Four

“I’m bored!” Mike sighed. They had a morning skate and the rest of the day free. Mike usually spent these days playing video games or hanging out, but today he felt keyed up.

“I’m working! But if you want, you can come to Bon Jovi tonight.”

“Errr, not really my music scene. Sorry,” he imagine himself in 1988, surrounded by stonewashed denim. How badly do I want to sleep with her? he asked himself. But she’d never fall for it. “Drink after?”

“Ten thirty at Parkers.”

Halley walked the arena floor, checking on the seating layouts and staging components and meeting the fire marshal to make sure the exit lanes were wide enough. She was overseeing the last batch of folding chairs being loaded in from the belly of the arena when a yellow cart pulled up beside her.

“Want a ride?” Alex asked.

Halley raised her eyebrows. “Didn’t you almost crash yourself and Mike into a gate on this thing?”

“Very safe now, have drivers’ license,” he slapped the seat next to him. She knew he and Mike were good friends, and she didn’t want to be uncomfortable around him. She tried to shake the feeling she’d gotten in the bar, like he was sizing her up. Like he was ogling her. Instead he seemed cheerful so she climbed on. He took her all around the underground parts of the Verizon Center, waving to everyone and yelling “beep beep!” He made himself laugh and that made Halley laugh. Finally Alex returned to the show floor and did a lap around the whole stage. It was actually a good way to check that the layout matched their specs.

“You work tonight?”

“Yeah, Bon Jovi at 8.”

“Can I come?”

Halley turned to full face him, checking for the slightly lecherous expression from the bar. It was not there. “You like Bon Jovi?” She’d figured Alex for a Metallica/Pantera guy like Mike, or maybe some Russian rock stuff.

“Don’t think so. But I like concerts. I bring you dinner before.” He didn’t wait for her consent, just drove off.

Arrogant, she thought. But I guess that’s done.

At 6 PM, Alex turned up in Halley’s section of the front office with a bag of Italian takeout and two ice teas. She thought people had stared when Mike visited, but this was like a traffic jam of bodies coming by while they ate in a conference room. Alex ignored them and told her embarrassing stories about Mike from the last four seasons, which she filed away for future ammunition. Her job tonight really involved making sure everything went according to plan. If it did, she wouldn’t have much to do.

He helped her carry a crate of headsets down to the security crew. When they got to the show floor, she pulled an All Access sticker from her pocket.

“You need this,” she said, but his hands were full. She’d put her sticker on her thigh, where she always wore it. Alex saw and stuck his thigh out. As Halley peeled the back she was already thinking that touching his thigh was awkward. Despite herself she nearly gasped when she did it – now she knew where he packed the 30+ pounds he had over Mike. His leg was rock hard. Alex simply smiled and kept going.

By the time they reached the main security station, at least as many people were staring as had watched them eat dinner. Alex introduced himself to everyone, being really friendly and cracking jokes. A couple of the guys gave Halley sideways glances – what are you doing here with him? Ovi was a known showman and hamming it up around the arena was nothing new. She hoped. When people told this story, she didn’t want to be included.

They finished the last checks before doors were set to open, so Halley led Alex up to the Verizon box where they’d be watching the show. A lot of her co-workers were there, since Bon Jovi was a pretty big draw, but most of them had seen Alex in the office and expected him to be here too. They grabbed beers and sat in the first row of box seats.

“You like Bon Jovi?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, I guess. Sold out this place in about ten minutes,” Halley said. “Are concerts here like concerts in Russia?”

“Yeah, is the same. That’s why I like them.”

The luxury box seats were comfortable, but Alex’s body took up 99% of the available space. Halley felt small next to him. They talked about Russia, music, all kinds of things, but no hockey. It was half an hour before she even realized that. Still, he was a little cocky – when he made a joke, he wanted everyone to hear him. He insisted on getting up for the next round, winding obviously through the crowd like he craved the attention. But he did make Halley laugh and to her surprise she enjoyed hanging out with him. Co-workers kept stealing glances at her and she’d have been lying if that didn’t make her feel a little special.

By the time the opening act was off-stage, the Verizon box was very full. Halley wanted to stand for the show but she would be blocking everyone’s view.

“I have an idea,” she told Alex. They each grabbed two beers and Halley walked them around the suite level to the press box. It was deserted – any of the music press were down in the crowd to review the show. Sometimes the staff hung out in here, but it seemed tonight like everyone wanted to be near the free food and drinks. They went into the announcer’s booth and slid open the windows just as the band came on stage. Their view was perfect – high, but live broadcast screens made up for that. Alex laughed at Halley’s dancing, but soon he was tapping along with the music. She sang along too, until she realized that her voice was loud in the empty space.

“Good singing,” Alex rolled his eyes. But he knew the words to some of the choruses of the 80s hits, and they belted out the well-known parts while Halley settled for lip-synching the rest. “I’ll Be There For You” started and Alex swung Halley around into a dance. He made her stand on his feet and they waltzed exaggeratedly around the press box. At the end, he dipped her like Fred Astaire.

He pulled her to her feet with ease. The music was over, replaced with a screaming crowd, and Halley was a few short inches from Alex’s chest with his burly arm still around her waist. Suddenly it was warm and almost claustrophobic. She tried to step back, but Alex didn’t let go. He knew how to use his size to his advantage.

“Mike is nice to you?” he asked. She was afraid to look up at him – there was no doubt in her mind that he would kiss her. She started to panic and her first thought wasn’t even of Mike. They were alone in a closed room. If Alex wanted to… he wouldn’t take something from her, but he might expect it to be given. After all, she’d brought him in here. He was Alex Ovechkin and she was just some girl who liked hockey and laughed at his jokes. God knew what he was used to getting from girls like that.

For fuck’s sake, I can’t even have fun with someone, she thought. These guys are all the same.

“He is,” she kept her face down. “Mike is nice. ”

Alex let go, if a little slowly. “Make sure he stay nice to you.”

He turned back to the show, bobbing his head like nothing had happened. Halley stood very still and thought about what he hadn’t said. Did he mean ‘Make sure Mike’s nice to you or I’ll kill him’ or ‘Make sure Mike’s nice to you or I will be’? Alex opened the second round of beers and handed one to her. She didn’t look at his face.

“Halley,” he said, still pronouncing it strangely. “Do I scare you?”

Her heart went quiet for a moment. “A little.”

“I would not hurt you,” Alex said.

She met his eyes. “I know. But the way you were looking at me at the bar…”

He wasn’t looking at her like that now. There had been lust in his eyes then, a little bit of possession as if he were sizing her up. Now his gaze was more frank, like he thought he’d figured her out. “I have lot of girlfriends, from what Mike say I don’t think you like to be one of them,” he caught himself. “I mean, I don’t think you like guy like me.”

Is this for real? She wondered if he was fishing for her to disagree with him, cutting himself down so she’d want to build him up or if he was really just honest. Because he was right.

“I…,” she didn’t know what to say. This was Ovi. Women wanted him and men wanted to be him.

“Is okay, Halley. I like to have more friends too. Maybe you change mind later.”

He didn’t touch her for the rest of the concert, just enjoyed the music but it took a few songs for her to relax. It helped when they played “Living on a Prayer” and they both sang along, breaking the tension a little and letting them have fun. After two encores, they took the elevator downstairs to check on the load-out for the show. It was technically someone else’s responsibility, so Halley just made sure it was handled.

