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spine-buster · 4 years ago

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The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 29

A/N: There’s somewhat of a double update this week 🙊You’ll understand why at the end of the chapter 🙊

May 26th, 2020

Aberdeen Bloom was frantic.

The NHL had announced their Return to Play plan. Toronto was the chosen hub city for the eastern conference, naturally. They were Toronto. She’d be back at work.

None of that mattered.

William was back in Toronto.

But he was in quarantine. The government had instituted the policy and he was going to stick to it, obviously. And so was she, especially since he traveled from Florida, even though it was going to be hard. It meant that he was in Toronto, and Aberdeen knew he was in Toronto, but she was unable to see him. They’d have to communicate the same way as they did when he was in Tampa Bay, still, even though he was only a ten-minute walk away from her.

It killed her. It hurt worse than when he was in Tampa.

“The plan is already set,” he explained to her on the phone. “After the fourteen days I get to go back onto the ice. I think a few of the guys who stayed in Toronto will be there too. No more than five, though.”

“Yeah. Those are the rules.”

“Will you be there with Brendan?”

Aberdeen hadn’t even thought about it. She and Brendan had obviously kept in touch throughout quarantine, but he hadn’t mentioned needing her at Scotiabank Arena should any of the guys go in for a skate. “I don’t know, actually,” she admitted. “I’d have to ask.”

“Please ask,” he said quickly, causing Aberdeen to laugh. “If you’re there that day, when I’m back on the ice, I…Aberdeen, please just ask.”

“I will.”

***

May 29th, 2020

“Do you need me in that day, by the way?” Aberdeen asked Brendan on the phone, super-casually but also super-connivingly near the end of their call.

“Which day?”

“Any of the days, really,” she said, trying to sound even more casual than before. They’d gone through all the players, their whereabouts, and all the dates they would be available to go skate at the arena. “The seventh, the ninth – any of them.”

“Well…it’ll be nice to see your smiling face,” he said, and she knew by his tone he was looking down at his calendar. “How about you come in on just one of the days. You choose which one.”

“I’ll come on the ninth, the Tuesday,” she chose quickly. “Sunday is a day of worship, Brendan. You should know better.”

Brendan laughed on the other end. “It’ll be good to see you again, Aberdeen. Bring some of that humour with you. We’re gonna need it.”

***

June 3rd, 2020

“Six more days, minskatt.”

“Not that we’re counting.”

“When I get my hands on you…”

“Not if I get my hands on you first.”

***

June 7th, 2020

“Forty-eight hours.”

“It’s been sixty-one days, you know.”

“Sixty-one days?! Fuuuuuuck, Aberdeen.”

“You haven’t been buried in my pussy for sixty-one days, Willy.”

“Aberdeen—”

“My pussy’s so wet for you Willy.”

“You’ve gotta stop teasing me.”

***

June 9th, 2020

“A blazer, Aberdeen?” Brendan asked as he watched her walk into the office, a giddy smile on his face – not that anyone saw. Everyone was wearing a mask, and he was no exception. He wore a Leafs branded one, naturally. He had a bunch to give to Aberdeen, too – one for every day of the week. She walked into the office wearing a plain black mask. Typical of her.

“I needed to feel professional,” she said. “I’ve been in my condo in sweaters and tights for three months. Give me this moment.”

“Fine. Have it,” he smiled. “Set your stuff down and come with me. We’re going down to the ice.”

Aberdeen felt shivers running up and down her spine, and it wasn’t because of the ice. They made their way down to the locker room first, actually, where they saw Kyle on the way. She and him caught up quickly, with her asking about Leo and with Kyle asking about her writing. But then, like pure magic, and completely unannounced, there he was, in his hockey pants and socks. She swore her heart stopped beating. Sixty-one days.

William stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. He was wearing a mask, so she could only see his eyes. “Aberdeen,” he said, nodding at her. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she said. “Long time no see. How was Tampa?” she asked.

Only she could see the indignant look he was giving her with his eyes. It was a look he only saved for her when she was being ridiculous – in any way she could be ridiculous – so Brendan and Kyle were none the wiser, though she was sure if they really looked, they’d probably see it too. “It was good. Nice spending time with the siblings, you know. Were you okay here?”

She nodded. “Yeah, everything was fine on my end. Just stayed holed up in the condo, really. Kasha was working a lot from home so it was mostly just me writing and keeping quiet so she could still earn a living.”

“Well that’s good that she didn’t get laid off or anything,” he commented. “And your family? They’re okay?”

“They’re fine. Siena’s back at my parents’ place and finished off the school year. Camden is too, though school in general is a bit of a shit show right now.”

“Is that Aberdeen?!” a voice suddenly called out from inside the locker room. Before their dumb conversation could continue with Brendan and Kyle watching, she saw a maskless Zach Hyman in his full gear barreling towards her. “Aberdeen!” he extended his arms for a hug.

“No no no!” Kyle and Brendan screamed at the same time, putting their arms up like a forcefield around Aberdeen. “No hugging! Social distancing!”

Zach’s brows were furrowed before he finally remembered, rolling his eyes at himself. “Sorry. I’m so dumb. I completely forgot. I’m just excited to see you!”

“Me too, Zach,” she smiled, wishing he could see it. She hoped he at least saw her eyes crinkle from it. “It’s nice to be back, isn’t it?”

“You’re telling me,” he said. She didn’t even have to see his face to see he was smiling from ear to ear. He lived for hockey. “You coming out onto the ice with us?”

“If I’m allowed,” Aberdeen shrugged her shoulders, looking to Brendan and Kyle who were nodding their heads. “Might sit on the bench and pretend I’m Sheldon for a bit.”

***

did u tell kasha ur working late?

Yup

come over right when brendan lets u leave i can’t wait anymore

me neither

i got a boner just seeing u today in your work clothes

LOL WILL

minskatt im 100% serious this isnt funny

I’m actually dying Willy Thank god you were wearing your hockey pants We’ve waited over six weeks, you can’t wait longer?

NO I CAN’T MINSKATT

***

There were butterflies in Aberdeen’s stomach as she made her way into William’s condo building, into the elevator, and through the hallways. Still in her work clothes, she knocked frantically on his front door.

She didn’t have to wait long.

She didn’t even get the third knock in before he swung the door open, obviously waiting for her, grabbing her arm and pulling her in. She dropped her bag as he pulled her into him and immediately planted his lips on hers aggressively. Hands and lips and tongues happened all at once, and they were everywhere, and when the front door shut behind them William pushed Aberdeen up against it, lifting her up in his arms with her wrapping her legs around him. Aberdeen wrapped her arms around his shoulders and began running her fingers through his hair. It had gotten so long. So long. She’d seen the progression of the length on their FaceTime calls, but it was different seeing it in person. Sixty-one days. Sixty-one days since she’d seen him and she barely took in the sight of him when he opened the door.

“God I fucking missed you,” he mumbled quickly as his kisses moved from her lips to her neck.

“Let me see you,” she mumbled, stopping her hands from running through his hair to place them on either side of his face. She pulled his face away from her neck so she could look at him, really look at him. His eyes were as blue as ever, glossed over with love and lust and everything in between. His hair was as blonde as ever, long and luscious and every girl’s dream, really. A light stubble covered his face, and the stupidest mustache sat atop his lip, but because he was William, she couldn’t say a bad thing about it. It looked ridiculous, but she loved everything about it. His lips were pink and puffy and wet as she ran her thumb across them ever so gently. He was here. He was actually here. “Hi,” she said softly, their chests still heaving from the hot and heavy start.

“Hi minskatt,” he whispered back equally as softly, pursing his lips slightly as if to kiss her thumb.

“You’re here,” she smiled. “You’re finally here.”

“I never want to spend that much time apart again,” he said. “I can’t stand being away from you.”

“Me neither.”

“It was torture,” he continued. “All I thought about was you. How much I love you. How much I wanted to hold you in my arms like I’m doing now.”

Aberdeen smiled again, biting down on her bottom lip slightly. “Show me,” she said. “Show me how much you love me.”

He planted his lips on hers again, just as frantic and fiercely as the last time, continuing where he left off. Aberdeen began shimmying out of her blazer, letting it fall to the floor as he adjusted her in his arms and carried her through the apartment, setting her down finally on his couch. Hovering over her now, with her legs still wrapped around him, Aberdeen tugged at his hoodie. “Take this off,” she mumbled, pulling it over his shoulders and throwing it behind them.

Reluctantly, William’s lips left Aberdeen’s as he pulled back and started unzipping her pants. “Willy,” her chest heaved up and down. He was working quickly. He ignored his name as he pulled her pants off. When they were off, he hooked his fingers into her underwear and pulled them off too. “Willy—”

William was a man possessed. There was nothing Aberdeen could say – instead, she watched as he gave her one final look with his blue eyes before he dove into her pussy. She bucked her hips almost automatically but William brought his arm up to hold her down. “Ooooooh fuck, Willy,” she sighed out.

“I missed this,” he mumbled, humming against her lips as he lapped and sucked, making her squirm underneath his arm. “You taste so good for me.”

“I missed this too. I missed your mouth on my pussy,” she strained to get out, trying to savour the feeling as much as possible since she hadn’t felt it in sixty-one days. When he looked up at her from in between her legs, she smiled. “You look so good between my thighs, baby,” she cooed, running her fingers through his hair and gripping it slightly.

He hummed again, sending shivers down her spine. “When you touched yourself was it like this?” he asked.

“No,” she responded automatically, because nothing was the same as having William’s lips and tongued glued to her pussy. “Nothing is as good as this, Willy. Nothing.”

“Can I put my fingers in your pussy?”

She nodded furiously. “Please Willy.”

He pushed two fingers in slowly as he sucked on her clit, making her squirm even more so than before. “Oooooh, Willy,” she moaned. He curled his fingers inside of her like he always did and she gasped. “Willy—Willy—”

“Feel good?”

“Feels fucking amazing,” she said. “Willy, I—I—”

“What do you want, Aberdeen?”

“I want to suck your cock, Willy,” she admitted. “I want to suck your cock so bad.”

He chuckled, and she could feel it, and his eyes narrowed as he could practically feel the shivers run through her body. “Not yet. Not until you come on my face.”

Aberdeen gulped. “But Willy—”

“No. Not until you come on my face, baby.”

“Willyyyy—” she begged, until she felt his fingers curl inside of her again. “Oh fuck, Willy, fuck – please,” she huffed.

“Let me taste you, Aberdeen. I need to taste you.”

As he continued his lapping, Aberdeen moaned and cried out at every opportunity, and when she began tugging on his hair and pulling his face even further against her wet pussy, he knew she was close. With a few more curls of his fingers and sucking on her clit, she cried out his name over and over again as she became a screaming, writhing mess on his couch. He lapped up every single last drop of her as he watched her chest heave up and down from the pleasure, from the pleasure he caused. When he was finally finished, placing butterfly kisses against her pussy and thighs, he made his way back up and gave her a hot, slobbered kiss.

She could taste herself on his lips, and she loved it, but what she wanted more was to taste him. So when his lips left hers, she made sure to look him in the eye. “Sit,” she said, putting her hands on his chest.

“Minskatt—” he said, placing a hand on hers.

“Sit,” she ordered more sternly, pushing him back so he’d listen to her command. He sat on the couch with his legs spread apart and watched as she climbed on top of him but made her way between his legs. She took off her top, leaving her just in her lace bra that she wore especially for him. Her hands went to the waistband of his sweatpants and she pulled them down, along with his boxers, as eagerly as ever. When his cock bounced up, already hard, she smiled up at him. “Mmmmm,” she hummed, running her fingernails up and down his thick thighs. “I’ve been dreaming about your cock in my mouth, Willy.”

“I’ve been dreaming abo—oh fuuuuuck,” he groaned as Aberdeen wasted no time in licking the underside of his cock from the base to the tip before covering the tip with her lips. “Aberdeen—”

William couldn’t finish his sentence – or thought, really – because Aberdeen took his cock in her mouth, swirling her tongue around expertly. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The amount of times he thought about this very thing while in Tampa…and now it was happening. He shuddered thinking about it, feeling it happening right now. “Your mouth feels incredible on my cock,” he managed to get out, looking down at her with hooded eyes.

“Pull my hair, Willy,” she said quickly, putting a quick kiss on the tip of his cock.

It was his turn to gulp. He ran his fingers through her hair – the hair he loved so much – and tugged on it slightly, pushing her back down onto his cock. She moaned in response. “That okay?”

She nodded even though his cock was halfway down her throat. She looked up at him again once she came back up – once he allowed her to. “Harder, Willy. It’s okay. I want your cock down my throat.”

“Ab—”

“It’s okay, Willy,” she dug her nails into his thighs. “I want it.”

A deep growl rose in his chest as he tugged on her hair again, pushing her mouth down his cock slowly. As he watched his cock disappear into her mouth, his pupils dilated. When she looked up at him with her beady eyes, he almost lost it. She began bobbing her head up and down his cock with his direction, the tugging of her hair and the slight force he was using making her wet all over again. Much like William, Aberdeen derived pleasure from knowing she was giving William that same pleasure, so seeing his chest heave, seeing him lean his head back in pleasure – it was all she wanted, everything she dreamed of for the past sixty-one days away from him.

“D’you want to come down my throat?” she asked, his cock slick and wet from her spit.

“No,” he said sternly. “Get…get up here.”

“Willy—”

He tugged her by the arm, bringing her back up so he could kiss her and pick her back up again as they made their way to his bedroom. He plopped her down to the bed, opening his bedside table drawer to get a condom. She stole it from him, ripping it open with her teeth and rolling it on herself before laying back down on the bed, unclasping her bra herself and throwing it across the room.

William bent down and took one of her nipples into her mouth, sucking gently as he grabbed at her hands. He raised them above her head, holding them both there with only one of his own. He saw her smile. “You like that, don’t you?” he asked, his own grin showing how he felt about it.

She nodded her head. “I want your cock so bad Willy. “Give me your cock. I need your cock.”

He slipped into her easily, quickly, her wet pussy still slick with her juices. They both moaned in pleasure, and once he was fully in her, they both took a moment to savour the feeling of being together again – physically, mentally, emotionally, everything – and looked each other in the eye. “God you feel so good,” he whispered, giving the tip of her nose a light kiss. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she said, her voice breathless, the feeling of him filling her up almost too much to bear after not having experienced it for so long. “I love you so much, Willy.”

“I promise you,” he said. “I promise you I’ll never leave you for that long again. We’ll never be separated like that.”

She nodded her head. She understood. “I never want to be. I always want to be with you, Willy. Wherever you are, I’ll be.”

He began moving in and out of her, slowly, trying to make the feeling last as long as possible. But eventually, when Aberdeen began rolling her hips along with his movements, even though her arms and hands were still pinned above her head, he couldn’t control himself, moving quicker and crashing harder against her body. He watched as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, the moans escaping them freely and loudly.

At some point, William forgot about holding her arms above her head. At some point, they escaped free, and she dug her nails into his shoulder blades and scratched them down his back. At some point, after hearing her moans and cries and screams of his name for what felt like hours, he lost himself, and he lost control, and she lost herself, and she lost control, and they came together, bodies close, arms around each other, his head buried in the crook of her neck, hearts beating together.

***

“Did you mean what you said?” William asked as they lay in bed together, still recovering. He knew there was going to be a round two. And a round three. And however many more they saw fit until they were satisfied, although deep down he knew neither of them would ever be satisfied. But before all that, he needed to clear something up. He needed to hear it from her. “Wherever you are, I’ll be?”

Aberdeen looked over at him. She knew what he was asking, because he was in hockey. He could be shipped off somewhere tomorrow. He could be shipped off in the off-season. As she learned in May, and saw for herself, virtually half the fanbase wanted him gone (the dumb fanbase at least, she thought). But much like when he asked her if she would really come to Sweden with him, she knew there was a deeper meaning to this. There always was with William with questions like this; he was still learning to talk to her – to express his feelings like he promised he would after that game against Carolina. “Are you listening?” she asked, what they would always ask each other when they were about to say something important.

“Yes, minskatt.”

She looked him in the eye and nodded her head. “Of course I did.”

He tried not to show it, but he took a sharp intake of breath. She could see his Adam’s apple bob. She knew he was trying not to get emotional. But when he moved to kiss her, she could feel a tear.

