Chapter 606: Abby V—Fine
The local early morning news buzzed with the recent enigma of Peter Forsberg’s very public meltdown during that press conference. Everyone wanted to know how and why, they wanted to know what it spelled for the team’s chemistry and could this affect their division race, could this affect….the playoffs! Aebischer watched it as he made himself an early morning breakfast of fruit and hot wheat cereal. His fiancée slept hard in the mornings, and he rarely woke her up anymore. He rather liked having this time to himself in the mornings.
They replayed the dramatic part of the press conference again, the part where Patrick lost his cool and leaped upon Peter, obviously wanting to kill the Swede, destroy every last ounce of his treacherous heart. This was most certainly the best part of the debacle, for David. Of course, it did amuse him to see Peter make such an obvious ass of himself, but undoubtedly that was not such an unexpected thing to observe. Aebischer felt Peter made an ass of himself anytime he opened his artificially modest mouth.
No, the great part was Patrick being Patrick. This was the Patrick everyone knew existed, this was the Patrick everyone took for granted, this was the Patrick everyone either loved or hated. The interesting thing about Patrick, was how openly he held himself, how he never hid a shred of his personality, yet no one seemed to catch on to the complete package of this man’s secrets.
The lovely part was seeing Patrick’s smug face, this man content to have the spotlight on him, for better or worse, and then seeing his face change as Peter walks in like a rhino in a parlor to tear the man’s plans apart. Did Patrick really care so much about Joe’s captaincy or just the fact that his precious spotlight had been so swiftly trampled?
From what Aebischer could guess, someone had played a prank on Peter, but neither Drury or Blake owned up to it, Keaner had said that it was the most brilliant prank pulled since the beginning of time, but alas, he could no claim the credit for it. Scott Parker growled that he’d no idea that this prank was going on, and it led to a dead end all around. For all they knew, someone from another team had pulled the prank to perfection, or Peter was lying about the reporter who’d told him the news, and he’d really just tried a desperate ploy to force a captaincy change on the team.
Peter would be just that dumb.
The utter mystery of it would definitely be on the team’s mind in the upcoming weeks, but Aebischer doubted that it would be as serious as the media and fans would have it. No doubt, they would be worrying more than the locker room. If anything, Peter would suffer the most, the victim of repercussion jokes and extra duties to be paid in penance. One thing David did doubt was that Patty would be affected at all in net over this matter.
Unfortunately…
The back up, the back up, Aebischer understood this role perfectly, but it haggled his nerves. How did they expect him to be any good for them in upcoming years when Patrick’s body finally gave out, when he finally decided to throw in the towel and leave everyone behind? Did they expect him to just magically and magnificently take over the role as a star starter?
Not that Aebischer had any doubts at all about being a starter, or about carrying responsibilities, but he would like some more time in net to prove it! He did not at all relish the idea of being thrown into the arena, ready to fly or fail within the expectations of this city. All Aebischer needed and wanted, was just a little more time. What did they expect him to do playing every third game? That’s what a middle aged professional back up did, not a young man!
Aebischer had some dark tea, he brushed his teeth, he watched a little more television. There was an optional skate today for everyone who had not participated in the All Star game. Aebischer opted out of it.
By eleven, his fiancée was still snoring, rolled under a tangle of blankets and sheets, hugging a pillow as if it were her last hold on life. This sort of metabolism, a need for sleep and sloth, David could not understand. Left alone this long, his mind wandered far too much and lately, it lingered simply on “the man”.
Infuriatingly, David’s attempts at distracting Patrick on the road had done nothing at all to affect him. Patty seemed to revel in and absorb this distraction, proving to be an able and exciting lover, enthusiastic and edgy, not at all distracted or consumed by the affair. If anything, it had consumed David more, filling his thoughts with their trysts during his waking hours, during the time spent together in public, even in bed with his fiancée, a woman sharp, and skinny, soft everywhere else, supple, pliant, and not at all dangerous.
This could be yet another game Patrick had won between them.
But perhaps he could alter the playing field a little?
The idea
struck David with a
How much would Patrick pay for my soft hide?
Aebischer smiled and checked on his fiancée again. She still slept. He stepped into another room and spoke softly when he called Patrick on his cell phone. “So you’ve opted out of the practice, I see?”
“Eh?” Patrick sounded a little snappish, “I didn’t opt out anything, I never even had the option of playing today.”
“I suppose Joe opted out of practice then?”
Patrick snorted. “Ha! Of course Joe is there, he’s the captain.”
“He’s a workaholic, that’s what he is.”
“Eh?” Patrick sneered. “Are you getting a seditious heart just like Peter?”
Aebischer laughed. “I’m a goalie! What would I want with a captain’s C? In fact, what would I care?”
“I care.”
Aebischer rolled his eyes. “That’s because you’re the starter.”
“I suppose. What are you calling for anyway?”
“Can’t I just call socially?”
“We have nothing in common socially.”
Aebischer laughed. “Except one thing.”
“Except one thing,” Patrick agreed.
“So?”
After a pause, Patrick spoke as if newly startled. “So?”
“How about it?”
Patrick spoke the sort of words Aebischer was hoping to hear. “Here? Are you insane?”
“Insanely bored,” Aebischer sniffed, not at all displaying any sort of meekness or sign of backing down. Not when he had his prize in sights.
“I think insane would suit you,” Patrick replied in a futile attempt to sound nonchalant. “You certainly are putting a lot on the line there, boy.”
Aebischer sighed loudly. “Oh, really Patrick, it isn’t a lot.”
Patrick laughed. Uncertainly perhaps?
“So, what do you say?”
Patrick laughed again. “Let me call you back in an hour, eh?”
“Fine.” Aebischer hung up the phone and closed his eyes in
self satisfaction.
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