Ally considered herself lucky despite the events. Five weeks prior, she and her boyfriend had decided to split. With the split, he'd bought her out of the house they'd shared and she'd found a condo within a week and it was available for quick possession. They had split up the furniture and she had driven to the city to shop for the furniture she needed for her condo.
Her luck was in the fact that The Brick had a sale and she'd quickly found what she needed, it was all in stock and all at sale prices. She would take possession of the condo on Monday and the furniture would be delivered on the Friday. That gave her at least three full days to paint and clean and move in her boxes and other furniture.
So by the end of the afternoon, Ally decided to head over to Chapters to peruse the books. She was in the store maybe 10 minutes when she heard a male voice say "Pretend you don't know me." She looked up to face Trevor, a former Jets player. The Jets were a junior hockey team in her home town, about an hour and a half east of the City. Trevor had played three years for the Jets while Ally had volunteered for the team. Her responsibility had been to open and close the door for their team so she'd gotten to know all the players by face and name. She had not seen them outside the rink, other than during the playoffs when a fan bus traveled with the team to the away games and then would wait after the games to encourage or cheer the players.
Trevor had been somewhat of a scrapper so Ally had to open the door for him quite a few times as he'd been ejected from games. Once, he'd been ejected from the game and the other players had given her his gloves, helmet and stick and as she had gone to give them to him at the dressing room door, had found him walking down the hall towards the other team's ejected player. She'd dropped the stick and had run to stop him and the only way she'd found was to get ahead of him, stop, turn around and walk into him so he'd have to back up towards his own dressing room while another volunteer did the same with the other player. Both players continued to talk tough to each other for a while but then it stopped, probably because the other player had gone into his dressing room. As they'd neared the dressing room, Ally had asked "Are you ever going to take your gloves and helmet off my hands?" He'd then realized Ally had the gloves and helmet up against his stomach the whole time and grabbed them and said "I just wanted to talk to him." Ally had said "Yeah, that's really what it looked like. Here's your stick." Trevor had replied "Thank you." Ally had then said "Now hit the shower." Trevor had smirked and playfully said "I'd go faster if you came with me." That's when Ally had exclaimed "I'm old enough to be your mother, don't make me act like it! Hit the shower now and don't you dare come back out and go anywhere but come stand next to me to watch the rest of the game! I don't want any more trouble back here, you hear?" Trevor had laughed and had gone to the shower, saying "You don't know what you're missing!" Trevor had showered quickly and had come to stand next to Ally to watch the rest of the game. They had spoken that time and many times after that. Trevor continued to playfully flirt with Ally whenever he'd be ejected from a game but it had never gone past that. Ally knew that Trevor had been accepted at university this year and would try out for their team.
So Ally, remembering the playful Trevor, played along and asked if she was in the way of something he wanted to look at.
Trevor said "I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me."
Ally smiled and said "I'm sorry, I don't work here."
Trevor looked nervously above her head and then back at her. "I know and I can't really ask someone who works here. If you'll hear me out, I'll explain."
Ally simply said "Okay." By then, her curiosity was peaked. She wanted so badly to look behind her to see who Trevor kept glancing at.
Trevor took a deep breath. "See I'm a rookie player for the University Cougars and as a Rookie, my initiation into the team means I have to complete a list of tasks if I want to play in tonight's game. I'm almost out of time to complete the tasks. I'd really like your help so I can play tonight and from now on." He then whispered "I'm so glad you're here, I can't imagine doing this with a complete stranger but the other guy needs to think you're a complete stranger."
She held out her hand and said "Hi, I'm Ally, what's your name?"
Trevor smiled, shook her hand and said "Trevor".
Ally then asked "Sure I'll help you. What do you need to do?"
Trevor then said "I have a whole list. But I had to pick a woman of at least 40 years old with long hair. And you fit that description." Indeed, Ally had long dark brown hair that went down to her waist.
Ally asked "In the rules, is there anything that says you can't show me the list?"
Trevor shook his head.
Ally then said "Show me the list and I'll help you."
