Breaking Through The Ice Ch. 07

The girls watched the game against Philadelphia together that night. Lena decided to spend the night since none of them had to work early the next day. There was a full bottle of wine to share and several plates and bowls of munchies.

"At this rate, the guys are going to start thinking we're alcoholics," Mina commented as she polished off her first glass of wine.

Hilary snorted and shook her head. "Hardly. Have you seen how much they put away on their off-nights?"

Lena nudged the blonde with a toe. They were sprawled out on the couch and Mina had the easy chair all to herself off to one side.

"Come on, Hil. You know as well as I do that they don't really tie one on during the season," Lena said.

Hilary grinned. "Yeah, but we both know they sure make up for it in the off season."

The two women dissolved into laughter and Mina shook her head. "Maybe it's time to take a break from the wine."

Lena and Hilary protested but Mina ignored them. She carried the wine to the kitchen, stoppered it and returned with fresh snacks. As the game resumed at the end of the first intermission, the women forgot about their drinks and focused instead on hockey.

Less than two minutes in, the three of them were on their feet screaming as a goal went in off Drew's stick. Mina stared at the screen, her hands at her throat as her heart threatened to pound right out of her chest. Hilary and Lena jostled her from one side and they all laughed, excited for the commanding 3-0 lead the Capitals had just taken.

If someone had told Mina a year ago that she'd be so emotionally invested in a sport she'd never had any interest in before, she'd have told them they were crazy. Now, grin wide across her face, she felt exhilarated just from watching the game on TV. She watched Drew as the camera panned in close on his face as they announced the goal. She couldn't wait to tell him how proud she was of him.

Who knew their tentative friendship would have changed so much in such a short amount of time? In another few days, they'd be driving to Baltimore for her father's birthday celebration and she'd be introducing him as her boyfriend. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the giddy giggle that rose up in her chest.

Lawrence-Shmawrence. She clasped her hands together in her lap and settled back to watch the rest of the game, the brief thought of her ex-fiancé not enough to erase the smile from her face.

She almost wished she didn't have to work the next two nights. Drew would be off again for a brief trip to Eastern Canada and then it would be time for the trip to Baltimore. At this rate they wouldn't have any time alone together, ever.

At the second intermission, the women started to discuss Lena's wedding plans.

"I think Obie is more interested than he pretends to be," Lena mused as she curled a lock of brown hair around one finger. "I don't push anything on him, what with the end of the season coming up, but whenever I bring something up, or if he sees me making notes, he asks me about it."

"I should hope he'd be interested." Mina smiled.

"Yeah." Lena grinned and set her empty wine glass down on the table. She'd been nursing her last inch of wine for about fifteen minutes. "I thought he'd argue with me over everything."

Hilary laughed. "That sounds about right."

"And he's not?" Mina asked. She couldn't help but recall the aborted plans she'd made with Lawrence. He'd done most of it. In fact, he'd had most everything planned before he'd deigned to put a ring on her finger. She shook her head at the memory. How stupid she'd been to think it was his way of being romantic and considerate.

"We haven't gone too far with the planning, so there's not much to argue over," Lena said. "So far, we're just trying to figure out how to do this between the two countries."

Mina nodded. Since Obie was a Russian and Lena American, there'd be some international paperwork to take care of. Lena was smart and organized and Mina had no doubt it would all be sorted in time.

"Does he want a Russian Orthodox ceremony instead of a non-religious one?" Hilary asked.

Lena shrugged. "He hasn't come right out and said it, but I think he does." A soft smile settled over her features. "To be honest, I want one too. My family isn't religious or steeped in tradition. They wouldn't care one way or another and I like the idea of giving that to Obie."

"He'll love that." Mina smiled and reached out to squeeze her friend's knee.

"You think so?"

The other two nodded.

"I've been talking to his family a lot and they've been super helpful with getting me information from Moscow." Lena straightened and grew more animated as the discussion went on.

Mina reclined back in her seat and thought about her relationship with Lawrence. She'd never felt that way about him. She'd flipped back and forth between resignation and excitement over someone wanting to marry her. She'd honestly thought she could do no better than Lawrence.

Now she was dating Drew and she hated always comparing the two but what other measure did she have? She'd only ever been with Lawrence and other dates had been just that, single dates. Nothing beyond handshakes and hugs. No wonder it was so hard for her to believe that Drew thought of her that way.