***

June 13th, 2020

“I saw on the news that William is back!” Camden exclaimed into the phone. Aberdeen had to go so far as to jerk the phone away from her ear. From the other side of the couch, William giggled silently. “Did you get to see him, Aberdeen?!”

“I did,” she laughed. “He says hello.”

“Did he have a good time in Tampa?”

“I think so. I mean he was with his siblings,” Aberdeen laughed. “Aren’t you happy with me and Siena are home?”

“Sometimes.”

She snorted. “Anyways, have you finished the last of your work for school?” she asked. “Siena told me you forgot about a math assignment.”

“Oh my God, I forget about one assignment and I never hear the end of it!” he complained. William threw his head back in silent laughter. “You guys never let me hear the end of it!”

“But it’s math, Camden! Math is your favourite subject!”

“Don’t you guys remember I’m working at like, two grades above my level in math anyway?” he reminded her. “I’m already, like, gifted in math. You weren’t gifted.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“Is Auston back yet?” he asked.

“I don’t know buddy. He’s still in Arizona. But I assume he’ll be coming back soon. I’m sure there’s ice rinks there he’s practicing on.”

“Is he staying safe?”

“I’m sure he is Camden. I’m sure he is.”

***

June 19th, 2020

@simmonssteve: POSTMEDIA EXCLUSIVE: Auston Matthews has tested positive for COVID-19. My breaking story: torontosun.com

***

Aberdeen thought she’d seen Brendan Shanahan angry on her interview day when he was demanding to his former personal assistant that the article written about his daughter be pulled from the Toronto Sun. She thought she saw Brendan Shanahan at his angriest when she entered his house while he was having a fight with his daughter and the subsequent day when he sent her on a wild goose chase throughout the city to find Niklas Lidstrom’s Swedish jersey.

Those were a walk in the park compared to how she saw him now, dealing with the leaked information that Auston tested positive for COVID-19.

She was sure he was ready to burn down his office, the floor, the entire building, the entire Scotiabank Arena. She knew he wanted to revoke the media access and credentials of the reporter, Steve Simmons, because he had so many strikes against him over the years (Aberdeen would have to research this when she got home), but that he would look like a vindictive and spiteful president if he did so. She knew he had been on the phone with Auston and his agent and his parents and Kyle and Brad and just about everyone else important within the organization to deal with it.

And all she was doing was sitting in a chair in his office with a mask on.

She felt her phone buzz in her hand, and when she looked at the screen she saw “Head Empty” on the screen followed by a message.

hows it going over there?

She took a quick look at Brendan and he was still barking into a phone. She unlocked her screen and began to type.

It’s a shit show. Have you heard from Auston?

yea mild symptoms but hes angry doesnt know how it leaked

Who could it have been?

no clue, honestly not like any of us would say something

“Aberdeen, Kyle is coming in,” Brendan said quickly. His voice was stern but softer than how he was speaking to whoever was on the phone. He had his hand over the receiver. “Can you go get us some coffee, please.”

She nodded and got up, making her way out of his office and to the Starbucks where she always went to get their regular orders. As she took the staircase down to the main floor, her phone began to ring loudly, echoing in the empty space. She stopped and looked down at her phone. Auston Matthews.

“Hello?” she asked, truly confused as to why he would be calling her.

“Hey,” he said casually. “How are you?”

“I’m…fine,” she replied, still confused. “Is everything okay?”

“Depends,” he said. “Can you be honest with me?”

She stiffened slightly. “I’m always honest with you.”

“I know. But can you be honest with me right now?”

“Yes, of course.”

He paused. “Do you know who leaked it?”

She closed her eyes. She let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding in. “No, I don’t. But trust me when I say we’re doing everything to find out. Kyle’s heading over right now and I can only imagine what he and Brendan are going to do to…I don’t know, mitigate this disaster.”

She could hear him sigh on the other end. “I hope whoever it was gets fired, honest to God.”

“I hope so too. Pretty sure Brendan wants to get Steve Simmons fired, too, for what it’s worth,” she said. There was a moment of silence between the two of them before her mouth began speaking quicker than her brain told her not to say anything. “You don’t think it was me, do you?”

“No, not at all,” he said. “We all trust you with anything and everything. We know if something ever got out, it would never be you.”

“Why do you say that?” she asked, genuinely curious. It was a feat in and of itself to have the utmost trust of absolutely everybody in the locker room.

“Because we know and understand that we all have our secrets, Aberdeen.”

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winstonhcomedy · 5 years ago

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“Dope A-F” - 8/15 -8/19 - “ Pet Lovers, Crushing Defeats, and Homecoming”

I missed my deadline on Sunday which isn’t great, but oh well! I am so happy I got most of my stuff done. I only didn’t do the IG video (because honestly I have no idea what I’m going to do for that) and my blog post because I couldn’t get my internet to work! But so far this week I am 2 for 2 ! Hooray! So let’s hop right into it.

8/15

After work I headed straight to the venue. Tonight’s show was going to be a Kindred Spirit. I was closing it out. I was looking forward to getting a bite at the food truck, and doing some comedy. The brewery is pretty big, and it is not super conducive to comedy, but I have always had a pretty good set here.

I get to the venue and since it had been raining the food truck cancelled. Which is a huge bummer. So I just kind of sit around and wait for other comedians to show up so I am not chilling out starving.

After a while a few comics show up. Aaron Shoemaker was going to be hosting, then a dude who has only done comedy once showed up and I think his name was Richard. Aaron and I catch up and talk as the other comics arrive. The other comics on the show were Will Minor, Stella Naulo, Alida Harper, and Ry Mather.

The turnout is less than usual at these shows. I think it is due to the weather. The charity we are raising money for is Goochland Pet Lovers. The show is running a little late, but nothing too crazy. The biggest thing is how new all of the comics are. I have only been doing comedy 4 years and I have been doing it longer than the rest of them combined.

The show starts and Aaron goes up to host. The crowd is kind of weird. They are pretty tight and they aren’t really digging anyone’s jokes. Some people are bombing, but others are at least doing ok. Stella did a little crowd work and that did well, but when she transitioned to her material it was just the same response everyone else had gotten.

I wanted to do well, but I was hungry and honestly didn’t really feel like I had the ability to do well. I decided I was just going to try and have fun and only do crowd work. Which I did for about 30 minutes. I had an extremely good set! Especially with how the room was. I actually got to talk about politics in a center right room and able to make the super republican dude in the crowd laugh. I was doing callbacks and able to jump back and forth between audience members.

Honestly it felt so good. Shows like this serve as a reminder to me the importance of being able to do crowd work. I am so glad I make myself write, and try material out at open mics. I do not want to be the dude who only does crowd work, but I love being the dude that if I need/want to I can only do crowd work.

I think the highlight was a table of 2 parents and 3 young adults. I was able to talk about their time in college, and joke about where they go/are going to school. It got some huge laughs. I also had a dude come up on stage with me in the first 10 minutes. He was just a drunk dude who had a lot of money. We joked back and forth, and he legit came across as insane. This was one of the most nuts shows I have ever done. I’d give it an A-.

I got off stage and met some people, and got my free beer from the venue to go. I talk to the comics for a bit and make sure I grabbed my mic stand (used it because the one they had was shit) before heading out. I got home and passed out because after long sets I get super tired.

8/16

The next day after work I headed up to DC. I was in the Comedy Kumite competition in the DC Improv lounge. I get up there and Alex Castagne and I meet up to walk and talk for a bit. He is on a show at Shaw’s Tavern.

After walking for a while we go our separate ways and I get to the club. The lineup for the show’s look like it is going to be fun. I am going against Kasha Patel in the first show and then Wendy Wrobleski in the second show.

We get a good hang going before the first one. Max Wolfson, Ross Benoit, Kasha, Lawrence Killebrew (Atlanta), Kevin Seefried, Simone, Wendy, and myself.

The show starts and the first two rounds of the first show were going great. Kevin, Simone, Ross, and Lawrence all murdered. I was so excited and then I went up. We did rock paper scissors to determine who goes first and I lost so she picked me.

I ate a massive dong on stage. I did ok, but the room was so hot. They hated my teaching material and I disappointed myself. I’d give this set an F. I truly hated it. Then Kasha went up next and she had an ok set. Honestly neither of us really killed.

They then did audience reaction and we tied. Then they did it again and I lost. Knocked out in the first round sucks. It reminded me why I really hate comedy competitions. I put too much pressure on myself, and if you lose it is impossible to not feel hurt.

So I spent the rest of the first show getting into my own head, and being upset with myself. I hung with the other comics and after the first show we headed to Shake Shack. I grabbed my milkshake and went back to the Improv to see Alex for a bit. Benjy Himmelfarb and Dee Ahmed are there as well. We talk a bit before I head inside to get ready for the second show.

The second show starts and Wendy and I are the first match. We go up and I lose rock, paper, scissors again and get started. I have a much improved set. I do crowd work and jokes. Everything is working and I am riffing just trying to get anything to land. It felt so good to recover and be able to have a good set. I’ d give this set a B. Which for the first set is definitely dope.

Then Wendy goes up and she has a good set too. I really respect her as a comedian. She gets laughs, but isn’t destroying. All in all a really good set. They bring us back up and do audience response and I lose again. This one hurt for a different reason. The first show I had a bad set, and I felt like I deserved to lose. This set was different. I gave it my all and I don’t think I could have done better with this crowd. I am just super upset with myself. It is also pretty early and I am all kinds of in my feels. I miss my dad, I am kind of sick, I am starving, and honestly just want to go home.

I go to leave and cancel my spot at Big Hunt. I just wasn’t in the right headspace for this (I will never bail on a set again). Looking back I”m mad I did this, but honestly if my mind was telling me to go I am glad I did. I ended up being so tired on my way home I stayed at TJs. I got there and passed out immediately. I had a show tomorrow headlining in my hometown and I needed to get out of my own head.

8/17

I woke up the next day and started to head to Farmville to headline The Brew House. I stopped a few times on my way since it was a close to 3 1/2 hour drive. I stopped at a diner and had a pretty good meal but some piss poor service. I also stopped at a Sheetz for a frozen lemonade which hit the spot.

When I got into town I parked and walked to Charley’s Waterfront Cafe so I could have a bowl of their Roasted Red Pepper and Crab soup. This was one of my favorite meals when I was younger. I haven’t had it in about 10 years so it was really awesome to go back.

I then headed to The Brew House and met up with Liz. Liz had booked this show after how much fun the show in Blackstone was. Her and I hung and talked a bit before her and a friend went walking around Main Street.

Then I started to see all of the locals I had grown up with and knew through my time in high school Tracey Carilli and her husband Tony were there. I got to talk to Tracey for a long time. It was super nice to catch up with her. Then Judy Ellington and Julie Adams showed up. Then it was like nonstop. I had Johnny Ellington, Jason, the Meadows, Michelle Wheeler, Michaela Atkinson, Branden Bolt, Jacob Mercier, Ryan Sharpe, Jackie Montego-Sharpe, Dusty Grey, Rebecca Ragland Grey, the Carters, Andy Ellington, Susan Johnson, Carson Johnson, Sierra Smith, and I am sure I am missing some. I know these names mean nothing to you guys, but it meant the world to me that people who made a large impact in my life as a child/young adult came to support me.

There was a line out the door to come in at 7:30. We had to start late so people could get seated. I knew about 1/3 of the audience and the rest were just people looking to catch the show and grab a bite to eat.

Jason Kusterer and Anthony Thompson showed up a bit before showtime. Then Liz found out they didn’t have a PA so we had to go grab mine out of my car and set everything up while people filed in. I could tell it was going to be a rowdy crowd but I was ready.

The show started and Liz went up and let everyone know it was going to be an adult show. She got everyone to yell their favorite curse word. She then went into her set and she did a fine job hosting. After her was Kusterer who started out pretty strong, but lost the crowd after a joke about suicide by cop. Then Anthony went up and tried to deal with how loud the room was. They were about half paying attention and the rest were just talking and being super loud and drunk.

It was a tough room, but he did a good job. He did a good amount of material and addressed them in spots. He kept them paying attention, and walked around the crowd a bit. He held the show together, and got some pretty big laughs which was dope to see.

Then it was my turn. I felt a ton of pressure to succeed. I was worried they’d all hate it, but I just went for it. I did about 33 minutes and 20 of it was crowd work. I worked the crowd, and did some local crowd work as well (which feels like cheating, and an advantage I had over the other comics). I was able to tie it in to talking to a few teachers I didn’t know. One was a lady who was talking all night. She was an English teacher who made her students put Beowulf on trial. I kept busting her balls on that. Then there was a history teacher who had a crush on Thomas Jefferson and I was really able to play off of both of them.

It was a super fun set. I had some lulls in the middle when I switched to material and realized that is not what this crowd wanted. The 1/3 that I knew paid attention and dug the material while the other 2/3 were just kind of drunk townies who wanted me to interact with them. So I went back to crowd work when I lost some steam. The last 10 minutes was crowd work and me trying new jokes because it was a free show. The people enjoyed it but I did not close as strong as I wished. I’d give this set a B/B-.

I got off feeling weird, but got to catch up with everyone. It was so nice and everyone was so supportive. I am sure they liked it as much as they did because they care about me, but either way the whole crowd was entertained. I felt like I did my job as a headliner, and I think its a good sign I wanted to do better. it is good to know I can work these rooms, but I wish I had gotten to do more material.

After everyone left I got to hang with Kusterer and Anthony for a bit. We talked about our sets and comedy. We talked about small towns like this, and the type of show it was. We had a blast hanging out. They left and I finished my drink. I then hopped in my car and headed home to get a good nights rest.

8/18

This was my day off. I kind of relaxed, ate, and saw Toy Story 4. I hung out with my mom and started watching Avengers End Game. I am most upset that I didn't use my time wisely this day. I wasn’t able to get an IG video for Saturday or my blog post up for Sunday. So one week in and I already messed it up. Which is ok. I am just going to have to try harder this week.

8/19

After work I headed up to the Southern in Charlottesville for the open mic. I had a few new tags and stuff I really wanted to do. I felt weird all day, and honestly my mental health isn’t the best. I’m glad that tomorrow I get to go to therapy. I need to find a way to afford it weekly again, but for right now that is not a possibility. I am hoping some more comedy gigs, and some better luck I can build my savings back up.

I get there and Kusterer, Patrick Nowaczyk, Ry Mather, and Tom Hall are already there. I go inside and throw my stuff down and say hi to Danny. Then Heather walks in. I rode some grilled cheese bites from Shawn, and sit down to talk.

It was super fun catching up and hearing what everyone had been up to. Tom started a new job, Pat broke his arm, and a bunch of other shit. Then Paige came in wearing a new outfit. He had a shark hat that I’d never seen before, but definitely has a Paige vibe.

Then a bunch of comics rolled up. Jack Gerow, John Marg, Luzader, Sam Wood, Sammy Major, Keaton Ray, JR, Johnny Rad, Shane Hill, Alex Castagne, and Chris. I kept popping in and out of different groups joking and catching up. We had the comics meeting and I found out I was 10th. I was between Luzader and JR.

The crowd was an ok size. Not bad. better than the last few at least. A dude with a service dog came inside and Chris started joking about it right away during his set. Which was awesome. They loved it, and it really got the audience as loose as we could get them.

When the show kept going there were a few good sets, but for the most part it felt like everybody was tight. No one was offended, and no one left early. They just would rather politely smile at an offensive joke and hold back the laughs.

Alex had a strong set for the room, and so did Paige. Ry Mather had one of the better sets I’ve seen him have and it was cool to watch Kusterer open up and try some newer stuff in front of a different crowd.

It was my turn and I feel pretty good about the set. I joked and riffed around. I told a super offensive joke that I only do off stage. That was fun. I tried some new tags to 2 or 3 jokes and they worked for the most part. I tried a more rapid fire delivery, but it screwed with my rhythm a little bit. So that was good to find out. I also riffed a character of a dude who is a conspiracy theorist but he thinks that more than 6 million jews died in the Holocaust. He believes it was 12. So he isn’t a Holocaust denier is a Holocaust multiplier. I’d give my set a C- but it was a super fun C-.

