Fire & Ice//Claude Giroux

Chapter 5

Claude woke up to sunlight and at first didn't know where he was. The night before had been a bit of a blur, but he remembered most of it. Christine lay beside him with her head on his shoulder and her arm wrapped around his waist. He didn't want to wake her, but he suddenly felt restless. He had enjoyed spending the night with her. It was so much pressure dealing with the drama that often surrounded the beautiful women who wanted to be in his company. The clubs, the fancy dinners, the demand to always be "on" was exhausting and it was nice to spend an evening with a kind, attractive woman and feel none of the usual pressure. But his mind was on something else. Make that someone else.

Christine opened her eyes and stared and the ceiling, suddenly remembering where she was. The warmth of Claude's body and the lingering sensations in her body told her that last night was not a dream. But where had her bravado from last night gone? Suddenly she was nervous and shy and had no idea what to do or say. What if he regretted what had happened? She rolled over towards the edge of the bed wondering if she should try to make a run for it.

"Good morning," Claude said, in a warm, cheery voice. "How did you sleep?"

"Good. How about you?" She felt the color rush to her cheeks, so she turned her face away from him.

"Are you blushing?" he kidded. "It's okay. There's no need to be embarrassed. Last night was amazing."

Christine finally exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Okay, good, she thought. At least this isn't terribly awkward. She could hear the snow plows clearing the streets. They would be passable soon, if not already, and Claude would be leaving and returning to his home and his normal life.

"Are you hungry?" Claude said, with a big grin. "I'm starving. Let's order room service."

After sharing a leisurely breakfast, Claude jumped up and said, "Come on, get dressed, I want to show you something."

Christine had no idea what he was up to, but she knew she would follow him anywhere. She quickly threw on some clothes and they headed out the door. The sidewalks were cleared and traffic was moving again on the streets. Claude led her down the block to the entrance of One Liberty, one of Philly's tallest skyscrapers. They followed the signs to the observation deck and were soon in an elevator speeding up 57 floors. Christine stepped out of the elevator and caught her breath. She was surrounded by glass that revealed a panoramic view of the city and miles beyond.

They walked around the deck and Claude proudly showed off his knowledge of his adopted city. "Over that bridge is New Jersey. That's Rittenhouse Square. I live near there. And that's the Schuylkill River and the campuses of Pitt and Drexel."

As they made their way to the windows that face south, Christine saw what Claude was going to point out before he even said it. "And there is the sports complex and Wells Fargo Center."

She could see the white, oval arena in the distance and visualized the huge banner that hung on the other side of it. The captain, as big as the building, telling everyone who drove by on I-95 that this was his building.

Suddenly it hit her. He hadn't said anything, but there was no way this could go anywhere. He was the captain of the Flyers and had a certain kind of life....and a certain kind of girl. And she wondered where that girl was. Maybe she had been in his life before and he had let her slip away.

Claude enjoyed showing his city to someone new. But when he saw Wells Fargo Center it's as if he woke up from a daze. Suddenly, all he could think about was who he was, how he got there, and the girl who was by his side for that entire journey. Kelly had been his high school sweetheart but he had walked away from her a few years ago in the haze of fame and fortune. Only recently had he begun to realize that he desperately missed her. And somehow the past 15 hours with Christine had helped him realize that he was finally ready for something more than the bachelor life. He hated to hurt Christine, but there was no future for them if he was in love with someone else.

Christine saw the look in his eyes and knew what he was thinking before he said a word. "It was great meeting you, and that was a great evening. But I have to go," he said.

"Of course," she said, trying not to show any emotion as her heart felt like it would stop beating. "Thanks again for the ride. And, yes, it was an evening I will never forget."

He turned and walked away. She knew she would probably never see him again...except on the ice. It was one of those weird once-in-lifetime scenarios that would never be repeated. Hopefully she would be better off for it, perhaps more confident, more daring. Perhaps she would even find love again. But for now, she just felt numb. She stared out over the city and tears began to roll down her face.