If he does at all, she added and pursed her lips as the game started back up again.

****

Sunday rolled around much faster than Mina would have thought. Days went by in a blur of work, hockey and sleep. Before she knew it, she was packing her supplies in the kitchen when the apartment buzzer went off.

"Hey, it's me," Drew's deep voice came through the tinny connection.

"Come on up." Mina pushed the button to let him in.

A minute later, he walked into the kitchen and she turned to him with a smile.

"Hey, stranger."

He laughed and pulled her close for a hug. "No kidding. I don't ever want to go this long without seeing you again."

Mina laughed and hugged him back. No matter how her doubts swirled through her head in a constant tangle, Drew always made her feel better when he was around.

"You might change your mind in a few hours."

Drew shook his head and released her. She moved away to finish stuffing the ingredients for her father's cake into her bag.

"I'm looking forward to meeting your family, Mina."

She glanced at him with a smile. "You say that now..."

He laughed and shook his head. "Come on. You've heard every dirty detail of my family and you're still with me. I think I can handle whatever yours throws my way."

"Well, I've prepped you as best as can be expected." She faced him with a smile and put her hands on her hips. "Just remember not to be insulted when my dad says hockey's all right for some guys, and don't mind my brother when he starts ranting about March Madness."

Drew cocked an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "And your sister?"

Mina frowned. "It'd probably be best if you could just avoid her."

He laughed. "That might be kind of hard to pull off since there'll only be five of us there."

"Just don't get into a debate over art with her."

"Oh please." Drew scoffed and waved a hand in the air. "The only thing I know about art is that it goes on the wall."

Mina laughed. She finished packing and grabbed her purse and coat before they left.

The drive to Baltimore was uneventful. There was a minor traffic snafu on I-95 but after that, it was smooth sailing. They got to Mina's childhood home in a southern suburb of Baltimore around two in the afternoon. Mina was relieved to see that only her brother and father were at the house when they pulled up.

Carl Jenkins walked out onto the front porch and waited with a wide grin as Mina and Drew walked up to the house.

"Hi, Dad!" Mina hurried up and into his arms.

"Wilhelmina, it's so good to see you, sweetheart!" He squeezed her until she saw stars and then set her back on her feet as he scrutinized her face. "You look thin. Are you eating enough?"

Mina laughed and brushed his hands off. "Of course I do. I'm a chef."

He tsked and nudged her chin with one hand. "I know you make food for everyone else, sweetheart, but I never know if you eat it yourself."

"Occasionally, Dad."

"And who's this, now?" He turned to Drew with a smile as he slung an arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"Dad, this is Drew Stamenski. Drew, my dad, Carl Jenkins."

"Hello, Mr. Jenkins. I'm so happy to meet you at last." Drew stepped forward and held his hand out.

Carl shook it and grinned. "Carl, please. And it's great to meet you, Drew. Even if you are just a hockey player."

Mina gasped and elbowed him in the side side. "Dad!"

Drew and Carl laughed together and they all turned to walk into the house. Mina spotted her brother in front of the TV and set her bag down in the kitchen before walking out to the living room.

"Hey, Adam!"

He lifted a hand in a wave without turning his face away from the screen. Mina sighed and walked over. She blocked his view, ignored his protests and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Gah! Mina, come on!" He waved his arms around and Mina laughed as she kissed him again.

"Take a break for two seconds, Adam," Mina said. "I want you to meet someone."

Adam's eyes flicked from the screen to her face and he grinned. "Oh yeah, Dad said you were bringing your boyfriend."

Mina laughed and waved Drew closer. "Drew, this is my brother, Adam. Adam, this is Drew."

Adam stood up and shook Drew's hand. Then Drew glanced at the TV and his eyes widened.

"Oh wow, VCU is leading?"

Adam nodded and the two men settled onto the couch. Mina watched them, a wry smile on her face, as they started talking as if they'd been friends for years. She left them there and walked into the kitchen. Her father followed and they talked about work while she started to pull everything out for the cake.

"It's been a busy week for me," Mina said as she donned her apron. "I can't believe how many functions have been held at the club since last Monday."

Her father nodded as he walked over to grab a beer from the fridge. "Would you like something to drink?"

