Chapter One

"RYAH! RY!" I rolled over and groaned. What a way to wake up. I pulled a pillow over my head and closed my eyes. Before I knew it the pillow was gone and Jenna was standing over me.

"Jesus Jenna!" I yelled at my older sister. "I'm sleeping!"

"I'm goin to work. Do you need a ride?" I glanced at the clock.

"No. I don't have to be at up for another 2 hours. Thanks though." With that she left.

I had moved to Chicago last month and moved in with Jenna. Things were finally starting to fall into place for me. I got a job and, with any luck, I’d be able to get my own place in a few months. I got off the bus and began running towards the arena. Of course the bus would be late on my first day of work, and if that weren’t enough...we hit traffic. I was starting at the daycare center in the United Center and this was so not the impression I wanted to give them of me. I so should have taken the ride with Jenna when she offered it. I bolted through the arena and as I turned the last corner I ran into something hard knocking me to the floor and that something is now on top of me.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?! I’m so sorry!" Great. I thought. I kept my eyes closed hoping that whoever this guy was would just go away and let me deal with my embarrassment alone.

"Uh huh. Peachy." I opened my eyes to see a gorgeous face hovering over mine and as I stared into his warm eyes my thoughts seemed to escape my head.

"Are you sure?! You hit the floor pretty hard. You didn't hit your head did you?" Had I? I don't really know.

"I'm not sure." We looked at each other for another second. "You can get off me now." He smirked at me.

"I kind of like being on top of you. And besides...if you hit your head you shouldn’t get up just yet."

"I’ll take my chances. You kinda stink anyways." I said motioning to the hockey gear he had on. He chuckled and pulled me to my feet. He was quite tall. Just about everyone and their mother is taller than me, but with the skates on he had a good foot on me.

"What's your name?" He asked. I hesitated, looking at him sceptically. I don't normally go giving my name out to random strangers. Especially ones who admit that they like being on top of me the first time we meet, but I went against better judgement and told him.

"Ryah."

"Ryah." He repeated. "That’s different...I like it. I’m Jonathan." He said, extending his hand out and I shook it.

"Well...nice to meet you...kinda of. But I've gotta go." I turned away from him and continued down the hallway.

"Ryah!" He called after me. When he got to where I was he pulled my cell phone out of my pants pocket and began punching what I assumed was his number into it. He then handed it back to me. "Give me a call sometime. Soon preferably. I want to take you out to dinner to make up for pinning you to the arena floor while in my nasty practice gear." He flashed me a toothy smile.

"Oh, well...I don't.."

"Just think about it." He began walking away and turned to face me again. "You won't regret it." He winked and then was gone. Who did this guy think he was?! First he winds up on top of me on the filthy floor, violates my phone and now he expects me to go on a date with him? Not a chance.