“I’m meeting Mike at 10:30 at Parkers. Do you want to come?”

This is weird, she knew. I’m bringing a guy who just made a pass at me on what’s probably a date. With his friend. At best Alex would be a third wheel. But she had to invite him, since he was right there and she didn’t want to be rude. It looked like they’d be spending more time together because of Mike and Halley didn’t want this hanging over her head. Plus if he saw her with Mike, maybe he'd get a clearer idea of what was going on here.

Alex parked next to Halley at the bar. She’d had a long day of everyone turning to see Ovi, and seeing her with him. Mike was already there, at a table in the back. He’d ordered her a drink which sat condensing on the dark wood.

“Hey… Hey Ovi,” Mike said, remembering just a shade too late to smile. What the hell?

“Hi,” Halley felt grateful to see him, like he was home base in a game of tag and now no one could chase her anymore. She kissed him on the cheek, getting a surprised look.

Alex gave Mike a slap on the shoulder. “You miss good show! I go to bar.”

“You took Alex to the concert?”

Halley dropped into a chair and reached for her beer. “Saw him on the show floor and he asked if he could come. Of course you guys can always come, so he helped me with some stuff then we watched the show.” Mike looked skeptical, like a little kid who thinks he’s being lied to. “He kind of invited himself and I couldn’t say no. Plus, I was alone.”

“With twenty coworkers,” Mike pointed out.

“Yes. But I did ask you.” She didn’t like where this was going, like she’d solicited the date with Alex the minute Mike was gone. A glance toward the bar revealed that Alex was already working on a new date – two in fact, a matching set of blondes. “And Alex is more into that,” she nodded toward him buying a round for the girls, “than me. Plus, remember when I thought you were too flashy?”

Mike half-smiled into his drink. “Yeah, but I’m getting there. Maybe just not as fast as some other people.” They looked over to where Ovi already had his hand in one girls’ back pocket.

She kissed him on the mouth, both because she wanted to and because she wanted Alex to see. “You might be closer than you think.”
____

“On the road again,” Mike said. “We’ll be back late on the 10th. Off day on the 11th, want to do something?” The Caps started their season with a 2 game road trip and he was on his way to the bus. He’d gotten a pretty epic goodbye kiss the night before, but Halley was still holding back a little.

“Yeah, I do,” Halley was on her couch, feet propped up with a smile on her face. She knew something that Mike didn’t know. He promised to call her from the road and disconnected.
Halley watched the games at work – the Caps had strong early-season chemistry and they won two solid victories. Mike was in good spirits when they talked the night before he was due back. “How about we go to Six Flags, it’s their last weekend. Then I’ll take you to dinner?”

Two days later, he rang the bell at her apartment and to his surprise, she buzzed him in. He wound his way up the stairs and went in the open door. She was in the kitchen, moving around. The place was small but cozy, with pictures and books and stuff everywhere.

“Hey,” he said. It was a warm fall day, so he wore jeans, flip flops and a t-shirt with a button-down open over it. Sunglasses rested in his hair. Halley closed and locked the dishwasher door.

“Welcome back!” She gave him a kiss and Mike’s arms went around her slender middle. As his tongue slipped past her lips, he suddenly thought the theme park sounded like a terrible idea. She wore jeans, Converse sneakers and a green tank top with thin straps. He ran his palms over her shoulders and upper arms, feeling the silky smoothness of her skin.

“We could stay here,” he said in a low voice, fingers twisting in the strap of her top.

“It’s like the last day of summer, we can’t miss it!” she squealed. Oh yes we can, Mike thought.

They drove half an hour, parked and made it through the gates by lunchtime. The season had definitely tapered off, leaving only short lines for the rides. They hit the first few roller coasters and Mike watched Halley close her eyes through the entire rides. She put her hands over her head, hair blowing around and just screamed. On the wooden roller coaster, every turn knocked Halley into Mike with sufficient force to make him grunt. When the attendant asked if they wanted to go again, Mike said yes. Then he put his arm around her shoulders, holding her close, before takeoff. Halley didn’t mind.

After a carnival lunch of chicken sandwiches and funnel cake, Halley made them do the teacups and the funhouse, then Mike insisted on doing all the big roller coasters at least twice. It was even warm enough for the water ride, and Mike appreciated how it made Halley’s shirt stick to her skin even if it gave him soggy jeans. By five o’clock, thanks to the empty park, they’d done every ride three times and were a little dizzy.

“Dinner?” Mike suggested. He drove back into the city to an Italian place he knew. The food was amazing and it was casual enough for amusement park clothes. Halley finger-combed her hair, pulling it around her shoulders. At the restaurant, the waiter poured two glasses of red wine and Halley raised hers in a toast.

“Happy early birthday,” she said.

Mike smiled hugely, “How did you know that?”

“It’s the day after mine.”

It took Mike a second. He almost started talking about something else then his brain did the math on what she’d said. “Wait, your birthday is today?” Halley nodded over the rim of her glass. “All day it’s been your birthday and you didn’t tell me?!”

She just grinned at him. “I had a great birthday.”

“But that can’t be it, I didn’t even know! I would’ve made you wear a stupid hat and have the whole park sing to you. I would have at least let you eat all the funnel cake. Halley, why didn’t you tell me?”

“We’ve known each other for like three weeks. I wouldn’t expect you to make a big deal out of it. I went out last night with some friends.”

Mike already had his phone out and was typing away. “Oh, it’s a big deal.”

Throughout dinner, Mike gave her a hard time for not telling him. Halley was fine with the teasing because she’d had a really fun day just hanging out with Mike. He didn’t try to show off or impress her for her birthday, he didn’t buy her a present or do anything special. They just had fun. Then dessert came out, a huge piece of chocolate cake with a candle in it, and the entire place sang Happy Birthday. Mike hadn’t left the table.

“How did you do that?” she asked with a mouthful of frosting.

“Who do you think I was texting?”

Mike drove through town to an Irish bar and parked around the corner. It was hoping for a Sunday night, prompted by the warm weather. He held the heavy oak door for her and she ducked under his arm.

“Surprise!”

She gave a short, startled scream. Brooks jumped out from an alcove, nearly crashing into her. Five or six of the other guys were there – all people she’d met at the bar and grill. Backstrom’s girlfriend Anya even had a bouquet of flowers that she presented to Halley with a big hug. Someone handed her a drink, then a hand tapped her shoulder.

“This is Amanda,” Brooks said, a blonde girl under his arm. “And she got the good stuff!”

Amanda dropped a paper shopping bag onto the table and dug out pointed paper birthday hats and a bag of noisemakers, along with a dozen cupcakes and some candles. Everyone made a big deal about getting ready, so that when Halley was finally holding a cupcake with a lit candle, they were all wearing hats and singing at the top of their lungs. With the big finale of kazoos, she blew out her candle to wild applause.

“You guys are crazy!” she laughed, licking frosting from her fingers. Mike was right next to her. “Thanks Mike. This is awesome.”

“Imagine what I could have done if you’d told me yesterday!” He kissed her on the mouth, which got another round of whoops and hollers.

