Captains Come First
Chapter 9
James was busy helping MAF load his car with Estelle's baby things in the car when Duper pulled Heather aside. "So you two looked pretty cozy when we got home." He said to her with a smile.
"You saw that huh?" She asked with an embarrassed blush on her face.
"Even if I didn't it was written all over your face.a." Said Duper smiling a half smile. "I won't keep you. I know you have a job to do. Neal really seems to like you."
"actually we haven't....we umm haven't" she said not wanting to finish that sentence.
"Been to pleasuretown yet?" He asked her with a serious look in his eyes.
"Yeah" she said biting her lip looking at the floor
"What the hell is he waiting for?" Asked Duper laughing
. "If it was me I would've boarded that train ages ago" he said with a glint in his eyes.
"Well bad timing I guess." She said "and selfish teammates who use my time just to cuddle" she said leaning her forehead against his. he laughed and gave her a small kiss on the nose. "Would it be wrong of me to ask you why you don't..."
"Partake?" He finished her question. "I don't know. I never have. I guess I just never saw the need." He said with a smile in his eyes. "Carolyne and I have talked about it. She doesn't love the idea but also would rather see me with somebody safe rather than a random girl you know?" He said to her with a wrinkle in his brow.
"I shouldn't have asked." She said with a nervous laugh "Plus I do enjoy our cuddle sessions" she said to him. "Sometimes it's nice to be touched and intimate like that." She said wistfully. "But I do feel a little weird discussing this after watching your kids while you were on a date with your wife." She said scrunching her nose.
"yeah I get that" he said smiling. "One last thing, never say never" he said tapping her nose with his finger. He glanced past her shoulder and saw James waiting for her in the doorway. "I think somebody's waiting for you." He said nodding towards him. She smiled and gave Pascal a hug. He sent her on her way with a small pat on the bottom. James helped her with her coat and walked to the front driveway with her. He leaned in for a kiss when her phone started to ring.
"Ignore it" he said to her brushing a stray hair from her face as he leaned in and began a slow sweet kiss as her phone silenced. Seconds later it started vibrating again, Heather pulled the phone out of her pocket.
"It's Nisky" she said looking down at the phone. "He doesn't usually call this late. Something must be up" she said as her phone continued to go off.
"Give me the phone" said James with his hand out. He answered the phone "This better be good Nisky" he said into the phone. "Yeah, I'm with her. How else would I be answering her phone? No you haven't interrupted anything ..yet" he continued harshly. "Yeah here she is " he said handing heather the phone.
"Nisky , what's going on?" she said into the phone "Alright...I'm at Dupers I can be there in 20...meet you at my place" she said hanging up.
"So what's going on?" Asked James sounding disappointed.
"Beau is really drunk, he needs a babysitter" she said as he sunk into his front seat.
"Doesn't Sid live just as close?" Asked James a bit annoyed.
"You know Sid and his superstition. Plus there was no answer from him" she said. "Tell you what, after the game tomorrow night I'm all yours until we leave for Philly on Thursday" she said with a smile. "Wednesday is an optional skate"
"Promise?" He asked her hopefully. To answer him she just gave him a long kiss and went off to her car --- Heather arrived home to see Beau slumped down against her door with Nisky against the opposite wall
. "Hhhiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Beau said happily and very sloppily drunk. "Hey Nisky, i think I'm getting lucky tonight" he said in a loud obvious whisper as Heather and Nisky helped him into her apartment.
"No you're not Sunshine" she said using his nickname. "You're going to sleep" she said as they took him to her bed.
"How about a 3 way huh Nisky? You know she went down on me in a taxi and then we fucked on the beach" Matt raised an eyebrow to Heather as they put Beau into Heather's bed.
"Half truth " she said to him. "Take your pick which one" she said to him smiling. "So what won't he remember in the morning?" Heather asked as she walked Nisky to her door.
"Ex girlfriend was at the bar with another guy. He started pounding back tequila and that was that" he said.
