My Life's Playlist Ch. 03

Theo continued to dance and twirl, singing his little tuneless song that quite frankly was getting on my nerves. I looked around for the closest trashcan or restroom in case I really did decide to hurl. Ted look over at me as we stood against the wall along with the other invited guests and media people. "You're wearing your freakin precious and lovely smile Pippa. For Christ sake, he's not one of our society parents that you're trying to impress. Get a grip girl."

"Once again bite me Adamson. Use the Thumper rule," I snapped. If you can't say something nice...don't say nothing at all."

"Jeez, is your head going to spin around and should Theo and I prepare to duck as you shoot pea soup at us?" He replied, taking his life in his own hands.

"For the third time, put your pretty lips together and just bite me Adamson!" I hissed.

"So you like being bitten Pippa? I'll have to file that away for future reference," chuckled a deep voice with what I now knew to be a Swedish accent.

Crap, crap, crap, this was turning out way worse than I thought possible. In my discussions with Ted, I had turned my back to the locker room, and at this moment, I really hoped the floor would open up and I could just disappear. I looked at Ted and mouthed, "Is it him?" He didn't have time to answer, because the second biggest hockey fan in DC piped up with "Hi, I'm Theo. Are you Tor? Gee, you're really, really tall. I'm four. My Aunt Pippa said you might have something for me. Do you?"

Ted just stood there gob smacked, so it was up to me to say something and save the day. "Theodore David Adamson, you know that was a rude question. Please apologize now," I admonished Theo as I turned slowly around to find that the wall and I were eye to astounding blue eyes level. Tor had squatted down so he would be on Theo's level.

"I'm sorry Mr. Edvardson," Theo apologized.

"It's alright. I have a nephew your age, and he asks me the same question when I go home to visit him. Here these are for you," he said as he handed Theo a Caps ball cap and a puck.

"Wow, the puck's still cold, did you use it tonight?" asked Theo.

"Yes, we did. Now can you introduce me to the grown-ups?" he inquired, standing back up.

"This is my Aunt Pippa, and this is..."

"Ted Adamson," chimed in Ted, finally recovering himself. He and Tor shook hands and Tor said, "I understand you are a huge fan of the game. I got some of the guys to sign this program for you. I hope you like it."

"I'm sure he'll find a place of honor in his Caps shrine for it. I'm Pippa Rhys-Hall. I guess this is our dryer circumstance." I said, extending my hand. It was firmly clasped by his much larger, cooler, one.

"Let me offer my sincere apologies for the other morning Pippa. I hope you were not too inconvenienced." He continued to hold my hand, staring quite intently into my eyes.

"You've more than made up for any inconvenience that I might have suffered by the generosity you've shown to us tonight." Two could play the formal apology game, but mine might have been somewhat spoiled by the fact that I had started to blush under his close scrutiny. Did I have something on my face? It also didn't help that he still had my hand, but somehow my brain would not send the message to my arm to remove it. I noticed that Theo had become very quiet. I looked over I found that he was asleep in Ted's arms, wearing his new hat, clutching his puck.

"We need to head home and get someone to bed. Thank you so much for everything Tor," I said.

"I was hoping that we could all go to get something to eat, but perhaps another time," he said.

"Pippa, we can get home without your help. Tor could you make sure she gets home safely? I would like to take a rain check on the dinner offer. Thank you again for everything. It was a great game, and Theo will remember this night for a long time!" replied Ted, obviously ignoring the dirty looks I was shooting his way.

"It would be my pleasure," he said. "Good night Ted, Theo is great and I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves."

"Good night Pippa," said the traitor, leaning down to kiss my cheek. "We'll see you tomorrow when you pick up Theo. Does five o'clock work for you?"

"Yes," I answered, knowing that he'd probably figured out that the only way he'd survive the wrath of Pipzilla was to run away, so that's what he did. I was left alone with Tor. In the time we had been talking, the rest of the people waiting for players had disappeared. I realized that he still had my hand in his, but this time I was able to convince my arm to remove it. The silence went on as we continued to size each other up.

Tor was the one that broke the silence. "Can I assume that you also live in Old Towne if so, maybe we should go somewhere in that general area?"

"I do and that would be fine."

