Chapter 5
“WHAT THE HELL!?!?!?” A voice boomed.
Sydney’s head snapped up as Jackie stormed into the room. He looked so angry. All of the other guys watched the interaction silently.
Sydney hurriedly got out of the hot tub without a word and went to her chair to grab a towel. Before she got there Jackie reached her and grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her to the side.
He whispered angrily at her. “I thought we talked about this!”
“I didn’t say a word to them!” She whispered back, trying to plead with her eyes.
“Fine but…look at you….you’re like….” He motioned to her body. “you’re like…NAKED!”
She gasped. “I am not!”
“Whatever. Go back to your room!”
“I’m not 5 years old! You can’t tell me what to do!”
None of the other guys in the room could hear a word that was said. They heard whispers and could interpret the looks between the two.
“I can and I am. Now go!” He hissed.
She narrowed her eyes at him. Finally she said, “No you can’t.” before she put both of her hands on his chest and pushed him in the pool.
She didn’t even wait to see if he surfaced. She quickly turned around, grabbed her towel and clothes and stormed out of the room, leaving a very wet and angry Jackie behind as well as a group of very impressed young men.
“I hate him, Dad.” She said angrily into the phone when she was back in her room. “He’s awful.”
“Sweetheart, he’s just trying to protect you.” Jack tried to reason.
“Well, that’s great and all, but what does he expect me to do when he leaves me alone in the hotel. I refuse to sit around and wait for him. It’s not like I invited other people to go to the pool with me. They were just there!” she said.
“I understand that, Sydney. I’ll try to talk to him. In the meantime, you should try to get some rest. Jackie said you have a game tomorrow night.”
“Are you going to be able to come?” She asked.
“I think I will be able to make it in a few days. I’m sure I’ll be able to see you two play.”
“I’m glad.” She said in a softer tone, her talk with her father calming her down slightly.
“Now, why don’t you order room service and then try to get some sleep.” He said lightly.
“Okay.” She sighed. “Night Dad.”
“Goodnight Sweetheart.”
She hung up the phone and ordered her room service. She was sure that they thought she must be ordering for two since she ordered two meals, but she couldn’t decide what she wanted. While she waited she hopped in the shower, but as she was getting out she heard a knock on her door.
‘Room Service.’ She thought as she threw on the hotel robe and went to the door.
She opened the door and signed for the room service. The cart had the two meals covered with silver domes. When she looked up she was surprised to see three of the guys from the pool in front of her.
“Well, hello there.” Weiss greeted.
She smiled and nodded, although she still wasn’t sure why she was following her brother’s instructions to not speak to anyone else. This friendly guy and his hot, yet mysterious friend made it very difficult to comply with those rules.
“Do you ever talk?” Steve asked, noticing that he had yet to hear her voice.
She just looked at the three of them quickly her gaze lingering on Vaughn as she gave a big dimpled grin. She took her room service cart and disappeared into her room.
“Now, I know you saw that.” Weiss commented as they went back into their room.
“Holy felgercarb!” Steve exclaimed loudly. When Vaughn and Weiss looked at him questioningly he let them know what he was thinking. “That prick got his own room here so he could bring his girlfriend!”
Vaughn and Weiss were speechless. What were they supposed to say to that? It certainly appeared that way.
Steve began to rant about how much he hated S. Bristow. “What is he…paying off the league? We have to share a room but he gets some suite so he can screw his girl all weekend?” He was now pacing and throwing his hands in the air wildly. “This is bullshit! But wait…the pool…was that him….was that Bristow?”
“No…I think that’s the other one.” Weiss said. “The goalie…remember the one that knocked your ass down a few weeks ago.”
“Whatever!” Steve yelled. “I hate them both!”
Chapter 6
Sydney ate her dinners, well about half of each, and decided to go to bed. She knew she would have to get up a little early to hit the gym to work off some of the French fries she had just eaten but she didn’t really care at that point. She was busy thinking about the cute guy across the hall.
‘Don’t bother, Sydney. Jackie will never let that happen.’ She thought to herself.
