Chapter 326: Danny XXX—And Don’t You Forget It

Not one shot to the face had Danny sustained during his battle with the figure skaters, not one! Sure he had some sore spots on his body, a few bruises but nothing even remotely close to game time damage. Sissy figure skaters thinking they could hit Joe like that! Danny had proudly accepted his ticket for disturbing the peace and was done with it.

The incident only made their game in Tampa Bay all the more fun. The hometown audience, what little of it there was, flashed tons of posters around the glass, all of them derogatory to the Avalanche, different comments about picking on figure skaters. Yes, everyone seemed to be in a state of outrage over this. So Dan made trouble, he pestered, he needled, he outraged everyone on the ice, took too many penalties, pissed off the coach and gleefully accepted the taunts from the fans as he sat in the penalty box. All of it sooo worth it, especially seeing that Patty had enough fire in his eyes to finish off the game with a shut out, aromatic Smittens tucked neatly inside his jersey.

“So the magic continues?” Danny asked Patty with a grin as they filed into the locker room.

“Of course my friend,” Patty replied gleefully.

Dan’s only disappointment the next morning was when he called Cecile and she immediately railed at him about his fight, and then had to hang up with only a quick I love you. Her being angry at him wasn’t the problem, he didn’t expect her to be excited over him beating up her favorite little figure skaters, and he had just hoped that he could sneak her on the phone a little longer so she could really lose her temper with him. He really felt unfulfilled there.

That afternoon, in Sunrise, Florida, the coaching staff informed them as a team that they would all expect to be fined for the fighting incident in Tampa and they should all be grateful that there would be no jail time for any of them. Ah but so worth it! Of course Danny didn’t say as much to Bob, but heh, yeah he thought it. He still clung to that sentiment as they skated extra laps around the practice rink as punishment. The thick, humid, Florida air clung to his skin and weighed him down with each passing second, so Dan contented himself watching the goalie’s labor under their pads.

After practice Dan went straight to bed, not even taking the time to pretend he listened to anything of which Keaner said to him. He woke up at around dinner time, his stomach screaming at him. Keaner wasn’t anywhere to be seen and Dan hated eating alone so he went straight to the hotel restaurant.

“Hey Tangs!” he called out feeling happier already.

Alex Tanguay’s eyes widened. “Hey Danny,” he said. “Hungry?”

“Yup,” Danny replied. “You getting something to eat? Wanna split a table?”

“Sure why not.”

“Hehehe,” Dan laughed. “Any figure skaters around tonight?” They sat down at their small table and Dan peered at the menu after ordering a beer.

“No!” Alex said quickly. “I hope not! Our concierge said that the figure skaters actually were supposed to be staying here tonight cause they got a show here you know, but when they heard we were here they didn’t.”

Danny’s eyes widened. “They still went on with the show?”

Alex smiled. “Sure, they only got black eyes and stuff, no one really hurt them that bad, we’re not real animals Danny!”

“Oo so they just lathered on extra make up eh?”

“Something like that.”

Danny grinned. “I’m sure that didn’t bother them too much.”

Alex laughed.

Dan’s stomach wouldn’t stop growling as they ordered steaks, Alex asking for extra mashed potatoes with his, so Dan ordered an appetizer of fried clam strips. Even then, knowing that they would still have to wait some minutes for an appetizer seemed like an eternity for his screaming stomach so Alex ordered bread and oil.

“And we still have to wait for them to get to the kitchen and bring that back!” Danny muttered.

“You telling me!” Alex exclaimed.

Dan sighed and looked around the restaurant. “Hey there’s Footer and Patty…. And Robbie over there with Dru and Keanes and… well everyone seems to be chowing down…”

“Hey guys!” Joe Sakic said brightly as he promptly sat in an empty seat at their table. “Are we having dinner here?”

“Sure!” Danny said quickly. “Join us!”

Joe grinned. “I already did.” Joe then motioned for a waiter and put in his order for steak and red wine.

“Uh oh, I don’t got good feeling about this,” Alex muttered.

Joe frowned and looked at him. “What’s wrong?”

Tanguay grimaced. “Haven’t you noticed the rest of the place? There’s like famous people sitting almost at every other table, what’s going on a celebrity party or something?”

Squinting, Danny scanned the rest of the tables. God damn if Tangers wasn’t right! He recognized the faces of most of the patrons if not the names, actresses, actors, singers, he knew he’d seen some of those mega skinny girls on fashion ads. “Man, those girls are a lot skinnier in person, they’re still hot but kinda scary looking, you know?”

“Oof that’s not the point!” Alex snipped. “I mean us, the team again in a hotel setting with a bunch of famous people, what if something goes wrong again?”

