Chapter 8

Hope Everyone is having a great holiday weekend here in the states!! If you see one of our military personnel, make sure you say thank you for our freedom. I have a few friends serving across the seas, and I'm sure many of you do also, so let's keep them in our thoughts and prayers!!

And you never would have thought in the end how amazing it feels just to live again.

Should’ve done something, but I’ve done it enough.

By the way your hands were shaking, rather waste sometime with you.

Blue & Yellow – The Used

Ch. 8

“This has to be the creepiest ass place I’ve ever been to!” I whispered as I walked between Brad and James.  What I really wanted to do was jump on James’ back so he could carry me through the old prison, but I was staying as professional as possible and only engaging in physical activity with James when we were behind closed doors.  Not that alone time was easy to come by on this trip.  The chill of the building, coupled with the old, musty smell, really put a spell on any of the visitors who walked through the abandoned halls. 

This was the first time all trip that I was filming the antics of James’ group.  I spent a majority of my time with a couple of the defensemen and the Swedish gang of Loui, Tom Wandell, Fabian Brunnstrom, and Nicklas Grossman.  My goal was to get as much of the team as possible involved with the videos.  A couple of the guys weren’t too keen on it, but many of them had a great time goofing off for the camera, including Captain Morrow.  He and Brad even pulled a few pranks on the youngsters of the team. 

We were in Philly for our day off and the Eastern State Penitentiary was part of the team scavenger hunt.  Even on the outside the place looked creepy and as soon as we walked through the doors I felt the hair on my body stand up at a tension.

“She’s gonna have bad dreams for the next couple weeks,” Brad chirped over to James who was laughing unmercifully at me as I walked in a crouched position.

“Good thing Burish has the camera for this part, otherwise all the fans would end up getting sick from her shaking camera shots,” Jamie laughed getting in on the act of picking on me.

“Shush you youngin’!” I whispered loudly.  I jumped when my echo came back to me.  What made it even worse was Burish’s phone ringing loudly at the same time.  I know for a fact I wasn’t the only person in the group that jumped at the sudden burst of noise.

“Hey, Rachel,” Adam growled into the phone.  It had to have been the 10^th time today she had called and it was only 3pm.  At first I found it kind of funny, but then I realized that I wasn’t wishing ill thoughts on Adam, it was Rachel that I disliked and Adam that I felt bad for.

The bitch almost ruined my trip with the team by spreading lies about me to the front office.  She had the nerve to say that I was handing in false time records and not doing my assigned jobs (i.e. Program Selling).  She was right; I wasn’t selling programs because Jimmy needed me to taking care of the music on game nights.  Interns with specific job game duties were exempt, which if I was a normal intern in this position I would have more than enough time to sell programs.  However with my assigned duties, it was not possible for me to be two places at once.  Once Jimmy cleared it up with the intern-supervisor, I was good to go again.  But of course my work-load was upped once again because now I had to submit a full list of my team activities for the week.  Even though the supervisor said I wasn’t being punished, it sure as hell did feel like I was.  They basically wanted to keep tabs on me to make sure I wasn’t “free lancing my time.”  It just made me mad that a big stink needed to be made of things.  She was literally making things hell and I was soon going to say my piece to Adam.

“So, I want to take you to dinner tonight…” James whispered in my ear as we walked back out into the cold winter air.

“I can’t.  I have to stay back in the room and work on editing today’s activities so I can send them to Jimmy to post on the website,” I grimaced, really just wanting to spend some alone time with James.

“Fine, then we are getting take-out and I’ll sit in the room with you.  I promise to behave,” he said with a wiggle of the eyebrows.

“It’s not you that I’m worried about on the misbehavior part.  You have all that hockey discipline,” I joked as we walked up to

Broad Street

to go to the Art Museum for our next clue.

“I don’t have much discipline around you,” he chuckled.  “Especially when I have to stare at your ass in those jeans while walking up the steps in the Penitentiary,” he said in a low voice.

“James Neal!” I exclaimed, smacking him in the stomach.  “I’m shocked you have such dirty thoughts.”

“It’s your fault.”

“What?! For putting clothing on this morning?”

He paused for a moment.  “Nah, it probably would have been worse if you walked down to breakfast naked.”

“That’s what I figured,” I snickered, walking a little faster to catch up with our group.

It was weird having my girlfriend along for the road-trip.  It was almost a little awkward at times because she had to be professional and actually get work done.  My only job was to sleep, play games and relax in between.  Of course when I wanted to relax she was busy with work.  I was glad when the game in Philly was over and we were on a plane headed to Canada, away from anything that had to do with the team.

I looked down at her as she was sleeping peacefully against my shoulder, holding my hand.  As soon as we were in the taxi to the airport she was back to her affectionate way and my girlfriend again.  If she actually got a job with the organization and things work out for us, it was going to take a little getting used to the fact that there were times she had other things to worry about besides me.  She was not going to be the WAG’s that just stood by and waiting for their men to come home.  Hanna was independent and focused on getting a job that she could support herself with; something that made me very proud to be bringing her home to my family. 