Halley snuck a look at her watch – 10:30 PM. She excused herself to the bathroom, but instead ducked into the server’s station. After a brief talk with their waitress, she handed over her credit card and pulled out the extra candle she’d swiped from Anya’s pack. The kitchen would be closed by midnight, but Halley would be ready before.

They drank and danced, Halley discreetly keeping track of the time. She planned to head back at 11:50 PM to make sure Mike’s cake was ready and Anya had been spreading the word that Round 2 was coming soon. At 11:45 PM, Alex arrived.

She hadn’t seen him since the concert, when he’d probably possibly been about to kiss her. He’d left the bar afterward with the two blondes he picked up, telling Halley and Mike to have fun without him. Now his face was smiling but his eyes said nothing.

“Happy birthday, Halley,” he said, holding out a box wrapped in white paper.

“What the hell?” she cleared space on their table. It wasn’t heavy, but square and flat. And big. She looked at Mike, who just shrugged. She tore off the paper, pulled up the lid and there it was: a red Mike Green #52 jersey. “Thank you!” She forgot their strange encounter and threw her arms around him.

Alex was gigantic in her arms. Mike was a pretty big guy, but Alex felt like a bear in comparison. He hugged her tightly, pressing her body along the length of his. The instant she felt it, it was over. Goddamn it, she thought, then forced it from her mind. It was almost show time. She unpacked the jersey and hung it on the back of a chair, then signaled for Anya to distract Mike. She suddenly found his tattoo really interested and started pushing up the sleeve of his t-shirt as Halley grabbed the jersey and ducked away.

In the kitchen, the waitress was waiting for her. Halley had bought the only whole cake they had – Snickers ice cream pie. The one candle looked kind of sad, but she couldn’t take the whole box without being obvious so it would have to do. Halley checked her watch – exactly midnight - put the jersey on, and lit the candle. The waitress followed with plates and forks. As soon as the kitchen door opened, Anya started singing at the top of her lungs.

Everyone turned to see Halley carrying the cake, wearing Mike’s jersey. They all joined in the song as Mike’s face turned bright red. On the turn of his 24th birthday, he looked about 5 years old. She stopped right in front of him, cake held up.

“I was hoping you’d jump out of a cake wearing only that,” he said. Catcalls followed.

“Your birthday is all day long,” she teased. He winked at her before he made a wish.

An hour later, Halley was sitting on Mike’s lap in front of a half-eaten cake. They were too full to be drunk – no amount of celebratory beer could dent the theme park food, dinner and three rounds of dessert they’d tackled in the day. Halley had taken off the jersey and Mike ran his finger under the strap of her tank top. The bar had emptied out considerably.

“Time to go, I think,” Mike said, looking around. He really didn’t want the night to end, didn’t want to be away from her just yet. She stood up in front of him.

“Come on, I’ll follow you home.”

Mike broke every speed limit in DC. Halley even flashed her lights once, telling him to slow down. They wound just outside the city limits and pulled into his driveway. He’d cleaned the place before leaving that morning in hopes that she might come over tonight. They’d been seeing each other for 3 weeks and that was 2 weeks longer than Mike had been made to wait for a woman since joining the League. As much as he hated to admit it, it did make him respect her more. It did make him want it to be perfect, and before the first time he already knew he’d want to see her again. She knows what she’s doing, Mike admitted to himself with no surprise.

Halley walked around his condo like she was going to buy it. One lap around the living room, kitchen and wine room and she declared, “I feel like I’ve been here before. No wonder Cribs wanted this – Mike, this place is amazing.” She wandered down the hallway, helping herself to opening every door and walking right into the master bedroom.

“I found it!” she called from the bathroom.

It had been the designer’s idea and he did like it. Mostly. It was wall to wall reflective paneling with some distortion – a mirror you can’t quite see yourself in – and it was stamped with a pattern that at the time had looked fine. Now it looked a lot like that Double Rainbow video. She stood in there, turning around.

“This is something,” she said. She had her hands on her hips. In the soft light her skin looked tan and a piece of hair lay askew, flopped the wrong way across the part. She was smiling brightly at him like she’d been planning to come here all along.
____

In one step Mike was in and out of the bathroom, Halley in his arms. Their lips met and all questions were erased as they tripped toward the bed.

“It’s not…,” she said as Mike pulled her shirt over her head, “as neat…,” she lifted his, “as it was on TV.”

The bed was unmade and that nearly unmade Halley. It looked inviting, suggestive; like Mike had just gotten out of bed to fetch her. They were headed right back in. He pulled his tee off then fumbled with the clasp on her bra, scolding himself inside – way to look like a rookie, can’t even get her bra off. When he finally did, they tumbled onto the comforter and landed on their sides. Mike pulled her in close, running a hand over her bare back as he kissed her hard. Halley pushed him onto his back. He tried to pull her down but she resisted.

“Let me look at you,” she smiled. She traced the lines of his tattoo, from the hollow of his collarbone over the curve of his shoulder. He was solid muscle but not chiseled like a model. Her hand glided over his chest, across his stomach and she knew what he was thinking. He was wishing he had a perfect six pack, was more defined. Halley met his eyes. “Jesus, you’re hot.”

Mike had been thinking exactly that Halley assumed. He always wished he looked more like the athletes you see photographed in fashion magazines – Christiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal. A couple hockey players had that physique, but it wasn’t built by their kind of training. It was extra and Mike had never quite gotten there. Her compliment almost made him exhale in relief. He’d been self-conscious about her opinion and busy admiring her body as she leaned over him, topless. Her skin was creamy, her breasts on the small side but full in his hand. One dark beauty mark nestled along the inside of her left breast, just far enough down that he’d never seen it while she was dressed.

“Not as hot as you,” he pulled her down and she gave in.

“Wrong,” she said, resuming their kiss.

The rest of their clothes quickly made a pile on the floor. As Mike stood up to drop his jeans, Halley scooted under the covers and held them open for him. Once he was in she pulled them up and over their heads, like a cocoon. He found her lips in the dark and let his hands travel all over her body. Hers where on his back, his legs and thighs. Finally they were in his lap.

Halley slid her palm slide down his length, the wrapped her fingers around. He moaned softly in pleasure as she stroked him. He pressed a hand between her thighs and dragged one fingertip across her wet cleft. She breathed out as he did it again. Mike rolled till he was on top of her and pushed her knees apart.

“So much for hard to get,” he smiled, positioning himself over her.

“You worked pretty hard to get here,” she conceded. She guided the tip of his cock to the spot.

“Oh God,” Mike groaned as he slowly pushed inside her. It felt like he’d been waiting forever for this but it was still better than anything he had imagined. Halley gasped like she’d been waiting just as long. Mike’s whole body pulsed in appreciation of being held so tightly. She caught his lips in a brief kiss before he began to move. Mike rolled his hips, gently at first, as Halley met his motions with eagerness. They took their time with each other, feeling out the way they fit together.

Halley hooked her foot over Mike’s calf and shifted to the side, catching his weight against her clit with every stroke. He kissed her deeply, rolling his body against just the spot she wanted.

“Mike,” she whispered. His fingers dragged trails of pressure across the softest spots of her body. She plied the curves of his back, the hard planes of his sides where they whittled down toward his waist and over the muscular rise of his ass. She shifted again beneath him and shuddered as a wave of pleasure passed through her.

“Like that?” he asked softly, smiling down at her. He did it again and she pressed her head back, moaning quietly. “I’ll remember.”