"I'll take care of him and make sure he gets to the game tomorrow." Heather said showing Niskanen out. He turned to her just before he left "It was the taxi wasn't it" "Bye Nisky" she said shaking her head closing the door as she walked back to her room she heard Beau singing Chelsea Dagger very loudly and off key.
"Chelsea Chelsea I believe that when you're dancing slowly sucking your sleeve..."he sung as she entered the room.
"Wrong team Beau" Heather said to him as she grabbed her pyjamas to change into. "That's Chicago's goal song"
"That slut Chelsea....she's with some investment banker. Come on? Who should pick a banker over all of this?" He asked pointing to his body.
"Depends." She said quietly. "Is the investment banker a sloppy drunk?" She asked him slipping on a pair of pink cotton shorts and a white tank top to sleep in. Nothing that she was too worried about getting puke on.
"Hey I'm not drunk" said Beau raising his head off of the bed. Heather started taking his shoes and pants off. "Round one already babe?" He asked getting ready to slip off his boxers.
"Nope, you're going to sleep." She said taking his hands off of his boxers. "I'm simply making you comfortable." She said as she left the room to get him some water and Advil. He'd need it soon.
"You're a good friend Heath" he said to her as she walked into her kitchen. Her phone buzzed as she grabbed a couple of water bottles
RealDeal: how's Sunny?
H: sloppy, thinks he's getting in my pants tonight.
RealDeal: oh hell no. I've got dibs on those pants for tomorrow night thanks ;)
H:somebody's sure of themselves
RealDeal:I can only be left with blue balls so many times.
Heather laughed at the last message. Poor James didn't have much luck with her. Suddenly she heard the sounds of retching coming from the bathroom.
H:gtg, Sunshine's Throwing up.
RealDeal:gross. You know you playing nursemaid is kind of hot
H:you must be horny. Cleaning up puke is not hot. Night Jame. See you tomorrow.
RealDeal:see you in my dreams ;)
Heather was relieved to see that Beau had managed to get to the bathroom and not destroy her room by throwing up all over her bed. "Here, drink this." Heather said passing him the water. She sat down on the bed and motioned for Beau to sit in front of her. She started to massage his shoulders and neck to keep his blood flowing. "So this girl, was she really worth the headache you're going to have tomorrow?"
"She's hot Heath. Like hotter than you. No offence." He said turning his head slightly back to try and catch her eyes. "She was like my...my other half or something. Then one day she broke my heart" he said in a sad voice.
"Yeah, I've been there." She said to him thinking about her relationship with Jason. "I thought I found the guy of my dreams. Turned out he never intended to leave his wife for me. I was always meant to be the bit on the side" she said starting to massage harder as her anger bubbled up.
"Woah, and now you're like a professional mistress." He said to her. "But we are talking about me here" he said silencing her.
"Sorry, continue" she said as moved laying back on her pillows and Heather curled into his lean, muscular side.
"We met in Denver at school. We were together until two months after I made the show" he said sounding sad. "I thought she was my one. She left me and just left a letter saying she was done" he said. "She had been cheating since week two of us being here"
"Ouch." Heather said rubbing his chest in small circles.
"You know you're good at this. You should be like a nurse or professional mom or something. Hey then you'd be a professional MILF" Beau laughed out loud thinking it was hilarious.
"I've had lots of practice putting hockey players back together after rough nights." She said to him.
"Oh yeah?" Looking at her resting his chin on her hair. "So tell me a story. Was the guy a hockey player?"
"Yes" she said simply. She figured that he'd forget come morning anyway along with the rest of what happened that night. "Jason and I were fuck buddies on and off for 5 years." She said. "Certain things complicated out situation. He had a serious girlfriend and I had...well never mind" she said. She figured he was engrossed in her story as she heard nothing but silence. "Anyway, on his wedding day he decided to text me telling me that he had to go through with the wedding. That he loved his fiancé but wished that it was me." She said pausing "he moved on having babies and I just kind of was around then last summer things heated up again and I got pregnant" she said to him tears coming to her eyes. "Obviously I'm not having a baby now. So I finally ended it" she said looking up at him. He was breathing deeply resting in a comfortable, likely relieving sleep. She gave him a kiss on his forehead and grabbed her phone.