I hung out for the rest of the show and had a good time. We were lighting Johnny Rad during his set, and he got a little salty and called Chris a dumbass. It was awesome. It was like watching someone yell at their dad.

The show ended and I headed straight home. I was feeling pretty depressed. I am very disillusioned with comedy. I feel stuck. Not just physically, but also my career. I need to stick around for a bit after dad’s passing, but at the same time I am so worried I am using it as an excuse to not move.

We did it! I got caught up in time for the Tuesday blog post! Thanks for reading laydees and baybees ! I love you all very much! Make sure to check out all of my content on youtube, IG, and twitter! I am trying to kill the game! xoxo til next time

#comedy #jokes #standup #loss #grief #death #homecoming #family #friends #high school #improv #dc #rva #cville

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artificialqueens · 7 years ago

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(Baby, don't stop now) (Shalaska) - Arkadia

AN: hi guys! arkadia here with my first fic on aq. it’s a shalaska high school au, inspired by a few of the many anon submitted head canons on @sharonsgf (check out olive's blog, it’s awesome!) as well as some personal experiences… it’s a sad day when you can make chemistry jokes in a fan fic people. trust and believe. anyway, i hope you enjoy it!

Sharon Needles did not enjoy chemistry class – not at all. Between having what must be the world’s worst chemistry teacher in the form of one Mrs Davis – who insisted on being called Kasha and had managed to, one more than one occasion, nearly set herself ablaze by spraying hairspray next to a lit Bunsen burner – and being in a class with what seemed like 80% of the school’s student athletes, it was a miracle she hadn’t killed anyone yet, Mrs Davis and herself included. Despite all of this going against her, Sharon hadn’t gotten anything less than an A in high school chemistry, some of which was down to her close friendship with her lab partner, Sutan. Sharon and Sutan had been friends since junior high when he defended her against some kids who were picking on her because of she was slightly overweight and her recent coming out as a lesbian. They were always together in classes and worked together on any group projects. But that was all up in the air now that Sutan’s parents had made the ridiculous decision to move to Los Angeles over the summer, leaving Sharon alone in a class full of assholes who couldn’t tell their Buckminsterfullerene from their Bud Light. The one upside of Sutan leaving was now there was no one to tease her for her cru- no, it wasn’t a crush, rather a strange fascination with the captain of the girls’ soccer and basketball teams – Alaska.

Ah, Alaska Honard. 5 feet, 11 inches of drama, athleticism and popularity, all neatly capped off by a mountain of long blonde hair held together with her signature hair clip (in a garish green which was one of the school colors). Sharon had watched as Hurricane Alaska swept through the streets of their town the summer before last when the Honard family moved in, surrounded by hype regarding their sports prodigy daughter. Part of Sharon had hoped that as soon as Alaska stepped onto the soccer pitch for her first game, she’d trip over her cleats and expose herself - as a fraud, of course, although the blonde was quite a looker. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. Instead she scored a goal, on the volley no less, 15 seconds into the first half which Sharon hadn’t seen as she’d tripped walking up the stairs to her seat in the bleachers.

Since then, it was like Alaska was Alex Morgan herself, practically worshipped by everyone at the school – male, female, students, teachers! It was crazy. The only people who hadn’t fallen under the soccer player’s spell were Sharon, Sutan and Sharon’s next door neighbour, Michelle, who occasionally worked as a substitute teacher at the school. It was only made worse when she’d scored a hat-trick in the state championship game, winning the school’s first ever state title in the process then following that up with another state title for basketball. The next year Alaska was named captain of both the soccer and basketball teams, which is when Sharon really noticed the mean streak come out. Up until then, the newer girl had been at least civil to most of the unpopular kids and actively tried to discourage her teammates from physically bullying them, but after being made captain, it seemed like she didn’t have the time to care what happened to the “peasants” any more. Bullying at the school began to escalate which took a toll on said “peasants”. Sharon herself had always been pushed around by the jocks, coerced into doing homework and the like, but after one particularly rough shove into the corner of a table which left behind a dark bruise, she had resorted to hiding in the school’s French department at lunch to avoid them.

She remembered that day rather vividly – she had just finished chemistry class and was on her way to meet Michelle in her classroom for lunch when she was pushed from behind, immediately removing the normally permanent smile from her face and replacing it with a grimace of pain.

“What the fuck?!” she’d half-yelled as she turned around to see some of the girls’ soccer team standing there, looking at her expectantly. Alaska stood, nonchalantly checking her phone, at the back. “Well? What do you want?”

“You’ve done the homework for maths after lunch right?” One of the shorter girls – Phi-Phi – barked. Resigned to where this was going, Sharon sighed and nodded. “Good. Give it.”

“Why?”

“Don’t ask fucking questions. Just give her the damn homework. We’ve got places to be unlike some.” That was Alaska. Sharon looked up at her, shocked. Normally Alaska didn’t say anything, she just let the harassment happen but she never got involved herself.

“Okay. Sorry.” Handing the folder containing the homework over, Sharon found herself now staring at the ground hoping that a hole would open up and swallow her whole.

“You should be. I’m bored, let’s go.” And with that, Alaska led her teammates away towards the cafeteria, not before a couple of them made sure to needlessly walk into Sharon, a few of them spitting out insults like ‘fucking brain dead’ and ‘fat dyke’ as they left. Holding back both the urge to cry as well as point out that if she were indeed brain dead, then she wasn’t a good person to copy the homework from, Sharon made her way to Michelle’s classroom, silently vowing to avoid the groups – and especially Alaska – at all costs.

But, sometimes that just wasn’t possible. Sharon was sat in the back corner of the chemistry classroom, her usual seat, and watched as the rest of the class filed into the seats in front. Thankfully, Mrs Davis was off sick that day so Michelle stood in her stead at the front of the class, shuffling around papers, looking somewhat apprehensively at Sharon every few seconds, like she knew something the teen didn’t. Eventually all the seats, except for the one next to Sharon, filled up with no Alaska in sight. Clearing her throat the begin the lesson, Michelle opened her mouth only to be cut off by the prodigy’s slender frame - clad in her green and white Letterman jacket and a pair of dark ripped jeans - creeping into the class and heading towards a seat next to Phi-Phi, only to realise that someone was already sitting there. Looking around the room quickly, Alaska noticed that there was only one seat available – next to Sharon, who had also realised the unfortunate situation and was avoiding all eye contact, hoping that it would stop it from happening but to no avail. With a loud groan, Alaska made her way to the back of the class, noisily dumping her backpack on the desk, half of it landing right on top of Sharon’s left arm.

“Jeez,” Sharon muttered, pulling her arm from under the bag and rubbing the area. It was like Alaska didn’t even notice though, she just sat down and started arranging her notebooks.

“Well, good morning, class. Mrs Davis isn’t in today so I’m taking your class, but she has left me instructions as well as your class test results from two weeks ago which I’m going to pass out now.” Michelle began calling out names from the pile of test scripts in her hand, passing them out once the student raised their hand. “Alaska. Sharon.” Smiling kindly at Sharon, she placed their scripts on the desk before moving on to the next.

As Michelle put Alaska’s test down, Sharon noticed a large 96% in the top right hand corner, right in the same place where her own read 93%. ‘Ah, so she’s just a bitch, she’s not stupid,’ Sharon snarked to herself, only half hearing Michelle talking about the details for an upcoming lab project which would last the full year and for which Mrs Davis had assigned the lab partners. It wasn’t until Alaska nudged her that she paid attention.

“What? What’d I do this time?” Sharon asked, annoyed.

“Calm down, just thought you’d want to know that we’re lab partners.”

No, Sharon Needles did not like chemistry class. Not at all.

#sharon needles #alaska thunderfuck #michelle visage #shalaska #fluff #hurt/comfort #cisgirl au #high school au #arkadia #tw bullying #tw homophobic slurs #tw fat shaming #rpdr fanfiction #lesbian au

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draco-omega · 8 years ago

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Touhou Randfic #4

Yamame + Wriggle, ‘Sanctuary’

Run.

Just keep on running and don't look back.

Youkai were creatures of fear – born from it, sustained by it, shaped by it – but it wasn't very often that they were victims of it and even scarcer that they were so panicked they could hardly remember their own name. Then again, it also wasn't very often that one of them killed a villager with their own two hands, either.

Wriggle was having a very, very bad day.

She stumbled blindly through the winding tunnel, feet seeming to catch on every single spur of jagged rock there was to find. She'd lost all sense of how long she'd been running now – how far she'd come, where she was going, or even what direction she was travelling in.

Away. That was all that mattered.

Her cape snagged on a spiny protrusion from the cavern wall and cut her momentum abruptly short, at first strangling her and then pitching her sideways onto the ground for what had to be the third time at least. She barely felt the impact.

A villager was dead and she was absolutely 100% to blame; youkai simply didn't survive doing those kinds of things anymore – at least not small fry like her. If Reimu caught up with her, it was all over; no more cozy little treehouse with its rafters dotted with beetles, no more picket fence covered in honeysuckle for the bees to drink from, no more danmaku or gardening or teaching silk worms to weave patterns together. She'd been making a scarf for Mystia just this morning, in fact. She'd even been considering making a business of it; a youkai could do that sort of thing in this modern world, after all.

But not anymore. There was no going back now. Not that the Underground was much less frightening, but a kasha she'd met at Myouren Temple a few months back had told her the rumors about the people who lived down there were lies; that the Ancient City welcomed everyone, from misanthropes to miscreants to the merely misunderstood.

Even murderers? she wondered.

Oh course, no place in Gensokyo was truly safe from the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, but maybe she wouldn't bother to look for her down here. Or maybe she'd get just as lost as she was in all these endless twisting passageways that never seemed to-

“Erk.”

This time, it wasn't her cape that was to blame for the sudden stop. Whatever she'd just run into, she'd done it face-first. It felt... sticky?

“Well, now; this ain't somethin' ya see everyday,” came a voice from somewhere above her.

Wriggle felt torn between terrified silence and a frankly-embarrassing shriek, but somehow managed to fumble out a faint “Who's there?” instead.

There was no immediate answer, but she felt a shadow descend behind her – silent and menacing and quite a lot larger than she was. She tried to crane her head around to look at it, but it was firmly stuck to whatever springy mesh-like object was blocking the passageway.

A web, she slowly realized. An absolutely colossal spiderweb.

“Heya!”

Wriggle's heart ran cold even before the words reached her ears. Looming above her was an earth spider, all limbs and eyes and ravenous malice. She wasn't going to have to wait for Reimu to find her, after all. That spider was going to dig its fangs into her neck, wrap her up, liquify her flesh, and then-

“Hey, thanks for bein' scared of me and all,” Yamame said cheerfully, “but y'know it doesn't actually work unless you're human.”

“Huh?”

She shrugged expressively. “Just doesn't taste the same, y'know? What brings a surfacer all the way down here, anyhow? What, with the so-called prohibition and all.” She asked the question so casually it could be mistaken for an inquiry about the weather. For a moment, Wriggle wasn't even sure how to respond.

“I... um....” The firefly paused, fidgeted, and succeeded mostly in getting her left arm even more stuck in place than it already was. The earth spider's grin looked surprisingly cordial, but maybe she was just playing with her food. No spider could ever have an insect's best interests at heart. ...could they?

Well, it didn't seem to matter very much at this point, anyway.

“I did something terrible,” she said eventually.

Yamame grinned at her. “Do tell!”

“No, I- I.... really terrible.”

“Heard ya the first time.” Though she didn't sound particularly annoyed by it.

Wriggle hesitated again. Somehow it was hard to admit it out loud, even to another youkai – spider or no spider. Maybe if she just didn't say it, then it would all go away somehow.

“I killed a villager.”

“Wow, a little thing like you?”

“Hey, don't look down on bugs!”

She'd spat the words on reflex and immediately regretted them as soon as she remembered the perilousness of her situation. The only insects nearby were a couple of cave crickets and a small flatworm – hardly enough to dissuade an earth spider, no matter how willing they might be to sacrifice their lives for her. Did the youkai down here even respect spellcard rules?

But Yamame just laughed. “Damn straight – us creepy-crawlies gotta stick together, hey?”

“I thought argiope ate fireflies,” Wriggle said with a frown.

“Yeah, well they don't sing karaoke either and you oughtta hear me on open mic night.” She grinned shamelessly. Wriggle just blinked. “Anyway, you were saying?”

“Oh. Right.” The firefly youkai took a deep breath, somehow feeling calmer while trapped in a spider's web than she had for hours – exhaustion, perhaps? “It was the son of one of the cloth merchants in the village,” she began. “I'd seen him once or twice before while checking up on the silkworms his father keeps. He was out on a... picnic, I guess? Or just wandering around looking to cause trouble – it was out past the farms on the outside of the village walls, anyway.” She paused. “I saw him... pulling the wings off dragonflies.” Even in her exhaustion, the memory still seethed a little.

“So you killed 'em.”

“No!” Wriggle waved her arms in dismay – or rather set the web to undulating like a runaway waterbed while her arms remained fixed in place. “I just... I just told a couple bees to go sting him a little. You know, to make him stop it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“He was allergic.” Wriggle hung her head in shame. “Really, really allergic.”

She'd flown into a panic the moment the boy's face had turned blue, but she couldn't just barrel through the village undisguised to look for a doctor and Eientei was so far away and she always got lost every time she went looking for it and before she'd even figured out what she could do, he'd stopped breathing altogether.

“So yer running away from the surface then, hey?”

Wriggle nodded faintly.

“Well, if anyone asks me, he took a swing at a beehive and it's his own damn fault.”

“....really?”

“Really.” Yamame grinned. “Far as I'm concerned, the guy had it comin'. Bet he didn't even wanna eat those dragonflies,” she grumbled. “Humans have a bloody strange sense of taste, let me tell you.”

Wriggle paused; for the first time all day, she felt the faintest hint of a smile tease the corner of her mouth. Maybe that kasha had been right, after all; they really weren't all bad people down here. They couldn't be, not if a spider was willing to help a fly – even a little. “Do you think there's really a place for me in the Ancient City?”

“You like booze?”

“...not particularly.”

“Well, we'll worry about that latter.” Yamame landed on the ground with a thump and then set to peeling the webbing off of Wriggle's back. “Let's get you out of my bat-catcher and I'll show you around the place. Y'know, I bet Ari could use another hand with those silkworms of hers....”

#Draco Writes Fiction #Touhou #Touhou Fanfiction #Touhou Randfic #Yamame Kurodani #Wriggle Nightbug #RNG gives me an actual conventional pairing; who would have guessed?

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halos-top-alien-model · 1 year ago

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Sangheili Bracket Round 1 Match 13

More info below:

Dural 'Mdama / The Pale Blade:

Debuted in Halo: Glasslands

Born Dec. 8th, 2537 as the first son of Jul and Raia 'Mdama and the older brother of Asum. He was trained in combat by Naxan - the great-uncle of Raia. When his mother died in March 2553, Dural vowed revenge against humans - who were involved in her death - and was taken on by Avu Med 'Telcam as an apprentice, joining the Servants of the Abiding Truth in the process. By July 2557, he had become a leading member of the Servants and gained the name of the Pale Blade. Following 'Telcam's assassination on January 21st, 2558, he became the new leader of the Servants.

