I'd Rather Have You

Michael was watching her scribble on the notepad. She really was writing down the things he said. "Don't write that down. I was joking." he stated grabbing her hand.

Antigone glanced down at his hand covering hers. She had somehow thought his hands would be soft to match the rest of his pretty boy appearance. But this wasn't the case, his hands must have been roughened from the sport of hockey. Antigone studied his hands. They were a contradiction just like the guy sitting in front of her. Then again Antigone knew very little about Michael Del Zotto.


"Which part were you joking about? The part where you had sex with a stripper in a bar bathroom or the exaggerated sex life deal?" she asked not bothering to pull her hand free from his.


"This is the worst first impression I have ever made on a woman" he groaned pulling his hand free from hers.


Antigone laughed "I'm pretty sure you made an impression on the bathroom stripper."


"Somehow bathroom stripper sounds worse than Echo"


"Definitely classy" replied Antigone "So tell me what other dirt I am going to find when I research you."


"Research me?" he questioned "I thought we were researching her?"


"I am researching you both" she answered "So I would much rather hear the salacious stuff from you than from Twitter and TMZ." Michael's hands once went into his messy hair. She could see the wheels in head spinning. "It can't be that bad."


"It's bad" he replied.


"Worse than the bathroom stripper?" she asked.

"Can I say it's kind of a toss- up at this point?" he questioned. He was suddenly very preoccupied with a piece of lint on his shirt.


"Spill it Del Zotto. I don't want to be blindsided."


"So I went out with this porn star a few times" he began.


"A porn star as in singular or plural. I don't care who you dated." she replied. He watched as she pulled another donut thing through the Nutella. Fuck. Brain focus. "Del Zotto porn star?" she said expectantly.


He didn't have time to answer as her brother Niel came out of the kitchen and brought a plate of spanakopita. He sat it on the table and snagged a piece of the pastry. "I forgot about that you used to bang the "Nalin' Palin" chick." crowed Niel. Michael groaned. Great not only did he have to tell her about this shit but her family members now knew as well. No one wanted his little sister to date a guy who had a rep for dating strippers and porn stars. Whoa where the hell had that come from? He was pretty sure that Antigone thought he was a fuck up of the highest order. Why didn't he meet girls like her? Oh because he and Segs are trolling bars looking for sure things. A girl like Antigone was work. Maybe he needed a second job.


"Nalin' Palin" quizzed Antigone narrowing her eyes at her brother and Michael "As in Sarah Palin. Governor of Alaska, hockey mom, and former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin?" Antigone waited for an answer. She almost laughed out loud at the stricken look on Michael's face.


"I did not sleep with that woman." he stated emphatically. Niel started laughing. "I'm serious."


"You technically didn't sleep with the bathroom stripper either." replied Antigone.


"Maybe it's a Clintonism." said Niel chiming in. Antigone rolled her eyes at her brother. She pointed to the kitchen door. Niel smiled and snagged another piece of spanakopita. Antigone smacked him in his abs. "Oww, I am going. Ma" he yelled "Antigone hit me."


"Sorry" she said sheepishly "They have no filter. It comes from being the firehouse and police station."


"A lot like hockey I would imagine" he replied.


"Okay back to this "Nailin' Palin" chick." she directed.


"Her name is Lisa Ann" he answered "She seemed nice. Met her at a party we went out a few times."


"Define a few"


"Maybe 3 times. She is quite a bit older than me. Plus I couldn't see bringing her home to meet the parents."


"How much of an age gap?" asked Antigone. She was still writing on that damn legal pad. He wasn't sure he wanted to see her notes. Curiosity killed the cat.


"She is 18 years older than me." he answered "She got pissed when I told her I wanted to date someone closer to my age. We tweeted and stuff back and forth. Later on I had told her she should set me up with some of the girls closer to my age. She blew it completely out of proportion and put it on public Twitter not DM. So every tabloid sports news group picked it up. Not good for your image."


"So did you respond to it at all?"


"No Rangers PR said let it die." he replied "Then they up and trade me to Nashville."


"You didn't know they wanted to trade you?" she asked "I thought you all had trade clauses."