It didn’t take long for either of them to start breathing hard. A heavy pool of heat was boiling in Halley’s lower back, stirred every time Mike thrust into her. Their pace was languid but she was getting close to the edge. Her tiny cries of pleasure were like requests and Mike answered every one. He was rock hard, throbbing and his body begged for release. He could only wait so long.

“Let go, baby,” he said.

She did. Halley’s fingers dug into the pale skin of his shoulder blades and she cried out with her face pressed to his neck. Every part of her trembled in concert as the orgasm took the breath from her body. She pulsed hard, muscles rippling down Mike’s length and finally giving him release.

He shuddered, nailing Halley to the mattress with a grunt. All his energy and desire pulsed hot and hard into her sweet, welcoming body. Mike kept moving, draining himself three times. Then his hand brushed a strand of hair that had stuck to her lip.

“Mmmmm,” he sighed, dropping his head against her. She giggled in agreement. “Worth waiting for.”
____

Three

Halley was figuring out the load-in for next week’s Bon Jovi concert when her desk phone rang. “Halley Jackson.”

“I had to call the main operator and ask for your extension,” Mike said. “Because I can’t walk upstairs in my skates. Come watch us practice.”

She looked at the piles of paper awaiting her attention, glanced at the ten unopened emails on her screen. It was almost Noon. “Mike, I…”

“Don’t make me come up there.”

She definitely didn’t want that, not two days in a row. She was already a water cooler topic. “Okay, I’ll bring my lunch.”

She took a seat near the hallway leading off the bench and broke out a sandwich and a Snapple. It was unlikely anyone from her office would come down. In fact, not a single other person was in the stands and Halley felt like a giant spotlight was shining on her as she chewed her turkey on wheat. Mike skated off and came right into the causeway.

“That’s your idea of lunch? We’re done in an hour, want to get some real food?”

“I can’t, I have a ton of work to do. Stupid Bon Jovi.”

A shadow passed over Mike’s face – he was not used to people putting their plans before him. “How about later? We leave tomorrow for a while.”

Halley had been thinking about the road trip – Mike didn’t even have her phone number. If she hadn’t seen him today, it would have been five days before he was even back in town. Probably the way he always operates, someone waiting at home for him. But she was thinking about the kiss, and the rest of what he’d wanted, and wondering if he could just leave town with all that on the table. Not my type, she’d been repeating. Then he’d called her desk.

“What time?” Halley said.

Good thing they’re going away, I don’t have enough cute work clothes for this. Just before the end of the day, she added a little bit of eyeliner and brushed out her hair. She’d worn charcoal gray trousers and a blue silk short-sleeved button-down top just in case. When she got downstairs, Mike was waiting with his SUV.

“I’m starting to think you’re going to welsh on our bet. Haven’t seen that car since,” she said, buckling up.

“This is another non-Lamborghini location.” He drive across town and as he exited the highway, he reached into the center console and handed Halley a pair of white tube socks. Then he turned into a bowling alley.

“Are you some kind of bowling ringer? Bringing me here to show off your skills?” she laughed.

“Maybe I’m just looking for something I can actually win.”

Halley sat on a plastic chair and kicked off her heels. A little smile crossed Mike’s face when he saw the bright reddish pink paint of her toenails – he always loved the little surprises women had. He wondered what else Halley was hiding under her business-casual attire. Even the idea of her wearing his socks was a turn-on, it led to ideas of her wearing other pieces of his clothing. He laughed as she weighed every ball in the place before choosing one with an orange swirl.

Mike put their names into the computer and they showed overhead on the scoreboard: “Rainboots” and “Smileyface.” Halley turned out to be a pretty bad bowler, but she howled and cheered. Mike was decent and score piled up nicely while hers moved by single digits. He started to worry he was embarrassing her, but when he accidentally rolled a gutter ball she said, “Don’t throw the game for me. I can take a loss.”

So he didn’t. Instead he ordered a bucket of beers and some pizza from the sketchy bowling alley kitchen. Halley dove right in, scarfing down a slice. “I know, very ladylike. But you were right about my lame lunch.”

Mike didn’t mind. He was enthralled. She cracked two beers, handed him one and promptly bowled her only strike of the night.

“Woohoo!” She spun around. Her outburst had drawn a few eyeballs, and a moment later, two boys about twelve years old came running over.

“Are you Mike Green?!?” they asked, almost jumping out of their bowling shoes. “Will you sign our napkins?!”

Mike didn’t look at Halley. He knew from their short time together that she could read his face, if not his mind. And right now, he felt like the absolute mack daddy, making some kids’ days and being all famous. He was sure she would laugh or run away, so he kept his head down as he chatted with the boys.

I want to hate this, Halley said to herself. But she didn’t. These kids were genuinely flipping out and Mike was being really, really cute. He also wouldn’t look at her, so she knew that he knew it.

“How about these instead?” Halley appeared at his elbow. She held out two big, round Washington Capitals logo magnets.

“Where you get those?” Mike asked as the boys snatched from her hands.

She patted the purse she was holding. “Work. I’ve got all kinds of stuff in here.”

Halley watched Mike sign. He smiled and talked to them the way he talked to her, like they were all the same age. Guys are just overgrown boys, she thought with a smile. These three probably spend their free time the same way: X-Box, comic books, bowling alleys. Frankly, it was adorable and she had the urge to pinch Mike’s cheeks. Dear God, I’m swooning over junior high fans.

The boys bolted off, waving their autographs. Mike tried to cover how psyched he was with a joke. “I planted them here so you’d think I was cool.”

Halley tried to wipe the look off her face, the one that said it was kind of working. “Only two? Eh. I bet Ovi gets hundreds.” She moved back toward the rack, needing something to do, and reached down for her orange bowling ball. When she stood, Mike was right behind her. Almost touching.

“You’re never going to give me a chance, are you?”

He looked almost hurt and Halley instantly felt bad. She’d taken a mean dig at his ego, deflating him harshly when she knew he was probably feeling on top of the world. Overcompensating for her own presumptions about him, carrying on her own inner monologue instead of treating Mike like a real person. A person who had asked her out three times, gone out of his way to see her and had, if only briefly, kissed her socks off.

“I’m not easy, Mike.”

“I have figured that out,” he said, looking for all the world like he wanted to say “duh.”

“But I haven’t figured you out. Three dates in three days?”

He looked like he couldn’t win. “You kept saying yes. I thought that meant you wanted to.”

“I did. I do. Surprisingly,” she admitted. “But I don’t want you to think that three kisses means I’m going home with you.” They were very close, his head tilted slightly down to talk to her from his height.

“We’ve only had two kisse…”

Halley put her mouth on his before he could finish speaking. This time she didn’t hesitate, didn’t fight for resolve she knew wouldn’t last. Their lips came together and they kissed with real heat, Mike’s hand snaking around her waist. Halley’s stomach fluttered, adrenaline kicking in at the same time surrender pulled the floor away. A moment later she realized they were still standing in public.

“That’s three,” she said as she broke away. “Sorry I was mean. Just nervous.”

Mike gave her a squeeze. “Don’t ever apologize for kissing me.”

They bowled another round but their scores were abysmal. Every time they came near each other they touched – Mike brushed his hand across her back at the scoring computer, Halley needed his arm to steady herself when getting up. Everywhere there was contact a little tingle rose, like a fly buzzing the skin. When the frame ended, they both laughed at their scores.