“James!” my Mom yelled and waved frantically as we walked out from getting out luggage.

As I tried hard to keep a smile on my face as the heat rose up my neck from being slightly embarrassed, Hanna just giggled and said, “I can tell you didn’t get your shy-ness from your mom!  I like her already!”

I just rolled my eyes and snorted at Hanna’s comment.

Soon I was hugging my mom tightly, breathing in her familiar scent of honeysuckle that always reminded me of her.  “Hey Mom, I missed you,” I said sincerely.

“Missed you too, James,” she said in a voice that told me she was about ready to cry.  I pulled back quickly and introduced Hanna before she could make a scene.

“Mom, meet my girlfriend Hanna,” I announced as I pulled a smiling Hanna in front of me with her arm already stretched out to shake my mom’s hand.

“Look how beautiful you are!” My mom gushed, causing Hanna to blush this time.  “Hunnie, put your hand away, you get a hug!”

I just stepped back and watched the scene unfold as both women were giggling as they embraced.  After hugs and introductions were done we headed to my hometown of Whitby.  I was glad my mom let me drive because she and Hanna didn’t shut up the whole way to the house.  It was safer because my mom constantly uses her hands to talk, so I imagine we would have most likely hit something or someone if she would have been driving.

“I can’t believe it took him two weeks to actually make a move!” My mom exclaimed, causing me to smack my head with my hand.  If I would have been stopped I probably would have used the steering wheel.  “He’s always been shy around women, but was always the most sensitive out of all 3 boys.  He just needs to be shown that love can be a real thing.”

Maybe this was a bad mistake on bringing her here.  But then again, I wouldn’t trade seeing my mother for anything in the world.  She was right, I just needed to be shown that love is real.

“You kids hungry?” Mom asked as I pulled into the driveway of my parent’s home.

“Yes.” I blurted out.

“Glad to see some things never change,” Mom laughed as she got out of the Expedition.

I always love coming home and taking a deep breath when I step through the front door, the smell brings back all the memories like they happened yesterday.  I couldn’t help but grab Hanna’s hand and take her straight down to my room.

“Where are you taking me?!” she squeaked.

“My room!  I have all kinds of things to show you,” I said excitedly.  If I knew Hanna as much as I thought I knew her in the last few weeks, I figured she would appreciate checking out all my old trophies and photos.

“Oh my God!  Your mom hasn’t changed your room since you’ve gone pro, has she?” she asked, clapping her hand over her mouth as she inspected my trophies and posters around the room.

“Nope,” I said as I plopped down on my bed to relax as I watched her take it all in.

“Look how cute you and your brothers look!” she squeaked as her eye caught the picture of me, Michael and Peter on the ice together when we were in PeeWee.  “It’s like a shrine of you,” she turned around with a big smile on her face.  “I’m pretty sure you came home here just so that you could get your ‘I’m James Neal, the greatest hockey player that has ever lived!’  Wouldn’t want you to lose that swagger after not scoring on this away trip,” she teased, turning back towards my pictures.  I didn’t say anything, I just left her babble as I was enjoyed her reactions.  “Lookin’ pretty smokin’ here in your prom picture, Nealer.  Definitely the ladies man.  What was her name?”

“Kari,” I said evenly, trying not to break the spell.  “She was my neighbor growing up, not even my girlfriend.”

“Pretty girl.”

“She’s with my best buddy, Boll.”

“Boll, as in Jared Boll?”

“Yup.  I hooked them up.”

“Cool,” she said as she fingered my gold medal from the Under20 Championship.  “I remember watching this game with a couple of my friends and family, I didn’t remember that you were on the team,” she reminisced.

“I had no points and got put in the penalty box a couple times for stupid things,” I said with a silly smile.  “But I earned that medal just as much as the next guy.”

“Definitely would never pick on you about not getting any points.  What an honor to be selected by your country,” she said thoughtfully as she looked up at the team picture.

I couldn’t stand watching her any longer; it hit me suddenly that I needed to be near her.  I got up quietly from the bed, walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her.  She leaned her head back against my shoulder and sighed.  “Was there ever a time where your life wasn’t about hockey?” she asked quietly.

I took in a deep breath and sighed, “Yeah. Right now.”

She looked up at me with her milk chocolate eyes and blinked a few times.

“I think I’m falling for you, Hanna,” I said evenly as I stared into her eyes.  “I know I probably sound stupid saying that I ‘think’ but I’ve honestly never been in love before.  However, I’m thinking that if there is such a thing, this could be it.”

“That was a very honest answer,” she said with a smile.  “I don’t use the word lightly, and obviously you don’t either.”

“No, no I don’t because frankly, I haven’t really believed it was possible until now.”

She turned around in my arms to face me, never breaking eye contact. “I’m falling for you too, James,” she said in a barely audible whisper as she caressed my cheek, lightly with her hand.  I felt like I was standing in another universe as the realization of the words we just exchanged hit me.  I let my arms slide down her back and rested them low on her waist, pulling her firmly against me as I kissed her gently.  After 2-3 easy kisses they became harder and needier.  Soon she was wrapped around me, moaning into my mouth as I pressed her against the wall of the bedroom.