She scrolled through her photos until she got to one of her and Jason. It was in Toronto after a game. She was wearing his jersey, a short skirt and boots sitting on his lap likely after a night of bar hopping. In the picture Heather was smiling at the camera while Jason rested his forehead against her head with a genuine happy smile on his face. It must've been a good ten minutes that she say and looked at the photo. She then went to her contact list. She almost hit send to call him. Instead she opted to text. Looking at the clock it said 2:45
H:hey J are you up?
It was like he was sitting there waiting for her to message him. Like they still had the esp like connection that they used to have. Suddenly her phone started to vibrate as she saw the same photo and the name 'Spezz' written across her phone. She figured it'd be cruel to not answer as she sought him out .
"Hey." She said into the phone. "How are you Jay" she got up and went to the living room just in case she woke up Beau.
"I miss you" was all that he said to her with moments of silence following.
"Do you miss your child too?" Heather asked with a bite in her voice.
"Would you believe me if I told you yes?" He asked her.
"Maybe. I'd be 20 weeks today you know. She said to him fighting back tears. "We could've known if it was a girl or boy" she said.
"It was a boy I know it. Likely my only chance to have one and I guess I'm being punished for having an affair" he said to her.
"Jason I'm not an idiot. I know you slept with other girls" Heather said.
"I didn't love them" he said to her. "What I did was stupid" he said to her sounding like he meant it. "I should've told Jenn it was over years ago."
" But you didn't. And you traded perhaps your first born son to ensure you got the C after Alfie left" Heather said knowing it sounded cruel. Like it was a deal with the devil.
"You could've kept the baby. I didn't drug you and force an abortion against your will." Said Jason fighting back. Something he almost never did with her in the years that they had been together. Minutes of silence fell between them. Heather knew that he was right. It was her choice no matter how hard he pushed her to hide the pregnancy. "So why did you call?" He asked her.
"I missed you I guess. I've been hiding and it was time to face the truth." She said.
"Are they treating you well?" He asked her in a soft voice.
"Like a queen. I think Crosby's in love" she said with a slight laugh
. "Lucky guy" he said to her. "How is Avery?" He asked referring to her son.
"Still in Europe with his dad. He's on the radar being scouted" she said. "Part of me hopes he will come home and play in the OHL" she said to him finally dropping her guard. "Sophia and Nicola must be getting big" she said referring to his daughters.
"Yeah" he said she could hear the smile in his voice. "Soph is on skates now." He said
"Just don't teach her that no look drop pass ok?" Heather said her guard falling further and further.
"Hey now," he said to her joining in her laughter. "You're my Angel you know that?" He said to her. "Just like that song you used to sing to me." He said referring to Angels by Robbie Williams. The chorus described them perfectly. "
"And through it all she offers me protection A lot of love and affection Whether I'm right or wrong And down the waterfall Wherever it may take me I know that life won't break me When I come to call she won't forsake me I'm loving angels instead" she sang into the phone to him.
"Do you sing to anybody on the team?" He asked her.
"Just one" Heather said to him. "To be fair he sang to me first" Heather said laughing thinking back to James and the karaoke bar.
"I miss your voice. I miss you. I can't take back the past but...god what am I trying to say?" Jason asked himself.
"I don't know" said Heather "but I do know we are long over." She said to him. "Jason we've got to move on." She said to him.
"Come for Christmas" he said to her. "You can stay at my condo and I will be at my parents with Jenn and the kids" he said to her.
"Jay I can't" she said to him. "We can't keep this cycle going" she said. "You looked into this job for a reason. So we could both move on" she said to him.
"Consider it...please" he said to her as she paused. "We play the Pens in December two days before Christmas. You can give me a final answer then. Jenn and the Kids will already be in Toronto. You can come home with me" he said to her.
"Jason I..." She started wanting to stand her ground and say no.
"Just promise me you'll consider" he said to her. "At least give me that hope"
"Jason....I....ok" she said to him.
"Goodnight Angel" he said to her
"Night Spezz" she said hanging up her phone.