“Good thing we didn’t make any bets,” Mike said of their double-digit tallies.

He drove her home early. Even more nervous that before, Halley didn’t say anything until he pulled up in front of her apartment. Then she drew a big breath for strength.

“Mike, I…” she started.

“Can I call you from the road?” he asked, cutting her off. He put her number in his phone and hit send. Before Halley’s brain could register what he was doing, her phone started to ring – playing “Smack That” by Akon.

Halley screamed and grabbed for it. Mike burst out laughing in big, goofy guffaws and put his head down on the steering wheel. It took him a full minute to regain his composure, as Halley pressed herself into the passenger seat and hoped for death. He sighed theatrically when she couldn’t look at him.

“At least I know you were thinking about me. Does that play for everyone?” he wheezed. She just closed her eyes and laughed.

“Not anymore.”

“Goodnight, Halley.” He came halfway and she met his lips, this kiss as real as the last but more sure, more purposeful. Last time there were sparklers, this time fireworks. Mike slipped his tongue into her mouth and she threw in her last towel, running her hands up his neck, into his hair, and kissing him for all she was worth. They parted, both panting slightly.

“You should go,” he said, though his eyes were begging her to stay.

“Safe trip,” she managed. “Be good.”

“I think you just kissed all the bad right out of me,” he smiled.

She made a face. “I meant on the ice, superstar.” Then she smiled back and shut the door.
____

Mike was lying in a pool chair outside their Atlanta hotel. It was too cold inside, colder than the arena, and it was too hot outside. He felt whiny. “What are you doing?”

“Deciding where Jon Bon Jovi is allowed to jump into the audience,” Halley said into the phone. “It should be nowhere. All these forty-something women are going to tear him apart.”

“And you wouldn’t?”

She laughed. “He’s like 5’7”. I could pick him up and run, but what would I do with him? Trade hairstyling tips?”
“Good, because I’ll be home before he comes to town. I don’t want to have to kill the pride of New Jersey.”

He called her twice during the road trip. That was some careful math – he didn’t want to call too much – but there was a lot of downtime on the road and he found himself thinking about her on the flights and before games. And he was afraid she’d forget that she wanted to kiss him and go back to sniping then he’d have to start all over again.

Every time Mike called, Halley found herself smiling. She watched or listened to the away games at work, and thought of things to tell him. It was easy to forget that he tried too hard, that he wasn’t as cool as he tried to be. When she watched him play, he wasn’t faking it.

“Are you busy tomorrow night? We’re back at 5.”

“Work till 6, then I could meet you somewhere,” she offered. Mike frowned a little – if he didn’t pick her up, it was harder to take her home. He wondered if she was doing that on purpose.

Drive yourself, she thought as her mind quoted Jerry Maguire: “Shave your legs but don’t let it make you a slut.”

The next day, she met Mike at a bar and grill near the arena. To her surprise, some of the other Capitals players were with him. They all knew her name and made her feel welcome, causing her wonder what Mike had told them. Eric Fehr poured her a beer from a pitcher and Brooks Laich hung her coat nearby. Nicklas Backstrom’s girlfriend was there, so Halley wasn’t totally alone. Mike introduced her to everyone before pulling his chair in close.

“Hey,” he said when she sat down. It was suddenly weird – he didn’t feel he should kiss her, thought he wanted to, but he hadn’t hugged her hello or anything. Halley looked down like she felt a bit uncomfortable too.

“Welcome home,” she made a little face. It broke the tension and Mike laughed, sliding his hand onto her thigh. Awkward, they both thought simultaneously.

Halley had a great time with the guys, but every laugh made her wonder more and more what Mike had told them about her. They had clearly expected her and while Mike wasn’t showing off, he wasn’t exactly being secret about touching her. Most of the guys claimed to have seen Halley around the rink, though she’d never met them. Alex Ovechkin came in late, causing at least half the heads in the restaurant to turn. He was a giant presence if not actually a giant himself. He wasn’t that much bigger than Mike, Halley noted, but he seemed to take up a lot more space. He took an empty seat across from her and reached over the table. His hand was massive, swallowing hers up to the wrist and he pronounced her name like “Holly.”

“I see you at practice,” he said. “But not before. Otherwise, you not go out with Mike.”

Halley raised her eyebrows and looked at Mike. Okay flash, you have got nothing on this guy. Is this caveman thing for real? she filed away to ask him later. Mike rolled his eyes and poured Alex a beer. The big Russian spoke good English, easily joking with everyone. Every so often Halley felt his gaze and caught him looking at her. He never turned away.

When the guys had eaten every last morsel from the kitchen, they called it a night. John Carlson had lost some kind of game on the plane and picked up the tab. Halley traded numbers with Backstrom’s girlfriend Anya so they could meet up at the arena. Mike went to the restroom and Alex approached.

“You come to game tomorrow?” he asked Halley. This close to him she felt like a Who standing in front of Horton. His cologne was a little too strong, his presence a little too large. She backed up half a step. He bit back a smile – he knew exactly the effect he had on women, using his size to his advantage. They almost all wanted him and the ones who didn’t could usually be persuaded.

“Yeah. One of my job perks – season tickets. Or seats anyway, pretty much wherever I want them.”

“Sit by bench so we can see you.” It sounded like an order.

Halley nodded and smiled, feeling just the tiniest bit uncomfortable. If he looked at her as much during the game as he had during dinner, he wouldn’t be playing any hockey. Again, she inched away from him – right into Mike’s arm.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

They bid Alex goodnight and walked slowly to Halley’s car. By the time they got across the lot, the guys had all left. Halley hadn’t even reached for her keys before Mike was kissing her, up against the side of the car. It had been eleven days and suddenly felt like a hundred years. He rolled his tongue into her mouth. Standing up, like in the bowling alley when she had kissed him, was so different than in the car. They kissed with their whole bodies, Mike’s solid thighs against hers and his arm around her back. She could picture how they looked, making out like teenagers in a parking lot after dark. The smile could not be stopped.

“What are you smiling about?” Mike asked, though he wore one to match.

“So much for me playing hard to get,” she shrugged.

“That was not playing. You really didn’t like me. But I have won you over, at least a little. You can’t fight the Green Life, Halley,” he joked, referring to his website. Just the idea of the homepage photo – Mike in a black wifebeater and aviator shades, hockey stick across his shoulders and tattooed biceps on full display, make her laugh out loud.

“I never asked! Please tell me you know that’s funny.” Her hands were dangerously close to his back pockets and she wasn’t sure what she’d do if he said no.

“Halley,” he said like she was five years old. “Are you serious? Did you really think I was that guy?”

“Uhhhh,” she got the deer-in-headlights face.

He stepped back, arms out is disbelief. “Jesus, no wonder you didn’t like me. It’s a joke, Hale. The whole thing is meant to be funny. Well, not the car, I really love the car. But my God, do people think I’m like that?”

Halley’s mouth was open but no words came. She just shrugged – maybe she had thought that? Maybe she hadn’t really given it a chance to be funny. She’d just assumed that the car and the Cribs and the Mohawk all added up to something, and the rest was just icing on the cake. “I thought it was funny! I just didn’t know if I was laughing at you or with you. I guess I never really thought that much about it before I met you.”