Without hesitation, I ran my hands up under the layers that kept me from getting to her breasts.  When my hands swept over her heavy breasts, she left out a little cry of pleasure.  A moment later I found myself leaving out a similar noise as I felt her hand slide down the front of my jeans, applying pressure to my now hardened length.

“Don’t start what you can’t finish, Neal,” she warned. 

I looked over at the clock on my table and saw it would at least be another 20 minutes until my dad got home from work.  “Can you promise to be quiet this time?” I whispered as I turned back around to face her.

She bit her lip and nodded her head feverishly.  A second later I was running over to my bedroom door locking it and stripping down as I did.  When I turned back around I found her lying already naked on my bed with her dark hair sprawled out like a halo around her head.  I couldn’t help but groan as pulled her down and off the bed, making sure my squeaky bed springs wouldn’t give things away.  I’m fucking 23 years old and here I am basically sneaking around to have sex with my girlfriend.  How pathetic.

Once she was situated on the floor with pillows and a blanket under her, I pressed between her legs and slid my thick length into her.  It had been a couple days since we had sex because there hadn’t been much time on the road trip, so I couldn’t help but leave out a silent moan as my eyes rolled back in my head when I felt her welcoming warmth.  “You feel like home,” I murmured into her ear and I thrusted deep into her, setting a pace to be reckoned with.  Every time I bottomed out in her she left out little gasps of pleasure and I could feel her fingers press harder in my back with each hit.

“Kiss me or I’m going to give us away,” she moaned, pawing at me to turn my head so that she could have my lips.

I couldn’t help but smile as I pressed my lips to hers, feeling her pussy tighten around my dick, pulling me over the edge with her.  I pumped deep into her, making sure all of me poured into her as I parted lips and whispered, “You are amazing Hanna Richards.”

“You are tooooo,” she drew out as quietly as she could as another convulsion seemed to rip through her.

Definitely felt a little awkward walking upstairs to meet his father after just having a down and dirty sex session on his bedroom floor.  I’m glad we had it though because I didn’t know how much longer I was going to last.  The last couple days had been torture from being around him and not really being able to show him much affection when all I wanted to do was be glued to his dick.

“Glad to see my son isn’t gay,” his dad joked as he shook my hand.

I couldn’t help but chirp back, “My sex-change doctors did a great job on my surgery didn’t they?”

His dad stood there for a couple long ass seconds before busting up laughing and clapping me on the shoulder.  “Oh Hanna, you are gonna fit in here just right!”

Dinner was full of stories about James when he was younger and me talking about my life in PEI and college.  I was glad to see that both of our families seemed so much alike, making me feel even more comfortable with the fact that I was with a man that was brought up with the same values as I was. 

After dinner James decided that he wanted to take a ride into town on the snowmobile.

“I don’t have a snowsuit,” I informed him as he began bouncing around the house finding all of his own gear.

“I’m sure mom has extra stuff around here,” he yelled loud enough for his mom to hear.

“Oh, yes dear! Come upstairs and I will give you one of the suits the boys grew out of,” she said as she took my hand.  I stood at the top of the attic steps as she pulled out a couple suits.  She finally held one up that looked like it fit.  “This looks like it might be a match,” she said cheerfully.  “This was James’ when he was in Jr. High.”

I giggled as I took it, finding it a little sad how short I was compared to him.  Before I turned to walk down the steps his mom put a hand on my shoulder and said, “Hanna, I just wanted to say something to you.”

“Yes?” I asked, a little nervous she was going to say that I was a wicked witch that didn’t belong to her son.

“I’m so glad he’s found you.  He sounds happy every time I call him now and seeing you two together proves that he is the happiest he has ever been.  Don’t let him push you away.  Just put your foot down if you need to, sometimes he needs a good kick in the ass,” she said quietly with a smile.

“I might break my foot if I kick him,” I joked.

We ended up laughing all the way down the stairs to find James already waiting for me in his suit.

“I’m roasting down here while you two talk about me?!  Let’s get a move on, ladies!” he protested.

Soon I found myself sitting in front of him on the snowmobile as he took me into town.  The weather in Dallas had spoiled me because I could have sworn it felt like hell had frozen over by the time we stopped at a little bar with other snowmobiles lined up outside.

We walked into the dimly lit bar and I found that my snowsuit was not out of place amongst the other visitors.  We took a corner booth, James sitting on the same side, right next to me.  I couldn’t help but smile over at him.

“This is nice,” I said as he took my hands into mine, trying to warm them.

“The bar or you and me?” he asked with a silly grin.

“Both, but mainly you and me being able to be a real couple; it’s definitely like living in a fish bowl in Dallas.”

He left out a snort.

“What?”

“Loui said basically the same thing.  He said it would be good for us to have a little time away from everything, to get out of the fish bowl.”

“Well I’m glad we have gotten away…”

“I can’t wait until summer,” he said with a sly smile.

“Why?”

“Cause you are going to look good at the lake in a bikini,” he grinned.

And his dad thought he was gay.