I could only assume from Veros' smile that this had been planned in advance), and minimal make-up, but she was still the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

Okay breath Crosby... you can do this. You fought Andrew Ference, you can do this... youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup... no prob...


"You look good man." I breathed as she took the seat beside me. Ok, you didn't not just call her 'man'...

"Thanks, you look pretty good too... dude." She laughed at the look on my face, her cheeks flushed a familiar pink.

Everyone started into casual conversation, laughing and telling stories to each other as I continued to steal glances at her, but every now and then I caught her looking at me too.

At one point during the evening I saw a familar sparkle in her eye as my hand brushed her accidently, and it amazes me how perfectly all the feelings that I ever had for her fall back into place. Can it really be this easy?