Learning of the portal his father used, Dural arrived at Hesduros with a Huragok - Even Keel - to fix it and enter Onyx with it. On the other side, he has a heated discussion with Buran 'Utaral before the Servants establish a base inside one of Onyx's Forerunner facilities, which they would come to call "The Cathedral" or "The Great Cathedral of the Esteems Avu Med 'Telcam". While doing so, they come across a pair of marines and Dural kills his first human. Over the next several days, the Servants prepare for an assault on the rest of Onyx, preparing armories and equipment, even bringing vehicles through the portal from Hesduros. As they do so, restlessness causes more arguments between Dural and Buran. Meanwhile, hearing that another Huragok is on Onyx, Dural planned to capture it and use its knowledge. He would scout out and locate said Huragok - Prone to Drift, unknowingly one familiar with his father. Then, he lured a Rafakrit beast to sow chaos in the Repository and act as a distraction while he went to go capture Drift. However, he would instead rspot his younger brother - now going by the name Bakar - and his human and Unggoy friends. Angry that his brother was fraternizing with those "responsible" for their mother's death, he nonetheless forced himself to focus on the mission, only to be forced to retreat without the Huragok. Much later, Cortana's message would be heard across the galaxy, with Onyx's Guardian awakening. One of Dural's men would recognize it as a thing of worship that was submerged in his planet's ocean. As they watched the humans attempt to attack it, Dural would be forced to kill Buran. Dural, after flip-flopping on plans briefly, finally decides that this is the perfect moment for the Servants to go on the attack. Spotting Prone to Drift floating about, they follow to Pax Institute. Entering, he begins to kill those inside while demanding the Huragok. Prone to Drift would appear and beg the killing to stop by threatening to kill himself. Dural would then take Drift whilst leaving the other survivors - including Kasha 'Hilot - alive, only for Spartan Tom-B292 to arrive and follow Dural to the Repository. However, Dural would stab Tom in the chest. But then one of Dural's men - Ruk 'Nuusra - would betray him while panther-like creatures attack them. It would be at this moment that Dural and Asum reunite face-to-face, Asum begging his brother to stop and to come with him while Dural claimed he has been dishonored and should kill himself. Dural would ultimately choose to whistle a distraction, so that the attacking creatures stay away from his brother. Yet he would survive and make it back to the Servants, killing Ruk and successfully threatening everyone else back into submission, before going off to check out a hanger of Forerunner ships that Even Keel discovered.

Raia 'Mdama:

Debuted in Halo: Glasslands

The wife of Jul 'Mdama and the mother of Dural and Asum. During the Human-Covenant war, she would help maintain Bekan keep while her husband was away. When he returned, she shared in his concerns for the future but differed in subject matter - Jul worried what the humans' next move would be while she focused on how the Sangheili would carry on now that the war and the Covenant Empire as a whole was over. She showed a willingness to trade with Kig-Yar and recognized the damage that San'Shyuum's rule over them all had done. As Jul schemed behind her back, she herself had a feeling he was plotting against the Arbiter somehow.

Then, Jul suddenly went missing. Speaking with his friend Forze 'Mdama yielded no clues, so Raia decided to leave home and confront Avu Med 'Telcam - a man Jul had been working with in the days leading up to his disappearance. When he suggested the Arbiter might've taken him, she demanded to accompany the assault on Vadam state in order to check. She was aboard the Unflinching Resolve when it was shot down, surviving the crash landing on Vadam shore. Later, she and Forze would be tasked by 'Telcam to retrieve a human named "Philliss" (aka Professor Evan Philips) at Nes'alun keep, only for Kilo-Five to beat them there. However, upon informing 'Telcam, he said it was okay and to help Kilo-Five with repairs to their dropship Tart-Cart. After this, they returned to the rebel's camp and prepared for further bombardments on Vadam keep. Yet things would go awry once the UNSC Infinity arrived to assist the Arbiter, destroying Defender of Faith and the rebel ground forces. Raia would be among those attempting to retreat on Cleansing Truth to Laqil, only to meet her end when it was shot down by Swordsman - one of the Arbiter's ships.

When Jul finally returned home and learned of her death, he formed a new Covenant faction with the purpose of exacting grief-fueled revenge on humanity. Her eldest son Dural would similarly swear revenge on the Arbiter, becoming 'Telcam's apprentice due to 'Telcam's guilt over allowing Raia to come into danger.

#halo #sangheili #halo sangheili #halo aliens #halo elite #halo elites #halo fandom #halo tumblr #tumblr bracket #tumblr tournament #dural mdama #dural 'mdama #raia mdama #raia 'mdama

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spine-buster · 4 years ago

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The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 16

A/N: Y’all this chapter is TEN THOUSAND WORDS DON’T EVEN @ ME YOU’RE WELCOME AND *STANLEY TUCCI VOICE* GIRD YOUR LOINS

January 9th, 2020

Aberdeen Bloom was going to go insane.

This was, perhaps, going to be the busiest day of her life thus far. This morning was the outdoor practice in Nathan Phillips Square. She and Peter were responsible for co-ordinating the photographers, videographers, and the team to get down to Nathan Phillips Square. Once there, Aberdeen was responsible for helping to manage every single every single member of the media who were attending and covering the event, as well as Mayor John Tory and all the wives and girlfriends in attendance. And though she had the afternoon off to get ready, tonight was the Night With the Blue and White, the organization’s biggest and most important event of the season. She’d been studying the guest list for weeks, making sure Brendan would know – or at least pretend to know, thanks to her – every guest in attendance, and Peter was doing the same thing for Kyle. She’d even bought a new dress and shoes for the occasion – fancier than anything she’d ever bought. She knew that a lot of important and influential people would be there donating their money to the MLSE Launchpad initiatives around the city. They were even hosting a grade three class of one of the schools who benefitted from the programs. It was going to be busy, but hopefully fun.

There were cameras everywhere. Aberdeen knew she’d probably get caught on a few of them, news ones or otherwise, but today, she didn’t care. There were more important things on her mind. Brendan was expecting a lot from her, and she knew she had to deliver. She knew she could deliver.

When she had everything she needed from the office, she made her way down to the locker room. She entered quietly as she saw all the guys in their long johns and extra base layers, listening to Keefe and Hakstol as they explained how the outdoor practice was going to be organized into teams and tournaments and points. The energy from the guys was palpable and she could feel it within herself, too. Cameras were already filming. She saw William, already with his balaclava on, flash a peace sign to the camera pointed at him.

When the guys began to put on their gear, she watched Brendan make his way across the room. He was already wearing his peacoat and scarf. “You ready?” he asked.

“As ready as I can be,” she smiled.

“Here, wear this,” he said, handing her a knit Leafs toque, the same one all the guys were wearing as well. “You’re gonna need it. It’s freezing out there.”

Aberdeen put the hat on as Brendan held her clipboard for her. After adjusting it, she looked up at him. “How do I look?”

If this was William asking the question to her, she would have come up with some smart aleck remark – a Costco hot dog or a bottle of Tums in assorted berries flavour. But because it was Brendan, he said something much nicer. “Like you’re a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” he smiled. It almost made her swoon. “Now let’s get this party started, shall we?”

***

“Devon! Devon! Your slot is up to interview John as he’s walking. You cameraman is ready to go live in ten.”

“Carrie, stick with Travis for now. Goat? Where’s Goat? We need him for the French interview.”

“Gerry, you can interview Kyle now, but you only have two minutes.”

Aberdeen was practically skipping to keep up with all the players and media walking through the Toronto streets as they made their way to a full Nathan Phillips Square. She didn’t have long strides like these hockey boys did with her short little legs. She noticed all the interviewers being where they needed to be to go live and let out a sigh of relief. Walking through the streets of Toronto, going on the subway, and having fans, constructions workers, commuters, and more stop the guys left, right and centre for autographs and pictures and selfies was one thing, but once they got to the actual square, with all the media, it was going to be mayhem.

And she needed to make sure they had Tim Horton’s cups around.

All the guys filed into the square, high fiving the waiting fans who were now screaming at their arrival before they went to the bench and started to put on their skates. Once they were all there and accounted for (Aberdeen honestly felt like she was on a school trip; she didn’t know how her mother did this with six year olds when she could barely corral a bunch of grown men), she made her way towards where the media was waiting. Peter was already there.

“Okay everyone!” he screamed out. Nobody heard him. “Everyone!” he screamed out again, louder this time, but still nobody heard him. “Journalists!” he tried one more time.

“HEY!!!!!” Aberdeen screamed at the top of her lungs. Every journalist and cameraperson there turned silent and looked her way. Peter looked at her in shock, not knowing she was capable of such a volume. “Alright! Listen up! You each have a designated station to place your cameras. You are to stay in your station throughout the practice and not encroach on the space of the others! Journalists and videographers, you’re following Peter who will lead you to your stations, where you are to remain until practice is finished, where you will then go into the media scrum! Photographers, you are going to follow me and I will lead you to your stations. Is everybody clear?!”

Everyone nodded their heads and divided themselves easily, with Aberdeen leading the photographers one way and Peter leading the journalists and videographers another. When she got back to her original spot, that’s when she saw John Tory. “Mr. Mayor! Hello! I’m Aberdeen Bloom, Brendan Shanahan’s executive assistant,” she smiled and shook his hand. She noticed he was wearing a Leafs varsity jacket. “Follow me, sir. You get the sweet spot behind the bench.”

“You know, I look forward to this event every year,” he made small talk with her as they began walking. “Did you say you were Brendan’s personal assistant?”

“Yes sir. Although after getting the team on the subway and over here, I feel like I’m herding cats,” she joked.

John Tory laughed. He’d laughed at a dumb joke she made. Her dad would be so proud of her. He’d probably brag at the next dinner party he and Orla had. “You’re very lucky, Aberdeen. I bet a million people would kill for your job.”

“I agree, sir.” Aberdeen tapped Brendan’s shoulder to get him to turn around. “Mr. Mayor, Mr. Shanahan, I’m sure you’re well acquainted.”

The two men shook hands. Brendan focused his attention quickly on Aberdeen. “Would you mind meeting Jennifer Spezza and waiting for the others?”

Aberdeen nodded, leaving the mayor with him as she went back to the entrance, near the stairs to the subway. Once there, she saw Jennifer waiting patiently. Jennifer smiled once she saw Aberdeen, and extended her arms to hug her. “It’s always nice to see you, Aberdeen,” she smiled.

“You too, Jen.”

“A bunch of the girls are coming together – Emma, Kat, Steph, Audrey, Saylor, and Alexis are coming together and should be here any second. Aryne, Bee, and Alannah are running a bit late because of Jace, but only by like five minutes,” Jennifer informed her.

“Okay, great. We’ll wait till everyone gets here and then I’ll bring everyone over,” Aberdeen nodded her head.

“How’s the day been so far?”

Aberdeen shrugged. “Hectic, but fine.”

“Have you breathed?” Jen joked.

Aberdeen giggled. “Barely.”

Only moments later, Kat was running up the stairs with Niylah on a harness and leash, and Emma carried Ralph in her arms. Aberdeen pet the dogs until Aryne, Bee, and Alannah showed up. Aberdeen led them all to their designated area, and stayed with them as the practice happened. She liked them – they were a nice group of women, and although Aberdeen was never inserted into any supposed drama she may have heard rumblings about, she was sure they were all good people. Once they were all there, Aberdeen knew her jobs for the day were done, and that she could breathe again. Unless Brendan called her to do anything else, she was free.

“Aberdeen, are we going to see you tonight?” Bee asked as the girls sipped on the complimentary hot chocolate provided for them.

“You bet,” she smiled.

“Oooooooh!” Jen smiled from beside Bee, hopping excitedly. “What are you wearing?!”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Aberdeen winked.

“What colour is it?” Bee asked.

“Green.”

“Oooooooooooooh,” both women cooed as they made eyes with each other and then Aberdeen. “You’re gonna knock all of us dead, Aberdeen. You always look so stylish around the SBA.”

“I don’t think so,” she shook her head nervously. “You guys are all way too glam for me.”

“Can I get a hot dog pleeeeease?” William’s loud, playful voice interrupted as he skated towards the entrance of the bench where all the girls were. He shot the girls one of his signature smiles before one of the equipment guys laughed and shook his head as he called behind him for another hot dog. He was handed one promptly, handing it to William who proceeded to stuff half of it into his mouth in one go.

Aberdeen shook her head. Now he was just being obnoxious.

***

“William’s jaw is going to hit the floor, Aberdeen,” Kasha mused as she took some last minute pictures of Aberdeen in her full look. She’d been hyping Aberdeen up for the last ten minutes as she snapped pictures of her in their apartment – pictures that would no doubt be on Instagram later that evening, pending some light editing and filter choice – even though she should have left for Evan’s place five minutes ago, choosing to spend the night with him so she didn’t have to spend it alone.

“Shut up.”

“The floooooooor!”

Okay, maybe Kasha was right. Aberdeen looked good, and she knew she looked good. She had on her new green chiffon dress, perfect for the occasion: ruched top, draped across her shoulders; triangle mesh cut-out on the bodice; pleated chiffon skirt dropping down to the floor. Nude strappy hells. Matching nude clutch. The evil eye ring Willy got her was the only piece of jewelry she wore. She gotten her hair professionally done at a salon: smooth and silky old Hollywood style waves with a centre part, held back by a fashionable and trendy velvet headband pinned in place so absolutely nothing would budge. Even her makeup was flawless: dewy skin, a neutral eye with lashes and liner, and Charlotte Tilbury’s ‘Walk of Shame’ on her lips. She was a vision. She was owning every inch of her look.

Too bad she had to work tonight.

“Okay, I think my Uber is here,” Aberdeen said as she saw the notification on her phone screen.

“One more! One more!” Kasha yelled before Aberdeen posed one last time and Kasha took a burst of photos. “Okay, have a great night. Knock Willy dead—”

“—This isn’t about Will—”

“—Knock Willy dead, be fun, and stay safe,” Kasha ended. “You’re going to rock it, Aberdeen. And don’t forget to network!”

The Uber dropped her off about six cars down from the entrance to the Royal York Hotel – it was already busy with a bunch of arrivals, but she knew Brendan wouldn’t be there for at least another ten or fifteen minutes. Once she checked her coat in, she looked around, and Peter’s face was the first one she saw.

“Oh…oh my God, Aberdeen. You look so chic,” Peter smiled, looking over her outfit.

“Oh, thanks Peter,” she smiled back. “You look quite dapper yourself. We clean up pretty nice, don’t you think?”

“I’d say,” he quipped. “Gotta make sure all these new suits fit before I go to the All-Star Game.”

Peter had been talking about the All-Star Game since at least Christmas. It was the event he looked forward to the most all season, even more than this, because of all the people he was able to meet and network with. This year, it was being hosted in St. Louis, and he, Brendan, and Kyle were going down together. She’d have at least eight days off during that time period. She was basically counting down the days. “Well, wear this one. You look good.”

“You want some champagne before our bosses get here?” he asked, already flagging down one of the waitresses. He took two flutes off the tray and handed one to Aberdeen. “To the dream job,” he said, raising the glass slightly.

Aberdeen smirked. “To the dream job.”

They both drank the champagne all in one go. Aberdeen loved champagne, and of course this was the good champagne – so she almost immediately wanted another. When another waiter came by, they placed their empty glasses on his tray. Peter left to go to the washroom quickly before Kyle got there. Aberdeen was left alone.

That’s when she saw William.

He was in a suit, of course – a black, three-piece corduroy suit with a white shirt and black skinny tie – and his hair was tied back in a half ponytail like a European soccer player. He’d trimmed his beard since that morning at the outdoor practice for a much more polished look – still stubbly and a bit scruffy (just how she liked him…fuck) but presentable and respectable. Appropriate for a gala full of rich people. He looked great. The suit fit him perfectly. His hair was shiny as hell – probably shinier than hers. He stood confidently.

And then he saw her.

His jaw dropped. Literally dropped. And when he finally realized it had dropped he brought his hand up to cover it, barely, his smile from ear to ear peeking through the weak attempt. She hated to admit it, but she loved having that effect on him – she loved having that visible effect on him, one that made his jaw drop uncontrollably. She mentally prepared herself as he began to walk over to her. She knew she had to keep it cool. If he made her weak at the knees barely five minutes into her attendance at the event, she’d be a goner.

“Hey Will,” she smiled, a twinkle in her eye that dared him to give her another up-down.

“Aberdeen…I…” he paused, unable to find the words. He even shook his head. “You…I…wow!” he giggled out. She really left him unable to form a cohesive sentence. But she waited it out, not saying anything until he said something. She wanted to make him suffer, if only a little bit. “You look beautiful, minskatt,” he finally said, four cohesive words in a row that made sense.

“Thanks, Will.”

“I mean…you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen on any day, but this…” he said, licking his lips. “I don’t know how I’ll be able to control myself all night.”

Aberdeen tried finding any hint of lie in what he was saying, but she couldn’t. He was too bashful and it was all coming out so sincerely – he really didn’t have the words. “I think it helps we’re seated at different tables.”

“Just means the desire will grow until the end of the night,” he said. “So long as I get to look at you all night, I’ll consider myself a lucky guy.”