"Did you drive here?"

"No, I took the train," I replied.

"Great, we can ride together. Do you have any ideas of where we should go?"

"How about going to Bugsy's," I replied.

"That's fine."

As I put on my coat, hat, and gloves, I couldn't tell if I was getting more or less nervous, but I certainly was starting to look forward to spending more time with him. The fact that I felt that way made me feel a little bit apprehensive. Okay, it made me feel a lot apprehensive, and it didn't help when he took my hand and tucked it into the warm, firm crook of his arm. Walking this close to him, I could smell the heady scent of his soap, and light clean smelling cologne. Before I was even aware of what was happening we were out the door into the players' parking lot. We stopped in front of the passenger door of a black Audi SUV. Tor opened my door and helped me in. I buckled my seat belt and wondered if like Betty Davis' party guests in All About Eve I was going to be in for a bumpy night.

Song 6

And I think that this could be
The beginning of a good thing
I look into your eyes
And they tell me
That you feel like I do

I just wanna tell you
There's no place
I'd rather be
Than here with you

"Here with You" -- Brian McKnight

The car was warm and traffic amazingly light as we made our way back to Old Towne. Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat CD was playing quietly on the stereo. That gave us a conversation starter, because turns out we were both huge fans of Steely Dan. Music has always been a way for me to express myself, and I used it in my classroom too. As we continued talking on the safe topic of music I found that, we both liked classical music, classic singer/songwriters (James Taylor, Joni Mitchell), current singer/ songwriters (John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, Bruce Hornsby, Iron & Wine). I liked Gilbert & Sullivan Operettas, show tunes, and smooth jazz. He liked classic rock and roll, Euro techno (in small doses), and soul music. Neither of us cared for country, nor did we like rap, me because of the anti-women message, Tor because it used too many slang terms for him to follow.

I didn't realize how close to home we had come until I felt the car slow to a stop in front of a row of townhouses, much like my own. I shot Tor a questioning glance.

"I hope you don't mind, but I thought I could just park my car here in front of my house, and we could walk to the restaurant. I can drive you home when we are finished."

"I can walk home myself home from the restaurant, it's not all that far," I replied in my best independent woman voice. I didn't think we'd be out much later, and there was enough foot traffic to make me feel comfortable. I'd done it before.

"Oh no," he replied as he got out of the car and opened my door before I'd even had time to unbuckle myself. "I promised Ted I'd see you home, and I intend to keep my promise."

I found my hand once again tucked into his elbow and we set off towards the restaurant. We must be an amusing site, I only came to his waist, and I was taking four steps for every one of his. We walked along in a comfortable silence, and soon reached our destination.

"Bar or restaurant?" he asked.

"I'm not really all that hungry, so it's whatever suits you," I replied.

"Let's see if there is a table we can snag at the bar. If not, we can go to the restaurant," Tor said, opening the front door for me. We walked up the stairs and Tor put his height to a good advantage and found us a table in an out of the way corner. As we walked to the table, several hockey fans recognized him, and congratulated him on the night's victory. He was just as patient with them as he had been with Theo, and each fan he encountered was left feeling as if they were the most important person in the room. I quietly observed each encounter, and added more layers to the portrait I was painting of the man I knew so little about.

As we got to the table, I removed my hat and gloves. After I unbuttoned my coat, I realized Tor was still behind me as he reached down and helped me take it off. His hands seemed to linger on my shoulder a little longer than was absolutely necessary, but I wasn't going to complain. I was turning around to thank him, when I heard a familiar voice calling.

"Pipsqueak, so you decided to grace us with your presence! Lindy will be sick she missed you. How is your lovely roommate? How are your parents, and do they know who you are associating with?"

"Bryan, I'm so glad to see you. I am sorry I missed Lindy. My parents are doing well and Annie is working too hard. I'd like to introduce you to..."

"No need of that Pippa. I'd need to turn in my jersey if I didn't recognize a fellow Capital. It is a pleasure to see you Tor. I'm..."

Tor cut Bryan off before he had a chance to finish. "No, the honor is all mine Mr. Watson. How could I not recognize a fellow player?" The two men shook hands and the respect they held for each other was clearly evident.

