Chapter 69: Danny VIII

Baby Doll

Chapter 69: Danny VIII-The Land of Nuts and Fruits—Babydoll

The sheer rush of the game had practically bled out of Danny’s system by the time he had tossed his clothes on the floor and curled up in bed. The lights were out, the windows were open so that a breeze was lightly blowing into the room. Keaner was nowhere around but he would probably be coming in for bed soon. Danny was almost asleep.

Oddly, it wasn’t the sound of Cecile’s voice that was still lingering in his mind as he sighed into his pillow. He had called to the Roy house as soon as he got into the room; he wanted to talk to Cecile, to see if she had seen the game. Michele had answered the phone and Danny’s heart melted down to his ankles when she said, "Oooh, Danny, what a lovely goal you had. I was so happy for you! What a splendid way to come back to the team!" And then she had called Cecile over and turned the phone to her. The first thing Cecile had said was how scared she had been for Blake and she kept asking how such a cruel thing was possible that the game couldn’t be called off because of the absent goalies. Danny tried explaining to her that the game was what mattered and goalies or no it had to go on. "That’s silly," Cecile had said. "What if he were injured? Isn’t he a great player on your team? It seems like a stupid rule."

"Cecile," Danny had sighed. "That’s just how it is!"

"Yeah," Cecile said quietly, "I guess that’s how it is. I just don’t get it."

There had been almost an awkward silence between them at that point. It was disconcerting; Danny couldn’t remember the last time there was ever an awkward silence between them. Had there ever been?

"I miss you," Cecile finally said. "I wish we didn’t have to be apart so much."

"Yeah," Danny answered.

"It’s hard..."

Another silence. In the background he could hear a sudden tin-whistle squeal from Jana and a laugh. "Gigi peed on the floor!" Jana cried.

Danny smiled. "Hey how is that puppy? I haven’t seen it."

"Oh," Cecile had said. "Cute, real cute. She’s too noisy though, barks all the time."

They had talked a little longer, about plans for when he returned. He would try to see her Sunday night before they would be separated through another week. She told him about how she had watched the game with Mimi and how she was thinking of taking his advice and being friendlier with her, after all, she had saved her life. What’s more, her mother Pauline had made lunch plans with Mimi, and perhaps that was a good thing. Finally, Cecile had bade him good night, telling him how happy she was for him that he was healthy and that he wasn’t hurt, and how she couldn’t wait to see him again. Danny hung up the phone after exchanging "I love yous" and "goodbyes". It wasn’t until the phone was safely back in the cradle when it occurred to him that Cecile had said nothing at all about his goal. And that hurt.

Michele had expressed her joy over it. And that’s what was lingering in his mind as his eyes were closed and he was getting closer to sleep. He was in that spot between dreams and darkness and as he was there, he could taste her warm skin again on his lips, her voice as she had sent him away from her. He could feel her teeth scraping again on his chin, a playful flick of her tongue. And then suddenly he saw Cecile, her green eyes narrowed, and a cry from Michele as Cecile drew her long, slender hand back and struck her across the face.

Danny gasped and opened his eyes, the door had flung open and Keaner staggered in, laughing and with a young woman on each arm.

"What the hell?" he barked, flicking on the lamp and blinking, his head still dizzy from his dream. "Keaner!"

"Hey, kid," Keaner said with a sharp grin. "There’s a cornucopia out there. I got you a piece."

Danny’s mouth dropped open and he slowly shook his head. "Keaner...." he said almost helplessly.

Keane looked at the girl on his right arm. "He’s shy," he said. "Just a virgin."

"Mike!" Danny barked.

Both girls laughed. "Awww," one of them said.

Keaner laughed silently. "I’m just trying to help you out kid," he said. "Don’t try holding onto something that someone’s gonna end up stealing from you anyway. At least here ya won’t get heartbroke. Come on! See I even got you one just like your baby nanny, green eyes and everything. And she’s even the same.... Hey how old are you anyway darling?"

The black-haired, green eyed young woman smiled and whispered into Keane’s ears causing his blue eyes to widen. "Well," he said carefully, "She’s not quite as old as your girl."