She was blushing at this point, and it wasn’t because of him blatant flirting – he was used to that. She was blushing more about the fact that he meant every word, that every word was so sincere in his tone, that she could see how much she was really affecting him. “You flatter me too much, Will.”

“You deserve it, minskatt. You’re stunning. The most beautiful girl in the room. But how do I look?”

With nobody around, nobody to hear and nobody to record a witty remark, she smiled slightly. “You’re the most handsome man in the room.”

Before she could say anything else, Peter came back. And when Peter came back, William played it cool, and made some small talk before walking off, but as he walked off, he shot Aberdeen a look that followed her around the room. Wherever he was standing, whoever he was talking to – William was always staring at her, giving her that look, and it sent shivers down her spine as she tried to keep up a conversation with Peter.

Brendan and Catherine finally arrived, along with Kyle and Shannon, and Peter and Aberdeen got to work. Standing discreetly behind them at all times, they whispered the names of all the attendees who approached them throughout the party, starting in the foyer and moving into the Canadian room – the massive ballroom where everything would be taking place. And there were a lot of guests. With over 1000 people in attendance, Aberdeen and Peter needed to know…well, probably around three hundred of them. She’d been studying for weeks.

“That’s Brian J. Porter, the President and CEO of Scotiabank.”

“Wendy Freeman, the president of CTV News.”

“That’s Gary Doncaster, of the law firm Doncaster, Perlman, and Dobbes.”

Brendan played it cool the entire time. After Kyle and Peter had separated from them for a bit, they rejoined each other. From practically across the room, she saw William sipping on a glass of water, watching her intently. He set it down at what she presumed to be his table. She tried to focus on the job at hand.

“Peter?” she heard Kyle say suddenly, in a nervous voice. Someone and his wife were waving at him and Brendan, slowly making their way towards them, and Kyle clearly needed to know who they were.

“Oh! Um…oh my God,” Peter began, panicking. “I just – I can’t remember what his name is. I—I just saw his name this morning on the list.”

Aberdeen began panicking too now. She tried to urge Peter to figure it out, but he couldn’t get it. “It’s…oh, I know this! It’s something to do with…wait, he was…he was part of the…oh God! I know this. Um…”

The man and his wife were dangerously close. Aberdeen swooped in behind Kyle. “That’s Malcolm Mercer, the Chair of the Government and Public Affairs Committee of the Law Society of Ontario, and that’s the woman he left his wife for, Rebecca.”

Aberdeen even surprised herself with that. She watched as Kyle politely greeted Rebecca first before shaking hands with Malcolm, starting some small talk with them. She looked over at Peter, who was already looking at her. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“I got you,” she nodded.

***

Brendan, Catherine, and Aberdeen were seated with Ron MacLean from Hockey Night in Canada, and an array of other guests who had paid top dollar to sit with the President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of whom was just a solidly rude aging man on his own personal power trip. Thankfully, he wasn’t seated next to her, or Brendan for that matter, but she could still hear him: the stiff comments, the complaints. Clearly, he only cared about sitting at this specific table. Aberdeen would have to make sure that if he attended next year, he was nowhere near Brendan.

There was a traditional Indigenous land acknowledgement at the beginning – the rude man rolled his eyes, which made Aberdeen want to kill him right then and there – followed by a speech made by Brendan – the rude man was on his phone for half of it, not bothering to listen to Brendan’s words of inspiration and gratitude to everyone who donated for the cause. When Brendan got back to the table, Christine Simpson came out, ushering in the grade three class onto the stage, the students all dressed up and walking in a straight line. They waved at their parents who were at their own tables, jumping and jiggling excitedly as little kids did. Aberdeen thought it was the cutest thing. Christine interviewed some of the students, asking them about school, hockey, meeting the Leafs, and about the integrated classroom and nutrition program at their school – key parts of the MLSE Launchpad initiative. The crowd was as enamoured with them as Aberdeen was. A part of her wished it could just be the kids talking all night.

When their interview was over, the kids waved goodbye to the crowd before the DJ began to play them off stage. The opening notes of ‘Uptown Funk’ by Bruno Mars began playing, and the kids went crazy. They stopped walking off stage. They looked around to try to find where the music was coming from, but soon enough, a lot of the kids began to dance – shimmying from side to side, pumping their hands in the air, and twirling on one foot attempting pirouettes. Christine was trying her best, but they weren’t moving.

“Can someone get the kids off the stage so we can get a move on?” the rude man commented loudly, so loud Aberdeen could hear him above the music. She was incensed by his comment, her blood boiling. How dare he. How dare he say something when this entire event was for charity – was for these kids on stage!

So she took matters into her own hands.

She made a point to push her chair back as dramatically as possible, shaking the place settings on the table with the force of her hands. Everybody at the table looked at her as she rose from her seat and began making her way towards the stage. As she pulled the skirt of her dress up so she wouldn’t trip up the stairs, she made eye contact with one of the kids. And instead of shuffling him towards the back, instead of helping Christine, who had hall but given up, she extended her arms and grabbed the little boy’s hands in hers and began dancing with him. She was dancing on stage in front of over a thousand people with an eight year old. And she wasn’t embarrassed one bit.

As she danced, she watched as William began to make his way up to the stage from the opposite end, rushing up exactly like she had and extending his arms to begin dancing with another student, a girl, twirling her around. Then she saw Bee McTavish, Morgan Rielly, and Jennifer and Jason Spezza, all at once, rush towards the stage too, laughing and dancing with the kids. Before she knew it, the entire team was up there, as were their significant others, dancing with the kids and each other to Uptown Funk for the entire duration of the song. Aryne and John, Saylor and Kasperi – they were all there. As she danced, she made eye contact with William, who was already looking at her, a smile spread out on his face from ear to ear. Jennifer gave her a double thumbs up. Bee was laughing at Morgan’s horrible dancing, but the kid he was dancing with was absolutely loving it and mimicking every move.

She barely noticed the crowd cheering and clapping along to the beat until the end of the song when there was a round of applause. The kids finally got their cue and began heading offstage. A few of them had to finish bowing before the audience, but once they were all gone, the team left the stage too, giant smiles on all their faces. When Aberdeen returned to the table, she saw the rude man staring at her indignantly. Meanwhile, Brendan was beaming.

“Thank you for that,” he said as she took her seat beside him. Even Catherine was smiling.

“You’re not mad I did that?”

“Are you kidding?” he asked. “That’s been the highlight of the night so far. It’ll probably stay the highlight of the night.”

Aberdeen smiled. “I had to do something to get that guy at the other end to shut up,” she whispered.

“Oh, I know, believe me.”

The night went on with its regularly scheduled events. There was an interview portion with the big four European players – Andreas, Freddie, Will, and Kappy – in between the dinner courses. There was a Q&A with Jason and Zach as well, and the highlight of the night, which was a game of Family Feud with the Leafs Legends – Darcy Tucker, Curtis Joseph, Daryl Sittler, Wendel Clark, and Doug Gilmour – and some of the current Leafs – John, Morgan, Auston, Mitch, and Tyson. It was hilarious. Aberdeen teared up at one point because she was laughing so hard.

After dinner there was a lot of mingling – a lot of meeting new people and speaking about her position because everybody was just so interested about what Brendan Shanahan’s personal assistant did all day – and a lot of…well, staring. William caught her eye around the room. Wherever he was, wherever she was, whoever he was speaking to, whoever she was speaking to, whenever she even so much as just glanced his way, he was already looking, and whenever he so much as glanced her way, she was already looking. He was true to his word in that he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, that as long as he got to stare at her all night he’d consider himself a lucky man, because all he seemed to be doing was staring at her. And as the night progressed, he got closer and closer, eventually ending up in her circle, and although the guests were delighted to see William Nylander, she was nervous but excited to see Will, Willy, the guy that so obviously couldn’t keep himself away from her.

When the guests left, they were left alone. Aberdeen gulped. William looked pained. “I can’t take it anymore,” he said, only loud enough for her to hear, despite there being no-one around them. Brendan was on the other side of the room.

“Can’t take what?”

“You. In that dress,” he clarified. “You have no idea how good you look. Every time I look at you, I just…you—you know how I feel about you, minskatt.”

When that nickname escaped her lips, tied together with the look on his face and the sparkle in his eye, Aberdeen almost melted right then and there. “Will—”

“Can we get out of here?”

“No, Will,” she giggled. Any other moment in time she would have scolded him for making the suggestion, but at this point she didn’t care. “I’m technically still working.”

“Then let me get you a drink,” he offered. “And let me take you home. Please let me take you home after everything is done. I’m desperate here.”

“Desperate?” she decided to play with him. “Why?”

“Because of you. Because you walk in here looking like that and you expect me to control myself? All I’ve wanted to do all night is be next to you. All I’ve wanted to do is be with you, be anywhere near you. And it’s torture. Torture that I can’t talk to you the way I want to talk to you. Torture that I can’t touch you like I want to touch you.”

A shiver ran up her spine. “You’re getting into inappropriate territory again, Will.”

“And I’ll say it again: can’t you tell by now that I don’t care that it’s inappropriate?”

The last time he’d said that to her, she replied with “And can’t you see that I do care?” But she didn’t care anymore. She honestly didn’t. After what happened on Christmas (besides the fact that she was still wearing the ring – she hadn’t taken it off since) and on New Year’s, she knew that they had both ventured on to the inappropriate territory equally. It was no longer just his fault, or the fault of his persistence. They were equally to blame here. She downed the last of her drink. “I like it.”

He had a confused look on his face. “You like what?”

“I like that you’re being inappropriate.”

Aberdeen couldn’t describe the smile that took over his face upon him hearing those words. They were six words that told him everything he needed to know. “Aberdeen, you can’t just say stuff like that and expect me to react normally,” he said, throwing her own words that she’d said to him so many times back at her.

“Maybe I don’t want you to react normally.”

“Aberdeen! William!”

They looked to their side to see Bee McTavish approaching them. Aberdeen could tell William hated the interruption, but because it was Bee, he softened. “We’re gonna do some shots. Want some shots?”

The first shot was tequila. The second was a B-52, and Brendan even joined in. Aberdeen could feel herself getting more giggly with each millilitre of alcohol that went into her system. Giggly about the event. Giggly that she was taking shots with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Giggly about William.

***

“Just one stop at Nelson Street, please,” William said to the Uber driver as he slipped into the car after Aberdeen. Brendan, Catherine, Kyle, and Shannon had left the party early, so they weren’t able to see William confirming with Aberdeen that he could take her home, and they weren’t able to see him calling an Uber, and him grabbing their coats, and him leading Aberdeen to the much quieter side of the Fairmont Royal York for the Uber to pick them up so he could touch her waist and hold her hand and get close to her – closer than what was necessary – on a cold winter’s night while the rest of the guest list waited at the front of the hotel for cabs and Ubers. “I know it’s a short ride, but I’ll give you a big tip.”

He was holding Aberdeen’s hand.

“Do you still have all those songs I downloaded for you?” Aberdeen asked as the driver started moving.

William thought it to be a random question. “Of course I do. Why would I delete them?”

“I have a new song you need to add,” she said.

He smiled. “I added a song I heard on the radio that made me think of you,” he began to pull out his phone.

“Which one?”

He searched for the playlist in his Spotify, the former ‘Driving in Toronto at Night’ playlist he’d renamed to ‘Minskatt’. He scrolled down to the bottom of the list before he found it. He turned the volume on his phone all the way up before the opening notes of ‘Adore You’ by Harry Styles began playing. He’d heard it all over the radio since December, and not only did the beat and rhythm reminds him of the type of music Aberdeen liked and put on the playlist, but when he actually listened to the lyrics, he knew he had to add it.

Aberdeen’s jaw dropped and a smile overtook her face. “This is it.”

“What’s it?”

“This was the song I was just going to add.”

William smiled. “Does that mean I have superior music taste now?” he joked.

Aberdeen giggled. “You’re working on it.”

She began to sing, and William had never heard anything sweeter. She was louder than when she half-mumbled, half-sang ‘Style’ by Taylor Swift in the passenger’s seat of his car when they were driving on the Gardiner into the downtown core. Perhaps the shots had gotten to her, but they were so long ago and he was unconvinced. More than anything, he just hoped her walls had finally crumbled, that she felt like she could be uninhibited in front of him like he always wanted her to be. No degree of formality of being a hockey player and a personal assistant for that hockey player’s boss – instead, being just two kids in their early 20s falling for each other like they had six months ago when she wouldn’t shut up about her graduation or her writing or her favourite books and he couldn’t stop listening to her.

William didn’t know the lyrics off by heart like she did, but he was able to contribute certain lines he remembered. Certain lines that would hammer a message home.

I get so lost inside your eyes Would you believe it?

He looked at her when he sang them out loud, and she looked at him when she sang them out too, albeit more emphatically and with more swaying and dramatic hand motions. It was like they were admitting to each other what they were really thinking; what they couldn’t say to each other in the presence of other people, but what they could say to each other alone in hotel rooms in the middle of the night or in the backs of Ubers after parties.

Honey I’d walk through fire for you Just let me adore you Like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do

Aberdeen bit her lip after they sang the chorus to each other. She couldn’t believe they were doing this. She couldn’t believe how quickly her walls had fallen. She’d spent two months trying to forget him and four months trying to keep him at bay, only for the last three weeks to make all of that obsolete. “Willy?” she asked, her voice sweet as the second verse began to play.

“Minskatt?” he prepared himself.

“I can’t believe you added Harry Styles on your own free will.”

William snorted. This was why he was so enamoured with her. “I can’t believe you think I wouldn’t.”

They arrived at her building, getting out of the car and slipping through the front doors, nodding politely at the concierge before walking to the elevator. As they waited for it to come down, Aberdeen lay her head on William’s shoulder. “My feet are fucking killing me,” she whispered.

“Are they?”

“They’re, like, pounding,” she said. “They’re pretty to look at but fuck they hurt.”

Before she could realize what was happening, William had scooped her up in his arms, shifting to carry her bridal style as the elevator pinged to signal its arrival. “What are you doing?” she laughed out.

“Being a knight in shining armour, clearly,” he smiled. He felt Aberdeen wrap her arm around the back of his shoulders as he stepped into the elevator. Aberdeen pressed her phone number. “Better?”

“Much.”

“Why do you girls even wear shoes like that if they hurt so much?”

She snorted. “You tell me. Men wore heels first,” she informed him.

“We did?!”

She nodded. “Apparently you guys wanted to show off your wealth and calves more than we did at first.”

William laughed in his signature way. “I do have some nice calves.”

When the elevator brought them up to Aberdeen’s floor, she rummaged through her clutch to find her keys, sticking them in the door to open in. Luckily, they could be as loud as they wanted since Kasha was spending the night at Evan’s; it prompted Aberdeen to hook her finger into the strap at the heel and throw off her shoes. William kicked off his shoes and walked through her apartment, carrying her to her bedroom. It was maybe a bold move, to go straight there, but he didn’t care.

“Wanna see me rip my eyelashes off?” she giggled as he finally set her down on the floor of her bedroom.

“Your eyelashes?!”

“The fake ones,” she mumbled, just going for it. She saw a horrified look on William’s face, causing her to burst out into a fit of giggles. She threw the first one in the garbage before taking off the second, William still watching with a horrified look on his face. “What?” she smiled.

“That doesn’t hurt?” he asked.

“You get used to it,” she shrugged. “You know what they say Will. Beauty is pain.”

“My beauty doesn’t require pain.”

Aberdeen burst out laughing, William following with his signature giggle. She couldn’t control her laughing as she leaned her head against his chest, shaking it slightly before bringing it back up to look at him. “You’re literally the worst, Will. No other guy on the team would say something like that.”

“No other guy on the team is as beautiful as I am.”

His tone made it come out like a joke, but Aberdeen couldn’t help but thinking he was right. There wasn’t another guy on the team as good-looking as he was. She huffed out a laugh, turning around so her back was towards him. “Can you unzip me?”

