Letting Love In-Ch24

Chapter 24:
I was shocked, completely and utterly shocked. I stood there like a vegetable and said nothing. “Kay, it is very nice to meet you. Sidney has told us very good things about you.” “Uh, um, oh, oh, it’s nice to meet you too” I said realizing this wasn’t a joke. I shook both of their hands and put on my best smile. As Sidney got ready to leave, I talked to his mother and father about my background. “And how old are you?” Mr. Crosby said, “I’m 17” I said. In what seemed like forever, Sidney finally finished getting ready to leave. Mr. and Mrs. Crosby walked in front of us down the runway to the exit. “Are they staying with you?” I asked quietly, “Nope, they have a hotel… we just have to drop them off.” He placed his hand on the small of my back, and urged me to walk forward.
“How long are you staying in Pittsburgh?” I asked the Crosby’s when we were settled into the car. “Only tomorrow night” Mrs. Crosby said, “We have to get back home to Taylor.” After a few minutes of listening Sidney talk to his parents, we arrived at the hotel. Mrs. Crosby got out of the car and waited for her husband. “We will be seeing you for brunch tomorrow” she said, and then slammed the door.
“I am so sorry to put that on you like that” Sidney said as soon as the door was closed. “They totally surprised me. I didn’t even know they were coming until they showed up in the locker room. I almost fainted” he said, looking sincerely sorry. I was still a little mad for not having a warning; but of course, I gave in to the puppy dog face and started laughing. “Don’t worry about it” I said, returning my gaze to the floor. Then I felt his hand on my knee, and he moved over closer to me. He picked up my chin in his hands. “All that matters right now is that I have a hot date for the team Christmas party, and that I have all of the holiday to share with her.” “And who might this hot date be?” I asked, knowing the answer. “You” he said, and then he kissed me. “I’d be honored to go with you” I said, mocking him. He laughed at me, and kissed my forehead, then pulled me into his arms.
We arrived back home about 20 minutes later. Sidney informed me that he would be going to brunch tomorrow with his mother and father. I told him I had some last minute shopping to do. He said goodnight, and kissed me. Then he disappeared down the hallway to his wing. I made my way to my room, put on one of Sidney’s shirts and some pants and quickly fell asleep.
*********
After I had gotten up, ate breakfast and taken my shower, I got a text message from Sidney.
Inbox (1 New Message)
From: Sidney
Kay- Don’t make any big plans for after the party tomorrow night. I have a surprise for you. See you later tonight. XOX Sid
I smiled to myself. What could he possibly do to make me even happier? I looked over at my closet, and saw his present. [I got in on game day]I really hope that he likes it. After all, tomorrow is Christmas Eve, but I think I’m going to give one present to him tomorrow night, and one Christmas morning just to keep up tradition.
Amanda called me downstairs and told me that my mother wanted me to put the finishing ornaments on the tree. I hung up green, red, and clear hand-blown glass spheres and added some candy canes. Then I tried to put the star on top, but my 5’2 frame couldn’t stretch that much. “Need some help?” I turned around and my Uncle Mario was standing there with a step ladder. “Thank you” I said with a smile. After I put it on and made sure it was straight, he helped me down and we sat on the couches opposite from each other. We talked about hockey for a while, and then he came out with this.
“I wanted to talk to you about Sidney.” I got a nervous feeling in my stomach and my mouth went dry. “Um, what about?” I asked, trying to keep calm. “Well I know that he thinks very fondly of you, as you do to him. He came to me the other night, and made sure it was alright that he take you out. As you know, I allowed him to because I trust both him and you. I just wanted to let you know some things.” “Alright” I said, adjusting my position. “First off, on game nights, I know you like to come home with him and talk about the game, so your curfew will depend on when I am done with my interviews. Normally though, it will be around 12:30. Second, you are not allowed to spend the night in his room, nor he in yours.” “Shit” I thought to myself, now I’m going to have to sneak around even more. “And third, you must not inform the media of any relationship. I know you know that, but I’m saying this to protect both of you.” “Alright, I understand” I said. My aunt called from across the hall, she needed him to lift something heavy. He laughed and then stood up. He gave me a hug and said “Even though he is my teammate, if he hurts you, he will regret it.” He squeezed my shoulders and disappeared down the hallway.
“Well at least he is allowing us to see each other” I said to myself. Then I decided I should go practice my dance combinations. No matter how much I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh, I was offered a scholarship to the conservatory, and I was sure that the letter would be arriving to our house soon.