"When you are a big name you get those kinds of contracts, but a fuck up party boy with a reputation for banging strippers goes where they tell you to go." he shrugged "I was a rental in Nashville."


"Rental?"


"A rental is when you get traded near trade deadline and the team that took you has no intention of offering you a contract past that season." he explained "I was pissed at being in Nashville. I didn't give it a huge effort. Which made it seem like I was lazy and incompetent. That on top of my rep put me on waivers."


"Waivers means that any team can pick you up by grabbing your contract?"


"Yes there is more to it than that but that is the basics. You either get picked up or go to the AHL. I cleared waivers but Nashville didn't even make a qualifying offer." he offered "So basically I left Nashville with nowhere to play."


Antigone was studying him carefully. She could see that this really bothered him. He seemed more upset by the hockey issues than the porn scandal. That was a good sign. She was pretty good at reading people. Her gut feeling was that Del Zotto was basically decent. She continued taking notes until he got quiet. "What" she asked.


"I'm nervous about what you are writing" he answered honestly.


"No one but the firm will see my notes. And they are in my shorthand. I'm pretty sure Mira is the only one who can translate it."


"It's all out there already. I've just never sat down and confessed it all at once."


"You're a good Italian Catholic boy. I'm sure confession is a concept you are familiar with."


"Yes, but that is a dude behind closed doors. Plus I would never tell a priest half the shit Segs and I get into."


"Might make you feel better. Save your soul." laughed Antigone.


"Seggy and I can be roomies on the other side" he said laughing "There are some things you take to the grave."


"And that doesn't include dating geriatric porn stars and banging strippers in bathrooms." she asked incredulously "Any other mayhem I need to be aware of?"


"I couldn't tell you all the girls names. I can't even tell you where I met them." he answered "I know it's to the point that if someone posts a pic of me and a chick on instagram or twitter the entire world blows up. Right before this thing with Echo I had been photographed with a media sports chick. Headline was I was banging a WAG. She had just separated from her NFL fiance." He watched her write more information. He hated that notebook. "I literally stopped and posed for a picture with her and another girl. It took 25 seconds. That was the news not that I had 2 goals and 2 assists. Which is a decent night for defensman." Antigone nodded. She was quiet. She was thinking. Fuck! He didn't want to come across as some self-important douche bag. He had a sinking feeling that it was too late.


"So you live with this Segs person?"


"I have my own place here. But in the off season I live with Tyler Seguin. Some of the time Richie Clune is there. A lot of the time Mike Stud is with us as well."


"His name is Mike Stud?"


"He's a rapper" replied Michael


"Of course he is" she laughed "You, Segs, him, and this Clune combine to make an awesome boy band right?"


"I knew you were smart." he shook his head "No, Segs plays for the Dallas Stars. He and I hit a lot of events together. Mike is one of Segs’ best friends. You'd like Cluner he is sober and remarkably the voice of reason in that bunch."


"By events you mean girls."


"No er well yes." he replied "But clubs and other groups pay us to host events. And we do a lot of charity stuff. Plus anything the NHL or our teams need."


"I get it." she answered "If my uncle agrees to represent you there are rules you will have to follow. If you can't or won't follow the rules then you are wasting all of our time."


"Whatever you want."


"It's got to be something you want Del Zotto. You can pick any law firm to rep you in a paternity case. Mr. Giroux brought you to my uncle for a reason. To make sure you come out of this as best you can." she looked directly at him "Are you ready to actually do it?"


"Yes, if this is my child I want to have him or her in my life. I know for the child's sake and for my careers sake this can't continue."


"You need to be out of the party scene. No more bar hopping, no more club promotion, and no more pajama parties at the Playboy Mansion. You need to train. Get ready for camp. Start the season off right. No drinking. No strippers or porn stars. And definitely no more sex in public bathrooms." Antigone continued writing on the page. She had yet to look up at him. "Can you manage to stay out of trouble in California?"


"California isn't an issue. I'm going back in two days to get my things. I have an apartment here in Philly. I will be on my best behavior." he replied "I can do this." She nodded her head.


"I need information on Echo. What do you know about her?" she asked pen poised to the notebook.


"I know her name is Echo. She was a brunette. We didn't exchange contact information. She is a stripper somewhere here in Philly."


