My Life's Playlist Ch. 02

Legal disclaimer time: The people in my story are totally made up and shouldn't have any resemblance to any current or past hockey player. Once again I'm developing characters and plot, so be patient and hang in there!

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Song 2

java,I love java sweet and hot,
Whoops, Mister Moto, I'm a coffee pot
Shoot me the pot, and I'll pour me a shot,
A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup!

"Java Jive" --Ben Oakland & Milton Drake

The next morning I awoke to the sun streaming through my bedroom window. I yawned, untangled Beau from around my knees, stretched, and looked at my alarm clock. I looked a second time, and went into what Annie refers to as my Four Weddings and a Funeral morning mode. You know the scene; Hugh Grant looks at his alarm clock, and then starts a stream of obscenities while he wakes his sister, who joins him using words that make you wonder if she kisses her Mum with that mouth. About once a month, I would forget to set my alarm clock, and just like Hugh I would wake up late, scream a string of words that would make a sailor blush, throw on clothes, and try to get out the door in time for my train.

I ran to my bathroom, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and threw on my make-up. This week was Red Ribbon Week at school, when we promote anti-drug themes. Today we were supposed to wear red, so I threw on my red checked blouse, red sailcloth skirt, and white cardigan. I pushed my feet into my red Keds, scrapped my hair back into a ponytail, and added a red ribbon with the same checked pattern as my blouse. (I blame my mom for the bow addiction. I know that at almost thirty it was probably time for me to give them up, but when I had been a baby with very fine hair she had scotch taped one in my hair, and the rest, as they say is history.) The only jewelry I wear are a pair of pearl stud earrings that had been my Grandmother Phillipa's, my class signet ring from W & M and the watch my parents gave me for graduation. (I used to also sport a rather large diamond solitaire engagement ring, but I wasn't dwelling on that anymore, and besides I had always thought it was rather ostentatious and should have been a clue that Richard didn't really know anything about my tastes!) I grabbed my canvas tote and ran out the door with fifteen minutes to spare.

Okay, it's confession time. I am a coffee addict in the morning. Even my kids know this about me. Just last week I overheard one of our kids Miguel tell M-squared that he always asks me if I am fully caffeinated because "Miss Rhys-Hall is really funny if she is fully caffeinated, but I've learned to just sit and keep my mouth shut if she's not." The truth hurts, but lucky for him there is a coffee shop right next to the entrance for my Metro Station, and I stopped every morning for my fix; the biggest skinny café au lait they made with one Splenda. Luckily, this morning Scott was the barista, and as soon as he saw me, he started my drink. He and I went through our usually morning banter, and I rushed out of the shop with ten minutes left to make my train.

I glanced down into my tote to find my rail pass when all of a sudden it felt as if I'd run into a brick wall. As Newton's third law of motion says "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction", so I found myself sprawled on my butt, wearing my coffee.

"Son of a super model!" I yelped using one of my favorite substitute swears I'd gotten used to using since I started my teaching career.

"A surgeon and pianist actually," rumbled the brick wall in a deep, slightly accented voice. I looked up to find a rather large hand up being offered to me. Having been taught at an early age the saying, "any port in a storm" I took it, and found myself being pulled up to my feet. As I continued to look up, I found the wall was bending down so that we could meet eye to eye as it were. Sky blue they were, intense and gulp inducing. The color alone, along with insanely long dark blonde eyelashes helped them stand out on his tan, angular face. His nose looked as if it had been broken, and saved his face from being too pretty. He was grinning at me, revealing a small chip in one of his teeth. His tousled hair was that sun lit blonde that some of my friends paid huge sums of money to obtain at the salon. As he straightened to his full height, I could see why I thought he had been a wall. He had to be at least six foot four, with long legs, broad shoulders, and a solid frame. I could attest that his percentage of body fat, unlike mine, was in the negative numbers. He was wearing running shorts and a Washington Capitals t-shirt.

"I'm sorry," the wall rumbled. "I was so intent on my pace and music that I didn't see you there. It is however, partially your fault. You really weren't looking where you were going."

"Look idiot boy, I snapped removing my hand from his large paw, "anyone with a smidgeon of sense knows that you don't run through Old Towne during the morning rush hour."

All of a sudden, I noticed a group of people coming up from the station. I glanced at my watch and realized I now had exactly three minutes to make my train. Swearing another blue streak, I picked up my tote and ran down the stairs two at a time to get to the tracks, and jumped on the train just as the doors were about to close. As I was running, I could have sworn I heard the wall chuckle, and say something in another language.

Angela worked in the city, so every morning Ted would drop her at the Metro station near their house and our school. She caught her train about the time mine came in, so Ted and I worked out a deal where I provided free overnight babysitting two nights a month and he picked me from the station and drove me to school. I loved not having to hassle with the drive, or trying to catch the bus. It had the added bonus of allowing me to spend some quality time with Theo who was dropped at his preschool on our way in. This morning, however, I was definitely not in a chatty mood.

"You look good in what you drink Pippa," Ted said as he cocked his eyebrow at me. "I guess this means you are not caffeinated this morning. I'll need to warn Miguel."

