SIXTY

The cab wound its way through traffic until it finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous, tidy little bar that I had never been to. Sid helped me out of the car, his hand gently wrapped around mine. I smiled weakly. The initial elation I had felt upon first seeing him had faded once the reality of the situation set in. This was not a date. We were here so I could try to explain to Sid why I had left Pittsburgh without a word. And after this sure to be painful conversation, I had to return home to an angry fiancé and try to smooth everything over with him.

I unintentionally sighed and Sid gave me a tight smile. I was beginning to think this was all a major mistake. I should have told him to leave me alone and let him get over me his own way. He had no place in my life anymore.

The interior of the bar was very small, but clean and cozy. It resembled more of a coffee shop than a bar. The only other people inside were the bartender and two twenty-somethings sitting in a corner table.

Sid and I found a table that wouldn't be visible from the front windows. Even though he didn't say anything, I knew he chose the location so people wouldn't see him and come in asking for autographs and pictures. He needed this to be a quiet, personal evening.

I awkwardly picked at my nails as Sid went to the bar to get us drinks. He handed me a Molson and sat across from me, staring into his Crown Royal on the rocks. We sat in suffocating silence for a few seconds before I couldn't take it anymore.

"How did you find this place?" I asked, trying to break the newly formed ice. The atmosphere between us had changed dramatically in the cab. We were happy to see each other at the arena, but now it seemed like being with one another was extremely painful.

"Max told me about it. A couple of us would come here when we're in town. It's nice. Quiet."

I nodded and took a big gulp of my beer. "So…I guess you want to talk."

He smirked. "That was the idea."

"I don't even know where to start."

"The trouble all started with Alissa," Sid observed. "Why didn't you tell me you didn't trust her?"

"I didn't want to be the crazy, jealous girlfriend."

"Karine…you could have told me."

I shook my head and picked at the label on the bottle. "You would have blown it off. You didn't think she was doing anything wrong…you didn't see her for what she was. There was nothing I could have said to make you believe she was a bad person, so I just kept it all in until…"

"Until you slapped her," he said, his lips twitching up into a slightly amused smirk.

I sighed. "Yeah."

"Alright. But even after that happened, when we found you in the cemetery, I tried to apologize for taking her side. I was going to make things work. Why did you leave? I thought you just needed a night to yourself. That's why I didn't stop you when you went to get a hotel room. But Karine…I never thought I would come home to an empty house. Why did you leave?"

"I don't know," I mumbled.

"I don't know isn't an answer."

I took another swig of beer. It was almost half gone now. "It was too much."

"What do you mean?"

"We moved way too quickly. Everything was happening so fast…I was under a lot of pressure because I couldn't find a job, a tiny voice in the back of my head was telling me that I should have gone to Paris, and when Alissa showed up I thought I was going to lose you and I thought that I made a huge mistake by choosing you over Paris. I wasn't sure if I was in love with you, I didn't know if I wanted to be with you anymore…"

"So you ran."

I finished off my beer. I knew I shouldn't be drinking so fast, but it was making this conversation a little more tolerable. "I'm sorry."

He got up and returned with another beer for me. "Why couldn't you just tell me all of this two years ago? We could have talked it out. I would have given you space. I would have given you anything you wanted." He paused and stared at me. "I still would."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Sid. I was scared. I didn't know what to do. Everything just felt so wrong and I needed to get away."

"You hurt me really bad," Sid replied in a serious monotone. "I tried so hard to get over you. The guys…they all told me you weren't worth it. But I knew you were. I wanted to fight for you. I tried…I found out that you were living with Sylvie and I came after you. I wanted to talk things out but you just shooed me away. When the guys found out they kept an eye on me anytime I was in town. They thought it would be better if I stayed away from you…they thought I could forget you."

I flushed with shame and took another long drink. I was starting to feel a little tipsy, but instead of making me feel better I just felt more guilty.