It was a suggestive request, and she knew it. He unzipped her dress slowly as she pulled her hair out of the way for him. They were both still giggling as she felt the material of the dress become looser, and she was careful when he was finished to step out of it gently so she didn’t mess up the fabric or dirty it on the floor of her bedroom. She immediately brought it towards the hanger she’d left on her dresser, making sure to hang it in her closet neatly before turning back towards Will. It was only then that she realized she was in her underwear in front of him, the most exposed she’d ever been since…well…

She watched as he practically ripped off his tie; watched as he unbuttoned his shirt without a care in the world. His suit was probably custom made and tailored and cost over a thousand dollars but he didn’t even care. What was more alarming was that he was stripping and making himself comfortable in her bedroom. “Will—”

“You can change. I’ll look away,” he said, turning her back towards her automatically.

That wasn’t even what she wanted, but damnit, he was good. She unclasped her bra and threw on her top quickly before stepping into her pajama shorts. “Um, I have to go wash my makeup off,” she whispered.

She didn’t wait for a reply as she stepped across the hallway into her bathroom. As she washed all of her makeup off, the seriousness of the situation crept up on her. William was in her apartment. He was in her bedroom. He was undressing. She knew he’d been in there before, that if he stayed over it wouldn’t even be the first time he’d slept in her bed, but it was still a big deal. It was still something that, really, truly, shouldn’t be happening in every sense of the word. But it was. And neither of them was going to put a stop to it.

When she stepped back into her room, closing her door behind her, she saw William waiting for her to get into bed. He had nothing on besides his boxer-briefs. She knew that if they both got in there, there’d be no room. They’d be squished against each other. She knew this because it had happened before – the night they hooked up, and then the night after what Ethan did to her – it was the same situation. Standing now, in her room, looking between the bed and William, things felt…different.

She climbed into bed, liking to be on the side closest to the wall, anyway. William followed her, even going so far as to start to pull the covers over their bodies as he snuggled in next to her. “Will—”

“Shhhhhh,” he cooed. “Aberdeen, stop freaking out.”

“But Willy—”

“I just want to lie down. We’re just lying down,” he said, his voice sleepy. He pulled her against him. She let him. He nestled his head onto her chest, under her chin and above her breasts. She let him. She could feel the contented sigh he let out as he settled into her, as her body relaxed into his, as she began running her fingers through his beautiful blonde hair. He let her.

“Will?” her voice was soft.

“Mhm?”

“You – I – you—”

“Spit it out, Aberdeen.”

“You could have any girl in the city, Willy,” she blurted out. She immediately regretted it. “Any girl in the city. W…Why do you keep – I mean, why are you here with m—”

“Because I only like you, Aberdeen,” his voice was so soft, sleepy, tender. The most tender she’d ever heard it. “You still don’t understand?”

Aberdeen hesitated. “I guess not.”

“Well…I like you,” he stressed his sentiment again.

“But why?”

“Because you make me nervous. And nobody makes me nervous,” he said softly. “And because I like talking to you. And I don’t like talking to anyone.”

There was nothing more she could say; nothing more she could do. He always answered her question and always answered her honestly; he had never lied to her. He had laid it all out for her and she could either take it or leave it.

Of course she was going to take it.

***

Aberdeen woke up slowly the next morning early. Stupidly early, because of her natural alarm clock. In typical fashion, because William was in bed with her and there wasn’t enough room for the both of them, Aberdeen found herself semi-on top of him, her head on his chest and hair spread out everywhere; an arm draped across his torso. As she began to come to her senses, she took a deep breath and could smell him. He still smelled so good. So manly. And then, she realized his one arm was hugging her body against his, and his other lay directly on top of hers that was draped across his body, keeping it there.

She sighed contently.

He was so big, so snuggly, so warm. Of all the people she’d snuggled up against in her short lifetime, William was easily the best. His body was like her own personal heater, and in the dead of winter, it was much appreciated. She’d always known he was big – big and thick and strong – but feeling him under her now was so much different. She’d almost forgotten what he felt like, but she could never truly forget something like that.

When she moved slightly, mostly to stretch, she realized one of his thighs was between her legs. God, they were so fucking thick. Thick and strong, just like the rest of him. She moaned slightly, the feeling of their bare legs together really waking her up now. Before she knew what she was doing, before her brain could tell her body not to physically react to such a specimen of a body being in such close proximity to her, she moved again, rubbing her core against his thigh. It felt good. Of course it felt good. She had been denying herself the pleasure she knew William Nylander could give her for six months now (besides their kisses), and if she wasn’t dangerously close to breaking every known rule, parameter, and boundary she gave herself when she got the job, then she was now. So close. Dangerously close.

She rubbed her core against his thigh again.

And again.

He began to wake up, shifting slightly at the feeling of the friction of her against him. He moaned at the feeling and rubbed his eyes before opening them, and when he did their eyes met, drowsy and barely open but still looking at one another. “Minskatt?”

Aberdeen looked into his blue eyes. She couldn’t hold back anymore; couldn’t deny it anymore.

She was going to do it.

She pushed herself up slightly, coming face to face with him, and began kissing him. No hesitation. No uncertainty. She knew she wanted to do it. That she had to do it. That kissing William was as important to her right now as breathing. That kissing William continuously – not just one little peck, not just a standard kiss – was what she needed. That feeling the scruff on his face along her fingers was integral to her well-being. That grinding against his thigh again, causing him to moan in her mouth before she got on top of him and straddled him, was what she needed to survive.

She felt his hands squeezing her thighs, trying to feel every inch of exposed skin on her body as they wandered underneath her pajama shorts, then underneath her shirt, where he took sweet time inching higher and higher towards her breasts. He squeezed them in his hands gently, massaging them and pinching her nipples, causing her to squirm. She knew she didn’t have an ample set to worth with, but William didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t seem to mind because when Aberdeen grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, he looked at her exposed chest like it was the first pair of boobs he’d seen in his life.

Aberdeen hesitated only slightly after she saw the look on his face. “Willy?” she breathed out.

“Fuck, Aberdeen,” he whispered in some sort of apparently disbelief – a disbelief that this was actually happening. That she was the one to kiss him. That she was the one to take off her top. It wasn’t even the first time he’d seen her exposed chest, but it still felt like the first time to him.

Before she knew it, he’d wrapped his arms around her and flipped her onto her back, hovering over her with his big, thick body as he kissed and licked his way down her neck and towards her breasts. He took a nipple in his mouth, flicking his tongue and making her arch her back. She tried to catch her breath as she got used to feeling his mouth and tongue on her breasts. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew exactly what to do to set her off, leaving her a writhing, moaning mess in her own bed.

Then she felt where his hand was.

She flinched at his touch on her hot core, but so desperately wanted more. After that initial flinch, she practically grinded herself onto his hand. “It’s so hot,” William mumbled before he kissed a trail to her other breast. “So wet already.”

“Will—” Aberdeen could barely get out once she felt William’s tongue on her other breast. “Will, please—”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes,” she nodded her head as he teased her some more. “Ta—Take them off.”

He did as he was told, his mouth leaving her breast so he could sit back slightly on his knees, hook his fingers into the waistband of her shorts, and pull them off slooooowly, revealing every inch of exposed skin on her body. He could see her chest rising and falling dramatically as he let the shorts drop on the floor. “You okay, minskatt?”

Aberdeen nodded her head. She leaned forward so she could kiss him again, their hands exploring each other’s bodies – William’s hands gripping her thighs or breasts or teasing her hot core some more; Aberdeen’s hands gliding along the muscles on his abs and chest and shoulders before scratching down his back to the waistband of his boxer briefs.

She tugged on them.

“Aberdeen—”

“Condoms are in the same place,” she whispered quickly.

“Aberdeen, are you sure—”

“Yes. Yes yes yes,” she repeated, nodding fervently.

William opened the drawer on her bedside table, grabbing at a packet. He ripped off the packaging and helped her push his boxers down before sitting back. Aberdeen helped him slide it on, much like the first time. When she lay back down, William moved to loom over her.

William and Aberdeen looked each other in the eye as he guided himself near her entrance. When Aberdeen could feel him, she let out a shaky, excited breath. “Willy…”

“Yes, minskatt?”

“Go slow.”

William nodded. He began to push himself into her, and as he did, he saw her eyes close to bask in the feeling of him filling her up. He did the same, as it brought back all the memories from that fateful night six months ago, when they were in the exact same position as they were now. He remembered everything so vividly, but somehow, this all felt brand new. He remembered how good it felt, but simultaneously had never felt anything as amazing before.

He went slow.

He could feel her nails dig into his shoulder blades and a small gasp of breath escape her as he bottomed out. He kissed her lips and the tip of her nose and back to her lips. “You okay?” he asked, his hair falling in between their faces.

Aberdeen nodded her head. She bought one hand between them and pushed his hair back tenderly so she could see his face. “Yeah,” she nodded.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” she repeated, letting out another breath as she felt him pull out slightly before pushing back in. “I’d almost forgotten how good you feel inside me.”

“You’re perfect, Aberdeen,” he responded immediately after. He meant it in every sense of the word, because to him, she was. Plus, if she thought he felt good, he has some news for her about what she felt like. “God, you’re fucking perfect.”

He dipped down to kiss her again as he began moving in and out of her slowly. Aberdeen moved her hips in tune with his, and soon, all she felt was pleasure. Despite what was happening, they couldn’t keep their eyes off each other, looks mixed with lust, love, desire, adoration, longing, and of course, the pining they’d been doing since that day they reunited in the elevator being exchanged between them. It had all led to this moment, this moment of pure, built up passion.

“Willy…f…fuck,” she whispered. “You feel so good, Willy.”

She watched as some of his hair feel in between them again, blocking his eyes. She brought a hand to push it back tenderly. They looked at each other for a moment before William said the words. “I love you, Aberdeen.”

She looked for a lie in his eyes. Any hint of a lie. A lie she found in Zane’s eyes. A lie she found in Corey’s eyes. A lie she found in any other boy’s eyes that she’d known. But she couldn’t find it. Not even the smallest hint. Nothing. And because of that, and because of the moment, she said the words too. “I love you, William.”

He kissed her, big and wet and sloppy and full of desire and want, and she kissed him back with equal amounts of desire and want, and when he began to move in and out of her quicker, and when she arched her back into his body, she knew was close, that they were both close, and that they wouldn’t last much longer.

“Willy—”

“Aberdeen—Aberdeen I—”

“Cum with me Willy. Cum with me.”

And they did. It hit them all at once, the wave of pleasure as Aberdeen’s walls tightened around William’s pulsating cock, and they rode it out for as long as they could before William collapsed on top of her, the both of them catching their breath and coming back down to reality. As they lay in her bed together, with William still inside her, the gravity of the situation didn’t need to hit them – they knew what they’d just done. They knew it broke every boundary and was against every rule in the book. But they didn’t care. William didn’t care. Aberdeen didn’t care. All that mattered was that they shared that moment of pure bliss together.

William rolled onto his back and took off the condom, tying it before throwing it in the garbage near her bed. When he finished, he turned towards Aberdeen and they intertwined their limbs and bodies, drifting off to sleep again in each other’s arms.

***

The next time Aberdeen woke up, it was because she’d heard the front door slam shut and the sound of footsteps throughout the apartment. It meant Kasha was home, which also meant it was later in the morning than when she and William had first woken up and…well…

She shuddered.

As she did, she felt William’s body beside hers in her bed, spooning her from behind. Still naked from their rendezvous earlier, she could feel his cock against her as the hand of the arm that draped over her body cupped one of her breasts. His face was nestled into the crook of her neck. She didn’t want to move – she would have been perfectly content to stay in bed with him all day – but she knew they’d have to get up eventually. And more than that, they’d have to put on clothes before they went out there.

“Willy?” she whispered softly, hoping he’d hear.

“Hmmm minskatt?” he mumbled against her skin. “Was that Kasha?” he asked.

“Yeah. And probably Evan,” she said. “We should get up.”

He peeled himself away from her body slowly, and she rolled from her side to her back so she could look up at him. He looked down at her, still naked for him. She smiled up at him and caressed his cheek, his stubble scratching her skin. A piece of hair fell in front of his face, and she pushed it back, making it a habit now. “Willy?”

“Minskatt?”

“Do you regret what happened?” she asked.

“Absolutely not. No,” he replied automatically, shaking his head. “Do you?”

“No,” she responded automatically as well. “I don’t regret any of it at all,” she ran her thumb along his lips. “But nobody can know. We can’t tell a soul.”

William nodded his head. In any other circumstance, if he had landed a girl as amazing as Aberdeen, he would be practically bragging to everybody about how lucky he was. But things didn’t work out that way, and everything was complicated. “Nobody will know,” he said in agreement.

“No Brendan,” she began.

“That’s a given.”

“No Kappy,” she continued.

“No Kappy,” he agreed. Kasperi didn’t even know about the first time they’d slept together, so it would be no problem. None of the guys did. They all thought he just had a harmless crush. “No Kasha.”

Aberdeen bit her lip. “No Kasha,” she nodded her head. She knew she’d be able to make up a good story when they met each other outside her door. She knew what she had to do next. It would have to hurt them both. “No Alex.”

William nodded slightly. It would be hard not to tell his brother, but he knew he couldn’t. It was probably one of the few secrets he would keep from Alex. He knew he had to say the same. “No Siena.”

Aberdeen nodded. It would be the hardest thing she’d have to do. “Our secret only,” she whispered.

“Our secret only,” he repeated, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. “We can do it, minskatt.”

“I know we can,” she said, kissing him again. It went against everything she believed in, but she didn’t care anymore. She only had so much willpower to reject him. Now that they’d done what they’d done, and agreed to what they agreed to, there was no going back. She’d have to lie to the people she loved and respected most in her life. She’d have to lie to everyone she knew – her parents, her sister, her friends, her co-workers.

She’d have to lie to Brendan.

They got out of bed slowly, with William putting his boxers back on and Aberdeen throwing on her pajama shorts again and a crew neck sweater. She looked over at William and saw him searching for his dress shirt, crinkled on the floor. She threw one of her oversized University of Toronto hoodies at him. He laughed when he realized what it was, pulling it over his head. It fit a bit snug, but it worked.

The second Aberdeen opened her bedroom door, she heard the shower from Kasha’s ensuite turn on. She was happy – it gave her time to get breakfast started, to spend a little bit more of alone time with William, and to think of an excuse as to why William slept over last night. Not like this was the first time he slept over in the past four weeks.

She still couldn’t believe what this had become.

After washing her face quickly, she and William made their way into the kitchen, Aberdeen grabbing some pancake mix out of the cupboard. She grabbed some blueberries from the fridge too, putting them near the sink to wash them. As she began to pour the pancake mix into a bowl, she felt William come up behind her, pressing himself against her back as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Aberdeen?” his voice was soft, and suddenly sounded very nervous.

“Willy?”

“I meant what I said earlier,” he said.

She was confused. “About not telling anybody?”

“No. Earlier,” he gave her another hint. When she didn’t respond, he knew he’d have to say it again. “That I love you, minskatt.”

Oh. That. It was said so passionately during them having sex that it felt like it was part of the experience. That it was completely natural and easy for them to say to each other, despite not officially being together, despite not even dating, despite Aberdeen trying to convince herself for months that she didn’t like him, despite William trying everything to make her realize otherwise.

“I know it was in the heat of the moment,” his words interrupted her thoughts. They sounded so nervous and apprehensive. “But I meant it. I mean…I know. And I know that you said it back, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Or if you’re not sure or whatever. I just want you to know that. I won’t care. You can say it whenever you want. I just know that I do.”

Aberdeen turned around. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, now wearing one of her hoodies, and stood on her tip-toes to kiss him. She said the only words she could say to him. The only words that, despite every boundary, despite every rule, despite every thought, despite everything she knew about herself, despite everything she thought she knew about herself, she knew were true.

“I love you too, William.”

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spine-buster · 4 years ago

Text

The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you all so much for the positive feedback on the last chapter despite very minimal Willy/Aberdeen interaction. This chapter and the ones coming will definitely make up for it.

December 15th, 2019

Aberdeen Bloom was trying to get into the biggest gated house she’d ever seen in her life.

She’d taken an Uber up to the Bridle Path, the exclusive street in Toronto filled with massive mansions the size of her high school with their own private gates and tennis courts and and pools and indoor pools and indoor basketball courts and bowling alleys and wine cellars and all the other frivolous things rich people could build in their houses. She bet each one even had a heated driveway so that nobody in the house had to wake up at the crack of dawn to shovel. The Uber driver had already driven away, not even bothering to wait to see if she got in safely, so she hoped to be let in soon.

