Why did the Mitch Marner ask me to go to a party with him? No idea. But here I am. Well, not technically, because I'm sitting in my car debating whether I stand him up or not. My best friend, Jamie, told me I should wear the dress I have that looks exactly like Mia's from La La Land.
I know there aren't costumes, but I would've had no other reason to wear this dress, and besides it's a pretty low key costume.
I've watched a couple of people go in, some I recognize. The others, which I assume to be WAG's, I don't recognize too well. I know the team, but I don't know the team if that makes sense, hence the reason I'm nervous right now. Maybe if I go in there and get a drink, I'll loosen up a little bit, take the edge off of things.
Now that I have a plan, I'm confused as to why my legs aren't carrying my there. I'm still here, sitting in my car.
I can do this, I just have to walk the short distance to the door, and then I'll go get a drink. Hopefully I don't run into anyone on my way there.
Okay, I'm doing this now. There's no turning back, I'm out of the car and walking towards the door.
"Hi, I'm not too early, am I?" I step inside his house. I've never been here before, but it's really nice. I didn't expect otherwise, considering how much money he's getting from his contract.
"Nope, everyone's getting here right about now." He says. He's wearing a white button up with dark gray dress pants and a black tie. I feel like I've seen this outfit somewhere before.
"Mia?" He asks. A smile grows on my face. Then it clicks for me, he's dressed as Seb from La La Land.
"Yeah, I know I didn't need to come in a costume but I bought this a while ago and didn't think I would have another chance to wear it." I say.
"Well, luckily for you, I'm Seb." That chances of us both being in a matching costume.. sort of without talking about it whatsoever is the biggest coincidence that's ever happened to me. But also, I don't believe in coincidences, everything happens for a reason.
I look down at is outfit, pretending I'm just now noticing that we are dressed this was. "I didn't even notice! That's so cool." I say.
I've never denied to myself that Mitch is a pretty attractive guy, but I know he's not looking for a relationship right now, and neither am I.. I think?
He opens his mouth to say something else, but gets interrupted by a voice in the distance. "Liz! You made it. I'm so glad." I connect the voice to the face and it's Auston. He brings me in for a hug I didn't really want.
The thing about Auston is he's... not my favorite guy on the team to put it lightly. He has such a bad personality but no one calls him out for it because he's a really good player.
"Let's go get a drink, Lizzy." Mitch says. I hope they have something other than beer, I'm not really a beer drinker.
Contrary to my hopes, there's only beer in the fridge. Who throws a party without Vodka? "It's okay, I'm not a big drinker anyways." I say.
I was sort of hoping for a drink, to take the edge off but I guess I'm going to have to go without. That's not the worst, though. I still have to drive myself home.
It is a party, and whoever has control of music is doing a great job, so I make my way to the dance floor.
I find a couple of girls there, three blondes and one brunette, definitely WAG material. They invite me to dance with them, and they seem pretty nice so I do.
"Are you a WAG?" One of the blondes asks.
"No, she's Coach Keefe's daughter." The brunette says to the blonde that asked the question.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know, it's nice to meet you, Liz!"
"Nice to meet you, too." I notice they have plastic cups that aren't beer, but I don't ask them where they got them from.
We migrate off the dance floor, to actually talk, and we end up chatting for a little while. They tell me their names, Dayna who is O'Reilly's wife, Jeska who is Schenn's wife, Aryne who is Taraves wife, and Camilla who is Nylander's wife.
"Ooo! I love this song! Come on girls!" Dayna pulls us onto the dance floor. I recognize the song as 22 by Taylor Swift, hopefully it's Taylor's Version.
We all dance the same way, jumping up and down, weaving our hands through our hair without a care in the world. I can't help but but feel like someone's eyes are on me, but I don't know who. I look around, but I don't see anyone.
"I don't know about you, but I'm feelin' 22!" I remember when the song originally came out in 2012, I couldn't wait until I turned 22 so that I could finally mean it.
I can only relate to this for a couple more months until I turn 23, then I'll need to find a new song to sing with my whole chest.
A new song plays and I feel those eyes on me again. I look around again, but I still doesn't see anyone looking at me. After the song ends, I look around more obviously to see who is looking at me.
"What's wrong?" Dayna asks me.
"Someone is staring at me and I can't figure out who it is." I say.
"It's Mitch." Camilla says. She directs my attention to a person standing in the corner with a beer in hand, it's most definitely Mitch.
"I'm gonna go find my husband, it was great meeting you, Liz." Jeska says. Apparently they travel in packs, because they all leave too.
"You're just to good to be true, I can't take my eyes off of you." Why would this song be playing at a party? An NHL halloween party at that? I don't know but I'm certainly not complaining.
He takes a sip of his beer while looking directly at me the whole time. I'm just standing there, and I feel like we are the only two people in the room, maybe even the world in that moment.
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I can't take this awkwardness anymore, so I keep dancing like I was before, but this time I don't take my eyes off of him.
"I love you, baby and if it's quite alright. I need you, baby to warm these lonely nights." He smiles, shakes his head and looks down before taking a sip of his beer.
I'm glad he asked me to this party.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
i'm watching rep stadium tour rn, and the poem before getaway car is my favorite thing ever
"may your heart remain breakable, but never by the same hand twice."