"I'm still not over you, Karine. And you have no idea how badly it sucks to sit across from you and know that I can't kiss you." He paused and took a deep breath. He was upset, almost on the verge of tears. I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay.

"We can be friends," I said, reaching across the table and patting his hand. "I've missed you."

Sid averted his eyes to the floor disappointedly. "Yeah. Friends."

"I'm sorry, Sidney. It's all we can be. I'm engaged…"

"You shouldn't be. Not to him. You aren't happy. I can see it in your eyes. You aren't happy."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "We have our ups and downs. But he's a good man."

"Well, congratulations. I'm glad you found a replacement for me. I'll never find one for you. I'm never going to get over you, Karine."

"Yes you will," I said softly.

He shook his head. We sat in an awkward silence for almost three minutes. I finished my second beer and went to the bar for a third. I realized how tipsy I was when I stood up. I was wobbling slightly, although hopefully not too obviously. This would have to be my last drink or things would not be pretty.

"So…how have you been? Fill me in on the last two years. I don't even know what you're doing now," Sid said when I returned to the table.

"Well, when I came back to Montreal I moved in with Sylvie. She was doing some freelance photography work for one of the newspapers here and got me in with the business department…it's great. I really like it there."

"I'm happy for you. How's your family?"

"Well, my parents are my parents. Mom is never happy and Dad kind of ignores everything going on around him. My sister is pregnant again…hopefully this one isn't as bad as Julien."

Sid laughed and nodded. "I'm sure everyone is hoping that."

We sat there for a while, chatting and catching up. The tension had evaporated. We had talked about everything that needed to be said, and it honestly felt like we could move on and be friends now. I knew he would always want something more, but at least we could be in each others lives.

Sid's phone vibrated and he read the text. "Some of the guys are at a club near the hotel we're staying at tonight."

"Are you going to go?"

He shrugged.

"Aw, come on. Live a little, Crosby."

He smiled at me. "You're drunk."

"Nooo," I protested. I went to stand up to prove that I was completely sober and had to use the table for support. "Okay, maybe a little. Let's go to the club!"

Sid looked taken aback. "You want to go?"

"Yeah! I miss Jordan and Fleury and everyone else."

He looked reluctant at first, but then shrugged and said, "Why not?"

He called for a cab and we found our way to a busy nightclub where the majority of the team was celebrating their win. There was a long line in the front, but Sid took me around back and we were let in through a private entrance. I shook my head. I had forgotten what a rockstar this boy was.

We entered the VIP area and I felt everyone staring at me. I knew they were all wondering what the hell was going on and why Sid and I were holding hands. Wait a minute, why were we holding hands? I quickly untangled my fingers from his, feeling very guilty. It almost felt like a standoff until Marc gave me a big bear hug. "It's about time you reappeared. We've missed you."

My unexpected reunion with the team became less awkward as I drank more and more. Time lost its meaning. I thought it was four in the morning, but it was only midnight. Faces became blurry, and after my fifth Jack and Coke I couldn't remember a thing.

***

My eyes fluttered open. I quickly snapped them shut. My head was about to split in two.

I felt Thomas's arm around my waist and lightly stroked his hand with my fingers and snuggled against him. But something didn't feel right. Despite my splitting headache and sensitivity to light, I slowly opened my eyes. This wasn't my bed. This wasn't my room. That wasn't Thomas.

I sat bolt upright and my heart jumped to my throat. I was stripped down to my bra and panties. Sidney shifted slightly to my left.

"Merde," I breathed.











Hey guys, I'm thinking about starting another story. I have a couple ideas floating around but I haven't decided on any characters, so I'm asking for suggestions. I don't want to do another one about Sid because that would probably get confusing, but I want to know who you guys want to read about. It doesn't have to be a Penguins player, but anyone from Detroit is off limits. (Sorry. I hold grudges.) Just post a comment with suggestions for characters or any story ideas you might have. Thanks!