Chapter 377: Cecile XXXIV—Better End of the Deal

“What’s the score now?” Mr. Sakic asked.

Cecile looked at the board, “Oh I don’t know, oh wow, thirteen-thirteen, hey hockey scores never get like this normally huh?”

Sakic grimaced, “No they don’t, and this is more like a lacrosse game.”

Cecile sighed and wrinkled her nose and yawned. Halfway through this game, and her legs ached, her chest ached, her throat ached from screaming off the bench, her eyes stung with sweat and her nostrils ached with the stink of her gear, and the gear around her. None of it registered with her on the ice, but relaxing, if only for a moment on this bench brought the reality of her situation to her senses.

“Tired?” Mr. Sakic asked with a kind smile and Cecile wanted to hug him and fall asleep, she’d always wanted a big brother and envied other girls who had them. At least for today she knew what it felt like to have one watching over her.

Cecile smiled, not wanting to let him down. “Nah I’m great, really. This is an unbelievable experience, and you get paid so much money to do this? How fortunate, you really are blessed Mr. Sakic.” She blinked but her eyes wouldn’t open.

Sakic laughed and she squinted a little, “Come on stay awake, we have a whole lot more damage to do. Did taking out Peter empty you out that much?”

Cecile’s eyes opened all the way and she laughed. She didn’t say anything though. She still couldn’t believe she’d had the gall to do that, stick her meager fanny out like that and run into the man. Of course she knew how Rob Blake did it, and Cecile had decided, just for that moment to try it out. It did worry her somewhat; did that mean Josefina and Peter would be looking for revenge on her? Her knees trembled a little.

“Hey, yeah you’re only one goal away from a hat trick,” Sakic said. “Feel up to the task.”

“A hat trick!” Cecile exclaimed and she laughed. “Has Danny ever had a hat trick?”

“Nope.” Sakic replied.

“Heh,” and Cecile looked out towards the ice, she watched her teammates, her opponents and she felt another wave of overwhelming sleepiness. It just didn’t feel right or normal to be out here, but at the same time, she really couldn’t think of a time when she’d had more fun.

Where was Danny? She yawned again, and then she saw him. Sprightly and grinning, he leaped over the boards and was followed by Mrs. Sakic and Mrs. Roy. Cecile stood up, but she knew it wasn’t her turn on the ice, but she just wanted to see Danny. Mrs. Sakic seemed to linger near Danny, as if waiting for a cue or a command from him while Mrs. Roy seemed to be hanging back as if reluctant to have any attention or responsibility directed at her.

Scott Parker, part of Cecile’s team, was also on the ice and her heart trembled a little when he checked Danny. Of course she knew Scott wouldn’t hurt Danny really, not his own real teammate, but she knew Parker’s style of play and truthfully, the man and his crazy pale eyes just scared her to death. Danny fell against the boards and Cecile resisted the urge to jump onto the ice and go to him. And Parker smiled and laughed loudly and Cecile really wanted to smash the guy down!

The funniest thing happened, however, before Cecile could make a fool of herself hopping onto the ice. As Parker turned around, Mrs. Sakic, looking so frail and fragile in her bulky gear, came up behind him and actually cross checked him with her stick. Cecile gasped but Parker barely even budged as the referee blew the whistle to signal a penalty. Before he could say anything, Parker turned around and looked down at her with his arms crossed.

“Come on!” Cecile could hear Debbie yell, “Are you a chicken?”

Parker said something she couldn’t hear and he began to skate away but Debbie, not one to be ignored scrambled over the ice and pushed him again from behind. This time, Parker stumbled a little and he turned around with a surprised expression.

“What’s she doing?” Milan Hejduk asked. “Attacking Scott?”

“Obviously,” Sakic said with a delighted voice. “He really ticked off Debbie there!” And he laughed a laugh of complete wonder and fascination and Cecile smiled at him. She couldn’t think of any other man she had ever seen so in love with his own wife outside of a story or a movie. Again, the urge to hug him filled her entire body.

Parker put his hands on his hips and looked at Debbie as if to ask her what she was up to, he also had a smile on his face, a smile so condescending and smug that Cecile knew no woman would ever stand for it being directed at them. Debbie’s cheeks flushed and Mrs. Roy went to her side, putting her arm around her waist as if to calm her down. In reply, Mrs. Sakic pushed her off and puffed her chest out like a fighting rooster and holding her arms out she yelled at Scott. “Come on you…” And Cecile really didn’t want to process that word Debbie used to describe Parker’s perceived behavior.

