Say Something
Nine
Gwen and Livvie followed Zoe after the game the next night down to the lounge. She, Livvie and Claude had stayed into the early evening at Danny's, letting the kids play while the adults relaxed. Gwen had sat beside Claude, his arm around her shoulders, throughout the night. She could feel Danny's eyes watching them but Claude was oblivious.
Livvie spotted Carson when they entered the lounge and she immediately hid behind Gwen, peeking out and watching the 13 year old Briere boy. Zoe giggled and leaned close to Gwen to whisper, "looks like both the Grey women have crushes on the Briere boys."
Gwen blushed. "I do not have a crush on Danny," she protested softly.
"Oh yeah? What about your date then?"
"He told you?"
"Of course he did. He called me as soon as you three left his house last night. He needed advice on where to take you."
"Does Max know?"
"No; I didn't tell him and I won't. Gwen, you have to know though. You and Danny are perfect for each other. I've known it since the first day you met him. Don't you feel it?"
"How did you know with Max?" Gwen asked.
Zoe smiled, a faraway look in her eye. "You just know. I can't explain the feeling but when I was near him, I knew. I wanted everything and I wanted it only with him. I had never felt like that before and it overwhelmed me but it felt so good, so right."
"Mommy, can I go sit with Carson?" Livvie asked, tugging at the sleeve of the jersey Zoe had loaned to Gwen.
"Go ahead," she told her, prodding her across the room to where the three Briere boys sat on a couch, all in matching Briere jerseys.
"Tell me she isn't adorable in that jersey," Zoe said as they watched Livvie join the three boys. She had insisted Livvie and Gwen both wear Flyer jerseys and had loaned each of them ones from her collection, Gwen in a Giroux and Livvie in a Briere. Zoe wore her Hartnell that night. Thankfully her collection was flush with ladies jerseys although she did have a few game worn pieces in her collection.
"Of course she is adorable," Max said, coming up behind the two. "It's a Flyers jersey, mes chéris."
"Could be cuter if it were a Rangers jersey," Zoe teased him. "Maybe a Del Zotto. Always did think he was a cutie."
"Merde woman! You will be the death of me yet."
Zoe laughed and kissed her fiancé. "I only have eyes for you."
"And Danny," Max teased her.
Danny entered the lounge then and his boys swarmed him. He saw Livvie sitting with his boys and his heart swelled when he realized she too was wearing his number. He scowled when Gwen turned and he saw that she was wearing Claude's jersey. He said hello to Livvie and asked her how she had enjoyed the game when it hit him like a tidal wave; he wanted these two women in his life every day, in his home, at his games, besides his boys, all of them in their Briere jerseys.
Gwen smiled as she watched Danny interact with his sons and then her daughter. She sighed, loving the way Livvie's face lit up in a smile as Danny talked to her and how happy she was as she followed Caelan, Carson, and Cameron around the room like she belonged with them in her matching jersey. The Briere boys knew everyone and they introduced Livvie to the other kids and players. Gwen glanced at Danny who watched his boys show Livvie around. He looked over and their eyes locked. He smiled at her and she felt her knees go weak. Heaven help her, but she was turned on and it was all Danny’s fault for being such a doting and responsible single dad.
Zoe nudged Gwen in the ribs and shot her a look. She sing songed in her ear when Max walked away from them. "You want to hug him, you want to kiss him..." Gwen gave her a playful shove as Zoe laughed.
Claude entered the lounge as peels for feminine laughter rang out. He spotted Gwen and Zoe laughing together and crossed the room to them. He wrapped his arms around Gwen's middle and kissed her neck. "Nice jersey. Zoe's?" Gwen nodded. He spotted Livvie then, eating a cookie with Cameron. "Is she in the Talbot or the Briere?" Claude asked.
"We're talking about Zoe here. Who do you think?"
Claude grinned and kissed Gwen again. He crossed the lounge and knelt in front of Livvie. She smiled at Claude and nodded her head at something he said. He stood and Livvie stood with him, waving to Cameron.
"Livvie's hungry," Claude announced. Livvie covered her mouth to hide her giggle. "I told her I knew a great place we could go eat."
Gwen glanced at her watch. "Please, mom," Livvie begged. Claude pouted beside her. Gwen sighed.
"Just this once. It's late and you have school tomorrow. Claude is obviously a bad influence." He grinned at Gwen.
"We can get take out and go back to your place," he suggested.
"Please, please, please!" Livvie hopped from foot to foot.
"Ok, ok. Lets go then." Claude gave Livvie a high five and took the little girls hand in his and walked out of the lounge.
"I'll bring you the jerseys tomorrow," Gwen said to Zoe with a wave goodbye.
Danny caught her arm as she headed for the door.
"Good game," Gwen said to him with a small smile. Danny pushed his hair back.
"Livvie looks cute in her jersey but you would look better," he said quietly so only she could hear. She blushed. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"Maybe we shouldn't..."
"Ne luttez pas contre cela, belle. Please don’t fight this."
"Good night Danny," Gwen said, slipping away from him and out of the room.
After eating, Gwen had put Livvie to bed and despite her protests that she wasn't tired, she was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Claude cleaned up from their late dinner and Gwen rejoined him on the couch.
"Well, I think you've made my daughter a Flyers fan. She refuses to take off that jersey."
"Maybe I'll get her a Giroux one of her own. When is her birthday?"
"You don't have to do that, Claude."
He shrugged his shoulders. "What if I want to?" Gwen leaned into him and kissed him softly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him.
"You are the nicest guy I've met in a long time."
