Chapter 612: Danny LX--Unfair

Chapter 612: Danny LX—Unfair

 

 

 

…expect this for the rest of his life?

            Subconsciously, Danny had always known this would be true for him. Really, he understood that to be the life for his teammates as well, just from listening to them in the locker room and witnessing the unspoken details of their lives. Obviously, carrying on a career like this and maintaining a perfect relationship would be unrealistic. Still, Dan had hoped that problems like the ones his teammates went through wouldn’t plague him and Cecile because…well, they’d already gone through so much to be together that it wouldn’t be fair to subject them to anything more.

            It was his fault. He knew it. Everyone around him offered tips on being patient with Cecile and waiting out her solitude. Every woman needed privacy like this. Obviously she still loved him, he would see that. If anything, they got over their sulking silence fast enough when presented with something shiny and sparkling. Dan groaned and rolled his eyes, the day Cecile could be bought with gemstones over principle, would be the day she ceased being the girl he fell in love with.

            Bottom line, he’d messed up badly. This ridiculous infatuation with Michele, allowing him to be manipulated so easily by that bitch, it may not be known to Cecile but certainly she must sense something. The really stickler about this whole thing, was that Dan knew he deserved to be abandoned by her, and locked out. And the worst part was, he couldn’t exactly tell the guys about the reality of his situation.     

            Hey guys, I banged Patrick’s wife and that’s why Cecile is pissed at me. He couldn’t exactly stand up and say that! Well, maybe he could say he slept with some groupie, carried on with some dippy reporter or something like that. It’s not like he had to name Michele personally, but still, it didn’t feel right to do that either. His luck Patrick would somehow figure out the truth of the situation and Dan would feel fortunate to get out with just his life.

            Nope, there are some things forbidden to speak of, even amongst a close-knit group of teammates like…

            “Woah, Abby you look like an angel, babe, what’s up?”

            Dan squinted and sat up, looking at David Aebischer who’d just entered the locker room, although floated in would be the best word for it. Mike Keane had been the one who greeted him.

            Aebischer replied with the goofiest sort of smile. His pale complexion seemed illuminated, shining on his forehead and forcing a deeper blush in his naturally apple-red cheeks. Wow, he’d just as soon recognize this look on a teenage girl’s face, not on a young hockey player’s.

            This piqued everyone’s curiosity.

            “What happened?” Blake asked, grinning. “You look like a school-girl in love!”

            Everyone laughed.

            Aebischer flopped onto a bench and stretched and yawned, leaning back on his hands and then grinning. “I just slept with Pascal Trepanier’s wife and she’s amazing!”

            Dan raised his eyebrows…well there goes the some things are taboo theory….

            Everyone else jumped up at the juicy details, letting out exclamations of amazement and curiosity. Dan crossed his arms and leaned forward. He noticed Joey was not in the room, and neither was any of the coaching staff. Ah well… “Pascal Trepanier’s wife? That’s not very nice Abby!”

            Aebischer shrugged. “He’s not here anyway; it’s his loss if he leaves a treasure like that behind.” He sighed. “And she IS a treasure! Let me tell you,” he pointed around the room. “All of you! What an amazing woman!”

            “That’s my boy!” Mike Keane said gruffly and clapped Aebischer on the back. “You go get yourself some abandoned housewife,” he leaned in close and murmured loudly into Aebischer’s ear. “So how was it?”

            “I can’t believe she’s still here to begin with!” Alex Tanguay exclaimed. “That’s completely ridiculous! She must not love her husband very much, or he must not love her. It’s very weird.”

            “How was it?” Aebischer stood up and held out his arms. “How was it?” He spun around, completely cementing the image of lovesick schoolgirl into Dan’s mind. “It was amazing! It was….unbelievable! I can’t describe it!”

            “Ha, ha, why not let all of us have a turn then?” Kirk Muller said, grinning.

            Aebischer winked. “I don’t think I can arrange something like that.”

            “Why, her schedule too busy?”

            Aebischer nodded. “It just might be.”

            “Ha, I wonder if she does walk-ins,” Kirk laughed.

            That got a few laughs from around the room but Dan wrinkled his nose. “Just because she’s lonely, it doesn’t make her a slut,” Dan sighed. From what little he knew of Jacqueline Trepanier, Dan felt he didn’t trust her, or even particularly like her, but perhaps his guilt towards Cecile played some part in his defensiveness for the woman.

            “Oh, I don’t know,” Aebischer sighed happily, “At best she’s a classy slut, but that doesn’t make her unlikable.”

            Dan closed one eye. “I can’t believe this.”

            Dan however, did glance over towards Peter Forsberg, who’d been sitting quietly in a corner. He couldn’t recall when Peter had entered the locker room, or if he’d been there the entire time, but he could understand Peter taking advantage of this Aebischer situation to deflect attention off himself. Dirty rat! Dan didn’t dislike Peter at all, but he couldn’t believe, or forgive what he’d done to Joe! Of course everything had been an accident, and to the casual observer, a quite hilarious accident, but that still didn’t hide the true nature Peter had been hiding this whole time! Was that right to just let everyone forget that?

            Of course Blake or Keane would bring it up sooner rather than later, but Dan couldn’t see the point in holding it off. It just didn’t work to have everyone suddenly up and challenging Joe’s position on this team. Next thing you know, Drury will probably get the idea to dethrone Joe. Irritated by the very thought of that, Dan shot Chris an accusing glare. Catching it, Chris’s eyes widened and he shrugged as if to say, “What asshole?”

            At this point, Joe walked back into the locker room, followed by the coaching staff. He rubbed his hands together, stretched and yawned. “Hey guys, the coaches have a great plan for tonight. It sounds pretty neat; I think you’ll all be pleasantly surprised.”

            Everyone straightened up, clearing throats and resuming normal preparation activities. Coach Hartley clapped his hands together and sauntered to the dry erase board and calmly wiped off the rather anatomically impressive sketch of a naked woman someone had endowed upon it. “I have a great feeling about tonight, you guys. Now if we can all stay on the same page, I think we can build up the beginnings of a winning month here, one that we desperately need. Now, Patty, how do you feel about playing tonight? Are you exhausted at all from the All Star game?”

            “Pfft!” Patty scoffed and he laughed dryly, holding his hands out. “Exhausted? I play one period yesterday, it is nothing at all! I can play.”

            This didn’t surprise Dan at all, but David Aebischer’s reaction did. “What?” Aebischer exclaimed. “You’re not exhausted? Not even a little fatigued?”

            Patty looked at David coolly, as one would survey a boring painting, and he shook his head, “No.”

            “But…” David’s cheeks turned brilliant red and he shook his head and wrung his hands. “But you’re tired! You have to be!”

            Patrick smiled. “I barely had a workout. You on the other hand, seem a little spent, yes? Extracurricular activities at home, they can really drain a young man. You should learn to pace yourself a little, my friend.”

            “Asshole!” David barked and he crossed his arms.

            Both Joe and Hartley squinted. “Did we miss something here?” Joe asked.

            Dan looked at Patrick who grinned and yawned, the complete picture of self satisfaction and then he looked at Aebischer, whose happy glow was now completely obliterated by distraught disappointment. What the hell?