Say Something
Three
The next day, practice had dragged on for Danny and after, back in the locker room, the others prodded Claude for dirt on his night with Gwen. Claude gave nothing up except that he had another date with her that night, grinning from ear to ear and letting the others decide what it meant.
Danny seethed on the drive to Zoe's new office and sat in his SUV for five minutes in the parking lot to cool off and get himself together. He put a smile on his face, prepared to greet Gwen but found Zoe instead at the front desk.
"Hey Danny," she said, stepping around to give him a hug as his smile faltered slightly.
"I came by to see if you wanted to get lunch. Max gave me the address; he's got that interview today and he said I should come by and take you out."
"Well that is very sweet of both of you but I can't leave. I let Gwen go early today."
"Oh?"
"She's got a second date with Roo tonight so I told her to go home and pamper herself." Danny's smile faded. "And I owed her from saving you from taking home another mistake."
Danny blushed. "You heard about that?"
"I'm pretty sure yours was the first name that came up this morning. Not how her date was with Claude. You. Now how about you stop pretending you don't like her and man up?"
Danny shook his head. "She's seeing Claude. They're good together."
Zoe sighed. "It's been one date and I know you two could be great together."
"I'm eight years older than her."
"So what?"
"It's easy for you to say that but it's a lot of years."
"Age ain't nothing but a number." Danny scoffed at her. "I'm nearly 10 years younger than Lindros and we dated for over a year when I was barely in my twenties and we're still great friends."
"Why'd you break up?"
"Because I was a cocky 20 year old man eater and I met Peter Forsberg, that's why. But Gwen isn't me and she's not a baby. She's over 25, which means she's nearing 30. She's an adult; a mature, responsible adult. Hell, she works two jobs even though I'm paying her an obscene amount of money."
"I thought Claude was your friend. Don't you want him to be happy?"
"You're both my friend and I want for Claude what I want for you; a girl who is with you for you, not the fame, not the money."
"So she's in it for the glory?"
"Really dumbass? You think I'd be talking up a girl who I thought wanted you because she's a gold digger? No, Gwen isn't like that. I just don't think she's the right woman for Roo. If you'd stop seeing her as a kid, you'd see exactly what you're missing."
Danny sighed. "She's seeing Claude and that's that. No room for discussion."
Zoe rolled her eyes at him. "There's always room for discussion. You like her, Danny. Just admit it."
"I think she's very pretty and if she were a few years older, I'd be interested," he admitted. "But she's too young and there is no changing that. Now can you please let it go?"
"Fine, I'll drop it...for now."
Danny seethed on the drive to Zoe's new office and sat in his SUV for five minutes in the parking lot to cool off and get himself together. He put a smile on his face, prepared to greet Gwen but found Zoe instead at the front desk.
"Hey Danny," she said, stepping around to give him a hug as his smile faltered slightly.
"I came by to see if you wanted to get lunch. Max gave me the address; he's got that interview today and he said I should come by and take you out."
"Well that is very sweet of both of you but I can't leave. I let Gwen go early today."
"Oh?"
"She's got a second date with Roo tonight so I told her to go home and pamper herself." Danny's smile faded. "And I owed her from saving you from taking home another mistake."
Danny blushed. "You heard about that?"
"I'm pretty sure yours was the first name that came up this morning. Not how her date was with Claude. You. Now how about you stop pretending you don't like her and man up?"
Danny shook his head. "She's seeing Claude. They're good together."
Zoe sighed. "It's been one date and I know you two could be great together."
"I'm eight years older than her."
"So what?"
"It's easy for you to say that but it's a lot of years."
"Age ain't nothing but a number." Danny scoffed at her. "I'm nearly 10 years younger than Lindros and we dated for over a year when I was barely in my twenties and we're still great friends."
"Why'd you break up?"
"Because I was a cocky 20 year old man eater and I met Peter Forsberg, that's why. But Gwen isn't me and she's not a baby. She's over 25, which means she's nearing 30. She's an adult; a mature, responsible adult. Hell, she works two jobs even though I'm paying her an obscene amount of money."
"I thought Claude was your friend. Don't you want him to be happy?"
"You're both my friend and I want for Claude what I want for you; a girl who is with you for you, not the fame, not the money."
"So she's in it for the glory?"
"Really dumbass? You think I'd be talking up a girl who I thought wanted you because she's a gold digger? No, Gwen isn't like that. I just don't think she's the right woman for Roo. If you'd stop seeing her as a kid, you'd see exactly what you're missing."
Danny sighed. "She's seeing Claude and that's that. No room for discussion."
Zoe rolled her eyes at him. "There's always room for discussion. You like her, Danny. Just admit it."
"I think she's very pretty and if she were a few years older, I'd be interested," he admitted. "But she's too young and there is no changing that. Now can you please let it go?"
"Fine, I'll drop it...for now."
♠ ♠ ♠
Thoughts so far? This bit is short, a little filler. Comments always welcome, never required.