“Name, please?” a loud voice asked through the intercom-or-whatever-it-was system these rich people had for their house. She bet they probably had cameras too and saw her impatiently waiting outside.

“Aberdeen Bloom.”

“Abba-what?”

She rolled her eyes. “Aberdeen Bloom,” she enunciated more clearly. “Brendan Shanahan’s personal assistant.” She was starting to get annoyed that she had to attach that caveat for anybody in the hockey world or the rich people world to take her seriously.

The gate buzzed open, and Aberdeen walked quickly towards the front entrance, about the ring the doorbell before it opened magically for her. A butler. A butler opened the door for her and greeted her, offering to take her coat and letting her know she could keep her shoes on. There were waiters and waitresses carrying around plates of expensive looking hors d’oeuvres and others carrying around flutes of champagne. There was a giant, giant Christmas tree in the – the foyer? The reception hall? What did rich people call these things? – decorated with expensive looking ornaments, ribbons, and what Aberdeen thought had to be Swarovski crystals. It had to be at least 15 or 20 feet high. It was a far cry from her family’s Christmas tree, which was decorated with all the homemade ornaments she, Siena, and Camden had made throughout their years in school. She almost felt like she was in the Eaton Centre. There were even boxes upon boxes of presents underneath it, all wrapped with the same wrapping paper and with giant nametags. Jolly Christmas carols were being played through some sort of speaker.

She couldn’t believe rich people lived like this. She couldn’t believe she was in a house on the Bridle Path with these rich people. What had her life become?

“Aberdeen!” she heard her name being called. She looked to her side to see Brendan approaching her, leaving his wife speaking to whoever they were speaking to for a quick second. “So nice to see you! You look lovely as always.”

“Oh, thanks Brendan.”

“Come with me,” he said, guiding her towards the people he was speaking to. “Aberdeen, I want you to meet Dani Reiss, whose house we’re in. Dani’s the CEO of Canada Goose. Dani, this is my executive assistant, Aberdeen Bloom.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Aberdeen,” he said as they shook hands. Aberdeen was hyperaware of his handshake and the fact that she was shaking hands with yet another billionaire. She truly, truly couldn’t understand what her life had become. She wished Siena or Kasha were here to do all the talking. They were much better at it than she was, she thought. “How are you enjoying working for the Toronto Maple Leafs?”

Aberdeen chuckled nervously. She wondered if he really cared, but then remembered that they were having their Christmas party at his house, and he’d gone through all this trouble to keep them entertained, so he probably did. “Oh, it’s amazing! A bit hectic at times, but overall it’s been a great experience so far. Everyone’s just been so great and welcoming – you wouldn’t even know that I didn’t watch hockey before I got the job.”

That led to a chuckle amongst Brendan, Catherine, and Dani. “I bet a million people would kill for your job,” Dani commented through his laugh.

There it was again. That thing everybody said to her when they learned what her job was. She’d heard it for months now, since her first day on the job, and it was becoming abundantly clear with each passing day that it was something many people coveted. “I know, sir. I’m very lucky to have it and to work with such an incredible team.”

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Brendan smile. Dani was already smiling at her. “Well Aberdeen, mi casa es su casa! Feel free to take a wander, grab some drinks, and enjoy the food!”

She thanked them as they left her there, walking towards another group with Leanne Hederson. Aberdeen walked further into the foyer where the giant Christmas tree was, admiring it for a moment before looking around to see if she could see anybody she recognized. She knew that, at this point, she could walk up to any member of the team or the administration and join in on their conversation, but the setting was slightly different than what she was used to (at the offices, of course) and it made her a bit nervous.

“Brendan girl?”

Aberdeen visibly cringed. She looked to her side to see her absolute favourite person in the whole entire world, Ethan Baker, walking over to her with a drink in his hands. “Why are you here?”

She rolled her eyes at him. He did this at every event they attended, as if she wasn’t allowed to be there. “You constantly forget we work for the same team,” she said.

“Yeah, except one of our jobs is more important than the other,” he quipped. She felt like punching him right then and there until she remembered this was a Christmas party at a billionaire’s mansion and it was socially frowned upon to start fights at parties. “I didn’t know assistants were allowed to these things.”

“Peter’s here.”

“Doesn’t that mean you two should be helping the waiters?”

Aberdeen’s jaw dropped. “What is your problem?” she demanded.

“Aw, come on, I’m just ribbing you.”

“You know, just because I got the job over you—”

“—Cause you look really hot in those pants, Brendan girl.”

She stopped. She was shocked at what he’d just said. It had to be because he was already drunk. She couldn’t think of another plausible expectation. She couldn’t believe how hot and cold he was at these sorts of events, remembering what he was like at the Major Donor Gala. “Besides,” she said through gritted teeth, “being a waiter isn’t something to be frowned upon. A lot of my friends waited their way through university.”

“And you didn’t be a waitress or hostess? With the way you look, you would have gotten really good tips.”

She felt like spiders were crawling underneath her skin. She thought back to that day where she let him get in her head – when he’d called her a piggy for warming up a burrito. “Are you trying to flirt with me? Because you’re failing miserably.”

“I’m trying to—”

“Aberdeen!”

She looked to her side to see an excited looking Bee McTavish making a beeline towards her. Bee somewhat-stared, somewhat-glared at Ethan as she hooked her arm with Aberdeen’s. “You don’t mind if I steal her, do you? A bunch of her friends are just over there,” she nodded her head towards a group that included Jason and Jennifer Spezza, Morgan, and John and Aryne Tavares.

“I’m her friend,” Ethan quipped, smiling.

“I’m sure,” Bee nodded her head, grimacing every so slightly. “Have a good night,” she dismissed him before tugging on Aberdeen’s arm and leading her in the opposite direction. “God, that guy is such a skeeze,” she whispered to Aberdeen.

“Yeah.”

“Does he work here?”

“Tech and video playback,” Aberdeen informed her.

“Well, you’re with us now,” Bee smiled as she brought Aberdeen into the fold of the group.

Aberdeen greeted and hugged everyone before noticing Will at the tail end. She gave him a quick hug and a – God he smelled impeccable – and a cordial ‘Nice to see you!’ before he settled into his usual William behaviour. “What do you think?” he asked.

She knew he was waiting for one of her famous retorts. She took another look at his look: blonde hair, navy blue up top and an actual pair of burnt orange pants. She wondered if his fashionable status edged on the side of completely insane. Everything was tailored to perfection, and nothing was wrinkled or anything like that, but she couldn’t get over the orange pants. “You look like Sailor Venus.”

Everybody burst out into laughter. Even William smiled from ear to ear. “Alright alright, very funny Aberdeen.”

“You know I’m right.”

The group talked about their Christmas plans. This was Aryne and John’s first Christmas with baby Jace, so it was going to be extremely special for them. Morgan’s parents and brother were flying in from Vancouver to spend time with him and Bee. It was also Jason and Jennifer’s first Christmas in Toronto with their four girls – even though Jason was from here – so that was another special event that they’d be hosting at their house. William would probably be Skyping with his family in Sweden, having his own version of a family Christmas. It was unfortunate that whatever plans the boys had with their families would have to be cut short slightly because they had a game in New Jersey on the 27th, and it was even more unfortunate that because of a game in Minnesota, they’d all be away from their families on New Year’s – Aberdeen included. It was the first time she would be out of Toronto for New Year’s, and not spending the night with her family or out with her friends.

Jason and Jennifer ended up giving Aberdeen a tour of the parts of the house they’d already explored, with William following behind them somewhat lazily. She saw Ethan at one point and could feel him staring at her. There were a couple of different food stations, and she picked up some sushi and other appetizers on the way around. The house was expansive, and again, she couldn’t believe rich people lived like this. She could only imagine what the bedrooms looked like, or the basement, where she was sure there were ridiculous things like a bowling alley, or a 10,000 bottle wine cellar, or a home theatre.

Dani Reiss ended up calling Jason and Jennifer over, so Aberdeen found herself alone with William. William seemed to enjoy the situation, as he always did – the smirk on his face revealing all – but when Aberdeen looked past him, she saw Ethan staring at her again, pretending to talk to his colleague who worked in tech and video playback. She bit her lip nervously. She knew she couldn’t let him get to her, but he already had once before and it almost cost her the job she had – the one he so desperately wanted. She couldn’t let him keep doing this to her. She needed to be strong. She needed to be—

“Aberdeen.”

William’s stern voice broke her out of her trance. “What?”

“Did you hear anything I just said about how nice you look?”

“N—N—Yeah…yeah yeah, thanks,” she said absent-mindedly.

That wasn’t a normal reaction from her at all whenever he complimented her looks. Usually it was an eye-roll and a ‘stop it!’. William discreetly looked over his shoulder to where she was looking. He saw Ethan look away once he caught him. He whipped his head back towards her. “Is he messing with you?” William asked, his voice low.

“What? No no,” Aberdeen shook her head quickly. “Don’t worry about it—”

“Aberdeen, if he’s messing with you, I’ll fucking kill him—”

“Will, no,” she stressed. “Just leave it alone.”

“Is he bothering you?”

“No.”

“What was he saying to you earlier?”

“Nothing,” she said. There was no way she was going to tell him. “Just…just stupid stuff. Work stuff. It was honestly nothing.”

“You’d tell me, right?” William said. He’d asked that question before. She couldn’t discern his tone of voice but by the way he was looking at her she knew he was dead serious and knew there was at least a hint of worry. “You’d tell me if he said something, right? If he made you feel uncomfortable? Because I’ve already tried to talk to Babs about it, and I know he’s gone now but I have no problem speaking to someone on your behalf if you’re too scared to.”

She felt like telling him. She really did. But she couldn’t – not now, at the Christmas party, and not ever, because it was something she needed to deal with on her own. Somehow, at least. She didn’t know how she was going to deal with it, only that she had to. So instead, Aberdeen shook her head. “It’s fine, Will. Don’t worry. And yes. I’d tell you.”

So it was a little white lie. Who hadn’t told a little white lie in their life?

William visibly relaxed at her words. He finished his drink and placed it on the tray of a passing server. “You ready to go outside?”

“Outside?” Aberdeen looked at Will strangely. “It’s the middle of December. We’re staying inside, thank you very much.”

“Nooooo no no no no,” he chuckled and shook his head. He went to grab her hand but then remembered where he was, pulling it back towards his body. “Come on. Come with me. You’re in for the surprise of your life.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Hey Aberdeen! Willy! You coming or what?” Jennifer Spezza called out as she waved them down from the sliding doors leading to the backyard. “Come on! It’s time to skate!”

Aberdeen threw William a confused look. “Skate?”

They made their way towards the door, and when Aberdeen stepped through the threshold, she couldn’t believe what she saw: an entire skating rink – boards and everything – where she presumed Dani’s tennis court was, where some people were already skating. There were lights, people were laughing, and there was even a whole skate rental helping out. There were even fucking portable heaters. Again, she couldn’t believe rich people lived like this. She couldn’t believe that Dani would offer up his house, hire all the waiting staff, hire the catering staff, buy all those gifts, flood an entire portion of his backyard, and put up a skating rink so he could give the Maple Leafs a Christmas party. Those closer she walked to the rink with William, Jason, and Jennifer, the more she couldn’t believe it.

“What size are you, miss?”

“Uh, I’m a seven in regular shoes…” she said, not knowing if that made a difference. The person turned around to look for skates, and Aberdeen turned towards William. “I’m…I’m not good at skating at all.”

“You don’t have to be,” he smiled. “You’ve got a team full of hockey players to help you along, minskatt.”

“No no. I’m not just, like, saying that to be cute or whatever,” she said. She needed to make that abundantly clear because she was sure she was going to make a complete ass of herself. “I’m not good at skating. I don’t even know how to tie them up properly.”

“Again, you have a whole hockey team at your disposal,” William said with a giggle in his voice. When the skates were handed over, Jason took them before Aberdeen could. “You gonna lace her up?” William asked him.

“I’ve got it,” Jason nodded his head. “Aberdeen, go sit on the bench. And give me your right foot.”

Aberdeen felt powerless as she did as she was told. Jason shoved the skate onto her foot and kept it between his legs to tighten them and lace them up. Jennifer put on her own skates right beside her, and William was on her other side doing the same. “I feel like one of your children,” Aberdeen joked to them.

Jason smiled. “You’re practically the same age as Sophia.”

“Am not!” Aberdeen protested. “Sophia was born in 2010!”

“Yeah, and you’re born in 98. I’m born in 83. There’s fifteen years between you and I, but only twelve between you and Sophia,” Jason said.

“It’s practically the same thing!”

“No. You’re a baby,” Jason chuckled. “The both of you,” he nodded his head towards William, “are babies.”

Once her skates and helmet were fully on, and tight enough so her ankles weren’t moving so they wouldn’t snap in half, Aberdeen wobbled her way over towards the ice rink. She looked out onto the ice and saw Bee skating, screaming as she slipped and fell right into Frederik Andersen’s arms. The both of them laughed heartily as he held on to her like a knight in shining armour would catch his princess. Morgan called out to them in a joking manner, feigning disgust and annoyance.

“Aberdeen?” she heard William’s soft voice. Jason and Jennifer were already on the ice. She hadn’t even seen them get on. She had taken a while to psych herself up, apparently. “You okay?”

“I’m just being an idiot,” she shook her head, embarrassed.

“You’re not being an idiot, minskatt.”

“Says the guy who was in skates before he was in shoes with soles,” she tried to joke. “I work for a hockey team and I don’t even know how to skate well.”

Aberdeen watched as William extended his head. “Come on,” he said. “I’ll teach you.”

“Will—”

“Think of it this way,” he began. “If you fall and crack your head open, you’ll probably suffer memory loss and forget who I am.”

Aberdeen snorted and laughed out loud. She needed to hand it to William – he knew how to calm her down and diffuse any stress. “You’re the worst, Will,” she chuckled out.

“I know I am. Now come on.”

Aberdeen took his hand and stepped onto the ice gingerly. William pulled her away from the edge of the rink slowly. “Okay, bend your knees,” he began. “You can’t skate with tight legs.”

For an almost embarrassingly long time, William taught Aberdeen the basic ins and outs of skating. He was patient with her as he skated back and forth with her, pushing and pulling her along. He’d grab her if she tripped, wrapped his arms around her if she almost slipped and fell, and tried to make her laugh as much as possible. Jason would join in sometimes, holding her other hand as he and William pulled her along. Jennifer and Bee acted like her own personal cheerleaders. Eventually, she got the hang of it, able to skate around without having her hands out to balance her and with the ability to turn along the edges. Morgan skated by and joked she was going to replace William on the line with John. The smile on her face and giggle in her voice could light up the night sky.

For William, it was the best part of the night by far.

***

Brendan was so happy that everybody was having fun; so happy to see the smiles on people’s faces as they skated around the rink, running into each other like bumper cars and taking group pictures. He loved seeing the comradery of his team outside the rink – the comradery of his entire organization outside of the offices. The Christmas party was a huge success, and he couldn’t be happier.

As he leaned his forearms down against the boards outside the rink, he watched everybody having a good time. A few of the players skated by to have a quick chat. Auston came first, then Jason and Freddie Gauthier together.

“What a great party!” William smiled as he skated up to him, looking out at everyone having fun on the ice.

Brendan nodded his head. “We’re lucky Dani invited us and did all this for us. Much better than some stuffy dinner, I think.”

“Definitely,” William agreed, nodding his head.

Brendan nodded his head too, following William’s line of sight. Aberdeen was posing with Bee McTavish, Aryne Tavares, and Courtney Muzzin. Brendan smiled. “Be careful, William.”

William’s brows furrowed at his words as he turned to look at him. “Sir?”

“She can’t do anything with you until she leaves,” Brendan said, standing upright. “And you can’t do anything with her.”

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spine-buster · 5 years ago

Text

The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 1

A/N: To celebrate William “Thirst Trap” Nylander’s birthday last Friday, I’m going to do a double post this week! (Also maybe because he’s technically not in this chapter). Make sure you set your clocks for Thursday at 7:30pm cause that’s when I’ll post Chapter 2. Chapter 3 will then proceed next Monday on our regular once-a-week schedule.