"Bite me Adamson," I groused at him. "Some giant jerk of a jogger ran straight into me as I came out of the coffee shop. Ok, so I was rummaging in my bag instead of looking up, but he should have had enough sense to be paying attention."

"So why didn't you just go home and change?"

"Not enough time. Besides, you know ever since I had to spend the day in a mustard soaked blouse and khakis I keep a change of clothes in my room. Now all I have to do is convince Lee to let me use the coach's shower in her office. Can you snag my kids if I'm not done by the time the bell rings?"

"Sure, no worries."

"Aunt Pippa, guess what Daddy and I did this weekend?" piped my favorite voice from the backseat. "We watched the Capitals beat the Rangers! They really were rocked the red! What did you bring me from the beach?"

Now it was time for me to give the cocked eyebrow stare. "Ted I see your hockey indoctrination program is still a success. Just so, you know the running man was wearing a Capitals t-shirt. To answer your question Theo, I brought you a new shell for your collection and some sea glass."

To say that Ted is a rabid hockey fan is to say that World War II was a small skirmish between a few countries. The man lived, breathed, and dreamed about hockey before, during, and after the season. He had a picture of his dog in street hockey pads on his desk at school. His man cave was a shrine to our local team. Pictures, magazine covers, and pennants lined his walls, and he never missed a televised game. He even had that premium package so that he could watch games that weren't being locally televised. It was pointless to try and call him when a game was on, because unless you were bleeding or on fire, he wasn't talking to you until after the game. I sometimes wondered how they ever had Theo, until I remembered his birthday was exactly nine months after the final Stanley Cup game was played that year.

We dropped off Theo and got to school. I proceeded to follow through with my clean-up plan, and with only a few snarky comments from my fellow staff members about my grace, or lack thereof, I managed to make it back to my room as the bell rang. As my homeroom unpacked and prepared for the day. I noticed a large steaming cup of coffee on my desk, along with a note.

Pippa,

I decided to save our kids from a decaffeinated you. Enjoy, and remember I want the mug back. It's my favorite.

Ted

It was then I noticed the mug carried the Capitals logo. The man had an ugly sense of humor. I shrugged and muttered, "He is evil, and he must die". The late bell rang and I settled my class down for self-selected reading time.

Song 3

Oh that sweet little mystery that's in your heart
It's just that sweet little mystery that makes me try.

"Sweet Little Mystery"-John Martyn

The day continued much like any other. I taught my classes, met with parents, and ate a delicious school cafeteria lunch (not). I have to admit I was still not a happy camper about this morning's christening by coffee, but since my chances of seeing the wall again were zero to none, he was safe from the wrath of a woman denied her coffee fix and I was safe from a jail sentence for causing great bodily harm.

Now there is nothing I hate more than a puzzlement, but my seventh period planning time brought me a huge one.

"Hey Miss R-H," bubbled the vivacious Katie. She was thirteen and one of the three girls in my homeroom that I lovingly referred to as "the giggle triplets". Her friendliness made her the perfect candidate for her job as office helper this period. "This package came to the office for you." She held out a business envelope, addressed in an unfamiliar hand that bore the logo for the Capitals.

"Mr. Adamson is so very dead!"

"Why Miss. R-H?"

"He gave you this envelope didn't he Katie?"

"No ma'am. Some guy brought it to the office just now and Mrs. Williams told me to bring it to you."

"Describe said guy."

"He was really tall with blonde hair, blue eyes and it sounds like English is not his first language. I have to say Miss R-H he was hot with a capitol HA! Is he your boyfriend?"

"Umm, no," I stammered. "I think he's the guy who I ran into literally this morning. Ok, thanks for your help."

"No problem, but aren't you going to open it?" she said with an anticipatory gleam in her eye.

"Are you kidding? See you later Miss Nosey. Close my door please."

She turned and left the room. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap! How had he found me? Okay, I didn't know yet if it was really him. Only one way to find out. I opened the envelope and what I found left me even more confused.

Dear Pippa,

I'm very sorry for our encounter this morning. I understand your godson and his father are huge hockey fans. Enclosed please find three tickets for Friday's game so that you can enjoy it together. I am also enclosing a gift card so that you can purchase the replacement cup of coffee I didn't have a chance to buy you. I hope we meet again, under dryer circumstances.

Sincerely,

Tor

How had he found out so much about me? My name, the fact that Theo and Ted were hockey fanatics, where I taught. This was quickly moving from a mystery to something that looked more sinister. Did I have a stalker? Why would anyone stalk me? I wasn't famous. I wasn't drop dead gorgeous. And what kind of name was Tor anyhow? I knew a few Torr's from attending parties in Scotland with my Grandmother, but this one wasn't spelled the same, and he definitely didn't sound Scottish. The bell signaling the end of seventh period startled me from my thoughts. I grabbed my keys and went out to car duty.

When I exited my Metro station at the end of the day, I noticed the sun was starting to set. It had turned into one of those glorious Indian summer days, warm, but not humid, with just a touch of coolness in the breeze. As I walked home, I decided that Annie had had enough oatmeal for dinner, and I was in the mood to cook. Stopping at the store, I picked up the ingredients to make her favorite pasta primavera, knowing that the vegetable prep would take my mind off my mystery.

