Chapter 411: Danny XLII—Stuck With You
It didn’t take long for the news of Peter’s breakup with Josefina to circulate throughout the plane, Dan assumed perhaps thirty or forty seconds before everyone heard. Left him, Dan heard from Keaner, apparently Jo had left him not the other way around. All Dan could say, was “damn that’s harsh”. What else could he say? Still, the news filled him with a toe numbing cold sort of dread.
Normally, he was used to Peter’s merry go around flavor of the week girlfriends, and their coming and going didn’t mean much to Dan at all. In fact, he knew they didn’t even mean that much to Peter. But shit, Josefina Ruiz, now damn that girl scared Danny, she was a real woman, and Dan could see in Peter’s face how enamored he’d been of her. It looked like she was permanent; a real partner for him, Dan really thought those two were mated for life.
But some things were not to be, he guessed and he looked at Peter. The man looked devastated and sick, he looked like complete shit. Dan knew he’d look like that if Cecile tossed him off, and she most certainly would if she found out about him and Michele. Inwardly, he thought of Michele’s skinny, naked body and he trembled.
“Man I never thought a chick would get tired of Peter first,” Keane said soberly. “Damn shame, now they were a couple. I thought she’d be real good for Pete.”
“Yeah, and Cecile really liked her too.” Dan muttered.
It could be that simple, Dan thought to himself on the plane. In a flash he could be alone, in an instant Cecile could be gone whether by her choice or God’s or whatever, she could be gone. The pain of that, Dan could barely imagine, and he didn’t want to. Again he thought of Michele, that intense, short pleasure with her and it seemed now to him like a clumsy, heated fumbling. It meant nothing, emotionally, it amounted to reckless panting and it embarrassed him. Once he got home, he would have to apologize to Michele and let her know that nothing else would ever happen between them, and then he would have to try to convince Cecile to marry him on the spot. His priorities had to be set and he had to make sure she never escaped his grasp.
“So Danny what’s up?”
Dan looked at Drury who had taken the seat next to him, Keane gone to a card game, other guys either watching movies or sleeping. “Not much Chris, you?”
“Tough shit about Peter huh?”
Dan grimaced. “Didn’t see that one coming did you?”
Drury slowly shook his head. “Nope, but with women you never know what they’re going to do, they’re fairly evil creatures Dan.”
Dan didn’t say anything. His mind suddenly filled with that moment again, that instant when he slipped inside of Michele, felt her quiver around him, the low moan, what had she called him? A sweet one, she had called him a sweet one, so commanding, so expectant, and he wondered exactly how much of that innocent housewife had been a charade with him.
“Speaking of, wanna tell me what you and Alex are bickering about?” Drury said bluntly, in a quiet voice. “I thought you two were okay together, something up?”
“Um, no,” Dan said slowly. Being an alternate captain, Dan wondered if perhaps Joe had sent Chris to root out the problem, or more than likely, he was trying to sniff it out himself to look more helpful to Sakic’s eyes. “Nothing too serious.”
“Alex just overreacting?”
“Sure.”
Dan looked at Chris who had a small smile on his face, it didn’t suit him. “Dan,” he leaned forward, lowering his thick black eyebrows. “You can trust me, I wouldn’t tell anyone else, I’m not like one of the Quebecois or even Keaner. I can keep a secret real good. Come on, are you guys fighting about a chick or what?”
“No! Who could we be fighting about?” Dan exclaimed. “Cecile and Alex don’t even really know each other, and he doesn’t have a girl… well he… yeah, he don’t have a girl, that’s silly Chris.”
“Alright don’t get all defensive,” Drury said holding up his hands. “I just want to help is all. You know Joe doesn’t like this fight you guys got going, I thought maybe if there was anything I could do, you know, it could clear things up quicker.”
“But why would you think it’s a girl?” Dan said, his pulse quickened and his palms dampened and he just couldn’t get it out of his head, the feel of her skin and kiss and breasts and hair. He imagined Drury hacking into his brain with that computer of his, downloading and laughing.
“Because that’s the only thing to fight over between guys,” Chris grinned. “But really there’s no reason for it, chicks are more interchangeable than most things nowadays, just ask Peter.”
Dan scowled.
“Alright who’s got the remote?” Dan asked as cheerily as he could, tossing his duffel bag onto the floor by his bed. Tanguay had said nothing to him as they’d gone up to their room and even made an effort to avoid eye contact.
Of course Tangs had to be pissed off at being demoted from Joe Sakic’s roommate, and Dan could understand that. He preferred rooming with kooky old Keanes, and didn’t appreciate being removed from his normal routine. But ignoring each other or being coldly hostile was no way to get things back to normal and it looked like that’s how Alex wanted to play it.
