No Excuses

Chapter 5

Claude Giroux’s point of view.

The night was right. SImmonds and Hartsy were here and we were on the prowl. Hot chicks without dicks, that was our motto for the night. We carouse around the bar looking at different groups of girls, that wanted a good time with a Flyer.
“Hey,” I heard from behind me and Raven was standing there with a couple of cute chicks.
“Hey how are you? Max still at the coast?”
“Yeah, he will be home in a few days. What are you guys doing tonight?”
“Hanging, looking for chicks.”
“Oh, well let us get out of your way then.”
“Nah, you are Talbo’s girl and we will watch over you.”
“I am grown and I will be fine. Maybe I should watch out for you.” She smirked at me.
“How many times do I have to say sorry.”
“Until I forgive you.”
“You are not going to make it easy are you?”
“Nope.” she smiled and I knew then that she was teasing me.
“This is Summer and Ryan.” she pointed to the two brunettes.
It was nice to see a different shade in the sea of bottle blondes.
“Hi, this is Harsty and Simmonds.” I introduced them.
“Yeah, we know.” they said together then giggled at each other.
“God help me to be good tonight.”
We sat at a table talking about nothing really. The girls worked at the PR firm with Raven. They were cute, in a very non bunny way, but I liked them.They had yet to make us buy drinks even when we offered and had talked hockey with us. Bunnies usually didn't know anything other than, we played and made lots of money.
“So what’s doing with you and Talbo?” I asked her
“We are just us, for now.”
“That’s good what does the kid” I stopped as she filled in “Sam” for me “think of Max?”
“Well to be honest he has been around Danny more and he likes him. Danny has kids, so Sam feels like he fits in there better.”
“Wait, you hang out with Briere?”
“Yes, I do and Yes, Max knows.”
“He is a lady sneaker, makes them fall in love with his charms, then moves on you watch him.”
“Claude he is like my older brother, Its not like that.”
“Sure it’s not.” I smiled at her.
“Listen Spandex, you can suck it Phaneuf .” Hartsey almost fell out of his chair
“I like her.” he grinned.
I laughed out loud too. “Spandex huh?”
“Yeah, consider your new name Spandex Giroux and you Hartsey I might just start calling you Phaneuf”
“Why would you do that?”
“Cause I can.”
She double over laughing and almost fell out of the chair
Simmonds walked over “Hey there is a dude here asking around for Talbo?” he pointed to the man “You know him?”
“Cant say that I do.”
Raven turned in her chair to see what we were looking at and her eyes locked with the man’s
“Shit Shit Shit.” she jumped from the chair. I pulled her back down trying to get her to explain.
“That’s Pete my ex husband, stalker, abuser to name a few. He is going to kill me if he sees me.”
“Not here, not tonight.”
Fuck she said abuser. I hoped like hell, Max new about this.
“Raven what’s going on?”
“He beat me up, almost killed me but still sees our son and stalks me constantly.”
I watched as Simmonds walked over to the guy and started talking to him. There was a shove and then Simmonds was on top of him. I handed Raven over to Hartsy and ran for Simmonds.
I pulled him off and the fucker cold cocked me.
“What the fuck is your problem?”
“I want to get a message to Max Talbot about that fucking bitch over there.”
I punched him in the face and he fell to the floor. I hit him maybe seven or eight more times, then stopped looming over him.
“You don't get to talk about her like that anymore.” I hit him again for good measure. By this time the bouncers were crowding in to see what was happening. I waved them off and they stopped, watching us.
I leaned in close and spoke directly into his ear.
“You don't get to see her again, Got it?” he nodded
“You are not going to see that boy again until he decides he wants you in his life, Got It?” He mumbled something about custody papers.
“I don't fucking care, you sign your rights away you fucking asshole.”
He nodded. “Now if you want to leave with at least two of your front teeth left in tact, I suggest you stand up and walk over to the bouncers and wait for the police to arrive. I will be pressing charges and you can bet your ass, you will go to jail. You just assaulted Claude Giroux of the Flyers.”
I pulled him up by his shirt and handed him off to the bouncers.
I stood straightening my clothes and walked to the table.
Raven had two shots in front of her and was downing a third.
She drank heavily the rest of the night, to the point that she could barely walk.
“I will get you to Max’s, unless you can tell me where you live.”
“I don't fucking care where i live.” her words slurred so bad that I could hardly understand her.
“Do you know your address?” I questioned her again
“1587 something or nother.” she smiled and tried to kiss me.
Fuck, this was going to be bad.
I pulled her into the car and asked her nicely not to vomit in it.
Hartsy and Simmonds made sure the other girls got to their cars but they had no idea what her address was.
I drove to Max’s, cause I knew I could get in there. I couldn't take her to my house, could I?
I decided against it and drove to Max’s.