'What the hell did i just do?' She thought to herself.
"You saw that huh?" She asked with an embarrassed blush on her face.
"Even if I didn't it was written all over your face.a." Said Duper smiling a half smile. "I won't keep you. I know you have a job to do. Neal really seems to like you."
"actually we haven't....we umm haven't" she said not wanting to finish that sentence.
"Been to pleasuretown yet?" He asked her with a serious look in his eyes.
"Yeah" she said biting her lip looking at the floor
"What the hell is he waiting for?" Asked Duper laughing
. "If it was me I would've boarded that train ages ago" he said with a glint in his eyes.
"Well bad timing I guess." She said "and selfish teammates who use my time just to cuddle" she said leaning her forehead against his. he laughed and gave her a small kiss on the nose. "Would it be wrong of me to ask you why you don't..."
"Partake?" He finished her question. "I don't know. I never have. I guess I just never saw the need." He said with a smile in his eyes. "Carolyne and I have talked about it. She doesn't love the idea but also would rather see me with somebody safe rather than a random girl you know?" He said to her with a wrinkle in his brow.
"I shouldn't have asked." She said with a nervous laugh "Plus I do enjoy our cuddle sessions" she said to him. "Sometimes it's nice to be touched and intimate like that." She said wistfully. "But I do feel a little weird discussing this after watching your kids while you were on a date with your wife." She said scrunching her nose.
"yeah I get that" he said smiling. "One last thing, never say never" he said tapping her nose with his finger. He glanced past her shoulder and saw James waiting for her in the doorway. "I think somebody's waiting for you." He said nodding towards him. She smiled and gave Pascal a hug. He sent her on her way with a small pat on the bottom. James helped her with her coat and walked to the front driveway with her. He leaned in for a kiss when her phone started to ring.
"Ignore it" he said to her brushing a stray hair from her face as he leaned in and began a slow sweet kiss as her phone silenced. Seconds later it started vibrating again, Heather pulled the phone out of her pocket.
"It's Nisky" she said looking down at the phone. "He doesn't usually call this late. Something must be up" she said as her phone continued to go off.
"Give me the phone" said James with his hand out. He answered the phone "This better be good Nisky" he said into the phone. "Yeah, I'm with her. How else would I be answering her phone? No you haven't interrupted anything ..yet" he continued harshly. "Yeah here she is " he said handing heather the phone.
"Nisky , what's going on?" she said into the phone "Alright...I'm at Dupers I can be there in 20...meet you at my place" she said hanging up.
"So what's going on?" Asked James sounding disappointed.
"Beau is really drunk, he needs a babysitter" she said as he sunk into his front seat.
"Doesn't Sid live just as close?" Asked James a bit annoyed.
"You know Sid and his superstition. Plus there was no answer from him" she said. "Tell you what, after the game tomorrow night I'm all yours until we leave for Philly on Thursday" she said with a smile. "Wednesday is an optional skate"
"Promise?" He asked her hopefully. To answer him she just gave him a long kiss and went off to her car --- Heather arrived home to see Beau slumped down against her door with Nisky against the opposite wall
. "Hhhiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Beau said happily and very sloppily drunk. "Hey Nisky, i think I'm getting lucky tonight" he said in a loud obvious whisper as Heather and Nisky helped him into her apartment.
"No you're not Sunshine" she said using his nickname. "You're going to sleep" she said as they took him to her bed.
"How about a 3 way huh Nisky? You know she went down on me in a taxi and then we fucked on the beach" Matt raised an eyebrow to Heather as they put Beau into Heather's bed.
"Half truth " she said to him. "Take your pick which one" she said to him smiling. "So what won't he remember in the morning?" Heather asked as she walked Nisky to her door.
"Ex girlfriend was at the bar with another guy. He started pounding back tequila and that was that" he said.
"I'll take care of him and make sure he gets to the game tomorrow." Heather said showing Niskanen out. He turned to her just before he left "It was the taxi wasn't it" "Bye Nisky" she said shaking her head closing the door as she walked back to her room she heard Beau singing Chelsea Dagger very loudly and off key.
