Breaking the Ice
Huit
I woke up from a loud knock on the door. I heard Melissa groan and roll over to face me. Her soft, black hair caught under my arm and she winced.
“Sorry hun” I croaked, moving my arm and rubbing my eyes.
“Will you get the door?” she asked sweetly as the knocking got louder. I nodded and kissed her on the forehead. My feet froze on the cold hardwood on the way through her condo. I opened the door and to my surprise Duper was standing in front of me.
“Hey. Woah, Nealer? What are you-?”
I rolled over and got my cell phone from my nightstand. It was hard keeping my relationship with James a secret so I decided to tell my best friend Anita everything.
Hey girl.
Hey Mel! What’s up?
Just waking up, you?
At work. Saw you got 2 goals in the last game. Congrats
Thanks Nita! So I have a secret…..
TELL ME!!!!!!
I’m sort of dating someone!!
Eeek who? Who? WHO?
James Neal
……………
Anita?
THE REAL DEAL JAMES NEAL?
Lol Yeah.
Um…..what?! DETAILS!!
Well During the lockout when I had the guys over. It turned into a party and we slept together.
WHAT?!
In the middle of replying back to Anita I heard yelling coming from the other room. In a moment of panic I jumped out of bed and ran to the living room.
“What’s going on?” I stopped short of running into the couch to see Duper waving flowers around, screaming at James.
“End it!”
“But Dup-“
“END IT!” He screamed before looking at me. His eyes went wide.
“Um…Mel…” James started gesturing at me.
“Wha-“ I began before looking down at myself.
“Holy Shit” I screamed looking at my volleyball shorts and—no top. I ran back into the room and throwing my Penguins shirt on, trying not to let it sink in that Pascal had just seen my tits, full on.
“Well that wasn’t embarrassing at all…but Duper what’s up?” I said uncomfortably standing in the doorway.
“You have HIS shirt on, you know that right?” I looked down at the little 18 on my chest and rolled my eyes.
“We’re…..together okay?” I sighed running my fingers through my hair.
“Mel, this isn’t--it’s not a good thing okay?” He said walking over to me and putting his hands on my shoulders.
“Here” he said shyly handing over flowers.
“Oh, so I can’t date her, but you can buy her flowers like she’s your fucking date to something.”
“Read the fucking card.” Pascal said stepping away from me and crossing his arms.
“ ‘I’m sorry Sidney is a douchebag. We love you’ and it’s signed by everyone” I read aloud after smelling the roses.
“My date to something, Nealer? Calm down she’s like my little sister.” Pascal smirked leaning against the white countertop.
“Well..” James began with an angry look in his eye.
“It was sweet, Thanks duper.” I said hugging him. He looked down at me with a really concerned look.
“What?” I asked, still in his arms.
“Are you really leaving?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed.
“You don’t know?!” James screeched, looking at me like I had just grown another head.
“I thought we talked about this.” He crossed his arms getting more and more angry.
“We never talked about anything. I met with my agent and if I want to leave I’d have to waive my no-trade clause and have a meeting with management…and Sid. And I don’t want to do that”
“You’re not going to stay with me?” He was purely in shock.
“I said I didn’t know. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” I gave up. I walked back into my room and slammed the door. I flung myself onto the bed and pulled the covers over my head.
“Fuck” I heard James say to himself quietly. After a few minutes of them whisper fighting Pascal slowly walked in.
“Ma petite boule de haine,*” he called, making me smile under the covers.
“Oui”
“Don’t be upset” He sat down next to me and patted me on the head.
“I don’t want to seem like I’m overreacting, but you guys are just making me think about all this stuff and-“
“You don’t have to think about anything. Play tomorrow, if things are still rough, you can think about leaving later.” I thought about it for a while.
“You’re the best duper” I smiled hugging him. He smiled back, his hazel eyes crinkling.
“Now get your ass out of bed and come to lunch with me, Tanger, and Flower, and I guess Nealer can come too.”
“Fine just let me get dressed”
“Ughhh go like this then, it’ll take you an hour!” I threw my pillow right at Dupuis’ head.
“20 minutes. ” I replied, running into the shower. I quickly washed my hair and brushed my teeth. I jumped out and changed as quickly as possible. My hair was still wet so I put it in a high bun. I got dressed and headed out to see our frenchies and Nealer sitting in the living room and talking.
“Let’s go boys!” I said, but they just stared at me.
“What?!” I asked confused.
“Nothing, you just look great, mon petite choo choo.“ Flower said getting up from the couch and hugging me then giving me a noogie.
“FLOWER!” I yelled wrestling with him.
“Whats wrong with you guys? You act like you’ve never seen me before!” I said wiggling out of his grasp.
“I don’t know you just look, different, but not at the same time. You look good” Tanger smiled flipping his hair.
“Well thank you. Can we go now?” I asked redoing my bun.
The French-Canadians did what they did best, they made Melissa smile. Melissa and the boys went to a little French bistro in East Liberty for lunch. Marc-Andre made it clear that he was really excited about having a child and Tanger chimed in that it was fun, but hard. James and Melissa looked at Pascal and laughed.
“What about family guy over here?” Melissa nudged Duper, taking a bite into her baguette.
Pascal looked over at his fellow French-Canadians and smiled.
“I’ll let them figure it out for themselves.” He smiled.
Mel felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It was a text from Geno.
“Pls play tomorrow. Miss u )))))))”
“I’ll be there Geno” She replied smiling like a madwoman.
“Who’s that?” Tanger said leaning over to Mel’s side of the table.
“Just Geno. You jealous?” Mel asked holding hands with James under the mahogany table.
