“What?” Joe exclaimed.
Danny frowned and looked from his captain to the women. What could Debbie
possibly want so badly that she and Mimi would be barging into the locker room
like this? It was completely out of their character to do this, wasn’t
it?
“Joe!” Debbie said. “See it my way...”
“NO!” Joe said in a voice that was almost a yell. “Stop it will
you?”
“Joe it isn’t that difficult!” Debbie cried. “If Mimi and I can convince
the team to say yes, then will you let us?”
Danny couldn’t comprehend what she could want that would involve the
entire team. This seemed to be a wee bit crazy and he looked over at Dru who was
still holding up the video camera.
Joe shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. He laughed. “OK,
fine. Bring it up to the team, they’ll just LAUGH at you!”
“Ooo you’re mean,” Michele cooed and Danny felt the back of his neck
prickle in an almost delighted way. He had never heard that tone in her voice
before.
“What is it?” Footer said.
Debbie nodded a jut to her chin. “Deal? Huh Joe? Is it a
DEAL?”
Joe crossed his arms. “Sure, hon,” he said.
“Whatever.”
Debbie took a deep breath and looked slowly around the locker room. Her
expression was tight and serious. “You boys like doing things for charity, don’t
ya?” she asked in a light voice, her Canadian accent poking
through.
“Of course,” Patrick said and Danny nodded in agreement. So did the other
guys.
“Well,” Debbie said. “I have this great idea for charity and I know it’ll
make tons of money and it involves you boys but Joe won’t hear of it! I guess he
just doesn’t like doing things for charity.” She sighed and shrugged her bony
shoulders.
Danny was awash in sympathy for Debbie. He knew she was a frail, quiet
woman and she was always so active in charity and goodwill. How could Joe be so
mean as to deny her say in a charity benefit? How could he think that they as a
team would be bothered by such a request?
“Joey!” Rob exclaimed. “You? Not into a charity?”
There was some other murmuring around the locker room and Danny had to
agree that it seemed to be that Debbie was in the right on this
one.
“Now hold on!” Joey exclaimed holding out a hand. “She’s not being fair
at all! Don’t you try making me the bad guy on this one Debbie. Go on! Tell them
the whole thing!”
Danny looked back at Debbie and again his eyes rested on Michele. She had
a jaunty grin on her face; a little lopsided one and her eyes seemed to be
glinting with a light unfamiliar to him. She seemed... mischievous. Debbie took
a deep breath, she was still holding onto Michele’s hand.
“Boys,” Debbie said. “I have this idea and the rest of us girls think
it’s swell. A charity hockey game for the Children’s Hospital, charges about
five bucks a seat, first come first serve, fill up the house. It’ll be
great.”
Danny frowned and looked at Tangers who shrugged, “What’s wrong with
that?” Tangers said.
“Yeah,” Danny replied. “That sounds neat, I mean we already do the skills
competition for charity why not this?”
“Sounds cool to me,” Keaner said. “What’s your problem
captain?”
“Yeah!” Blake said loudly. “We can do it! We have no problem with
it.”
Danny looked at Joe who seemed to be glaring at the world from over his
fingertips, his eyes blue slits under his jet-black eyebrows. “That’s not the
whole story,” he said in a growl. “Tell them the whole thing
Debbie.”
Danny felt a chill go through him. He had seen Joe angry before on
occasions but usually it was during a game or after one. It was because of
business and adversity. Now he was mad at his Debbie! He was glaring, glowering,
and just plain scaring him!
“Fine,” Debbie said. “Boys, the catch is, that you gotta play the game
with us.”
Danny blinked. Did he just hear that correctly?
“What?” someone exclaimed.
Debbie blushed. “It’ll be us girls on a mixed team with you boys, no
checking so it’ll be safe. The fans would eat it up!”
Danny shook his head slowly, Joe was right after all! The idea was
completely ludicrous! All it would take would be for Robbie to lose his balance,
for his fat ass to come toppling down on Debbie’s frail little body, and all the
good meaning in the world couldn’t help the damage done
there!
“Are you nuts!” Derek Morris exclaimed. “That’s just silly! There’s no
way we would agree to that!”
Danny kept shaking his head too as the other guys also voiced out their
opinions and Joe was right a few of them were laughing.
“Silly girls!” someone said.
“They just wanna get killed,” someone else said.
“Yeah,” another one laughed, “That’s what happens when chicks try
thinking off the trail!"
Danny gnawed on his bottom lip, that wasn’t a nice thing to say. He
looked at the women, Debbie was pursing her lips and blushing and he saw
Michele’s face too. Her eyebrows were crinkled and her expression reminded him
of her daughter’s when deprived of a toy. Michele’s arm wrapped around Debbie’s
waist and the women looked at each other as if they were communicating
silently.
“FINE!” Debbie said loudly. “Look boys Mimi and I.... Mimi and I will
kiss for five minutes if you say yes.”
That drained all sounds from the locker room and Danny felt his throat
close in... well it wasn’t horror, but it wasn’t anticipation either. It was,
well it was surprise. He knew he was gaping at the women and Mimi she just....
she just winked at him!
“WHAT!” Joe snapped. “Debbie what the...”
“Five minutes!” Mimi’s voice rang throughout the room. “And we will
moan!”
“YEAH BABY! You can do that but we still won’t say yes!” someone whooped
and there were more hoots and hollers from the other pig men in the locker room.
Danny shook his head.
“Five minutes!” Debbie added and she looked at Mimi took a deep breath
and held her hand up. “With groaning AND groping!”
Danny raised his eyebrows and there was a full round of whistles from the
guys.
“That still ain’t getting you nowhere!” Keaner laughed. “Bad cats! Sell
your pies elsewhere Meems!”
Danny saw a deadly flare, almost like a lightning flash over Michele’s
face and the French woman took a step forward drilling her glare at Keaner. “I
will just go down on her.....”
Debbie was the first to scream and cover Michele’s mouth. She giggled and
looked at the men who were reaching new decibels in cheering. “Not that far
guys, but close!”
Danny kept shaking his head and he looked at Joe who was standing,
trembling and shaking. “Debbie this is absolutely...”
“MIMI!” Patrick barked at the same time, “What the
hell.....”
Danny didn’t really see who did it but someone pushed both the goalie and
the captain into the equipment room and held the door shut. Danny could hear the
outraged yells of both of the men and then Rob Blake grinned, stepping in front
of the women.
“All right,” he said. “You got yourself a deal ladies, if you can do
it.”
Danny felt nausea unparalleled to any that he had ever felt before and
that look in Mimi's eyes was just plain scaring him.
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