Danny shrugged, “Eh what could go wrong here Tangs? You can’t get into a fight with these celebrity types, they need to make sure their faces stay pretty, they can’t afford to get into a real fight… holy hell that’s Julia Roberts!”

Joe blushed and smiled. “Aw I love Pretty Woman… Man so does Debbie! Excuse me guys….”

The captain then got up and made a bee line for the said Ms. Roberts who sat at a table with some other women Danny assumed had to be other actresses. Julia who at first squinted at Joe in an irritated fashion, warmed quickly and within the minute she shook his hand and signed a cocktail napkin for him. Joe had the audacity to actually kiss her hand, and Danny couldn’t fight the grin on his face seeing Julia blush and laugh. He winked at Joe who glowed like a million bucks as he returned to the table with his prize.

“So you like those chick flicks then hm?” Danny goaded.

“Aw shut up,” Joe grinned tucking the autograph safely away in his wallet. “You’re not ruining my buzz here.” He then impaled him with a steely glare. “And if something does go down here, and any of you lay one finger on her I’ll personally make sure you’ll be playing hockey in Siberia by the end of the week!”

Danny nodded solemnly.

As the night proceeded and they ate dinner, Alex pointed out to Dan and Joe that at the table near them, the man sitting with his lady companion had become increasingly drunk and boorish. Once pointed out, it became impossible to ignore. Danny felt awkward and embarrassed as no one at the table said a word. They could just hear the couple, the woman pleading with him to stop drinking and making a scene and the man telling her in vulgar language to shut her trap.

“Oh this is ridiculous!” Joe muttered. “What a jerk.”

“Do you want me to something?” Danny asked keeping one eye on the guy. Neither he or the woman looked vaguely famous, they both wore expensive clothes. He looked to be a lot older than her and neither one of them wore wedding rings. Danny felt pretty confident he could take the guy on.

“No it’s not really any of our business.” Joe said slowly. “If he gets out of hand then we’ll see.”

The man started to really raise his voice, and his language became increasingly more abusive. “Oh come on captain!” Danny pleaded. “Just let me take him outside.”

At that point a waitress came to the table, his face drawn and serious. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to please keep your voice down you’re disturbing the rest of the patrons…..”

“You don’t tell me what to do bitch!” the man snapped standing up, “You learn your place just like…”

Danny shook his head but by the time he stood up Alex had already jumped up. He strode straight to that man with his hands on his hips. Oh please don’t threaten to bop him, Danny thought; just don’t use the word bop!

“You apologize to these women right now!” Alex snapped.

The guy lifted an eyebrow. “Who the hell are you?”

“Someone who will not tolerate this behavior,” Alex growled. “And if you don’t apologize to these ladies right now I will be forced to…”

“Let’s get outta here,” the man growled and he grabbed the woman roughly by the arm, “I’m full anyway.”

“No!” the woman cried and she pulled away from him, “We’re through I’m sick of this stay away from me!”

“Cow,” the man snarled and he pushed her roughly to the ground.

“Now see here!” Joe cried standing up.

Before Danny or Joe could do anything however, Alex leaped forward and knocked the guy out with a clean punch. He toppled back onto the table taking all the plates and drinks with him before he rolled into an unconscious heap onto the floor. Danny felt his eyes widen and he looked at Alex who breathed heavily.

“Christ Alex you knocked him out!”

“Are you okay?” he asked the lady who had her hands pressed over her mouth.

Within the moment, the entire restaurant broke into enthusiastic applause. Dan smiled as Alex grimaced and reddened, looking around at everyone. A flurry of busboys came to clean up the mess and the head waiter kneeled next to the unconscious man.

“If you want to call the police,” Alex said solemnly, “I won’t make a fuss, I understand.”

The waiter looked up. “Are you kidding? We’ve been waiting for someone to clock out this bozo for a long time now!”

The man’s escort tilted her chin high in the air and she brushed her blonde hair back from her shoulders. “He got really drunk and he slipped and fell,” she said. “We don’t need to call the police over an “accident” do we?” She grabbed her purse off the chair and she went to Alex, kissed him on the cheek and then made a hasty retreat from the restaurant.

“I’m sorry Joe I had to do it,” Alex said in a plaintive voice. Danny looked at Sakic to gauge his reaction.

Joe nodded. “Sure, I can see that.” And as all of their teammates came one by one to survey the damages he raised his voice. “I mean none of us saw anything did we?”

“Oh of course not,” someone said.

“Good.”

“Aw Tangs!” Danny grinned, “You’re a hero!”

“Oof!” Tanguay replied. “And don’t you forget it.”