"Please, call me Bryan. Oh, damn, there goes my cell. I need to take this. I'll give the bartender your drink order. Powers with a few ice cubes Pipsqueak?" Bryan inquired as I got my goodbye hug. As Tor held out my chair, Bryan asked "For you Tor?"

"A Fat Tire please."

"Coming right up. Love to your parents Pippa, and the fair Annie. It was a pleasure to meet you Tor, now that you've found us, don't be a stranger." Bryan was off in a flash, cell phone to his ear, drink order being given to his bartender.

"I didn't realize that he owned this place," said Tor, settling into his own chair.

"Yes, he and his wife have been here forever," I answered. "My parents and I have been coming here since I was a little girl. That's why he gets to call me Pipsqueak. You, on the other hand best not even think about doing so," I said teasing him.

"So you've lived here a long time?" he asked.

"Pretty much my whole life. My Grandmother Phillipa wanted me to have dual citizenship so she insisted my Mother come to England to have me. I was born in London, so her wish came true. We moved back when I was a month old" Our drinks had come so I took a sip of mine while Tor ordered something to eat. "What about you?"

"I've been here 5 years now. I grew up in Stockholm, and I've lived in other parts of Sweden for school and my mandatory military service. Thanks to the NHL, I've lived in Ottawa, and Columbus, but this is my favorite place so far. It reminds me of home since both cities are national capitals."

"I've never been to Sweden, but I've always wanted to go."

"Where is your favorite place to go?" he asked as he started on his food.

"In the U.S. or in the world?"

"The U.S."

"I love to go to my parents' house on the Outer Banks. It's not a monster mansion, but it's right on the beach. I especially love it in the fall and winter, when no one is there. It is so peaceful, and I can really think when I'm there. I was there last weekend, and it was very hard to come back on Sunday. My father swears I'm part lemming, because I always am pulled toward the sea. What about you? Where is your favorite place in Sweden?"

"Oland. It is on an island off the coast, and like your Outer Banks, it is very peaceful. My family too has a beach house there."

I took another sip of my drink and stared at the man across from me. The more we talked, the more I wanted to know. I came up with an idea to get more information without having to pussyfoot around.

"Tor, at the beginning of the year when I get my new kids we do a get to know you activity. We basically go around the room and everyone gets to ask one question. Then everyone else in the room has to answer. If one of the kids is uncomfortable answering a question, they can say pass, and there is no judgment on the pass. What do you say we try it for awhile, since we both seem to want to know more about the other?"

"That is an excellent idea. Why don't you start," he answered taking another bite.

"Okay, what is your full name? Mine is Phillipa Fiona Rhys-Hall."

"Torkel Nikolaus Edvardson." "I am 31, how old are you?"

"I'll be 30 on October 26^th," I answered. "When is your birthday?"

"January 4^th. I have an older brother Kristofer and a younger sister Alexandra."

"I'm an only child. My parents didn't marry until they were 38."

"My parents were 27. My father is a surgeon and my mother was a pianist. They met at University."

"My father was in the British Royal Navy and my mother was a first grade teacher. They met at an Embassy party celebrating the Queen's birthday. I have a cat who thinks he's a dog named Beau."

"I have a Labrador named Axel. My favorite American book is To Kill a Mocking Bird."

"I love The Autobiography of Henry VIII with notes by his fool Will Somers by Margaret George. The current book I'm reading is South of Broad by Pat Conroy."

"I am reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. I play the piano."

" I never studied an instrument per say, but I did study voice. I would have loved to play the piano, but my fingers are still so short, and I don't even span an octave." I held up my right hand to show him my small hands with short fingers. Before I knew what was happening, he held his larger hand up to mine so he could compare them. Strong and capable were the words that popped into my mind, with long slender fingers. My hand disappeared as they began to wrap around mine. I felt a small shiver run down my spine as the thoughts of how those hands would feel on other places flitted through my mind, to be firmly shoved back out. I looked up, and started to blush as I realized Tor was looking at me, his blue eyes not blinking, a small smile on his lips. We continued this way for several minutes, taking each other's measure, not speaking, when the spell was broken by the waiter.

"Can I get either of you anything else?" he inquired.

"Pippa?" Tor asked. I shook my head no, and he said "Just our check please."

