Chapter 45

I packed up my books and walked out of class. I made my way across campus and walked out into downtown Pittsburgh. Looking over at the rink, I wondered who was going to win today. When I walked into the deli I saw that it was me. I smiled to myself as I found a table and sat down. A few minutes later Sidney walked in, a hat pulled low over his face.

“And I’m up 3-2!” I exclaimed after he’d given me a kiss and sat down. He scowled over at me.

“That’s not fair! You know I had to stay late!” he argued. I grinned over at him and shrugged.

“Not my fault,” I joked. He narrowed his eyes at me.

Because of my class schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays I got out of one class around the same time Sidney got out of practice. We’d started meeting automatically for lunch at a deli near both the school and the rink on those days. I don’t know how it had happened, but it had become a race to beat the other there.

“What do you want?” he growled. I gave him my order and watched him walk up to the counter. Loser paid for lunch.

We talked about his practice and my class while we ate. Thankfully it was pretty much the same crowd in the deli every time we were there so after the first two days people were leaving us alone. We finished eating and Sidney had to leave to do some promo stuff and I had another class to go to. We parted ways and I walked back onto campus.

When my second and last class for the day was over I got into my car and drove home. Taking advantage of being in the house alone, I got an early start on a paper. Writing one was never easy with Sidney constantly over my shoulder asking me what I was working on. Just as I got into the zone, the doorbell rang, breaking me out of my train of thought.

I groaned in annoyance as I got up from the desk in the office and walked to the door. I looked out the peephole to make sure it would be okay to answer it. I saw a very pretty blonde standing on the doorstep. I hesitated on answering, wondering what exactly this girl wanted. Since Sidney wasn’t home, I figured it would be okay and I pulled open the door.

“Oh, hi,” she said to me in surprise. Obviously I wasn’t who she was expecting.

“Hi,” I replied with a smile. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah, I’m Tamara. I live next door. I was just wondering if Sidney was home,” she told me. So this was the beautiful daughter Patty had told me about. She seemed to be very overly dressed and made up for a visit next door at 4 in the afternoon.

“No, he’s not home right now. Can I help you with something?” I asked. She shifted from one foot to another and bit her lip as she considered the question.

“I guess. Could you give him a message?” I nodded and she continued. “My parents wanted to invite him over for dinner sometime this week to welcome him to the neighborhood. We weren’t sure what his schedule was so he can pick whatever night works best for him.” I noticed that her explanation had only included him, and not me in the invitation. I wondered if that was on purpose.

“I can do that,” I told her. She took out a piece of paper and handed it to me.

“This is the number so he can call and let us know what night works best for him. Make sure you give him the message before you leave.”

“Leave?” I asked in confusion. Where did she think I was going? She nodded.

“Yeah, to go home for the day. I mean, housework doesn’t last all night, right?” she said, condescendingly. My jaw dropped in shock. She thought I was his maid? I self-consciously put a hand up to the scarf on my head.

“No, it doesn’t,” I responded through clenched teeth.

“If he’s not home when you leave, make sure you leave a message for him,” she ordered. I gave her a tight smile.

“I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“Thanks.” With that she turned and made her way off the front stoop and walked across the lawn to her own house.

I closed the door absolutely steaming. I made my way back into the office and tossed the piece of paper on the desk next to my laptop. After staring at the computer screen for over ten minutes and thinking of nothing but how angry I was I gave up on continuing the paper. I saved it and then picked up my phone. I needed someone to bitch to.










Sidney pulled into the driveway and then into the garage just after 5. It had been a long day at the rink, but that’s what pre-season was like. Now all he wanted to do was cuddle up with Tanner and relax. He walked into the house from the garage and immediately heard voices. Who was here?

“You’re kidding me,” a female voice said.

“It’s completely true. I mean, seriously. Really?!” Tanner exclaimed, sounding angry.

“Who in Pittsburgh doesn’t know about you?” the other female asked. He turned the corner into the kitchen and saw that it was Kelly. They both heard him walk in and turned to look at him. Kelly smiled over at him, but Tanner scowled.

“What’s going on?” he asked. Tanner crossed her arms over her chest and Kelly gave him a sympathetic look.

“You received a dinner invitation from next door today,” Tanner told him. He still wasn’t sure why she seemed angry.

"Okay,” he said cautiously. She hastily picked up a piece of paper off the island next to her. Then she took three steps over to him and thrust her hand out to him.

“This is the number you’re supposed to call to tell them which night you can make it.” He took the paper from her and glanced down at the number on it.

“Okay, well, what night works best for you?” he asked. Her eyes widened and she sneered at him.

“What part of what I said to you didn’t you understand?” she spat at him. He went back over this short conversation in his head wondering what he’d done wrong. He was coming up with a blank.

“I’m lost,” he replied. She groaned.

“I said you were invited. Since when am I your fucking maid?!” she yelled. He was speechless as she turned and stormed out of the kitchen. He heard her angry footsteps stomp up the stairs a moment later. He turned back to Kelly in shock.

"What did I do?” he asked. Kelly smiled over at him and explained what had happened earlier between Tanner and Tamara.

“Anyway, I think I should be going. Tell Tanner I’ll call her later,” Kelly told him.

He said bye to Kelly and then braced himself as he walked upstairs. He found Tanner sitting on the edge of the bed in their bedroom. She looked up at him when he walked in and he noticed that she didn’t look quite as angry as she did downstairs. In fact, she smiled at him.

“I’m sorry I was crazy down there. I was in the middle of a bitch fit when you walked in. You just got caught up in the middle of it,” she apologized. He let out a sigh of relief that she wasn’t mad at him for this and sat down next to her.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for what happened. Kelly told me. I’ll clear it up,” he assured her.

"It is your fault though,” she accused.

“Pardon?”

“If you weren’t so damn good looking, I wouldn’t have the 18 year old daughters of our neighbors doing this shit,” she joked. He laughed.

“I am pretty,” he joked in response. She laughed too.

“Not as pretty as me,” she stated.

“Whoa, hold on there. I’m way prettier,” he argued. She let her jaw fall in mock horror.

“Excuse me? I’m the prettiest one in this house by far,” she responded.

“I disagree.”

“You know, I was going to suggest make up sex, but I won’t now.”

“Hey! I want make up sex!” he exclaimed.

“Not until you admit that I’m prettier.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“That’s just not going to happen. How about we get dinner instead. Does sushi sound good?” he suggested. Tanner laughed and nodded.

“Sushi sounds amazing. We better go now. I haven't eaten in six months. I'm starving.” He kissed her and they both got up off the bed.

“I just have one phone call to make.” He took out the piece of paper Tanner had handed him downstairs and dialed it. “Hi, this is Sidney.”

“Oh, Sidney, hello. It’s Patty!” the woman on the other end said.

“I just got the message about your dinner invitation. My girlfriend, Tanner, has finished her chemotherapy but she’s still pretty tired a lot of the time so I’m not sure that we’d make very good dinner guests right now.”

“Oh, that’s okay. We won’t do anything extravagant and I promise we won’t keep you any longer than she feels able,” Patty assured him. He smiled over at Tanner.

“Okay then. How does Thursday sound?” he suggested.

“That sounds fine. We’ll see you both then. Is 7:00 okay?"

"That works. We’ll see you Thursday.” He hung up the phone and turned to Tanner. “We both have dinner on Thursday.” She smiled back at him and thanked him. Then they made their way to his car and went to dinner.