Tuesday, August 11, 2009

#3

I was exhausted. I could hardly keep my eyes open as I stood beside the bench; dead on my skates so to speak.

"Wakey, wakey Kaner!!" I heard Soupy yell out from somewhere behind me. Suddenly, I was flat on my back staring up at the ceiling. Soupy was grinning down at me, "How the hell are you so tired man? You left before midnight!"

"I didn't sleep good... and that one doesn't count towards you knocking me on my ass, I wasn't pay attention."

"Whatever man... let's play some HOOOOOCKEY!" He shouted taking off across the ice. I shook my head and pushed myself up. The kid had ADHD for sure... I didn't care how vehemently he denied it.
I skated off after him and tried my best to get my head into our scrimmage. The boys knew something was off though, and just as I had assumed, they weren't about to let me off the hook.

"You're dropping the ball Doc!" Greeted me as I entered the dressing-room after practice. I threw my glove over at Sharpe to shut him up before heading over to my stall to undress. Tazer was waiting for me.

"What's up now man? Where did you go after you left?"

"I didn't go anywhere... I went back to my car then I went home."

"Why are you so tired then?"

"Couldn't sleep..."

"Couldn't sleep and..?"

"Couldn't sleep and I had Laurie over." Tazer laughed and shook his head at me, slapping my back in the process.

"Leave it to you... only guy I know that can leave a bar alone and still end up getting laid."

"It's not like that man." I said quietly, but Tazer couldn't hear me, his comment had drawn attention from the other guys.

"Oh! So that's why you're so tired! Sex must have been pretty good... this Laurie girl hot?" I ignored the jousting as the guys bantered back and forth about a girl they knew nothing about.

"She's blond isn't she? Man.. I bet she's blond!"

"She blond Kaner?"

"No she's not blond! Just drop it boys..." I snapped back, causing the guys to finally drop their conversation; turning into hushed remarks about me and a 'certain time of the month'. I knew it was all in good fun but it made me angry when they talked about Laurie like that. I wasn't in love with her or anything, but it still made me feel bad that they ran their mouths about a girl who had never asked me for anything before.

"So... you gonna stay crabby all night or are we going out?" Sharpe asked, throwing my glove back.

"Out I guess."

"Atta boy Kaner!" I heared someone yell as I grabbed a towel and made my way into the showers.



"I think I'm gonna jet..." I yelled across the table to Tazer. I tapped Sharpe motioning for him to slide out of the booth so I could leave, but he shook his head at me.

"You're not leavin yet man! The night's just beginning and I see some fine lookin ladies! Alright boys here's the new plan... Pattie's not allowed to leave unless he's with a lady." Sharpe elbowed me in the side and pointed over across the pub to a group of girls all smiling and waving at us. "Come on man! Give me a friggin break... they're hot, you're single, what's that problem?"

"No problem, let's go." I sighed and followed Sharpe over towards the girls. Might as well... I figured, approaching an attractive red-headed girl.

"Hey, I'm Patrick." I said casually extending my hand to her.

She grabbed it and flashed a smile back, revealing unnaturally white teeth. "Alyssa." She continued to hold on to my hand, I didn't bother to pull it back.
By this time the rest of the guys were surrounding us, all coupling off with the girls; all except Tazer who was still over in the booth, cellphone out giving me the 'thumbs up'.

"You wanna drink?" Alyssa asked, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

"Ah, yah ok..."

"No. I mean you wanna get me a drink?" She stared at me like I was stupid. I nodded back at her and pulled myself out of her grasp. I headed to the bar, Soupy hot on my heels.

"I never would have taken you for a fan of the red-heads." He quipped, coming up beside me.

"Never said I was."

We order some tequila and carried it back to the girls' table. I didn't even had time to take a shot before Alyssa came up from behind me and wrapped her arms around my waiste. Sharpe chorted into his drink at the look on my face. She brought her chin up to rest on my shoulder, "You wanna get out of here?" She whispered into my ear, finishing it with a lick. Ugh, really?

"Yah sure, in a bit..." I smiled down at her, not caring if she noticed my less-than-excited demeanour. She apparently didn't, or if she did, she didn't care. She smiled back at me and walked over towards one of her friends; whispering something to her.