September 3rd, 2019

Aberdeen Bloom was still looking for a job.

She was still sending out her resume to companies. She was still making follow-up phone calls. She was still creating alert notifications for jobs she’d be interested in. She was still going for interviews. She was still shaking hands and thanking people for their time. She was still writing follow-up thank you emails. She was still getting rejection calls. She was still submitting work to writing contests and magazines. She was still getting “It’s not what we’re looking for right now” emails.

She sighed.

So maybe getting the dream gig was harder than she thought.

It wasn’t like the bank had let her go. She was still earning something to keep her afloat, but it was the bank. It wasn’t writing, it wasn’t anything else. It was the same stuff every single day and Aberdeen was starting to resent it. She didn’t move downtown to stay a bank teller. She moved downtown to start her career, and this was not starting her career.

But then a phone call came on Sunday – peculiar, she thought, since it was a long weekend and had expected everybody and their mothers to be at a cottage – asking if she wanted to come in for an interview. To MLSE. For the personal assistant job. Aberdeen didn’t even remember applying to MLSE. But she was desperate, so she said yes, and now she found herself looking in the mirror with her best “interview outfit” on ready to ace it.

She took a deep breath. She could do this. She packed her bag, made sure she had her wallet at keys, and left the condo, deciding to walk the short way to 50 Bay Street so she could pick up breakfast on the way. Even while eating the ham and swiss sandwich, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach – it didn’t calm her nerves at all. For some reason, she felt like this was her last chance to build something towards her career. If she didn’t, she’d be stuck bank-telling forever. When she stood outside the doors of 50 Bay Street, she took a deep breath before walking in.

“When you arrive, tell the receptionist you are looking for Frances Munro” the woman on the other line had told her when she called for the interview. As she approached the receptionist, she tried to look as confident as possible. “Hi, my name is Aberdeen Bloom. I’m here for an interview with, um, Frances Munro?”

“Aberdeen Bloom?” another voice called out.

Aberdeen looked up to see another woman lurking in the back, a clipboard in hand, dressed impeccably well. “Yes. Hi.”

The woman looked at her. Aberdeen could see her give a quick up-down. “Great. Human resources certainly has an odd sense of humour,” she quipped, chuckling for nobody but herself. “Follow me.”

Aberdeen did as she was told, giving a polite nod to the receptionist who was already ignoring her. She circled around the desk and followed Frances, who walked through the door but didn’t hold it open. “Okay, so I was Brendan’s personal assistant but I recently got promoted so now I’m looking for someone else,” Frances explained.

“Oh, so you’re replacing yourself.”

“Well, I’m trying to. We tried to be proactive and hire early but the last two Brendan sacked after only a few weeks. We need to find someone who can survive here – who can survive Brendan’s schedule and survive the pressure of the Leafs. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Absolutely.” Aberdeen looked around awkwardly. “Who is Brendan?”

“What?” Frances stopped dead in her tracks to look back at Aberdeen. “Oh my God, I will pretend did not just ask me that – Brendan Shanahan, he’s the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” she practically hissed at her, continuing her walk. “Not to mention a hockey legend. If you work a year for him you can get a job in any adjacent field you want – sports, media, journalism, writing, whatever. A million people would kill for this job.”

Writing. Writing. WRITING!!!!! Alarm bells were going off in Aberdeen’s ears. “It sounds like a great opportunity. I’d love to be considered.”

Frances giggled, pushing her clipboard up to cover the smile on her face. They had stopped in front of a series of doors and Aberdeen felt like she was going to have to pick the one without the tiger in it. “Aberdeen…the Toronto Maple Leafs are a hockey club. An interest in hockey…even just a little bit, is crucial,” she explained condescendingly. Aberdeen wondered how someone like this could even get promoted. “Do you play hockey?

“No.”

“Do you watch hockey?”

“No.”

Frances looked shocked. “Do you know who the Toronto Maple Leafs are?”

“Of course I know who the Toronto Maple Leafs are,” Aberdeen huffed. “I just don’t…I mean, I don’t…”

“If I put a picture of Mats Sundin in front of you right now could you pick him apart from Wendel Clark or Doug Gilmour?”

There was an awkward pause. “Are those Mr. Shanahan’s right-hand men?”

“Oh my God,” Frances muttered under her breath. “Have you ever been to a game?”

“Yes.”

“Are you lying?”

“No – no, I’m not lying,” Aberdeen said quickly. “One of my friends – her dad gets tickets through clients or whatever. I’ll go to maybe one a year with her family. But it’s not – I’m not like…the experience is fun.”

Before Frances could respond with something that was ruder than the last thing she said, her phone let out a really loud notification. She balanced the clipboard on one hand as she took out her phone. But as she looked at the message on the screen, her face dropped. “Oh my God, oh my God, no!”

Aberdeen’s face dropped too. “What’s wrong?”

Frances dropped her clipboard onto the desk and ran around it, grabbing the phone receiver and dialling a number. Almost automatically, she began talking. “He’s on his way. Tell everyone the story needs to be retracted now,” she barked before hanging up. A man walked through another door and suddenly, it was complete mayhem. People were running through everywhere.

“He wasn’t supposed to arrive until 9:30. What happened?” the man asked Frances.

“Those idiots at the Sun had the audacity to actually post the story about his daughter online. God, these people!” Frances huffed.

Aberdeen stood awkwardly as everyone seemed to go into mayhem mode. Frances was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, that one guy had mysteriously disappeared, and men in suits were in and out of everywhere with panicked looks on their faces. She watched as Frances whipped into the office and began putting stuff out on the desk – a glass of San Pellegrino water, a venti Starbucks, and the sports sections of all the local newspapers. When she was done, Frances grabbed the clipboard from her desk, a pen, and ran back down the corridor they just came from, leaving Aberdeen there, standing alone. Awkwardly.

Eventually, she could hear Frances’s voice again – much more polite this time – and footsteps of very expensive shoes clacking down the hallway. “Yes Mr. Shanahan, of course.”

“And tell David at The Sun that I’m this close to revoking media access to the locker room if he publishes another article to do with my children ever again,” a voice Aberdeen could only assume was Brendan Shanahan’s was echoing down the hallway.

“I’ll get right on it.”

“Then tell Ben up in the legal department to draw up the paperwork necessary for that to scare them,” she heard, and finally, they rounded the corner. Frances and Mr. Brendan Shanahan, President of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was angry. Aberdeen could tell, even if she didn’t hear any of his last sentences – his body language showed it all. She stepped back a few steps so he could get into his office unimpeded, where he would very obviously yell at the top of his lungs once he shut the door.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

Frances stood in front of Aberdeen, shielding her from Brendan’s view as he looked back at Aberdeen from inside his office. “Nobody – well – human resources sent her about the personal assistant job and I was going to interview her…but, but she’s hopeless,” she chuckled out, “and totally wrong for the job—”

“Well clearly I’m going to have to do that myself, since the last two you sent me were completely inadequate,” he deadpanned. Frances’s back stiffened at the words. “So send her in,” he finished as he sat down at his desk.

Frances walked out of Mr. Shanahan’s office. “Mr. Shanahan would like to see you,” she said politely, loud enough for him to hear. It was when she leaned in closer that she began to whisper so he couldn’t. “Brendan Shanahan is the absolute nicest person you will ever meet,” she began, “but he is also the busiest, most intense, most dedicated hockey professional in the entire National Hockey League. Do you understand?”

Aberdeen gulped. “Yes.”

“And I hope you know that this is a very difficult job for which you re totally wrong, and if you mess up my head is on the chopping block.”

‘That might not be so bad’, Aberdeen thought. She would have appreciated some words of encouragement, like what Kasha had given her this morning, rather than the shpeal she was getting now. But Aberdeen digressed, and nodded her head. She took out a copy of her resume from her purse before walking in.

When she did, she couldn’t help but notice all the fine detailing of his office. A lot of oak, bookcases, a lot of framed pictures of his family, and a giant Toronto Maple Leaf logo plastered – literally plastered – onto the wall. He even had a giant oak desk – so regal – in the middle of the room.

“Who are you?” Brendan asked in a tone much softer, but still angry.

Aberdeen took a deep breath. This was her time to shine. “Hi Mr. Shanahan. My name is Aberdeen Bloom,” she said, stepping forward awkwardly to place her resume on his desk. “I recently graduated from the University of Toronto—”

“And what are you doing here?” he asked.

Aberdeen blanked. What was she doing here? “Um, well, I think I could do a good job as your assistant, and um…” she started, noticing that Brendan was putting on his glasses. Her gave her a look as those words left her mouth. He grabbed the newspapers off his desk and placed them in front of him, over her resume.

‘Alright Aberdeen. Cut the bullshit’ she told herself. “Yeah, so, I graduated U of T and want to become a writer. I sent my resume out everywhere, and my work to try to get published, and finally I got a call from the MLSE human resources department, and…well, basically it’s this or bank-telling.”

Brendan didn’t look up from his newspaper. “So you’re not a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.”

Aberdeen’s body stiffened. “Uh…no?”

“And before today you had never heard of me.”

“…No.”

There was an awkward pause. Brendan didn’t seem like he had any more questions in him – if he even cared. It was so clear that he didn’t and that she was bombing this interview. But Aberdeen felt more words coming. “I was recently published in Acta Victoriana, the oldest continuous university magazine in Canada – twice, actually – and was also published in the Hart House Review—”

“I think we’re done here,” Brendan said, not looking up from the newspaper. That was it. Cut throat. Didn’t care.

Aberdeen swallowed her pride. So this interview was a dumpster fire from the get-go. But it was him that came in angry and him that came into this without an open mind. She couldn’t help but scoff at how he dismissed her; he didn’t even have the courtesy to look up. She turned to walk out.

‘Don’t let it end like this’ her mind told her. ‘You have so much within you that he doesn’t want to see’.

So she turned around. “You know what? You’re right. I know nothing about hockey,” she began, her voice as strong and powerful as she could make it. “The woman who brought me in asked if I knew the difference between Matt…Gilmour and something…something Sundin, and I didn’t. I don’t fit in here,” she continued, noticing that he finally looked up. “I’m a girl who grew up in an old bungalow in Etobicoke with immigrant parents. I’m an English major with a double minor in classics and film. But I’m smart. I’m really f…really smart, and I learn fast, and I will work hard if you give me the chance to do so here—”

“Good news – they’ve agreed to take down the story,” somebody burst into the room interrupting her speech. Brendan looked at her until the person laid their iPad down in front of him. “The tweet linking the article is gone and it’s completely gone off their website. Adrienne Batra wants to call you to personally apologize.”

“There’s no way I’m speaking to that woman,” Brendan mumbled. “Tell her I want it in writing. And one to my daughter as well.”

“Thank you for your…time,” Aberdeen said, as if he gave her any. She walked out of his office and out of his life forever.

Aberdeen decided to take the stairs, slowly walking down the flights of stairs, hearing her shoes clack against the bare concrete. There, she could at least wallow in her self-pity after that train wreck of an interview. She could deliberate about her next choices and steps. Keep bank-telling? Go back and get her Master’s? Take a new course? Tell her parents how she was failing? Move back home? Never do anything with her life? Live in her parents’ basement for the rest of her life? Maybe she should just stay in this stairwell. Maybe she should start living here, since there was nothing else for her out there in the big wide world. Maybe she’d become a hermit.

As she finally reached the ground floor, she thanked the receptionist again, who ignored her again. Typical. As she was about to walk out of 50 Bay Street, she heard her name being called. “Aberdeen!”

She turned around. Frances was waving her back, rolling her eyes at the same time. Aberdeen furrowed her brows. Did she forget something? What was going on? She scurried over to Frances. “What’s wrong?”

“Brendan wants to speak to you.”

Aberdeen gulped. She was going to get yelled at by the President of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was going to completely obliterate her entire life and not-yet-burgeoning career for that little stunt she pulled inside his office with that speech, and she’d never be able to find a job anywhere in Toronto again. She may as well just move into her parents’ basement now.

As they both rode the elevator back up, Aberdeen’s heart kept beating faster and faster. “Do you know what he wants to speak about?” Aberdeen asked.

“I have no clue,” Frances said absent-mindedly, typing something into her phone.

When they arrived back upstairs, Frances led her straight back into Brendan’s office. He was working on his laptop now, instead of reading his newspaper over Aberdeen’s resume. “Brendan, I have Aberdeen back for you,” Frances announced.

“Excellent,” he said, his voice much more upbeat than what is was five or ten minutes ago. “Franny, I’d like you to take Aberdeen to get her picture taken for her new MLSE identification badge,” he said.

Frances’s eyes bulged out of her head. So did Aberdeen’s. “W-What?” Frances stuttered out.

“And after that, I’d like you to take the town car and take Aberdeen to the Eaton’s Centre to get her an iPad Pro with a keyboard so we can start the process of downloading all the necessary apps and internal mail server she’ll need to do the job.”

Aberdeen’s stomach dropped. “I…I got the job?” she asked, completely flabbergasted. Was he nuts? Completely, certifiably insane?

“You start next Monday. Is that fine with you?”

Aberdeen found herself nodding.

***

“I’m so glad Steven could get that done for you today,” Brendan said as he rounded the corner of his desk so he could sit in his fancy big chair. Aberdeen nodded, looking at the screen of her new iPad Pro. Steven, one of the guys from tech support, had helped her download everything she needed to have on it.

“Yeah. It was all really fast.”

“After you finish up here today you may need to go back to the Eaton’s Centre,” Brendan informed her. “You’re going to need to purchase a work wardrobe. Keep every receipt because MLSE will reimburse you. I prefer black, but really…get whatever you think is appropriate for an office.”

“Okay.”

“No heels necessary. When we travel, I obviously don’t mind something more laid back – especially trips to the west coast. Do you have a valid and working passport?”

“Yes sir.”

“Make sure you have it when traveling. Our charter plane will still need to see it. We’ll make copies.”

“Yes sir.”

“You’ll need to be available every game day. We usually have Sundays off, but it’s a very untraditional schedule. You’re okay with that?”

“Yes sir.”

“And I have your contract for you,” he said, grabbing some paperwork on the desk. “We’ll have someone from the legal department come and explain it shortly,” he handed it to her, “but you’ll see the salary at the bottom of the first page.” Aberdeen looked down. Her eyes bulged at the number. “If everything is to your liking, then we can sign.”

“Okay,” she nodded her head. She gulped.

Brendan looked at Aberdeen and could tell she was nervous – it was obvious in her short “Yes sir” responses anyway, but she looked like she wanted to curl into her shell. “Before Ben from legal gets here, I would like to apologize about this morning,” he said. “A local newspaper ran an article about one of my daughters, and my children…well, my children are completely off-limits. Everybody knows that. But sometimes some journalists like to see how far they can take things, even though they know family is off limits.”

Aberdeen understood where he was coming from. If anyone ever said anything bad about Siena or Camden, she’d have their head on a spike. She couldn’t even imagine what it was like for a father, or any parent for that matter, to have an article published about their child without their permission. “I understand, Mr. Shanahan.”

“We are like a family here, you know – MLSE, but the Leafs especially. You will feel part of that family soon enough.”

Aberdeen nodded nervously. “I’m sure I will, Mr. Shanahan.”

“Well…” he shrugged his shoulders, leaning back in his chair and smiling at her. “Congratulations, Miss Bloom. You are now an employee of MLSE.”

***

“With the Leafs?!” Kasha was shocked when Aberdeen told her. She’d started pouring glasses of wine when Aberdeen told her she got a job, but once she revealed the specifics, Kasha was shocked. “Gosh Aberdeen, remember when my dad would bring me, you, and Siena to games with the company season tickets?”

“I know.”

“And now you’re working for them?!”

“For the President. I’m his personal assistant.”

“Oh my God!” Kasha exclaimed. “Seriously though, I bet a million jocks would kill for that job,” she commented as she finished pouring the wine.

“Yeah. Great,” Aberdeen shrugged her shoulders. “Thing is, I’m not one of them.”

“Well, you gotta start somewhere, right?” Kasha offered. She picked up both wine glasses, handing one to Aberdeen. Kasha held her glass up. “To jobs that pay the rent.”

Aberdeen giggled. “To jobs that pay the rent.”

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