"I'll just have an iced tea, thanks." Mina grabbed a bowl from his cupboard and started to dump the dry ingredients into it.

"Are they short-staffed at the club?"

"No. I don't think that's the problem. They're just busier than I'm used to."

"Didn't Creston's ever get busy like that?" Carl sipped his beer and made himself comfortable at the kitchen table as Mina continued to measure out ingredients for the cake.

Mina recalled her days at the upscale restaurant in downtown Baltimore and shook her head. "Creston's always did more business over the lunch hour than anything else. Dinners went much smoother. The club though, I never know when it's going to get crazy."

"It's only been a couple weeks. You'll adjust."

Mina smiled at her father and nodded. "You're right."

"So what are you mixing up there?"

Mina laughed. "It's a surprise."

"But it's my cake!"

"You'll like it, trust me."

"I really liked that raspberry thing you made when you came to my place, Mina," Drew spoke up as he walked into the kitchen.

"Drew, I'm so sorry, I didn't even offer you a drink." Carl jumped up and walked to the fridge. "I've got beer, iced tea, soda...?"

"I'll have a beer, thanks." Drew winked when Mina glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Had enough of basketball already?" Mina asked.

"No." Drew accepted the bottle from her dad and sat down at the table across from him. "I just like to watch you work."

Mina smiled and turned back the bowl. It took her a minute to remember what she'd just added to the mix and she cursed herself.

"I love to watch her cook, too," her dad spoke up. "When she really gets going, it's like watching an artist at work."

"Hardly," a new voice scoffed from the kitchen doorway.

Mina tensed at the sound of her sister's voice but managed to paste a smile on her face as she turned from the counter. "Alexis, hi."

Her sister was wearing an immaculate outfit of a tailored floral blouse and a fitted black pencil skirt that showed her slender curves off to perfection. Her hair was arranged into an elegant style and all together, she looked like she'd just come from a photo shoot. "Hello, Mini." She grinned at Mina before her eyes slid across to Drew. Her manicured eyebrows rose and she walked forward. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Drew Stamenski." Drew stood up and held his hand out for her to shake.

Mina watched as her sister barely grasped his fingers. Drew shot Mina a look that made her grin.

"So nice to meet you, Drew. What brings you here today? Are you a friend of my father's?"

Drew grinned and shook his head. "No, I'm Mina's boyfriend."

Alexis laughed, a sharp sound that set Mina's hair on end. "You're kidding."

Mina wanted to look away but couldn't. She felt her face burning as she looked at Drew, waiting for his response.

His smile faded and he shook his head. "Why would I kid? I'm here with Mina. We've been dating for about a month now."

Mina opened her mouth to protest but she kept quiet. OK then. I guess we've been together for a month, she thought and bit her lip.

"Well." Alexis seemed at a loss for words. "How nice." She spun towards Carl and leaned down to embrace him. "Happy birthday, Daddy."

As Carl and Alexis chatted, Drew walked to stand beside Mina at the counter.

"A month?" she whispered when he leaned close to observe her work.

He grinned and nodded. "Is that a problem?"

Mina looked up and met his gaze, her eyes going back and forth across his face, looking for any sign of mockery. She should have known better. In a month she'd gotten to know Drew so well that she knew he wouldn't lie. She wanted to kiss him and wrap herself around him but didn't think that would go over so well with the family.

As she stared at Drew's eyes, she saw his pupils expand and wondered if her thoughts were plain on her face. She dropped her eyes to the measuring cup in her hand and Drew cleared his throat before taking a step back.

"So what are you making, Mini?"

Mina tensed at her sister's question and just about threw the measuring cup at Alexis' head. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at her father. "It's a surprise."

Carl laughed and stood up. "Come on, Lexi. Let's join Adam in the living room and let Mina work her magic."

Alexis looked like she wanted to protest but Carl had an arm around her shoulders and none-too-gently hauled his oldest daughter out of the kitchen. Carl was a jovial man, easy-going and considerate of all his kids but he knew when Alexis was getting under Mina's skin. He winked at Mina as they walked out and Mina smiled in gratitude.

"Wow. You weren't kidding."

Mina giggled at Drew's amazed tone. She glanced up and nodded. "Yeah. She's a piece of work, all right."