"Chelsea Chelsea I believe that when you're dancing slowly sucking your sleeve..."he sung as she entered the room.
"Wrong team Beau" Heather said to him as she grabbed her pyjamas to change into. "That's Chicago's goal song"
"That slut Chelsea....she's with some investment banker. Come on? Who should pick a banker over all of this?" He asked pointing to his body.
"Depends." She said quietly. "Is the investment banker a sloppy drunk?" She asked him slipping on a pair of pink cotton shorts and a white tank top to sleep in. Nothing that she was too worried about getting puke on.
"Hey I'm not drunk" said Beau raising his head off of the bed. Heather started taking his shoes and pants off. "Round one already babe?" He asked getting ready to slip off his boxers.
"Nope, you're going to sleep." She said taking his hands off of his boxers. "I'm simply making you comfortable." She said as she left the room to get him some water and Advil. He'd need it soon.
"You're a good friend Heath" he said to her as she walked into her kitchen. Her phone buzzed as she grabbed a couple of water bottles
RealDeal: how's Sunny?
H: sloppy, thinks he's getting in my pants tonight.
RealDeal: oh hell no. I've got dibs on those pants for tomorrow night thanks ;)
H:somebody's sure of themselves
RealDeal:I can only be left with blue balls so many times.
Heather laughed at the last message. Poor James didn't have much luck with her. Suddenly she heard the sounds of retching coming from the bathroom.
H:gtg, Sunshine's Throwing up.
RealDeal:gross. You know you playing nursemaid is kind of hot
H:you must be horny. Cleaning up puke is not hot. Night Jame. See you tomorrow.
RealDeal:see you in my dreams ;)
Heather was relieved to see that Beau had managed to get to the bathroom and not destroy her room by throwing up all over her bed. "Here, drink this." Heather said passing him the water. She sat down on the bed and motioned for Beau to sit in front of her. She started to massage his shoulders and neck to keep his blood flowing. "So this girl, was she really worth the headache you're going to have tomorrow?"
"She's hot Heath. Like hotter than you. No offence." He said turning his head slightly back to try and catch her eyes. "She was like my...my other half or something. Then one day she broke my heart" he said in a sad voice.
"Yeah, I've been there." She said to him thinking about her relationship with Jason. "I thought I found the guy of my dreams. Turned out he never intended to leave his wife for me. I was always meant to be the bit on the side" she said starting to massage harder as her anger bubbled up.
"Woah, and now you're like a professional mistress." He said to her. "But we are talking about me here" he said silencing her.
"Sorry, continue" she said as moved laying back on her pillows and Heather curled into his lean, muscular side.
"We met in Denver at school. We were together until two months after I made the show" he said sounding sad. "I thought she was my one. She left me and just left a letter saying she was done" he said. "She had been cheating since week two of us being here"
"Ouch." Heather said rubbing his chest in small circles.
"You know you're good at this. You should be like a nurse or professional mom or something. Hey then you'd be a professional MILF" Beau laughed out loud thinking it was hilarious.
"I've had lots of practice putting hockey players back together after rough nights." She said to him.
"Oh yeah?" Looking at her resting his chin on her hair. "So tell me a story. Was the guy a hockey player?"
"Yes" she said simply. She figured that he'd forget come morning anyway along with the rest of what happened that night. "Jason and I were fuck buddies on and off for 5 years." She said. "Certain things complicated out situation. He had a serious girlfriend and I had...well never mind" she said. She figured he was engrossed in her story as she heard nothing but silence. "Anyway, on his wedding day he decided to text me telling me that he had to go through with the wedding. That he loved his fiancé but wished that it was me." She said pausing "he moved on having babies and I just kind of was around then last summer things heated up again and I got pregnant" she said to him tears coming to her eyes. "Obviously I'm not having a baby now. So I finally ended it" she said looking up at him. He was breathing deeply resting in a comfortable, likely relieving sleep. She gave him a kiss on his forehead and grabbed her phone.
