\\.::=TwentyThree=::.//

I had a photo shoot to do for a commercial through Root Sports. It was only the middle of October and it was still pretty warm. I was in jeans and a loose baseball tee with flip flops.

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=85674872

I walked into the building and took direction from the girl at the front desk. I went up in an elevator and down through a few halls before finding the dressing room. I opened it up and struggled inside with my makeup suitcase. I always brought everything with me on a job.

"Oh, miss, let me help you," a man came over and helped grab my bags.

"Thanks!" I smiled. He was very attractive and muscular. He had a tint of red in his facial hair and a beautiful smile. I feel for smiles. "This is the only down fall of my job, honestly," I laughed, making conversation.

He smiled, "Really? I would think making ugly people look beautiful would be harder than that. Fuck my job, I'm becoming a hair dresser!" He threw his arms in the air and make me laugh. "Hey guys! The makeup girl is here to make us attractive beasts!" he shouted into the other room. "I'm James Neal, by the way."

"Raina," I said shaking his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Beautiful name!" he said as a few men walked into the room. I then noticed a few more guys.

Fuck, I'm doing a commercial for the Penguins. Malkin was the only really familiar face I knew. I didn't see Sid or Flower, so that was a sigh of relief. "I'm going to start on you guys now. It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. I know they're about ready to start shooting you guys. I want to make this as painless as possible for you all," I joked. I loved doing guys makeup for things like this. They always giggled as you put powder on them.

A few guys asked me questions about a boyfriend and where I was from. "Well, I'm from the area. I moved around a bit. I just got out of a long relationship. I'm trying to get past it," I said reflecting on the last almost three years. I did date after Sidney just to tickle the sting of loneliness, but it became much more than that. It was as if I was practicing on how to love a person again.

Three years ago
I was meeting a friend of Lily's she was hooking me up with. It was a while since I broke things off with Sid and I just finished with beauty school. The boys name was Travis. From what he sounded like, he wasn't the jock type. He played a few sports growing up, but went to school for engineering and worked for his family on the weekends and summer. It was Christmas time and the malls were busy, but we decided to meet up there and see a movie.

I saw a boy that fit his description and led myself towards him. "Travis?" I asked, now standing in front of his table.

"Hey! Yeah, that's me! Raina, right?"

"Yup, hope you weren't meeting any other girl here!" I laughed.

"Nope! Just one beautiful blonde is all!" His smile was enough to knock me off of my feet. That was the start of a train wreck.

Travis and I fell fast. I moved quickly with him, from sex to us talking about marriage. He made me take a slight backseat to starting my career. We only dated for about ten months before things were cut short. We practically hated one another at one point. We would always talk to our friends to get back at one another. He always treated me like shit, I was a puppet to him. I was wanting love so badly, I just accepted it. His life was falling apart and I was breaking with him. Finally, I had to end things after over two years. It was draining and I needed to get back on track. We just stopped speaking once I found out he had another girl on the side. We never talked it out. I just blocked his number and went my own way. I built my business and became very successful in six months. It was the best choice of my life.

I was brought back to reality. I sighed and noticed I was just about finished, but heard another voice coming down the hall. "I'll be there!" The voice turned the corner and into the room. "Sorry, I'm late! I had an interview."

My body froze. I knew that wondering voice. Sidney Crosby. I finished the last player I had and turned around. Sidney wouldn't of recognized me from behind, with longer, curled hair and a more mature body. I looked at him dead in the eyes and we both froze.