Drew shook his head and took another sip of beer. "What are you making?"

"A strawberry torte." Mina measured the last of the dry ingredients and set the bowl aside. "It's early for strawberries, I know, but there were some really nice ones at the market yesterday so I picked them up."

"Does your dad like strawberries?"

"Yeah. They're one of his favorites." Mina smiled. "He used to complain if my mom didn't buy any at the market on weekends."

"Does he buy his own now, do you think?"

Mina shrugged. "I guess he must."

For a while, Mina worked in silence, Drew watching her as she measured out this or that and started mixing things together. She didn't feel uncomfortable with him there. If anything, she liked his silent companionship. He sipped his beer and watched her hands but left her more than enough space to maneuver and reach what she needed.

After a short while, she slid the cake pans into the oven and set the timer. When she straightened and brushed her hands down the front of her apron, she heard the click of Drew's bottle landing on the counter. As she turned to face him, he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.

"Drew!" she squeaked and tried to push him away.

"Please, Mina. Just one kiss."

She looked up to his stormy blue eyes and swallowed. She felt weak when he looked at her like that. "One?"

He nodded, his eyes sliding to her lips. "Watching you work, listening to you talking to yourself as you measured things out...I can't take it anymore."

Mina's eyes widened as he spoke. "I talk to myself?"

He chuckled and she felt the vibration all through her body. He'd pulled her right up against him and she clutched at his shoulders.

"Please, Mina."

Before he could say another word, she lifted onto her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his. She meant it to be a brief peck but Drew's hand closed on the back of her head and he licked the line of her lips. She gasped and his tongue slid into her mouth.

Mina let her eyes closed as she gave in to his kiss. His fingers slid through her hair and down to her nape as he took the kiss deeper, licking at the inside of her mouth. She thought she'd melt from the way he languished inside her, tangling around her tongue before retreating. He placed little nibbling kisses along her bottom lip and she let out a breath, feeling light-headed.

"Oh, jeezus," Adam grumbled as he walked into the kitchen. "Get a room, you two."

Mina sprang back from Drew, her face and entire body on fire. "Shut it, Adam."

Her brother smirked and went to the fridge to grab two bottles of beer. "Are you going to keep making out in the kitchen or are you going to be sociable and come out to the living room with the rest of us?"

Mina scowled at him. "I'm going to come out there to kick your ass if you don't shut up."

"Ha! You could try!" He laughed as he walked out of the kitchen.

Drew laughed and reached over to give her hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Mina turned to him with a smile. "You didn't. Adam's just being a jackass."

She reached behind her back to untie the apron and draped it over a kitchen chair. They joined her family in the living room where conversation ebbed and flowed between Adam's shouts at the TV.

"Adam, give it a rest," Mina said at one point and grabbed the remote control before he could react.

"Hey!" he whined.

"I'm just muting it. Relax, you spaz."

Alexis tsked at them and offered Drew an apologetic smile. "They aren't always like this."

"Oh come off it, Lexi." Adam turned on her. "You're not exactly innocent either."

The look Alexis turned on her brother was livid and Mina hid her smile behind a hand as she settled back on the couch next to Drew. He dropped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a smile when she glanced up at him.

"Enough, all of you!" Carl overruled them and gave Drew a rueful smile. "They don't usually act this way in front of company."

"Come on, Dad. Drew's not company. He's with Mina and I'm sure she prepped him on all our shortcomings." Adam laughed at Mina's expression.

"Tell us about yourself, Drew," Alexis broke in before Mina could offer a retort to Adam's comment.

Mina looked over at her sister in time to see Alexis sweep Drew with a considering look. She felt Drew's hand tense on her arm and wondered if he'd noticed it too. Stay calm, Mina. It's only a few hours. Mina took a deep breath and remained silent.

"What do you do for a living?" Alexis asked.

Adam snorted. "He's a hockey player, Lexi. He plays for the Washington Capitals."

"Really?" Alexis sounded impressed and the look she sent Drew's way this time was much more interested, as was the smile on her face.

Drew glanced at Adam. "I didn't know you followed hockey, Adam."

"I don't really. Dad told me that you were a hockey player and I recognized your name then."

"I'm so pleased that you're impressed." Drew's tone was dry and Adam grinned while Carl laughed.