She scrolled through her photos until she got to one of her and Jason. It was in Toronto after a game. She was wearing his jersey, a short skirt and boots sitting on his lap likely after a night of bar hopping. In the picture Heather was smiling at the camera while Jason rested his forehead against her head with a genuine happy smile on his face. It must've been a good ten minutes that she say and looked at the photo. She then went to her contact list. She almost hit send to call him. Instead she opted to text. Looking at the clock it said 2:45
H:hey J are you up?
It was like he was sitting there waiting for her to message him. Like they still had the esp like connection that they used to have. Suddenly her phone started to vibrate as she saw the same photo and the name 'Spezz' written across her phone. She figured it'd be cruel to not answer as she sought him out .
"Hey." She said into the phone. "How are you Jay" she got up and went to the living room just in case she woke up Beau.
"I miss you" was all that he said to her with moments of silence following.
"Do you miss your child too?" Heather asked with a bite in her voice.
"Would you believe me if I told you yes?" He asked her.
"Maybe. I'd be 20 weeks today you know. She said to him fighting back tears. "We could've known if it was a girl or boy" she said.
"It was a boy I know it. Likely my only chance to have one and I guess I'm being punished for having an affair" he said to her.
"Jason I'm not an idiot. I know you slept with other girls" Heather said.
"I didn't love them" he said to her. "What I did was stupid" he said to her sounding like he meant it. "I should've told Jenn it was over years ago."
" But you didn't. And you traded perhaps your first born son to ensure you got the C after Alfie left" Heather said knowing it sounded cruel. Like it was a deal with the devil.
"You could've kept the baby. I didn't drug you and force an abortion against your will." Said Jason fighting back. Something he almost never did with her in the years that they had been together. Minutes of silence fell between them. Heather knew that he was right. It was her choice no matter how hard he pushed her to hide the pregnancy. "So why did you call?" He asked her.
"I missed you I guess. I've been hiding and it was time to face the truth." She said.
"Are they treating you well?" He asked her in a soft voice.
"Like a queen. I think Crosby's in love" she said with a slight laugh
. "Lucky guy" he said to her. "How is Avery?" He asked referring to her son.
"Still in Europe with his dad. He's on the radar being scouted" she said. "Part of me hopes he will come home and play in the OHL" she said to him finally dropping her guard. "Sophia and Nicola must be getting big" she said referring to his daughters.
"Yeah" he said she could hear the smile in his voice. "Soph is on skates now." He said
"Just don't teach her that no look drop pass ok?" Heather said her guard falling further and further.
"Hey now," he said to her joining in her laughter. "You're my Angel you know that?" He said to her. "Just like that song you used to sing to me." He said referring to Angels by Robbie Williams. The chorus described them perfectly. "
"And through it all she offers me protection A lot of love and affection Whether I'm right or wrong And down the waterfall Wherever it may take me I know that life won't break me When I come to call she won't forsake me I'm loving angels instead" she sang into the phone to him.
"Do you sing to anybody on the team?" He asked her.
"Just one" Heather said to him. "To be fair he sang to me first" Heather said laughing thinking back to James and the karaoke bar.
"I miss your voice. I miss you. I can't take back the past but...god what am I trying to say?" Jason asked himself.
"I don't know" said Heather "but I do know we are long over." She said to him. "Jason we've got to move on." She said to him.
"Come for Christmas" he said to her. "You can stay at my condo and I will be at my parents with Jenn and the kids" he said to her.
"Jay I can't" she said to him. "We can't keep this cycle going" she said. "You looked into this job for a reason. So we could both move on" she said to him.
"Consider it...please" he said to her as she paused. "We play the Pens in December two days before Christmas. You can give me a final answer then. Jenn and the Kids will already be in Toronto. You can come home with me" he said to her.
"Jason I..." She started wanting to stand her ground and say no.
"Just promise me you'll consider" he said to her. "At least give me that hope"
"Jason....I....ok" she said to him.
"Goodnight Angel" he said to her
"Night Spezz" she said hanging up her phone.
'What the hell did i just do?' She thought to herself.
PLEASE I NEED THIS!!!
11/6/20