We Can See STARS

Chapter 3: December 2019 - Winter Classic, Ana's view

You'd come to Dallas to support your friend with her new relationship.  Plus, you'd never been to Dallas and you both always enjoyed adventures that came with going somewhere new.  Her new relationship was with some hockey player, you'd never heard of him.  But you were always willing to take any chance to do something new and look at cute guys.  On the plane, she rambled on talking about some of the guys you might meet. 

"Oh you're going to love the team!  They're some characters!  Jamie has taught me how to memorize them; there's the Finnish Mafia, the crazy Russians...oh and Klinger!  He's hilarious and I think you'll like him a lot, you both have the same kind of humor..."  Drea kept rambling on about them so much so that you kind of stopped paying attention.  You were entertained mostly just by how excited she got talking about them and hockey in general.

"I'll have to see for myself.  But you know me, I'm always down to hang out with you, especially if we're going on a trip.  Plus, I'll get a chance to tease you about your new boo." You chimed in when she finally stopped long enough for you to say something.  Drea blushed at the mention of her Jamie.  Ugh, people in love are the worst.  Still, you couldn't help but feel happy that your best friend found someone that made her this giddy and sappy.

"Yes, I'm so excited to finally see him again.  I miss him so much.  But anyway, here's our itinerary: the game is on Wednesday, Jamie sent me two tickets with VIP passes for after.  And there's a family skate on Tuesday.  I'm not great at skating but Jamie promised he'd teach me."

"That sounds like a blast...for you!  You'll have someone to teach you...lucky punk" you playfully stuck your tongue out at your friend.  You hoped she would catch your sarcastic, playful tone; you didn't want to dampen her mood after all.  Honestly, you were just looking forward to relaxing and having a good time with your friend.  You couldn't help but feel, deep down, that you were ultimately going to be the third wheel and in the way of the lovebirds.

"Well, I guess we'll have to get one of the other guys to help you." An evil, almost sinister, smile crept across her face.  You detected some kind of plan was up her sleeves, but she didn't give you a chance to pry deeper into what she had in mind as she slipped her headphones on and started watching a show on her tablet.  This left you pondering and trying to work out just what her plan was.  Sometimes, you actually liked her weird plans.
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"It's so cooooOOOOooooOOOOooold!" You couldn't help but shiver.  "I thought Dallas was always warm."

"Me too!  I didn't even bring gloves.  When they said 'outdoor game' I didn't think about how cold it would need to be."  As if on cue, her guy showed up with gloves and hats on hand.  You vaguely remembered him from the party but you didn't remember him being that tall.  He had blonde, somewhat curly hair and blue eyes but you didn't recall him being that tall.  You never expected your friend to be into blondies but seeing his build and remembering the things she mentioned about him, you understood why she was smitten.  He definitely was cute, just maybe not for you.

"Hey ladies!  I brought some extra gloves and Dallas Stars beanies for you both.  I couldn't remember if I gave you a heads up about what the weather would be like," he said as he glanced at Drea, "Sorry about that." He rubbed the back of his head and looked as though he was beating himself up for not having thought about it before.

"Oh, it's totally fine!" Drea said in an almost chaotic, excited voice, "Besides, it worked out and now we have official Dallas gear.  How do I look??" She asked Jamie as she put the beanie and gloves on flashing a big cheesy smile in his direction.  Immediately, Jamie smiled back, clearly feeling better about not having given us a heads up on the weather.

"You look freakin' adorable," he replied, wrapping her up in a hug and placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Yes, thank you Jamie.  It's good to see you again. I don't know if you remember but, I'm Ana."  You pushed yourself into the lovers' moment and shook hands with him while also reaching for the beanie and gloves.  Nice, firm handshake.  The warmth provided by the gloves and hat wasn't perfect but it was definitely better than nothing.