"How did she get in contact with you when she found out she pregnant?"


"Her attorney actually called the PR team for the Flyers." he explained "They jumped into action. I got hauled to Philly. I've only known about this less than 24 hours."


"I need her attorney's contact information." she replied "And I will take it from there. In the mean time no social media on this. In fact no media period. If need be the firm will make a brief statement." Michael nodded. "This won't be a quick fix. At best we are in this for the length of the pregnancy." He nodded again.


The door to the kitchen flew open and Niko ran from Niel toddling as fast he could. Antigone and Michael both stood and watched the toddler escape his uncle. Niko darted towards the door to the restaurant. "No! Ni! No!" he jabbered. Michael stepped over towards the door and stood in front of it. Niko continued running from Niel.


"Niel you are a firefighter you should be able to manage a toddler." laughed Antigone


"Yeah well he apparently your devil child is afraid of bathing." called Niel heading towards the screaming boy.


Niko came to a stop in front of Michael "UP!" he demanded. MDZ turned towards Antigone almost as if asking permission. "No Bathe" yelled Niko "UP!" Michael scooped the little boy up and headed towards Niel "NO!!" said Niko "Mama"

"You quit kicking" said Michael "And I'll give you to your Mama."


"K" said the boy.


"Why are you trying to bathe him Niel?" asked Antigone watching Michael carry her son towards her. Niko seemed perfectly content with MDZ. It was fairly amazing he didn't particularly like being held by his father.


"He's soaked in red sauce"


Antigone hustled towards Michael to retrieve the child. She then noticed the pink tinged stains on both her son and Michael's dress shirt. "I'm so sorry" said Antigone trying to take Niko.


"Not the first time I've been covered in marinara." laughed Michael "Don't worry about it. Let me carry him up stairs for you. No point in both of us being splattered in sauce." Antigone looked at him skeptically but started up the stairs.


"Yo Del Zotto" called Niel "Cops or firefighters?"


"Ummm, is that a trick question?" asked Michael


Antigone laughed "No, he's going find you a t-shirt. He's asking if you have a preference."

Michael looked at Niko "Cops or firemen?" he asked the toddler.


"Cops" said Niko happily.


"Okay NikoMonster" called Niel "I'll bring a shirt up."


Michael walked into the apartment with the squirming boy. It was the size of the entire width of the restaurant. Looking at the toys strewn across the floor and the pile of kids books by the chair it was obvious that Niko was what came first. He couldn't help but wonder if the baby was his would the mother take that kind of care of it. It was a scary thought. Niko smacked him in the face.

"Niko no hitting" she admonished "Sorry."


"I get hit a lot no worries." he laughed. He followed her to the bathroom. Again the tub was lined with toys and kids things. He could smell the orange blossom scent there in the bathroom as well. She flicked on the water. Michael sat the boy down on the toilet. He stood in the door way and watched her get the boy and approximately 200 toys in the tub. He felt like he was intruding. He started to turn and leave but Niko called out "MDZ boat."


"No MDZ. Mr. Del Zotto" said Antigone. Niko scrunched up his face "MDZ" he repeated "Ni… MDZ."


"Everyone calls me MDZ. It's okay if he does" he quickly added "If it's okay with you."


Antigone shook her head. No point in arguing. Niko was busy babbling about boats and other toys to Michael. He was taking in what Niko was saying and answering appropriately.


"Del Zotto" called Niel "Here's a t-shirt. Keep it."


Michael thanked him and told him he'd drop off a Flyers one in return. Michel looked at the tiny human size stain on his dress shirt. He was pretty sure this shirt was done for the day between Niko and the red eye flight. He stripped out of his messy shirt. He grabbed the shirt from the couch.


"Hey" Antigone stopped in her tracks. She wasn't expecting a half naked Del Zotto. Sweet baby Jesus. Hockey did a body good. No wonder he was banging strippers in bathrooms. And he really did have a wicked scar. It did not thing to detract from his looks. "Sorry" she said and she turned and went back into the bathroom. She was muttering in Greek as she went. She took another look before closing the door. Michael smirked. Maybe she didn't think he was a complete fuck up.

Notes