Mike was standing three feet away from her, looking like he might run away. “For someone with a great sense of humor, you’re pretty slow to get a joke. Now I know why you didn’t want to get in my car in the rain. You probably thought I’d roofie you.”

Halley put her hands into her coat. “I did not! I But I did think you were going to be a douchebag. I stand corrected – I was wrong about you, Mike. ”

He took one step closer. “Well not totally wrong, I did ask you to sleep over on the second date. I actually thought you might, so I was wrong about some things too. Now are we even?” He moved another stride.

“Yes, GreenLife52.com. Except that I know all about you and you know nothing about me. I even know what your house looks like. Should there really be pictures of your bedroom on the internet? Do your obsessed fans need to see where you sleep?”

“Were you stalking me on Google?” he made a faux-shocked face.

Halley scoffed. “I was researching. If you don’t want me to know what color your sheets are, don’t put it online.”

He closed the last step and put his hands on her hips. “Oh I want you to know, but you have to see them in person. The photos don’t do them justice.” Halley hesitated and Mike laughed, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Okay, Miss Hard-to-Get. I’ll just go home and watch my highlight reel and think about what you’re missing.”
____

Two

I'm so glad so many other people love Mike too!  Even while hating the Caps.  And his ridiculously cute sad puppy face on HBO's 24/7!  I want to hug him to pieces.  From today's reaction video:

____

“Hey,” Mike said.

Halley looked up from her desk. It was cubicle city in the Verizon Center and the entire front office could see him standing there. He wore a black button down shirt, open at the throat and rolled up over his muscular forearm, which was in full flex resting atop her cubicle wall.

“Hi Mike.”

Of course he would come here. March right in, in front of everyone, doing me the honor of visiting for all to see. Still, getting dressed that morning had been a chore – just in case. Their dinner the day before had been pure coincidence and she didn’t believe in that happening twice. She wore a very cute black dress with eyelet detail along the v-neck.

“Busy later? I want to see that new Ben Affleck movie.”

Halley couldn’t help it - she blushed. All the work around her had gone silent – it was like a crypt in her section of the office as her colleagues eavesdropped. She’d never hear the end of this. Mike clearly enjoyed making her squirm and in some twisted, masochistic way that impressed her. He knew what he was doing. He’d worked hard to stifle his swagger, but this was an exception. He wanted to flatter her and make her feel special. He wanted to charm her. From the crimson creeping up her cheeks he knew it was working.

“Okay,” she said, doing an inner eye roll.

“Dinner first. I’ll pick you up here at 6.” He gave her a wink, extra-cheesy to make her laugh.

The minute he was out of earshot, five heads popped up around her like groundhogs. “Did Mike Green just ask you out?” Jeremy asked.

“And not for the first time, obviously,” Fran said.

Her boss came out of his office. “Does he let you drive his Lamborghini?”

At 5:45, Halley checked her makeup in the bathroom mirror. Thank God I wore this. She smoothed her dress, switched to some high heels she’d had in her backseat and finger-combed her hair. Half the office wanted to follow her to the parking lot, but she waved them off with a sassy remark. When she opened the door to the players’ parking area, Mike was already there.

“What, no Lamborghini? You hated my singing that much?”

Mike opened the passenger door on his black SUV. “I don’t park that car at the mall.”

They ate at a place next to the shopping center. Mike was impressed by the way Halley polished off her burger – this was definitely not the type of girl he was used to. Those girls would’ve ordered lobster, barely touched it and spent the night trying to talk him out of his credit card. She even ate her fries and drank a beer. When they got to the movie, he offered to get popcorn.

“Call me fat again and I’ll ruin the ice all season,” she threatened.

The movie was solid action. Mike got a kick out of Halley’s reactions – when the hero killed a guy in a particularly tense scene, she said, “Yes!” under her breath. She laughed out loud at the ridiculous action movie clichés. MIke was working up the nerve to put his hand on her leg and just as he did it, the obligatory sex scene came on.

“Perv,” she whispered without turning from the screen. His hand stayed, warm through the fabric of her skirt.

Halley resisted the urge to touch him in the dark. Let him do the work, she reminded herself. She was pretty sure Mike got what he wanted, when he wanted it from just about any woman he encountered. Most of them were probably puckbunnies but that just meant his success rate was extremely high. She wasn’t about to join the ranks of easy marks, even if she did feel a little pull toward his wide, fit body.

Mike suggested a drink after the movie. Halley took him to a place she knew nearby, a dive bar with free peanuts where they took beers to a booth near the pool table. Halley sat on one side and Mike went for it – sliding right in next to her.

“Hi,” she said then quickly looked away. He knew just when to turn it on and just how much to give. It was almost an art. She could tell he was working hard at it, and she appreciated the effort. Even if it had him pressed into her, well inside her comfort zone. She’d successfully made it through the movie, fighting her growing impulse to touch him. Now there was nothing she could do about it.

He’d felt like a 16-year old on a first date through the whole movie. He wanted to put his arm around her, touch her, lift the armrest and pull her into his lap. He’d been half-watching the movie, trying to decide if he should go for it. Then when he finally touched her, it was just as the nudity began. Awkward, he thought. Now he was next to her in close quarters with a drink in hand. There was only one way this would end.

“Hi,” he replied. Just a little longer, hold out.

“You caused quite a stir in the office today.”

“Did I?” He made no effort to hide his shit-eating grin.

“Let’s make a bet,” she suggested. “I want to bet that I have guessed something about you. If I’m right, I win and if I’m wrong, you win.”

“What do I win?”

“What do you want?”

Jackpot. “If I win, you come home with me tonight.” His move was timed, but he still watched her face carefully. Mike didn’t want to let arrogance get the best of him, though it had always been the strongest weapon in his arsenal. He just knew that with Halley, it could easily backfire.

Her expression dimmed a bit. There it is – put out or get out. I knew it. She wanted to slap her hand on the tabletop. Mike saw the little flash in her eyes and knew he’d taken it too far.

“If you win, I’ll let you drive my Lamborghini.” He was as surprised as she was when he said it. People always asked and he always said no. But if Halley thought it was comparable to spending the night together….

“You think driving your car is better than sex?” she asked.

Shut up, Halley! She’d already tacitly agreed that there was at least a prospect of going home with him. He assumed it would end in sex, but she could still turn the tables. Well, not anymore. Smart mouth getting me in trouble again. Now I really have to win this bet.

“No. But I do think I’m going to win,” Mike said. If she crashed his ride, he could probably guilt her into sex afterward. After she stopped making GEICO insurance jokes. “What is it you think you know?”

Halley took a deep breath. Last chance to back out. But she was pretty sure she had this bet locked up, that she was right about her gut feeling. “I bet that somewhere along the line, someone told you they didn’t like your smile. Or it wasn’t manly or something. Someone said you shouldn’t smile.”

His mouth fell open. What the hell? His first year in the League, he’d been a little fat, a little awkward and way too excited. There was money and media and there were women. Women everywhere. Anxious to get into all aspects of the game, Mike had been an easy target. He’d gone home with practically the first woman who hit on him, she was older and it was right after his first pro game. He hardly remembered the sex, but she’d taken to giving him advice about playing in the majors.

“Don’t smile too much. Goofy face like yours, no one will take you seriously.”

