Picture Perfect | Claude Giroux Philadelphia Flyers story |

On the Road Again

"No problem, I know how you get without your coffee," he chuckles.

"Oh no should I be worried?" Tess teases.

"Nah, just don't give her shit before she gets caffeine in her system- Claude's all too familiar with that," Bray admits with another big laugh. Tess looks to Claude and Brayden anticipating a story.

"Yeah- it'll result in your own coffee ending up all over your face and clothes," Claude laughs.

I shrug with a smile, "he deserved it," I look to Claude, "at least you can joke about it now." Flashes of my date the other night with Parker enter my mind which reminds me to give hell to the select guys that crashed my date. I hand my coffee to Tess, "Can you hold this for a quick sec?"

"Yeah sure Kat," she says cheerily not expecting anything.

"You and you," I say sternly as I turn to Brayden and Sean; they yelp as I grab their forearms and drag them to a group with Delly, Raffl, Wayne, Steve, Nuevy, Laughts and Jakub. "So I have a question for you guys, what makes you think you can crash my date?! I'm lucky he didn't run the moment he saw you guys!"

"We were looking out for you, Kat," Jakub answers first.

"He never gave you a reason to think he was going to pull something," I almost yell.

"Oh yes he did," Delly challenges with a nod, his hand on his hips.

"What?!" my jaw drops to the pavement- how ridiculous were they going to be?

"He's too much of a pretty boy," Delly replies.

"He's always got his hair perfectly done," Brayden says.

"And sharply dressed," Laughts adds.

"Wow sounds a lot like Delly," I point out matter of factly.

"That's exactly why we can't trust him!" Steve admits, throwing his hands up.

"Hey!" Del Zotto yells, elbowing Mase in the arm.

"Just admit it- you guys are just being wildly over protective," I groan.

"Look we're sorry Kat, but Parker is just a-" Sean begins to say but Wayne cuts him off, "not someone we trust out the gate- surely you can understand that."

I scan they're nervous faces, "is there something you're hiding from me? About Parker?"

"No, no," Laughts answers quickly, "we're just looking out for you."

"We're the 9 older brothers you've always wished for," Wayne teases.

"Yeah I don't know about that," I grimace, "thank you for looking out for me guys but you don't have to- and if you do it again, at least be more secretive," I roll my eyes and turn to walk away- it wasn't like I was going to talk any sense into them.

"Love you little sis," Mase yells and I can hear the smile in his voice and the guys echo him.  Without turning back around to face them I stick up my right hand in the air and give them the middle finger, causing them to whistle and yell "love you" even louder. I try to fight back my smile but it's no use; the guys were really like my older brothers and as much as I don't want to admit it to them, they really were what I've always wished for.

"So what was that about?" Tess asks totally confused.

I shake my head and take my coffee from her hand, "I'll explain it to you later, let's just get on the bus."

She laughs at the group of guys that were just yelled at and follows me up the steps and grabs a seat next to me. I was relieved there wasn't a chance of Claude tormenting me on the bus ride there since Tess was happy to sit next to me. Everyone gets situated on the bus quickly and we leave soon after, Tess and I chatting up a storm about getting together with the girls we work with as soon as we get back from the quick road trip.