Trevor hesitated. "Part of what I need to do involves touching you and kissing you."
Ally smiled "I can handle that. Show me the list."
Trevor reached into his coat pocket and took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Ally.
Ally read.
"Your task, if you want to play on our team, is to pick a woman, at least 40 years old, with long hair. You are to engage in conversation, touch or play in her hair at least five times. You are to get this woman to recommend a book from the erotica section and you are to buy this book. You are also to obtain the woman's phone number and e-mail address. Finally, you are to caress her ass and French kiss her. All of this has to be witnessed by a senior member of the team."
Ally was a fast reader so she had time to read the whole description before seeing a hand reaching for the paper. She quickly pulled back the paper and looked up to see another young man, looking very much like a hockey player.
"You can't read that!"
Ally asked "And who are you?"
The young man held out his hand to be handed the paper but Ally ignored him and asked again "Who are you?"
The young man said "I'm Brandon. I'm the senior player from the Cougars here to witness him performing a task. You're not supposed to read that paper."
Ally folded the paper and put it in her own pocket. Then, she looked at Brandon and, putting her hands on her hips, said defiantly "There's nothing written on that sheet that says he can't show it to me so he's not in violation of any rule." Then, she turned to Trevor and asked "What's your name again?"
"Trevor"
"Yes, Trevor." Turning to face Brandon again, Ally said "Now, I think Trevor here is kind of cute and in serious need of help so I want to help him. And I will. You did say you're here to witness Trevor doing the task, right?" Brandon nodded.
Ally continued "And on the paper it also says 'witness', so you can witness, no problem. But what it doesn't say is 'document'. So you are not here to obtain proof and document the task, you are here to witness. So you shall be an eye witness, not a photographer. You are NOT to take any picture whatsoever of me or of the task being completed. If you take any pictures, I will make sure that you are the one not playing tonight. Are we clear?"
Brandon, despite towering over Ally, seemed intimidated and said "yes m'am."
Ally then took out the paper again and read it one more time. She then turned to Trevor and said "Trevor, come with me, we've got some shopping to do." Then she turned to Brandon "You, stay far enough to not hear us but attentive enough to be a good eyewitness." With that, Ally walked towards the erotica section in the bookstore.
When they got there, Trevor turned a deep shade of red. Ally tried not to laugh and finally had to tell Trevor "Relax, they're only books!"
Trevor asked "Have you ever looked through these?"
Ally smiled "Of course!"
Trevor seemed shocked. Ally continued. "Trevor, do you plan on keeping this book you have to buy?"
Trevor said "Not really."
Ally then said "How about I pick one I'd like, you buy it and then sell it back to me in the parking lot? There's nothing in the paper you gave me that says you have to keep the book."
Trevor was stunned "You want an erotic book?"
Ally replied "Don't be so shocked. A girl has to get inspiration sometimes! So let's look here. And why don't you play with my hair a bit and make sure Brandon sees you." While Trevor reached for her hair and stroked it a few times, Ally looked at the book shelves and was surprised to see a new book from an author she'd read before. "This one here should be good." Ally picked up the book and turned it over to read the summary. She then handed the book to Trevor. "I've read this author before, she's really good."
Trevor was still incredulous. "I can't believe you know this stuff!"
"Well, the book is 22 dollars and I'm willing to buy it from you. Now, hug me, play with my hair with one hand and let your other hand go down to my butt so we get that out of the way."
Trevor did as he was told, making sure that Brandon saw him doing so.
Ally then said "Let's go towards the check out."
When they got to the check out, Trevor looked around and after making sure that Brandon could see them, he played in Ally's hair again. Ally then leaned into Trevor and said "Keep some of that hair playing for when you get to kiss me."
Trevor said "I've got two more to go. Besides, I can always play in your hair more than five times!" And he played in her hair once more. Then he remembered "Could I please have your phone number and e-mail address?"
Ally reached into her purse and found her business card holder. She removed a card from the holder, grabbed her pen and wrote her cell phone number as well as her personal e-mail address on the back of the card. She then handed the card to Trevor. "Here you go!"