Raven’s point of view.

I woke disoriented in Max's bed. As I stumbled out into the living room, I found Giroux asleep on the couch.
"Claude?"
"Morning." He sat up ruffling his hair. " What time is it?"
"Just after 8, how did I get here."
He looked up at me his face going soft which I didn't think Giroux was capable of.
"I brought you here last night, after the brawl at the bar. I didn't know where you lived, but I knew where Max lived and the super let me in."
"Oh god, did Pete hurt any of you?"
"Nope, but he left the bar handcuffed and with a few less teeth."
"I wanted to thank you for that."
"Consider it payback for being an asshat to you before. I owed you one and honestly it was nice to beat the funk out of the guy. Don't get to do that very often off the ice."
"I cannot believe he tried to come after me in there, with all of you guys around."
"He actually was looking for Max, but we set him straight about messing with you or Max."
"He will never stop. He just won't."
"Oh he is done and has agreed to give up all rights to Sam as well."
"He what?"
"You heard me. If Max and Danny love you as much as they do, then you and Sam will be ours and protected no matter what."
"But you fought in a bar, how did you not get arrested?"
"He hit me first, simple as that."
"Thank you Claude. We didn't ,you know did we?"
"Not that you didn't try, I had to lock you in his fucking bedroom. You are a very dirty girl."
"Oh God Claude, I am so sorry. Jesus, this is why I don't drink."
"It's all good, but can we keep that little tidbit between us. Max would fucking blow a gasket if he knew you rubbed all over and kissed me like that."
"Oh sweet baby Jesus laying in a manager, I kissed you too?"
A small smirk covered his face, "Yeah, took everything in me not to fuck you against that wall,” He pointed to the wall beside the door, “but you saved yourself by calling me Max."
"Thank you, Claude."
"No worries, lets get breakfast."
"OK, let me text max first."

Good morning, call me when you get up, lots to talk about.
Raven

I tucked my phone back into my purse and showered after Claude. I gave him a change of clothes, making sure it was gym shorts. Since he is a bit wider than max. He had been good to me last night and I owed him big time.

We had a nice breakfast and it was nice to get to know him. He really was a nice guy, guess first impressions aren't always right, at least not in Claude’s case. I think the vision of him in spandex would forever be burned into my brain but what's a girl supposed to do. I could still appreciate a nice male specimen, even if I was dating someone. I hadn't heard from Max by the time we got back to his house, so I called his cell.
"Hello? Are you OK? Why are you calling from my house?"
"20 questions much?" I laughed into the phone.
"Well?"
"Went out with the girls last night, ended up at the same club as Giroux, Hartsy and Simmonds."
"Oh, are you Ok ? You sound hung over?"
"And you sound guilty."
"I am a little guilty. Look, I got trashed last night and made out with a girl. Sidney pulled me off and brought me home. I am really, really sorry."
"Wait what? Another girl? Are you fucking kidding me Max?"
"No, I am really sorry. In my own drunk mess I thought she was you."
"Look, this your one free get out of jail card. Consider yourself lucky."
" Oh I do, but why are you calling from my house? Did you miss me that much."
"Claude and Simmonds beat the shit out of Pete, after he followed me to the club. He was asking around for you and got their attention. Simmonds asked him what his deal was and then it started. I was pretty drunk and Claude didn't know where I lived so he brought me here locked me in your bedroom and slept on the couch."
"Fucking Giroux."
"He took good care of me and has made sure I am safe. Please don't be upset with him."
"I don't trust him, is all."
"He was a perfect gentleman." It was me that was bad. I wanted to tell him but Claude had made me promise.
"Doesn't matter, Giroux would love nothing better than to steal you away. Please don't be nice to that ginger, he is an asshole."
"Max, he beat the ever loving shit out of Pete last night. He protected me, I will always have a special place in my heart for him."
"Great Danny, now Giroux."
"Don't be like that."
"Sorry, I am just a bit in edge, everyone is mad at me because of what happened, except you."
"It doesn't make me happy but it is what it is. I really like you Max and you sound very, very guilty and you told me. So I can forgive this once."

When we finally hung up the phone, I was devastated. He had made out with another woman, I wasn’t honestly any better though I had kissed his teammate. I had kissed fucking Claude Giroux. Spandex Giroux. Oh how would I ever be able to face him again.