That had always stuck with him, and his non-smile had become a habit. He’d learned the next day that woman was a notorious puckbunny who’d been with at least half the guys on the team. No wonder she had so many tips, he thought.

“How could you possibly know that?”

“I was watching some of your interviews online and I could tell. You get this little curl to your mouth, like 10 percent of a smile, then you stop. You bite your lips or move your tongue around to stop yourself. But the smile is there, flickering just a little.” Halley hoped she hadn’t insulted him or offended by pointing out a nervous tick.

“Someone once told me it looked goofy, and no one would take me seriously,” he admitted. Before he could concede the bet, she was talking.

“Whoever said that was stupid. Your smile is gorgeous,” she said honestly.

Mike ducked his head, genuinely embarrassed. His face felt hot. Halley giggled. Their bodies touched all along their sides – it was warm in the bar, warmer still between them. When his blush passed, Mike lifted his head. The smiles faded and the moment changed as he touched his lips to hers.

The nerve! her brain yelled, but Halley was busy with the zing of exclamation points lighting up her spine. Mike’s mouth was soft and cool against hers. She held her ground, not pushing him away but not really giving into the kiss either, not taking it any further. It was brief, maybe ten seconds, but when he pulled away she knew she was in trouble.

“You won the bet,” he said. “Damn.”

“Better luck next time.”

Mike couldn’t have said later what they’d talked about. He knew they laughed a lot, but his was nervous laughter. He’d gotten in a kiss. Probably went too far, he thought. He wanted another but the right moment never seemed to present itself – she was boxing him out. Before he knew it, they’d finished a second round and Halley was ready to go home.

“Your home or mine?” he tried hopefully.

“I won the bet! But I will take a rain check on driving your car. I want to do it in the daylight.”

“If I’d won, would you really come home with me?”

Halley tilted her head. “You will never know.”

Whew. Bullet dodged, she told herself. Her body wanted to let Mike take her home and the butterflies in her stomach agreed. Her lips burned where he’d kissed. But that was too easy, and if Mike had already come back a second time then easy wasn’t what he was after. She directed Mike to her apartment, a nice building on the outskirts of downtown. He stopped in the loading zone out front and put the car into park. He didn’t say anything, just reached into her hair and pulled her into a kiss. This time he wanted a real one, one that involved at least Halley’s mouth admitting she was interested, even if her voice wouldn’t. She tried not to, tried to stop herself, but she got all fuzzy, brain saying one thing and stomach saying another, and she panicked. She parted her lips and that was it – a real kiss. A minute later, she broke away with her heart racing.

“No cheating,” she said.

“When’s the next game?” he gave her the full wattage of the smile she was coming to know.
____

One

It had been pouring rain all day. From the sky to the ground a solid sheet of water turned the world into a fishtank. Mike saw the trainer after practice, working on a sore spot beneath his rib cage, and was the last of the guys to leave the arena. He always got the prime parking spot because of his car – the guys gave him shit for the ride he’d bought, but at the end of the day they respected the machine.

He sat a minute, Seether pumping through the stereo as he waited for the defroster to clear his windshield. The players’ entrance door opened to his left and a girl stepped out wearing a bright green raincoat and dark jeans tucked into high black rubber boots with white polka dots. She went to the end of the covered parking section and scanned the lot. After a minute’s consideration and a few skeptical looks at the compact umbrella in her hand, she turned to go inside.

Mike killed the stereo and rolled down the window. “Hey, everything okay?”

She looked around for the source of the voice, apparently thinking she’s been alone. Mike figured she couldn’t hear his music over the rain since she could barely hear his voice. She came over but stayed three feet back from the car, as most people did.

“I didn’t see you,” she said. Her hair was dark brown, thick and starting to frizz a little in the weather. Clear, fair skin was dotted with a few freckles and Mike was surprised to see her eyes were deeper green than her coat. “I can’t believe this rain!”

I can’t believe the one time I use this door, Mike Green is the only person out here, she thought. She’d seen him a million times around the building, but he looked more relaxed now. Training camp had just started, he was a little tan from the summer and his face was thinner too – he’d been getting leaner over the last few seasons. Probably makes him even cockier.

“You’re dressed for it,” Mike looked at her boots. “Do those things really work?”

“Yup, but they’re no match for today.”

Mike tried to guess at her accent – New England, maybe Boston. It took him a moment to figure out what made her look so eye-catching, so compelling that he was pretty much staring: her eyebrows. They were thick and straight, more dramatic than most girls’. He’d been quiet too long, she was starting to leave.

“Where’s your car?”

“Way out at the end of the lot. They made us park there because of the concert tonight – in case we didn’t leave in time. Now it’s a mile away in the rain.”

“I’ll give you a ride to your car, hop in,” Mike said. Hop in. You don’t just hop into this car. She looked unsure for a moment. He realized that she’s probably never do this otherwise, get into a car with a guy she didn’t know, and he wondered just how badly she really didn’t want to walk in the rain. Her hesitation finally broke and she went around the passenger side.

“I’m nervous in here,” she said, buckling her seat belt. His car reeked of money, the kind of flashiness that instinctively made her cringe. The interior was a cross between a space ship and James Bonds’ apartment – sexy science. Erotic engineering. She sat forward, afraid to touch her damp coat to the leather seat. Some of the hockey players were ostentatious with their money, but mostly it was the NBA guys who threw their paychecks around.

Mike looked at her as she looked at the car. Her nose turned up slightly and her lips were shiny with gloss, he wondered what it tasted like. He goosed the accelerator, just fooling around, and shot them forward a hundred feet in a smooth blink of an eye. She squeaked.

“If it were nice out, I’d take you for a drive. Show you what she can do.” He almost cringed at the sound of rain thudding off his paint job.

She snickered. “Pretty sure I know what she can do. Go fast, look shiny, get you girls.”

“Hey, I can get girls on my own!” He tried to make a joke out of it, but that’s what everyone said about his car. If they liked it, it was a chick magnet. If they didn’t, he was overcompensating for something. He got frustrated having to constantly defend what had been a serious purchase to make.

Ooh, defensive, she made a mental note. He was definitely leaner than last season, his hair spiky and his cheeks rosy. She’d always thought he was good-looking, now up close she knew it was a little more serious than that. Figures, she thought. Rich, young, talented AND hot – who else is going to drive a car like this?

“Kidding! Does it automatically play ‘Smack That’ when you turn it on?” She did a little Cabbage Patch dance move as she started to sing, “… wanna jump up in my Lamorghini Gallardo….”

Mike had heard that joke a million times, but this was the first time he ever laughed. She did a little head fake and brushed off her shoulder, like a white girl who learned to dance from a rap video. The smile of her face was priceless.

This girl, he thought. There was something about her – she wasn’t batting her eyelashes like most girls did around him. She was tall and fit, he could tell from her shapely legs and he wondered what she looked liked under that coat. The last girl he’d dated had looked like a stripper. The last girl he’d slept with had been one.

“And,” she said proudly, “I know it’s the same car P Diddy has – I saw a picture of Justin Beiber driving it.”

“I would never let Justin Beiber drive my car,” he said. She sang two lines from “Eennie Meenie.”