"I think you have me confused for Danny but I'll take it," he chuckled. Gwen frowned.
"Claude," Gwen began, pulling away from him. "We need to talk."
Livvie spotted Carson when they entered the lounge and she immediately hid behind Gwen, peeking out and watching the 13 year old Briere boy. Zoe giggled and leaned close to Gwen to whisper, "looks like both the Grey women have crushes on the Briere boys."
Gwen blushed. "I do not have a crush on Danny," she protested softly.
"Oh yeah? What about your date then?"
"He told you?"
"Of course he did. He called me as soon as you three left his house last night. He needed advice on where to take you."
"Does Max know?"
"No; I didn't tell him and I won't. Gwen, you have to know though. You and Danny are perfect for each other. I've known it since the first day you met him. Don't you feel it?"
"How did you know with Max?" Gwen asked.
Zoe smiled, a faraway look in her eye. "You just know. I can't explain the feeling but when I was near him, I knew. I wanted everything and I wanted it only with him. I had never felt like that before and it overwhelmed me but it felt so good, so right."
"Mommy, can I go sit with Carson?" Livvie asked, tugging at the sleeve of the jersey Zoe had loaned to Gwen.
"Go ahead," she told her, prodding her across the room to where the three Briere boys sat on a couch, all in matching Briere jerseys.
"Tell me she isn't adorable in that jersey," Zoe said as they watched Livvie join the three boys. She had insisted Livvie and Gwen both wear Flyer jerseys and had loaned each of them ones from her collection, Gwen in a Giroux and Livvie in a Briere. Zoe wore her Hartnell that night. Thankfully her collection was flush with ladies jerseys although she did have a few game worn pieces in her collection.
"Of course she is adorable," Max said, coming up behind the two. "It's a Flyers jersey, mes chéris."
"Could be cuter if it were a Rangers jersey," Zoe teased him. "Maybe a Del Zotto. Always did think he was a cutie."
"Merde woman! You will be the death of me yet."
Zoe laughed and kissed her fiancé. "I only have eyes for you."
"And Danny," Max teased her.
Danny entered the lounge then and his boys swarmed him. He saw Livvie sitting with his boys and his heart swelled when he realized she too was wearing his number. He scowled when Gwen turned and he saw that she was wearing Claude's jersey. He said hello to Livvie and asked her how she had enjoyed the game when it hit him like a tidal wave; he wanted these two women in his life every day, in his home, at his games, besides his boys, all of them in their Briere jerseys.
Gwen smiled as she watched Danny interact with his sons and then her daughter. She sighed, loving the way Livvie's face lit up in a smile as Danny talked to her and how happy she was as she followed Caelan, Carson, and Cameron around the room like she belonged with them in her matching jersey. The Briere boys knew everyone and they introduced Livvie to the other kids and players. Gwen glanced at Danny who watched his boys show Livvie around. He looked over and their eyes locked. He smiled at her and she felt her knees go weak. Heaven help her, but she was turned on and it was all Danny’s fault for being such a doting and responsible single dad.
Zoe nudged Gwen in the ribs and shot her a look. She sing songed in her ear when Max walked away from them. "You want to hug him, you want to kiss him..." Gwen gave her a playful shove as Zoe laughed.
Claude entered the lounge as peels for feminine laughter rang out. He spotted Gwen and Zoe laughing together and crossed the room to them. He wrapped his arms around Gwen's middle and kissed her neck. "Nice jersey. Zoe's?" Gwen nodded. He spotted Livvie then, eating a cookie with Cameron. "Is she in the Talbot or the Briere?" Claude asked.
"We're talking about Zoe here. Who do you think?"
Claude grinned and kissed Gwen again. He crossed the lounge and knelt in front of Livvie. She smiled at Claude and nodded her head at something he said. He stood and Livvie stood with him, waving to Cameron.
"Livvie's hungry," Claude announced. Livvie covered her mouth to hide her giggle. "I told her I knew a great place we could go eat."
Gwen glanced at her watch. "Please, mom," Livvie begged. Claude pouted beside her. Gwen sighed.
"Just this once. It's late and you have school tomorrow. Claude is obviously a bad influence." He grinned at Gwen.
"We can get take out and go back to your place," he suggested.
"Please, please, please!" Livvie hopped from foot to foot.
"Ok, ok. Lets go then." Claude gave Livvie a high five and took the little girls hand in his and walked out of the lounge.
"I'll bring you the jerseys tomorrow," Gwen said to Zoe with a wave goodbye.
Danny caught her arm as she headed for the door.
"Good game," Gwen said to him with a small smile. Danny pushed his hair back.
"Livvie looks cute in her jersey but you would look better," he said quietly so only she could hear. She blushed. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"Maybe we shouldn't..."
"Ne luttez pas contre cela, belle. Please don’t fight this."
"Good night Danny," Gwen said, slipping away from him and out of the room.
After eating, Gwen had put Livvie to bed and despite her protests that she wasn't tired, she was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Claude cleaned up from their late dinner and Gwen rejoined him on the couch.
"Well, I think you've made my daughter a Flyers fan. She refuses to take off that jersey."
"Maybe I'll get her a Giroux one of her own. When is her birthday?"
"You don't have to do that, Claude."
He shrugged his shoulders. "What if I want to?" Gwen leaned into him and kissed him softly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him.
"You are the nicest guy I've met in a long time."
"I think you have me confused for Danny but I'll take it," he chuckled. Gwen frowned.
"Claude," Gwen began, pulling away from him. "We need to talk."