But he’s so cute. And so different from all of the other guys. Sure, he was staring at her when she was in her bathing suit, but he wasn’t trying to hit on her or chat her up. He was just…something completely different. She couldn’t even put her finger on it. She fell asleep that night with thoughts of Vaughn dancing through her head.
The next morning she got up and got herself ready to go to the hotel’s gym. It was pretty early, so she figured it would be a good time to go. She wore her sports bra under the same wife beater she had word at the pool and a pair of short running shorts. She made her way into the hall and knocked on her brother’s door. After a few tries, it was obvious he wouldn’t be joining her.
She went down the elevator and found the gym. She was right, there was no one there. Just the attendant. She put her headphones on and climbed up onto the treadmill.
It took her a few minutes but she finally found her rhythm. She smiled to herself when she found that sense of silence and peace she only found in exercise and then she closed her eyes and continued running. She was so in tune with herself that she didn’t need her eyes open, she felt better with her eyes closed. She could imagine running through a park or along a trail. Maybe down a city block or in a marathon. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed but she felt her legs burning. She could have gone on longer, but with a game later she didn’t want to push too hard.
She opened her eyes, pressed the stop button on the machine and took off her headphones.
“That was unbelievable.” A voice came from behind her.
She turned around, smiling because she recognized the voice.
“You just ran for what…” Weiss looked behind Sydney.
“Six miles.” Another voice sounded. She turned around to find Vaughn smiling at her from the treadmill next to the one she had been on.
“Six miles, with your eyes closed and you aren’t even out of breath!” Weiss said as he huffed and puffed from the stationary bike he was riding. She just smiled at him. “Seriously, you didn’t open them once…how do you do that?” He asked.
She shrugged and began stretching her muscles out.
“You really don’t talk, do you?” Weiss asked.
“Weiss, leave her alone.” Vaughn said from the treadmill.
She looked between the two of them for a minute. She knew Jackie would kill her if he knew she was there with them. She knew which team they played for; she knew exactly who they were. The problem was that they had no idea who she was and never could.
“It was just a question…jeez.” Weiss rolled his eyes dramatically. “Well, even if we don’t know who you are…I’m Eric and this is Mike.”
She smiled at Weiss and turned around to smile and wave at Vaughn. It wasn’t a shy smile; she didn’t blush like a schoolgirl. It really wasn’t her style…she was usually very outgoing and extroverted. This situation was the problem. Before turning back around to face Weiss, Sydney got daring and winked at Vaughn.
He saw her wink and couldn’t help the smile on his face. He couldn’t hide it if he wanted too.
‘At least,’ he thought, ‘she noticed that I noticed her. And now, I notice that she notices me…if that makes sense…Even if she’s here staying in a room with her boyfriend.’
Well, that put a damper on the whole wink thing, but Vaughn still took what he could get.
Sydney finished her stretching and moved herself to a corner of the room. Vaughn and Weiss exchanged confused glances for a moment, wondering what she was doing. They watched, as Vaughn ran and Weiss attempted biking.
Sydney closed her eyes, once again, and began a slow tai chi routine. She loved running, it centered her, gave her a sense of balance. Tai chi let her relax, she loved it. It was something her mother had taught her when she was 15 just before she died. When her mother died, Sydney had only just begun to learn a few moves, but after her mother’s death Sydney really took to heart that Tai chi was something her mother had loved. She took it upon herself to learn more and find whatever it was that her mother had found in doing it. Eventually, she did just that. She mastered the art as well as found a calm inside of her that she never knew existed.
For 25 minutes Vaughn and Weiss were mesmerized by her slow and methodical movements. They both would have left the gym long ago had they not been hypnotized by her. Her face was glowing, her eyes closed. Her hair was up in a messy bun but she looked absolutely perfect.
When she finally stopped and opened her eyes, she found the two guys staring at her. She smiled at them, yet again, and let out a low chuckle.
“Well, if you can’t talk at least you can laugh.” Weiss said. Vaughn rolled his eyes at Eric’s persistence.
Sydney grabbed her water bottle and went to the door of the gym. One hand on the handle she turned around and smiled; the biggest smile they had seen from her yet and waved at them before pushing the door open with her backside and exiting.
“Wow.” Weiss said a minute after she left.
“I agree.” Vaughn sighed.