About thirty cars were parked that the far corner of the lot, at least a quarter mile from the arena. She never would have made it in the rain. Mike pulled up behind a silver Mazda 3 with a bumper sticker that read ‘Don’t Blame Me, I Voted for Jimmy Buffett.’ He was a little disappointed it had only taken a minute to get there.

“Hey, I was going to get something to eat. Wanna come? Maybe it’ll stop raining by the time we’re done.”

He would, she thought. He would ask someone out two minutes after meeting them. Bet he does it all the time. But she was intrigued, even if it was masochistic, and she wanted to find out what the great Mike Green was like. “Ummm, sure.”

What are you doing?! her rationale whined. Then she looked at her car – even eight feet away she’d be soaked before she could get in. “Guess I should tell you that I’m Halley.”

“Like the comet,” Mike said before he could stop himself. So lame! He gave himself a mental facepalm.

“Actually, exactly like that – two L’s and all. My dad works for NASA and I was born on the day the comet was last seen,” she said.

“Cool. I’m Mike.”

“Mike who?” she asked.

He opened his mouth the answer, then quickly got the joke and shut it. She’d already seen. Failure to contain her laughter made it come out like a snort. She shook her head in apology as she laughed.

“Okay, okay,” Mike smiled. “You’ve made fun of me and my car.”

“And you still asked me to dinner….” She looked out the window at the rain. She’d gotten away with one there and promised to at least try to give Mike the benefit of the doubt for the rest of the night.

They went to a steakhouse a few miles from the arena. Mike pulled up under the awning – the valets all sprang to life at the sight of his car, as always. Of all the things involved with owning and driving a $200,000 car, this made him the most nervous. Halley waited on the curb as he gave the keys to an attendant. It took all his willpower not to tell the guy to be careful; that’s what the jackass guy was always doing in the movies. He opened the restaurant door for Halley, who smiled like she could read his mind.

“Ferris Bueller much?”

“You have no idea.” Mike had actually wondered a few times if valets had gone joyriding in his car and he hoped to never know the answer. Under her green coat, Halley wore a clingy black cashmere sweater. Not the rack he usually went for, but she moved in a graceful, pleasing way. His hand touched her top and the soft brush of the wool made his breath catch a little. She smelled like dryer sheets.

“What do you do at the arena?” he asked after they’d ordered wine and food. He’d gone for a nice bottle of red, one someone had recommended and he always tried to remember the name.

“I work in facilities. Making sure you guys have ice, concert logistics, that kind of stuff.”

“So when our ice is bad, it’s your fault?”

She smiled wickedly. “Maybe I’m a closet Penguins fan, trying to sabotage you.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Not too late for them to poison your dinner.”

He found himself trying to impress her, but was careful not to sound arrogant. This kind of girl would never go for that guy – he could tell she was keeping back from him. She’d already teased him about his car, which he figured was fair game anyway. When he talked about charity work with the team, places they traveled, what he did in the off-season, he tried to mention the highlights and then play them down.

Halley could hear the gears in Mike’s brain turning as he selected what to tell her. No doubt he was a flashy guy. Aside from the car he wore a gold chain around his neck, beneath the collar of his sweater. She’d seen a photo of him wearing a necklace with his number of it, she wondered if there was a 52 hanging under his shirt. The fact that he was reining himself in struck her – she just didn’t know yet if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Or if she cared.

“Why have I never seen you around before?”

Because I’m fully clothed, she thought before catching herself. Be nice, you promised. After all, he’d asked her to dinner wearing just short of a snowsuit.

“You have.”

“I have? How come we never met?”

“We did.”

“When?” Mike blurted out. It was impossible he’d spoken to this girl and not noticed. Not remembered. Not at least considered asking her out, or getting her number, or getting her naked. He would remember her.

“A couple times. Christmas skate with the hospital kids last year, when we renovated the locker rooms. When you shot the GEICO commercial, I rode in the elevator with you and the caveman. Just us.”

Mike was shocked. If he’d managed to miss her, what else had he missed?

“It’s okay, you were busy. We were both working. And I don’t stand a chance next to the caveman.” Halley couldn’t believe what she was hearing – her own voice saying it’s okay for celebrities to ignore the little people.

“Halley,” Mike refilled her wine glass, “it is definitely not okay that I don’t remember.”

She smiled. “You’re making it up to me with dinner.”

He scoffed. “I can do better than that.”

After two glasses of syrah, Halley found her urge to razz Mike subsiding. He was actually a nice guy, when he stopped trying to be cool. They shared stories about their summers – Mike in Calgary doing outdoorsy things and getting on the ice as often as possible, Halley taking weekend trips with her friends to beaches all along the east coast. The conversation turned to DC and Halley was impressed at the number of museums and events Mike had been to, not just bars and clubs.

Mike had never spent a date so much on his toes, if this was even a date. Halley was smart and quick – almost too quick. He knew she was fighting back remarks, and he sensed that a tiny bit of her did not like him. Yet. That was yet another thing Mike was not used to dealing with: girls who didn’t like him. Most women threw themselves at him, and when one stuck she was impossible to peel off. Halley was still taking two steps backward for every one forward. Maybe she had a boyfriend?

“You don’t seem worried that someone will take a picture of us and it’ll end up in the Examiner tomorrow,” Mike tried. Surely a significant other would not take kindly to that.

“How’s my hair?”

He smiled. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s just that my boyfriend hates when I’m photographed with my hair a mess,” Halley said.

“Very funny,” he made a face. She had not taken his bait.

She put her wine down. “Mike, if you want to know something, just ask me. I don’t have a boyfriend. I don’t think I’ll get in trouble at work for having dinner with you. And I know my hair looks a mess, but I don’t care.”

Point taken, he thought. “Your hair looks great.”

Halley tipped her glass toward him in a mock toast. “And that is how you get someone to answer a question without asking.”

When dinner ended, Halley offered to expense it to the team. Mike refused – he wanted it to be a date, and it definitely wouldn’t be if it was a work function. He helped Halley into her coat before the car came to a quick stop in front of them, squeaking slightly on the wet pavement, and Mike went a little stiff. Halley waited until Mike was in the driver’s seat next to her before she leaned over him.

“How many miles were on it before?” she examined the odometer.

Mike laughed, getting another whiff of her clean scent. “Looks like they only went the long way around the block.”

It was still raining so hard that Halley’s silver car was nearly invisible in the parking lot. Mike pulled into the space next to her, as close as he could get to her door. She pulled up her hood and extended the handle of her umbrella.

“Thanks Mike, that was fun.” She hoped she didn’t sound as surprised as she felt.

“That was exhausting, Halley. You are too sharp for me,” he admitted.

She put her hand on his forearm. It was the first time they’d really touched and even through his jacket she could feel the warmth of his body, the firm shape of his muscle. The cockpit of the car was quite small and they were close together.

“I get dull with time,” she promised.

“Please don’t.”

Mike wanted to kiss her. It was warm and soft and damp inside the car and everything about the world right then screamed to cuddle up with someone. If he’d had another moment, he would have.

“Bye Mike,” she opened the door and was gone into the storm.

When Mike pulled away with a beep of his horn, Halley put her head down on the steering wheel. What the hell was that? She hadn’t expected him to be funny or smart or able to handle her. And she hadn’t expected to feel a buzz when she touched him, to want to keep touching him. The look in his eyes had said he was about to kiss her. She hadn’t expected to want him to.