I didn't really want to stay at the pub, but the idea of going home was almost less appealing. Unless I can get her to take me to her place... then I could just leave...

"Geez someone's a lucky man tonight!" Soupy laughed pointing at me.

"What?" I asked confused, the girl sitting on Soupy's lap was just as pretty as the girl I'd been talking to. He answered my confused look by pointing behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Laurie laughing at me from another table. She had two girls with her. "I'll be right back." I yelled at the boys, heading down to her.

"Awww, Pattie find a fan club tonight?" She laughed, playing with the straw in the drink.

"Jealous?" I joked with her, giving her a shove; which insidently ended with me having to grab her before she fell off the stool she was on.

"You know it. Patrick these are my friends by the way. Kim and Tanya." I shook Kim's hand and shook my head at Tanya.

"A Crosby shirt in a Chicago bar? Really?"

"What can I say... dedicated fan right here!" She smiled at me.

"Why don't you pull up a stool? Or will the red-head freak out?" I followed Laurie's eyes back to the table my friends were at. Alyssa did not look impressed.

"Oh god, don't make me go back please!" I sighed, grabbing a nearby stool and squeezing in between Laurie and Kim.
We chatted for a while, laughing about hockey and the girls' random stories of drunk nights. I noticed the guys started to stare at me so I figured we were getting ready to head out. I checked my watch. "Holy crap... it's almost 2 already." I exclaimed, surprised at how fast the night had gone once I had found Laurie and her friends. "Hey, you guys wanna meet some of my friends?"

They all nodded, Kim seemed extremly pleased by this suggestion. They followed my up to the table, Laurie beside me, Kim and Tanya timidly standing back.
"Hey guys, this is my neighbour Laurie and her friends Tanya and Kim." I pointed to each one as I said their names. Alyssa seemed to become instantly happier once she heared who they were; at least until Dave shouted out.

"Oh.. so YOU'RE Laurie... we've heared alot about you!" Note to self, get Tazer to punch Dave out...

"Oh no, infamous am I?" She laughed back easily.

"In our dressingroom yah, Kane talks about you all the time." Sharpe added.

"Ok... well... now that this is nice and awkward... I'm gonna go." I could feel my face heating up and was trying to laugh it off.

"Alone?" Dave added, looking from Alyssa to Laurie. I looked over at Alyssa too, crap... how am I gonna get out of this one?

"Actually Pat's letting us crash at his place tonight. I remembered when we were talking that I locked myself out of my appartment so, he offered to let us stay there till I can get my spare key from mom and dad tomorrow." Thank you, Laurie. I nodded along with her, trying to act like this wasn't a lie.

"Yah so... we should head. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I turned and followed Laurie and her friends out of the pub and out into the cool Chicago night.

We haled a cab and pilled into the back of it, heading for my appartment building. When we arrived I was surprised that Kim and Tanya weren't coming up to Laurie's. "We weren't actually planning on having a sleep over," Laurie sighed at me, "I was just trying to save you're ass infront of freckles back there." I laughed and handed Kim some cash, feeling bad about leaving them with the bill.

I followed Laurie through the door and up the stairs to the 4th floor. She headed past my door towards her own, before I reached out and stopped her. "Where are you going?"

"Home?" She laughed.

"Oh, ok cool." I turned and started unlocking my door.

"You mad cause I ruined your plans? You didn't seem that into her..."

"No, no... I'm actually very glad you did that... I just..."

"Just what?"

"Just figured you'd... ya know..."

She started to laugh loudly. "You ended up leaving her at the bar because you were gonna take home the easy lay? And here I thought you were just maturing." She laughed again and I thought I had offended her until she started walking back towards me, a smile on her face.

She pushed me up against my door and wrapped her arms around my waiste. I leaned down and kissed her; my hand feeling the door behind me for the knob. I found it and turned the handle, opening the door to my apartment wide. I started walking in backwards, pulling her in behind me, before kicking the door shut.

1 comment:

  1. I love it. Seriously. I love that Laurie doesn't ogle him, or better yet she barely even knows he's alive outside of the bedroom. :-) haha

    ReplyDelete