I Wanna Be An Ostrich

"Hey, I am going to head home I think."

"Are you sure you don't want to ride with us?" There it was. That small town boy upbringing. He was raised to respect women or at least pretend he did. No, he cared about her. Just not in the way she wanted him to.

"Sidney, that is ridiculous. She lives on the otherside of town."

"Yeah, Kathyrn is right Sid. It is no big deal. I will just call a cab and go wait inside. You guys can head home."

"Okay... sorry that your ride bailed." He said truly regretful leaving her all alone.

"Max will be Max anythime some cute little tail walks by. I shouldn't have expected any less."

"Yeah... Your right... bye Grace"

"Bye"

She watched them head to Kathyrn's car and she began thinking about how she got her nickname-- Grace.

-FLASHBACK: Summer 2006-

"You know what your doing, Right?" She watched her flamboyant boss ready himself for the shoot.

"Yeah, I think so. I am taking care of finishing touches on set design. Yes?"

"And laying out equipment, making sure lighting is right, and any little odd jobs I think need taken care of."

"ahh... The glamourous life of an intern."

" I told you what you were getting into when I hired you."

"You did."She conceded.

"Alright now grab these boxes and head to set. Make me remember why I hired you."

"Will do"

"Oh and Eleanor, make it work."

She laughed out loud, "I thought Adam told you you couldn't watch Project Runway anymore."

"He did, but they show reruns on the night of his book club, so I watch it before he gets home."

"Devious"

"I try."

Eleanor just smiled and headed for set. She was nervous about doing her first real photo shoot. Albeit, she was the errand runner, not the Set Designer or the Photographer, but it was a start. She teetered precariously down the stairs carrying boxes of film, lighting gadgets, and little odds and ends, thinking about her life. Christopher Johnson was one of the most promienent photographers on the east coast, he had done numerous spreads in national and global magazines and had worked with some of the biggest names in the business. However, he was a hometown boy at heart and when it came down to the location of his own company, he stayed trued to his roots and choose Pittsburgh. She had been extremely lucky to get an internship with him, in fact she had been certain she was not going to get it, but she did and couldn't have been more ecstatic about it. She also worked part time at an Art Gallery and was trying to finish up her degree in business.  Eleanor liked where she was at in her life. She confidently  strode down the stairs lost in her own little world, until her feel slid off the step sending her sliding down the stairs on her ass. The boxes rolled like dice in Las Vegas and she thanked God they were taped shut. Then she heard a high girlish sounding giggle and her face went from slightly pink to dark crimson upon realizing she had an audience.

"Are...You...Okay..." he managed to choke out between his chortiling.

"I am fine thank you very much.: She tried to hop but slipped on the slick concrete floors again with a charming squaking noise. That only seemed to send his cackiling into a frenzy.

"Here," He offered extending his hand "let me help."

She tentatively took his hand. It was big and rough and swallowed her own delicate hands. He pulled her up with little problem and she finally got a look at her spectator.  He was good looking with full lips and big honey eyes. He also happened to be a PR Agents dream because he was Sidney Crosby, a dying breed of athlete. The kind who actually cared about appearing to have a clean image, discretion was the name of his game.

They both just stood in the bleak, empty hallway. He was still trying to subdue himself and her embarrassment filled up the space so thickly you could cut it with a knife. She decided to break the silence.

"Well, now that my comedy act is over I am going to go."

"Bye" He said still bemused

"Yeah" was the only response she could conjure up.

She ran onto the set with the boxes, setting everything up quickly, laying out all Christopher's equipment. when Chris finally came in she asked if he woud need her at all during the shoot.

"Maybe in between shoots when the guys are coming in."

"Okay. But I don't have to say on set the entire time?"

"No."

"Okay, I am going to go wait in the back."

"Are you sure it is your first big shoot?"

"Yeah. Maybe I will watch some of the guys later today."

"Famous Athletes are kind overwhelming."

"Yeah," she lied.

She went and hid in the back room where they kept the Kraft service. Honestly, she could care less if he was famous or not, people were people. She was just embarassed over making an ass of herself in front of someone, a cute someone, a cute someone who happened to be client. She was not someone who fell apart over the big things, but the little things. That one incident had shot her confidence and she became a bundle of nerves. Her back slid down the rough, bumpy surface of brick. She sat with her head between her knees for quite sometime. The only thing that pulled her out of her meditation was the slam of the fridge shutting. Her head shot up smacking against the brick wall with a loud thud. She heard a snort and she wondered who she had killed in a past life to deserve this much embarassment in front of one person.

"You okay."

"Yes! Aren't you supposed to be on set right now?" Her tone was probably sharper than the situation warrented, but she couldn't have cared less.

"No, they needed to adjust the lighting because it looked of in the test shot. They said It would be a few minutes and I could just relax until they needed me. I just can't mess up anything or I have to be reset." He seemed to be just talking outloud rather than to her specifically. Very different from the reserved, stoic Pittsburgh Penguins Captain. " I am Sidney, by the way."

"I know"

"Hockey Fan?" He seemed hesitant to know her answer.

"Well, that and your name is on our client sheet."

"Oh yeah" he said with a self conscience, oh-duh kind of smile. "What's your..."

"MR.CROSBY, THEY'RE READY FOR YOU!" A voice from down the hall called.

"COMING!" He looked back down to her spot on the floor. "Bye Grace, it was... an experience meeting you." He said with a teasing smile and walked out the door.

"Ugh! Way to go Eleanor." She muttered to herself. Thank god no one else had been privy to her little accidents. At the moment she just wanted to stick her head in the ground and never come out. How great it would be to be an ostrich.

- END FLASHBACK-