I climbed the steps and opened the federal blue front door of our house. I picked up the mail, threw it on the console table under the front window, walked a short distance down the hall and hung my tote on the cherry hall tree I had inherited from my Grandmother. Beau was sitting in front of it, on the rag rug that protected the hardwood floor from the outside dirt. He immediately started meowing for a drink of water. One of his more quirky habits was that he liked to drink out of the faucets of our bathroom sinks. I continued down the hall past the stairs to the half bath and filled the sink for him.

One of the things Annie's parents had done when we moved in was remodel the downstairs living areas. They had contractors come in and make the four smaller rooms that had been there into two large open areas. The front of the room was our living area. It featured a working wood fireplace, hardwood floors, and built in bookcases. The contractors were able to spare the original doors, fireplace mantel and moldings. We had decorated with cast-offs from our parents and grandparents houses. My Grammy Fee's mahogany occasional tables were scattered with her collection of Belleek porcelain and Chinese export lamps along with Grandmother Phillipa's Battersea boxes, Jasperware and Herrend animals. Annie's Grandmother collected and painted the exquisite floral watercolors that graced the walls along with pastel portraits of all four of our Grandmothers and both our Mothers as children. Her Persian carpets were scattered throughout the room, and went well with Grandmother Phillipa's overstuffed yellow and blue floral chintz chairs and sofa. Annie's Grandma from Tennessee's antique calendar clock took pride of place on the mantel, along with the silver candelabras she had received as a wedding gift. Annie and I had provided the TV and stereo equipment. Pride of place in front of the side window sat the grand piano that Annie had gotten as a med school graduation present from her parents. Silver framed pictures of us, our friends, and family adorned its top. At the back of the room to the right were a formal cherry dining room table and eight chairs, along with a matching corner cupboard. The dining room table faced a pair of French doors that opened onto the back patio and garden.

Separated from the dining and living rooms by a long granite bar was the kitchen. Her parents figured the stainless steel appliances and granite countertops would just add to the value of the house, and would encourage us to eat in. It was light and airy, with a big window looking out onto our small back garden. There was just enough room by the window for a small table and two chairs. I set places for both of us, and arranged the fall colored mums I had bought at the flower stand.

I had just finished putting the water on to boil when Annie banged into the kitchen. She was still dressed in her blue scrubs, but she even managed to make those look like designer clothes. I could tell her weekend on call had taken a toll on her, but she perked up when she saw I had made her favorite dinner. Her perkiness could also be from the fact she had the next day off, and didn't have to return to the hospital until Wednesday at 5:00 a.m.

"That smells great Pippa. To what do I owe the honor of my favorite dinner? And how was the beach?"

"The beach was great and you know that I love to cook when I'm in the mood. I'm also getting tired of watching you eat oatmeal. Besides something really weird happened today, and I needed to do something to take my mind off of it."

"Spill it."

"Well that term is actually a rather accurate description of how this whole mystery started," I replied. I proceeded to fill her in on the rest as I poured each of us a glass of Pinot Gris and we started on our pasta.

Annie thought for a minute. "Well I can solve one mystery for you. Tor is a nickname for any Swedish name that starts that way like Torgny, Torkel, or Torsten. Given your description of him along with the fact he has an accent, I'd bet that he is Swedish."

"Okay, that makes sense. How do you think he found out so much about me?"

Annie stifled a large yawn, pushed her empty plate away and replied, "I don't know. Why don't you ask the guys in the coffee shop, since he obviously got the gift card there? Now stop worrying. I'm headed for a hot shower and my bed, and I don't plan to wake up until Wednesday morning. Sleep well Pipster."

"You too Annster."

After I cleaned up the kitchen, I decided to have another glass of wine and read in the den. When I started to get tired, I whistled in the back yard for Beau (yes he only responds to whistles, another dog trait), locked up and went upstairs to my bedroom. Once again, Annie's parents had worked miracles, taking four pokey rooms and an out of date bathroom and turned them into two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Mine was in front and overlooked the street, while Annie's had a garden view. After a hot bath and a glance at my e-mail, I fell into bed.

The next morning I managed to wake up with my alarm, so I wasn't quite as rushed. I was however eager to ask Scott what he knew about the wall. Luckily, he was there when I arrived, and he solved a large part of the mystery before I even had a chance to ask.

"So, did you get your card and tickets Pippa?" he asked, with a sly grin on his face.

"Yes," I answered in an annoyed tone. "Since when did you give my personal information out to a total stranger?"

"You mean you didn't recognize him. Pippa, that stranger was Tor Edvardson. He plays forward for the Capitals. Geez, Ted would be so disappointed that you didn't know that."

Well, that explained the mystery, and certainly gave me something to ponder during my ride into school. Why would he go to so much trouble to find me? It should have been obvious from our short encounter that I had no idea of who he was; therefore, I probably knew absolutely nothing about hockey. Being a naturally suspicious person, I couldn't figure out why he was going to so much trouble to apologize. The doorbell chime that signaled the train approaching the station brought me out of my brooding, and I headed up toward the sunlight.