Diamond In The Rough

Dan returned to the ice the day I became the owner of Tilly’s. I had told my parents to come to the diner at 11, and I was amazed when my mother and stepfather showed. Ellie greeted them warmly, showed them to a table in the corner, and then I sat down with them.

“So this is where you work Cassidy?” Mother asked.

“Yes,” I said quietly. She looked around, obviously uncomfortable with the fact that nothing on the menu cost over twenty dollars.

“It’s…quaint,” she said after a few minutes.

“It’s a diner Mother, it’s personable, not quaint. Quaint is a little bed and breakfast in Maine, not a very busy diner in South Jersey,” I said in exasperation. She was so unreal sometimes. Ellie came over holding a big envelope, and smiled as she sat down next to my stepfather.

“Your daughter wanted you to come today so that we could tell you something,” she said. Mother and Frank exchanged a look.

“What would that be?” Frank asked.

“Carl and I have decided that we are handing ownership of the diner over to Cassidy. She has become a part of our family, and we wouldn’t trust anyone other than her to run it,” Ellie beamed. Mother’s face went from uncomfortable to mutinous in about five seconds flat.

“Absolutely not. My daughter is a nurse, not some…some…diner trash,” she growled. I clenched my fists in anger.

“Well, luckily you don’t have much say in the matter Mother. I signed all of the papers, everything is formal and legal, and I am now the owner of Tilly’s whether you like it or not!” I cried.

“Cassidy dear, calm down,” Ellie said, placing a hand on mine. Mother glared at her.

“Who do you think you are, talking to Cassidy like she is your daughter?” Mother snarled.

“She’s been more of a mother to me than you ever have,” I said coldly before getting out of my seat.

“Well, if you don’t appreciate our parenting than I suggest you leave our house,” Frank said quietly.

“You aren’t even my father! My dad is gone, and she’s the reason I was never allowed to see him. He wasn’t a bad guy, but she just had to push him away. You are hypocrites, and fakes, and I’d be glad to leave your house. I’ll be packed and out of the house by Friday,” I said before storming into the kitchen.

“Cass, looks like someone needs a cupcake,” Emil said. I nodded and he handed me a delicious looking cupcake with red frosting and black sprinkles.

“Thanks Emil. You always know how to cheer me up,” I smiled weakly before licking the icing off of the cupcake.

“Well, we figured that wasn’t going to go over too well, but we were going to celebrate either way, so I baked you a batch of my special cupcakes. Red and black too,” he grinned.

“Thanks honey,” I said, hugging him tightly. He was a short guy with a thick Italian accent. He had enormous brown eyes, a golden tan, and perfect hair.

“Not a problem. So, when am I going to get to meet this boyfriend of yours?” he asked, hopping up onto the counter I was leaning against.

“Never. I can’t trust you near him,” I smirked.

“I told you a million times, I’m not down with straight guys,” he chuckled, and I grinned.

“Fine…soon. I promise. I just need to find an apartment, and fast,” I said quietly.

“Why? Did they kick you out?” Emil cried.

“Not exactly, but I said I’d be out by Friday,” I said. Emil whipped out his phone, and not five minutes later he was grinning from ear to ear.

“My landlord said that she has an apartment available, already furnished, and that you can move in Friday. The rent is 887 dollars a month,” he said. I stared at him for a minute, and then grinned broadly.

“You’re a miracle worker,” I said.

“I know,” he smiled.

*Dan’s Point of View*

I was sore, I was grumpy, and I was being used as target practice. Another puck whizzed by my leg, and I spun around.

“Claude stop,” I said. Claude stuck his tongue out at me and shot another puck towards me. I chased him down and tackled him, and he groaned as I sat on his chest.

“Are you going to stop now?” I asked. A few of the guys chuckled, but I was irritated to the point where I wanted to slam his head against the ice for good measure. Instead, I stood up, and skated away. There weren’t many fans in the stands today which was a miracle. I drifted by the stands, and I felt a pair of eyes follow me. I looked up, and as soon as I saw those big gray eyes I knew I was done for. She waved, and I felt a goofy grin fill my face. Color crept into my cheeks, and I waved back.

*A Month Later*

We ran through the snow, laughing wildly, our fingers laced together. We hadn’t planned on the snow, but it was December and things were going great. Cassidy was taking me to one of her favorite places to be when she had off, and I was just thrilled to be with her. In the past month she had changed me from rugged as all hell, don’t give a damn Dan Carcillo, to the fun loving, kind hearted Danny Carcillo. She was still the only one who was allowed to call me Danny, but the fact that I had embraced the nick name I had always thought was too cutesy for me meant something. It was Christmas Eve, and Cassidy didn’t have anywhere else to be. A lot of the guys were with their families, or out together, but I decided that I wanted to be with her. We approached this big clump of pine trees, and she told me to close my eyes. I did, and she led me a few feet, and then tugged on my hand.

“Open your eyes now!” she said quietly. I did, and I was honestly breathless over the beauty of the little clearing we were standing in. The air was heavy with the scent of pine trees, and there was snow everywhere. A tiny pond sat in the middle of the clearing, frozen completely through. I pulled Cassidy towards me and looked her straight in the eyes. Before I even knew what I was doing, I kissed her. It was always that way. I never planned it with her. It was always spontaneous and exciting. Her tongue danced along my bottom lip, and it felt like a jolt of electricity raced through me as our tongues collided. Every kiss was like the first kiss, every glance was special, and every moment with her made my head spin. I felt like I was becoming a wuss in a way, but it never showed on the ice.

“Cassidy?” I muttered as we broke apart.

“Yeah?” she whispered.

“I love you,” I said. In only a month I knew that I was in love.

“I love you too,” she said, tears filling her eyes as she flung her arms around me and kissed me wildly once again. One of the reporters a few days ago had gotten it right.

“Dan Carcillo has a lucky new lady on his arm, and it seems like she’s polishing up Philly’s diamond in the rough,” the reporter had said. Cassidy and I had laughed about it for what felt like 2 hours.

“You really are a diamond in the rough though Danny,” she had smiled after we finished laughing.

I’m Dan fucking Carcillo, and I’m in love with the greatest girl on Earth.