The audience was abuzz with laughter and cat calls, Cecile could tell they were hungry for a real co-ed sort of tussle for their ticket price. She imagined a cat and dog fight on the ice would blow over real well with this sort of crowd, no matter how family friendly this sport tried to present itself.

“Well it looks like it’s getting a bit testy down there,” the media relations fellow said into his microphone. “Doesn’t it?”

Cecile looked at the jumbotron and she could the man, and Mr. Roy and little Jana. Their between whistles banter had mostly blown through her ears because of the attention she had paid to Mr. Sakic and the game, but she had noticed the audience laughter so she assumed that their little stunt was a success of sorts.

“Yup, it does seem a little nasty down there,” Patrick Roy replied pleasantly, as if getting nasty down there was exactly on schedule.

And at the same time, Parker backed off a little from Mrs. Sakic, laughing and holding his hands out defensively as if to ward her off. Mrs. Sakic continued to move forward on him, holding her hands out and yelling, aflame and angry. “You think you can just injure and batter our…” She began and Cecile grimaced.

She looked at Mr. Sakic, “I don’t think it was a very good idea to hit Peter.”

Mr. Sakic raised his dark eyebrows. “Well I didn’t say kill him just hit someone!”

Cecile scowled.

“Yes it does seem nasty down there,” The media personality said. “Do you think your daughter should witness this? Should we protect her innocent eyes?”

“Aw this is nothing!” Jana exclaimed with a voice full of pride. “Mom and Dad fight like that every day, and sometimes they even throw vases at…”

With perfect timing, Mr. Roy put his hand over Jana’s mouth. His cheeks blushed and he reddened, “Eh let’s stick to the game darling yes?”

The audience seemed to take it in stride and laughed but overall the attention remained on Mrs. Sakic and Scott Parker, and the two didn’t disappoint because before anyone could intercede, Debbie tossed her gloves with the flair of a prize fighting enforcer and she held up her bare fists. “Come on chicken, come on!” She cried to the delight of the building. Although no one in the seats could hear her, Debbie’s lips and intentions were easy to read.

With a mighty roar of encouragement from the crowd to back her up, Debbie leaped at Parker but before she could reach him, he scooped her up with one arm and slung her over his shoulder, smiling like a barbarian as he skated to the bench. The place was in an uproar now, of laughing and screaming and pointing. Cecile laughed and blushed, and felt so bad for Mrs. Sakic who was screaming and kicking, and those screams became louder as they approached the bench.

“Put me down you gorilla I hate you!” Debbie kept screaming, “HELP!”

Michele followed them, one hand on her hip and her eyes deadly and narrowed. Cecile tightened and backed up. “Oh Scott let her go!” Cecile called out trying to be at least a little helpful.

“Nah I’ll do what captain says!” Parker replied and he leaned against the bench.

Sakic smiled but he didn’t say anything so Parker just held onto his prize.

“Give her back!” Michele screamed. “NOW!”

“Nope,” Parker replied.

“NOW!”

Not happening.”

“OOOOOOO,” Michele hissed and she stormed back to center ice and then grabbed poor little Alex Tanguay by the ear, “Come on!” She snarled.

“OOOOF!” Alex cried. “Michele oooow ow ow!”

“Oh it’s getting outta hand!” Cecile gasped and she looked at Mr. Sakic who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the situation. “Shouldn’t you do something? Poor Debbie!” And she really did feel bad for Debbie; such an undignified position there had to be a limit to how far this game could go! Mrs. Sakic should be labeled untouchable!

“Well it looks like,” the referee said into a microphone, as he stood next to Mrs. Roy who still held onto Tanguay’s ear. Alex looked miserable and miffed with his arms crossed and his lips pursed. Cecile made brief eye contact with Danny as he stood near Tanguay and she could tell by Danny’s grin that he was mocking the poor man. “Mrs. Roy is asking for an exchange of prisoners! Tanguay for Mrs. Sakic, how does that sound?”

The crowd cheered and Cecile looked at Mr. Sakic, surely he would do the right…

“Oh I don’t know,” Joe replied with an evil grin and he leaned over the boards and pinched Debbie’s cheek as she hung over Scott’s shoulder. “I think we got the better end of the deal right here, what do you think Cecile?”

“I hate you!” Debbie snapped.

And Cecile was at a loss for words.