He wants an apology, Dan thought, he wants a confession too no doubt. But now he thought of Peter alone and stripped, and he knew Cecile could never, never find out about him and Michele. Right now, the only danger of that happening came from Alex, being a mother before a wife, he knew Michele would never tell anyone, so for both of their sakes; Dan had to keep Alex in the dark. An apology or a confession was out of the question.
“I got the remote,” Alex said calmly and he sat on the bed, grabbing the remote control. “Don’t even think about it.”
Dan frowned. Okay he wanted to make peace with Alex but he wasn’t going to be a complete doormat to obtain it. “Hey who says you get the remote?”
“I do,” Alex sniffed.
“Uh yeah right!” Dan exclaimed. “Give me a better reason.”
“Well,” Alex said calmly and lifted his chin high and looked straight at Dan. “For one I’m the veteran between us both…”
“By one year!”
“And I played more games, have more goals this year and career and more points, and I have more ice time, I play on the top line, I’m older, you got more penalty minutes but that doesn’t count, I’m blonde I’m French I’m blue eyed and anything else… oh yeah, and I’m not a virgin!”
“Hey that’s…” And Dan stopped himself. Golden opportunity here! “So you do believe me that nothing happened, between me and Mimi?”
Alex sniffed. “Yes but that doesn’t mean I’m not still mad at you. I conclude that you tried she held strong, so that just means she’s not a shit but you are. You’re only sorry cause you didn’t get far and that you got caught to boot. And it also means that I get the remote.” With that Alex leaned back on the bed, kicked off his shoes and crossed his legs and with a flourish of an overdramatic finger he clicked on the television with the remote. “I think I want to watch the news, hello CNN.”
Danny grinned and raised his eyebrows. “Hey the news! Alright Tangs, let’s watch that, I like knowing what’s going on in the world.”
Alex pursed
his lips and Dan leaned back comfortably on his mattress. The news story in
question seemed to be on a faith healer or a story on faith healers in general.
Footage ran of a man touching foreheads of people who passed out in ecstasy and
danced on previously crippled limbs. “….not only limited to people, they say. A
new fad has been sweeping the state of
Tanguay turned the channel and Danny laughed. “Well at least Cecile isn’t into that kinda stuff, then I’d have to commit her.” At least he hoped she wasn’t into that kind of stuff. As far as he knew, Cecile thought faith healing antics were born of the devil or however else she explained things.
“Eh,” Alex said. “Let’s not watch the news; ha I want to seeee…. I want to see; yes I want to see the History Channel.” He nodded.
Dan winked. “Man I love the History Channel, Keaner doesn’t like watching it though, that’s great you love it too! Hell the other day they had this documentary on the Roman…”
“Well we’re not watching the History Channel,” Alex snipped. “I like the Discovery Channel even better…”
“Even better indeed!” Dan grinned rubbing his hands together. “That forensic science shit is…”
“Well there’s no forensic science on its homemaker shows, I want to watch stuff about making… table cloths outta yarn? Yeah I love knitting!” Alex said.
“Oh wow, look at that she’s so talented she knitted a whole thing out of yarn? Damn I gotta see this!”
“Ooof!” Alex exclaimed. “Cartoons I wanna watch cartoons.”
“Alright Sailor Moon!” Dan grinned. “Awesome!”
“Dammit!” Alex growled. He glared and picked up the remote control in a stranglehold, “I really wanna watch Animal Planet.”
Keeping
himself from choking with laughter, maintained a straight face. “Alright it’s
time for Emergency Vets anyway, you know they film that in
“Oh dammit!” Alex snapped, “We’re going to watch PORN!” He picked up the channel guide and turned it to one of the porn channels that hotels tended to provide automatically the rooms being used by sports teams. Dan cringed as the room was immediately filled with the screaming antics of three blondes probing and rolling with each other in ways even animals couldn’t think up.
Dan frowned and looked at the pulsing, panting, heaving bodies and wondered if he had Michele had looked that silly. And he blushed.
“Alright!” Alex snapped and he turned off the television. “I give up!”
“Yay remote is mine!” Dan crowed.
“Nooo!” Alex replied, “I’m hungry, I’m going down to the restaurant for an early dinner and you’re coming with me cause I don’t eat alone.”
“But what if I’m not hungry!” Dan protested even though at that moment the thought of food made his stomach roll with anticipation and glee.
“Doesn’t matter,” Alex sniffed. “We’re supposed to be together at all times, Joe said so I guess that means we eat together too.”
Dan hopped off the bed and crossed his arms, “Does that means he wants us showering together in here too Tangs? Cause I’ll lay it straight, like I do to Keaner and I will to you too, I ain’t that kinda guy Alex, I just ain’t.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Oo I hate you, come on!”