“No, but uh, can I talk to you a second?”
“Sorry hun” I croaked, moving my arm and rubbing my eyes.
“Will you get the door?” she asked sweetly as the knocking got louder. I nodded and kissed her on the forehead. My feet froze on the cold hardwood on the way through her condo. I opened the door and to my surprise Duper was standing in front of me.
“Hey. Woah, Nealer? What are you-?”
I rolled over and got my cell phone from my nightstand. It was hard keeping my relationship with James a secret so I decided to tell my best friend Anita everything.
Hey girl.
Hey Mel! What’s up?
Just waking up, you?
At work. Saw you got 2 goals in the last game. Congrats
Thanks Nita! So I have a secret…..
TELL ME!!!!!!
I’m sort of dating someone!!
Eeek who? Who? WHO?
James Neal
……………
Anita?
THE REAL DEAL JAMES NEAL?
Lol Yeah.
Um…..what?! DETAILS!!
Well During the lockout when I had the guys over. It turned into a party and we slept together.
WHAT?!
In the middle of replying back to Anita I heard yelling coming from the other room. In a moment of panic I jumped out of bed and ran to the living room.
“What’s going on?” I stopped short of running into the couch to see Duper waving flowers around, screaming at James.
“End it!”
“But Dup-“
“END IT!” He screamed before looking at me. His eyes went wide.
“Um…Mel…” James started gesturing at me.
“Wha-“ I began before looking down at myself.
“Holy Shit” I screamed looking at my volleyball shorts and—no top. I ran back into the room and throwing my Penguins shirt on, trying not to let it sink in that Pascal had just seen my tits, full on.
“Well that wasn’t embarrassing at all…but Duper what’s up?” I said uncomfortably standing in the doorway.
“You have HIS shirt on, you know that right?” I looked down at the little 18 on my chest and rolled my eyes.
“We’re…..together okay?” I sighed running my fingers through my hair.
“Mel, this isn’t--it’s not a good thing okay?” He said walking over to me and putting his hands on my shoulders.
“Here” he said shyly handing over flowers.
“Oh, so I can’t date her, but you can buy her flowers like she’s your fucking date to something.”
“Read the fucking card.” Pascal said stepping away from me and crossing his arms.
“ ‘I’m sorry Sidney is a douchebag. We love you’ and it’s signed by everyone” I read aloud after smelling the roses.
“My date to something, Nealer? Calm down she’s like my little sister.” Pascal smirked leaning against the white countertop.
“Well..” James began with an angry look in his eye.
“It was sweet, Thanks duper.” I said hugging him. He looked down at me with a really concerned look.
“What?” I asked, still in his arms.
“Are you really leaving?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed.
“You don’t know?!” James screeched, looking at me like I had just grown another head.
“I thought we talked about this.” He crossed his arms getting more and more angry.
“We never talked about anything. I met with my agent and if I want to leave I’d have to waive my no-trade clause and have a meeting with management…and Sid. And I don’t want to do that”
“You’re not going to stay with me?” He was purely in shock.
“I said I didn’t know. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” I gave up. I walked back into my room and slammed the door. I flung myself onto the bed and pulled the covers over my head.
“Fuck” I heard James say to himself quietly. After a few minutes of them whisper fighting Pascal slowly walked in.
“Ma petite boule de haine,*” he called, making me smile under the covers.
“Oui”
“Don’t be upset” He sat down next to me and patted me on the head.
“I don’t want to seem like I’m overreacting, but you guys are just making me think about all this stuff and-“
“You don’t have to think about anything. Play tomorrow, if things are still rough, you can think about leaving later.” I thought about it for a while.
“You’re the best duper” I smiled hugging him. He smiled back, his hazel eyes crinkling.
“Now get your ass out of bed and come to lunch with me, Tanger, and Flower, and I guess Nealer can come too.”
“Fine just let me get dressed”
“Ughhh go like this then, it’ll take you an hour!” I threw my pillow right at Dupuis’ head.
“20 minutes. ” I replied, running into the shower. I quickly washed my hair and brushed my teeth. I jumped out and changed as quickly as possible. My hair was still wet so I put it in a high bun. I got dressed and headed out to see our frenchies and Nealer sitting in the living room and talking.
“Let’s go boys!” I said, but they just stared at me.
“What?!” I asked confused.
“Nothing, you just look great, mon petite choo choo.“ Flower said getting up from the couch and hugging me then giving me a noogie.
“FLOWER!” I yelled wrestling with him.
“Whats wrong with you guys? You act like you’ve never seen me before!” I said wiggling out of his grasp.
“I don’t know you just look, different, but not at the same time. You look good” Tanger smiled flipping his hair.
“Well thank you. Can we go now?” I asked redoing my bun.
The French-Canadians did what they did best, they made Melissa smile. Melissa and the boys went to a little French bistro in East Liberty for lunch. Marc-Andre made it clear that he was really excited about having a child and Tanger chimed in that it was fun, but hard. James and Melissa looked at Pascal and laughed.
“What about family guy over here?” Melissa nudged Duper, taking a bite into her baguette.
Pascal looked over at his fellow French-Canadians and smiled.
“I’ll let them figure it out for themselves.” He smiled.
Mel felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It was a text from Geno.
“Pls play tomorrow. Miss u )))))))”
“I’ll be there Geno” She replied smiling like a madwoman.
“Who’s that?” Tanger said leaning over to Mel’s side of the table.
“Just Geno. You jealous?” Mel asked holding hands with James under the mahogany table.
“No, but uh, can I talk to you a second?”
7/26/13