Not everyone gets lucky enough to find their soul mates. Even fewer people are lucky enough to keep them around. Corey and bailey have been inseparable since 1993 and after a few years of having to be apart they don't themselves in a new city living...
Being a New Years Eve baby has its ups and it's downs. On the upside no one forgets my birthday, on the down side everyone wants to be out with their friends so it can get a bit lonely. Especially when you're shipped out to a different country and everyone here just wants to use the holiday to kiss someone and then forget about it in the morning. Luckily for me my best friend wants to celebrate both the New Years and my birthday with me today and I was going to enjoy it as much as I can.
I walk into her place and find her in the kitchen setting up shots for us to take before we get on our way. She looked a little too good if you ask me. But she looked that good for me so I guess it could be worse.
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"I'm trusting you got us a cab then" I start as she smiles my way. I walk over to her as she stops pouring our drinks.
"He's already down stairs and the meter starts as soon as this shot hits our stomachs" she says as she hands me a shot.
I happily down the shot and the other one she had out for me and we hop in the cab. We head into the city but we don't go straight to the bar. Bailey said she left something at her studio and needed to grab it real quick. So I go in with her because she looked way too good to be walking around Chicago by herself this time of the night and make sure no guys even think of her in the wrong way. I catch a few guys staring but I trail closely behind her to make sure they don't get any smart ideas.
We safely get into her studio and I start to look around. She had been super super busy with her work and I could tell. There had to be 30 canvases in here and most of them had paint all over them. I felt like I was in a art gallery already. She goes over to a canvas and stops like it was what she came here looking for. She turns it around and I let out a loud gasp. I see a really realistic painting of me at the United Center Down on the ice. I was in my net and you could see the fans in the crowd behind me. I swear she made me look way better than I actually do when I'm playing. But she had captured everything I love about the game in this one canvas and even I was impressed. And I thought she was the greatest painter already.
"Bails what the hell? This is incredible" I gasp.
"It's your birthday gift. You really thought I was getting you just alcohol for your birthday" she asks and I laugh.
"I wasn't going to complain" I admit. "But this... this is insane. I love it so much. I never thought about putting up a picture or painting of myself but I want this on the outside of the building so everyone can see it" I say.
She laughs a little as she looks down at what she created. Her long blonde hair hangs down as she looks it over. "I was supposed to be working on pieces for the art institute gig but like always my mind wandered and I ended up thinking of you" she explains. She realizes how cute what she just said was and I see her cheeks turn red.
"Awww" I say a little tipsy and really happy.
"Well you're gonna have to pick it up tomorrow because I don't think bringing this to the bar is a good idea" she insists.
"You're right. I can imagine someone would pick it up or use it to hide from their ex. I'll pick up tomorrow, for now lets go" I say.
I hold my hand out and she just looks at it. She thinks about it for a second before slipping her hand in mine. She looks at our hands for a second before she looks up at me. I swear her eyes looked like the ocean.
I bring her hand up and softly kiss the back of it. She smiles big before she flips our hands over and does the same to me. We share a good laugh because even when we're awkward we're having a good time. We jump back in the cab and meet some of our friends at the bar.
As soon as we get there we were ready to party. It was pretty late considering we had a detour, but that was a pretty cool moment and I already know where I'm gonna hang up the painting. Now I can focus on getting more drunk and not remembering much else the rest of the night. It was my birthday after all and Bailey promised me drinks so that's what we're gonna do. Drink.
After a hour or two Bailey and I were definitely feeling it. We had been dancing and drinking and dancing again. We had some good times back in the day but it's different this time around. We're legally allowed to drink this time so we don't have to hide it and we don't have to be back by curfew. We were wild and free and it was great to be able to start of the new year like this.
Once the clock struck midnight everyone cheers as we celebrate making it another year in this world. This year had been crazy with Bailey moving to Chicago and me earning my time in net with the defending Stanley cup champions. And going forward it should be a great time too, I have Bailey until at least September and the Blackhawks we're doing mighty fine as of late. I was at a good place in my life and I was finally truly happy.
I feel a pair of lips on my cheek and I stop my celebrating in its track. I smell Baileys perfume as she leans on me to keep herself up. She finally pulls away and I turn to her. Her cheeks turn red as she gives me a innocent smile. I know that if she wanted to she would kiss me on the lips, but I'm happy she settled for the cheek because I would have passed out if it was the lips.
"Happy new year Apple Core" she says and I smile back.
"It is now" I tease as she rolls her eyes. She playfully pushes me and I let her. I deserved it.
We party for a few more hours before zig zagging into a cab and into the apartment complex. We both mosey into her place and fall onto the couch. I was dead tired and I know she had to be too. But I had a lot of fun tonight and I'm happy I got to do what I did.
"I'm just gonna sleep on your couch here" I tell Bailey.
"Honestly I think I am too" she admits.
"Are you comfy" I wonder.
"Nope" she admits with a hiccup.
So I sit up and pull her over to me. I lay down and lay her on top of me. She rests her head on my chest and for a moment there things seemed like they should be. But of course it's too good to be true. "Corey... I don't think this is a good idea" she claims.
"Don't you trust me" I ask.
"Of course I do, but I don't trust myself. Especially with all this alcohol in me and you looking so damn cute" she claims making me smile. "I'm a lot of things but I'm not unfaithful. Even if we don't do anything it's not right. So I'm gonna throw up then sleep in my bed" she explains.
"You want me to hold your hair back" I ask.
"Would you" she asks.
"Of course" I assure her.
So I get her to the bathroom just in time before she empties what she needs into the toilet. I help her clean up and change before setting her into her bed. I go to walk away but she pulls me back.
"What's up" I wonder.
"Don't leave me yet" she begs.
"But you just said-" I start.
"I know... I know. I just want to be with you a little bit longer. That's all" she claims.
So I walk back and sit down next to her bed. I brush the hair out of her face as she looks over at me. "Try to sleep" I insist.
"Okay" she whispers. I place a soft kiss on her forehead and her eyes flutter shut. She falls asleep with a small smile on her lips and it made me heart happy to see her like that. And to know I made her look like that.
