The One

You & Me

During my Christmas break, I received a call from Carrie. She asked what were my plans for New Years Eve. And I told her I was going to attend my teammates annual New Years Eve party at the Lord Elgin Hotel in Ottawa. She basically invited herself over, which I didn't mind at all.

So today is the day I finally get see her again. Today is my chance to tell her all these feelings that I have for her. I'm just praying it goes well with her tonight, since this is sort of our first date.

I wore a navy blue suit with a white dress shirt and a midnight blue tie. I checked myself in the mirror for the last time as I made sure I looked good. I glanced at the clock. 10:15 pm. I grab my keys, leaving my house to go pick up Carrie. She's staying at the Marriott in downtown Ottawa.

10:30

I walked in the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. This nervous rush ran through my body. Why am I so nervous, we talk all the time. There's no need to be nervous. I walked out of the elevator and found her suite.

I waited for a minute before I knocked on the door.

"Hey!" Carrie said as she gave me a quick hug.

Holy crap! She looks absolutely beautiful. She was wearing this nice white backless mini dress that showed off her toned back and those legs. Her blonde hair was up and her bangs were hanging to the sides.

"Wow. Carrie...you look...amazing." I smiled down at her.

"Thanks, you don't look bad yourself. Come on in, I just need to put on my heels." She said as we walked inside her suite.

"Nice place." I said sitting down, watching her put on her heels. "So are you ready for tonight?"

"I'm kind of nervous, actually." She said as she finished putting on the last heel. "I don't know anyone that'll be there." She stood, putting on her beige winter coat.

I stood up and walked close to her. "But you know me. Look, there's no need to be nervous. I'll be by your side, guiding you through the whole night." I said, gently squeezing her hand.

She gave me a small smile. "I just get nervous meeting new people, that's all." She quietly said as she played with my tie.

"Alright. Why don't we get going then." I said as she linked arms with me. We exited her room and soon made it out the building.

We made it to the Lord Elgin Hotel in 5 minutes. Since it was just a block away from Carrie's hotel.

I introduced Carrie to all my teammates. She chatted along with all the wives or girlfriends. We ate with my teammate and good friend Chris Neil and his wife.

I stood up from the table and held out my hand. "Come dance with me." I asked as she grabbed onto my hand.

"Mike, I'm not the best dancer." She said biting her lip as we walked to the dance floor.

"Well, neither am I." I said, as we laughed and began to sway to the music.

After an hour of dancing and chatting with my friends it was time for the new year. Everybody gathered around the dance floor with such anticipation. The whole crowd was counting down. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!!" Everyone chanted. "Happy New Year!!" People shouted with such joy and happiness.

Carrie and I stood close to each other. "Happy New Year." I said as I looked deeply into her hazel eyes.

She grabbed my jacket, pulling me closer. She place her hand on my chest. "Happy New Years, Mike." She softly said.

She began to lean in. Her lips was a few inches away from mine. So I quickly closed the gap between us. Her hands caressed the back of my neck as we locked lips. I gently placed my hand on the small of her back, deepening the kiss before I pulled away from her soft, sweet lips.

She had a slight blush of red on her cheeks as she bit her lips. There was a look in her eyes that send shivers down my spine. And I swear my heart beat stopped.

"Hey, come with me." I said grabbing her hand.

I lead her out of the crowd. We exited out the room as we walked down the halls. She leaned her head against my shoulder as we turned the corner. Then I stopped, realizing she didn't have her coat.

I took off my blazer and placed it over her bare shoulders. "You'll need this or else you'll be freezing outside." I said as we began to walk again.

She stopped her tracks and asked, "Wait, we're leaving already?".

"No, I just want to show you something." I said as I put my arm around her waist bringing her closer.

I opened a door that lead us to the stairs. After walking up two flights, we finally made to the rooftop. The whole deck was filled with beautiful, white glistening snow.

"Wow! Oh my gosh. Mike, this is amazing!" She said, running towards the rails, looking out into the city.

"Yeah, it is. I've been going up here for the past three years." I said walking towards her back, breathing in the cold fresh air as I slipped my hands into my pockets.

She turned her back against the rails, facing me as she stretched her left arm out. I held her soft, cold hand as she pulled me close.

"Hold me, will ya? It's a bit cold out here." She said before turning her back against my chest.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, her arms overlapped mines. The thump, thump in my chest continues to increase rapidly. I placed my chin on her right shoulder as I leaned my head against hers.

"This view is incredible. What do you do when you're up here?" She asked as she gazed into the bright city lights and the night sky.

"I reflect back on the year. What I can do to improve. What was my worst moment. And what was my favorite moment." I said, looking up as fireworks began to fill up the dark sky.

"So, looking back on the year, is there anything you want to improve?" She asked looking up at me.

"I'm not sure about that one yet." I slightly chuckled.

"Hm we'll figure something out. Ok, so what was your worst moment." She said, playing with my fingers.

"My worst moment would probably be losing at the Stanley Cup Finals. We were so close, the Cup was right within our grasp. I could almost taste it. But that minute left in the game changed everything." I said as I removed my arms from her waist leaning against the rail with my head down.

She rubbed my back up and down. "Maybe that's what you can improve on. You need to accept failure and learn how to get back up. Coming back stronger than ever, so that the next to time you reach the Finals, this time you'll be better and win." She said caressing my shoulders.

"I will." I said, lifting my head up staring at the fireworks.

"Now, what was your favorite moment." She asked quietly.

I turned my body to face her. I grabbed her left hand, softly stroking her knuckles with my thumbs. "My favorite moment was meeting you." I smiled at her. She shyly smiles as her cheeks began to turn into a light shade of red.

I ran my hands down her shoulder to her hands, intertwining them. "Being with you and hearing your sweet voice, makes me really happy." I began, staring passionately into her eyes. "And that's something I haven't felt in a long time. Carrie, I like you. I like you a lot." I confessed.

She rested her hand on my check, slowly pulling my face in, giving me a small peck. "Mike, I like you too." She smiled as I held her close.

"What do you think of you & me?" I asked, leaning my forehead against hers.

"You & me. Together. Being together, is all I want." She whispered.