A Little More You (Jonathan Toews)

Chapter 27

Mati had been doing well for the past week at acting like she was okay and she could hold up this facade. But today was the day she would have to face him. She'd see him at Bridgestone, and originally, the guys were all going out after because she was playing a show tonight afterwards, but who knew if that would happen now.

It was a little after three when she set out on her journey. She was still hurt at everything Jon had said to her and also that, after the first two days, he hadn't tried to get ahold of her, besides the flowers which seemed like more of an afterthought. She wasn't even sure where they stood right now because of that. So tonight, she was going to look hot.

She plopped down in the spinning chair as her normal stylist, Jenna started playing with her hair.

Two and a half hours later, Mati headed towards Bridgestone, feeling good. She parked and found the entrance she was supposed to use, then promptly got lost. She wandered for a moment, silently praying she wouldn't run into any of the Hawks, when she spotted a familar face.

He did at the same time.

James Neal smiled "Hey! How are you?"

Mati smiled back at him. "I'd be better if I could find where I was going."

James and Mati didn't go back far, and weren't best friends, but her label and the Predators had done a few charity events together, and she had run into him a few times downtown.

He showed her to the room and leaned against the doorframe.

"So you and Toews, huh?"

She shot him a look. "You know?"

He looked mildly offended. "It's not a national secret. Mati, I knew the day after he asked you out."

"Uhh how?"

James winked. "I know people."

Mati rolled her eyes. "Locker room talk? Y'all gossip like a bunch of 16 year old girls."

James just nodded and shrugged his shoulders.

"But yes," Mati confirmed. "Toews and I, I guess."

"You guess?"

Mati sighed and launched into a condensed version of their fight and not talking. James gave her sympathy.

"He'll come around."

The two said their good-byes and parted ways. Jenna had done Mati's hair and makeup, so all she had to do was slip into the black skinny pants, Predators shirt, and black blazer she had tossed in a bag before she left home. She finished it off with a pair of black cowboy boots, as was tradition, and re glossed her lips.

She didn't like to be one of those petty girls but tonight she hoped she looked good enough to make Jon feel bad.

She couldn't believe she was doing this.

Jon was anxious the entire day. He barely dozed off for his pregame nap, and now was hurriedly getting dressed for warmups. He just wanted to see Mati and talk to her, he wasn't right without her.

They hit the ice and he started taking shots to get his head on straight. He kept glancing around looking for Mati but nothing yet. Neal kept shooting him looks and it was started to piss him off. He wasn't a fighter but he definitely was not in the mood for Neal's antics either.

Finally, it was time for starting lineups. They hit the ice for the second time and skated as the Preds did their pregame video and their lineup.

That's when Jon finally got a glimpse of her. She was standing by the zamboni, mic in hand, waiting to go out. She looked gorgeous. She had apparently gotten her hair done in the past few days because her normally all blonde hair was highlighted with brown and curled.