"Oh my God!" Danny exclaimed. "She’s not even legal is she? Shit Keaner think of Tammy!"

Mike frowned. "I am! See, doesn’t Tanya here look just like Tammy?"

Danny groaned and dropped his face into his palms. "Does Joe know about this?"

"Sure," Keaner said. "He’s downstairs right now trying to stop the bleeding, I snuck these lovelies right by him. Now come on! Chloe here is one expensive lil girl. Have some fun!"

Danny glared through his fingertips, looking straight at the porcelain skinned Chloe. "Why are you doing this, Chloe?" he asked as sternly as he could.

The girl rolled her heavily made up eyes and she looked briefly at the other woman. Smoothing her fingers over her hair, she stepped lightly to Danny, wobbling a bit in the sharp, red, stiletto heels she was wearing. Her white ankles glowed eerily from the hems of her jet-black Versace pants. The closer she got to him, the younger and skinnier she looked. When she sat down on the bed next to Danny, his stomach almost emptied.

"I’m sweet as pie, darlin," she said in a syrupy, Tennessee Williams Soth-ron accent. "And you’re so gorgeous I have half a mind to charge you nothin."

Overly sweet, overly strong perfume was doused all over her body and it smelled to him like the dying Magnolia bushes he remembered on his porch when he was a kid in Florida. And the way her sharp, bony, shoulders jutted from the black halter-top she was wearing was heart breaking. This was rancid.

"Come on," she whimpered, "You’re already dressed for the occasion."

Without warning she pressed her frigid, bony, red fingered hand onto his thigh and Danny cried out and jumped to his feet.

"Man alive!" Chloe exclaimed. "You are a virgin aren’t ya? How’d that happen? You got a small pecker or something?"

"Uhhhh..." Danny squeaked in horror.

"Don’t worry, hon," Chloe whispered, her eyes flashing playfully. "If that’s what’s been holding your pony in then relax! You’re so purty that all you have to do is learn how to use it, I can help ya with that easy!"

"Shit!" Danny muttered and he grabbed his jeans, tugging them onto his body, falling over and zipping them up. His shirt and shoes soon followed.

Chloe shrugged her bony shoulder and looked at Keane. "I tried," she said. "Do ya want your money back?"

"Nah," Keaner said eyeing the girl up and down, making Danny’s cheeks burn. "You can help us out here if you want."

Danny’s brow furrowed and Keane growled like a lusty dog, pawing Tanya’s shirt off and pressing her to the bed. "You ever learn the Latvian twist?" Keane asked her. "I bet you’d love it."

"Sounds fun," Tanya said. "Show me."

Danny shook his head. "You got Chloe’s bill covered?" he asked as Keaner tugged Tanya’s skirt up to her waist, causing her to giggle as he gnawed on her thigh. "Yup," he muttered.

"Good," Danny said decisively and he grabbed Chloe’s miniscule wrist in his hand and tugged her off the bed. "Come on, kid!"

"But." Chloe stammered as he dragged her out of the hotel room. "I wanna know what the Latvian twist is!"

This was unreal! Was all Hinote could think as he and Chloe stumbled into the hallway of the hotel. There was giggles and squeals and loud music playing from just about every room down the hall and most of the doors were open revealing basketball players with multiple hookers. "Hi Cindy!" Chloe called to one of the rooms.

"Hey babydoll!" was the reply.

Danny shook his head. When he got to the large room where the elevators were that’s where he saw the mess. His teammates were mingled with tons of the left over girls and Joe Sakic was standing in the middle of the room with his arms over his chest.

"No one!" he cried. "Is sleeping with hookers!"

"Even if we pay from our pocket?" Blake whined.

"Even if you pay from your pocket!" Joe snapped.

"Come on honey," one of the hookers said. "The Nets are paying for us anyway, you don’t haveta pay a cent."

"Wooo!" someone hooted.

Danny looked at Chloe. "Does Keaner know that?" he asked.

Chloe smiled a dab of lipstick on her front tooth and she winked.

Links to other sites on the Web

Fic Page
Previous Chapter
Character Page