"The boss says this one is on him," said the waiter as he cleared our table.

"Tell him that's very kind," said Tor. When he turned to look back at me, he caught me yawning. Hey, my day starts at 6:15, it was after midnight, so I guess I deserved to be tired! Once again, I didn't seem to be able to make the brain-release-hand connection. He made it even more tempting to stay as we were by softly rubbing his thumb across my palm. Continuing to stare a moment longer he asked "Are you tired?"

"A little," I admitted. "School days start early, and this has been a busy week."

"Then as much as I hate to end our time together, perhaps I should walk you home." His tone made him sound like he really was regretful that the evening was ending. I was feeling the same, and I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I stood up and let go of his hand with a small sigh. I began to put my coat on, when he came around the table to assist me. Obviously, someone had paid attention at Cotillion. He shrugged into his coat as I put on my hat and gloves, and we walked back down the stairs. He held the door for me as he again took my hand.

"Which way do we need to go?" he asked.

"Down the block to the left, then turn on Wales Alley. We are about midway down."

We walked in silence for a few minutes. It had turned colder, and smoke plumes came from Tor's mouth as he spoke. "We play again tomorrow night. Would you like to come?"

"I would love to, but tomorrow is one of the nights I keep Theo. It would be too much for him to be out late two nights in a row," I added regretfully. "We'll just have to watch the game on TV." When I looked up, I couldn't believe we were already in front of my row of houses.

"Well, this is me," I said. "I had a really nice time, and I do truly appreciate everything you did for Ted and Theo. They mean a lot to me, and I know you made them very happy." I dropped his hand and started up the stairs, when he caught my wrist and turned me around to face him. He was two steps below me, so we were literally face-to-face.

"I'd like to still see you tomorrow night. If it is not too late, may I stop by?"

"Sure," I quietly said. He was staring at me again, and he was literally taking my breath away.

"Until tomorrow then. Sleep well Pippa," he said, moving closer and closer to my face, until the last word was whispered against my cheek as he softly kissed it. He dropped my hand, turned and walked away from me, saying something softly in what I could only guess was Swedish. I stared at his back as he continued to walk away from me. When I could no longer see him, I turned and walked into the house. I locked up and headed up the stairs. Annie was already in bed, so I went into my own room, drew the floor length blue and white willow patterned curtains closed, and changed into my warm flannel sleep pants and thermal tank top. I went into the bathroom and washed my face and teeth. As I climbed into my Great-Grammy's sleigh bed, and pulled up the comforter that matched my curtains, Beau jumped on my stomach to be petted. I stroked his soft fur and whispered "what am I going to do now?" I turned out the light and thought I would spend hours tossing and turning. Instead, I fell into a deep sleep and dreamed of beaches, ice, and sky blue eyes.

Song 7

If you think you're alone
That you're the only one who is afraid
Let me tell you
I feel just like you do

And sometimes I stand back
From desires and dreams I don't understand
They overwhelm me
I feel just like you do

"Just Like You Do"-Carly Simon

The beach was just warm enough for my first swim of the season. I stretched out on my blanket afterwards, enjoying the warmth of the sun as it dried me, when I felt a large cool hand reach over and grasp mine. An Irish tune played faintly in the background. It sounded so familiar, it sounded so insistent, it sounded so much like...

My parents ring tone on my cell. I opened my eyes, groaning as the dream slipped away, and reached for the phone.

"Good morning Mummy."

"Good morning Pippa. Were you asleep? It is after all 7:00." My mother had many fine qualities I'd inherited, but the ability to rise at 5:00 A.M. and be little Mary Sunshine was not one of them.

"No, of course not Mummy," I lied. "So how are you, and how was Scotland?"

We chatted (or I should say she talked, I listened and added strategic um-hums and really) for the next twenty minutes. I used the time to fully awaken, and I got out of bed, put on my ratty old cotton sweater I used as a robe, pushed my feet into my slippers, and went downstairs to make myself a cup of coffee. Mummy continued to babble on about this and that, when she suddenly switched gears and went for the kill.

"So darling, why this sudden interest in hockey?" Mom inquired in a way that made Torquemada look like an amateur. I proceeded to tell her the full story, knowing that she had her own network of spies, and would find out anyhow.