Max's point of view

"Yes I spoke with her and she gave me a get out of jail free card. I don't deserve her I just don't." I told Steph,Sid and Danny.
"Maxine Talbot don't you ever do anything like that again. My blood pressure was so high I thought I was going to stroke out and then Sidney would have killed you."
"Max don't pull your normal MO, be that guy, then one you want to be for her."
"I swear I am gonna try. I promise to be that guy."
I walked away making the short walk to the coast. There was no better place to be than here at this moment, the quiet of the beach, the roll of the waves.
I had to make some decisions.
Was Raven what I wanted, I thought so.
Did I want to give up the women that liked Max Talbot himself. Yes, I was done with that part of my life. I wanted children and a wife and all that. I knew what needed to happen and I knew what it was going to involve.
We arrived to the cooler dry Pittsburgh air a little after noon on Sunday. The week had been great, except for my one indiscretion. I wanted to surprise Raven at her office.
I took off in a cab and headed for downtown.
When I walked off of the elevator I shhhed the front desk man and showed him the flowers and he nodded.
“ J'amène un cadeau de fleurs pour éclaircir votre jour et mendie votre pardon, encore. .” ( I bring a gift of flowers to brighten your day and beg your forgiveness, again.) I spoke, as I walked into her office.
She looked up surprised, then hopped out of her chair and into my arms.
“Max, Max...” She kept saying my name over and over and it spread a chill down my spine. To have ever thought a blow job by a blonde bimbo could ever take the place of this creature was beyond me.
“I am here. I plan on being here for a while.Can I take you to lunch?”
“Yeah, can you give me a few to finish up?”
“Sure thing.” I sat in her office quietly while she finished up a few things, made a phone call. A cute girl came in the office asking her a question. She stopped short when she saw me.
“Max Talbot in the flesh. Oh my God.”
“Ryan, please stop swooning over my boyfriend. Max this is Ryan.”
“Hi Ryan, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to met you too, Do you know Kris Letang?”
“Yes, I do.” I answered her. It was a strange question “Why?”
“You think you could hook me up with that Sex hair God?”I laughed to myself, even with a pregnant girlfriend he still had it, the little fucker.
“I don't think his pregnant girlfriend would like that.”
“A girl can dream.” she smiled over at me. “Can you at least hook me up with Spandex?”
“What?”
“You know Spandex.”
“His name is Giroux.” Raven spoke through a laugh.
“Yeah, him the ginger, swoon.” This girl was bat shit crazy.
“I can try.” I smiled up at her.
“You stay the hell away from Spandex, Ryan.”
“Why the hell do you two keep calling him Spandex?”
Raven covered her mouth as she laughed.
“Because the first time I met him, he was in spandex and swoon.” she laughed again and I smirked at her. “I wear it too.”
“Oh I know and enjoy it every time.” she smiled at me fluttering her eyes.
“You know that will get you in trouble, DLW.”
“DLW?”
“Our secret.” she blushed red and stopped laughing, which in turn made me chuckle.
“Lunch?” she asked as she adjusted in her seat.
I had her squirming in her seat and I loved it.
“Can we stop by my house first.”
“Yes please.” she smiled over to me. Ryan excused herself from the room as the conservation turned a little more private.

I climbed in bed behind Raven the last month had been great, a bit of a whirlwind but great. Sam was now my little buddy and had put Danny on the back burner. Raven had made it clear that if I was going to do this, I had to do it all the way. I wanted to be a family with her and Sam. She hadn't heard anything from Pete since the night at the bar and Sam had only seen Mimi because she had begged Raven. Raven had relented and even against my better judgement, I kept my mouth shut. We had been to the club with the boys and their girls. Giroux was seeing Ryan for the moment. They seemed to like each other, but who was I to judge. Raven had become the talk in the gym and locker room when we had practice.
“So things still hot and heavy with that little vixen of yours?” G asked me
“Wouldn't you like to know.” I smirked
“Oh I do.” he thought out loud as he stood walking out of the room.
“G? What the fuck does that mean? I know you made out with her once, but you were sloppy drunk, do you remember it that well?” I questioned him.
“Look Max, remember that night I took her to your house?” I grabbed the front of his shirt going to toe to toe with him
“You have about two fucking seconds to tell me what the fuck is going on.” I growled.
“I asked her to not tell you, she is innocent in this.”
“You fucked my girl, when she was drunk? You just couldn't fucking stand it could you.”
“It’s not like that, Talbo.”
“You had better start talking, fast.” I pushed him into the wall again.
“She fucking kissed me, then called me Max. I locked her in your bedroom and slept on the couch.”
“Is that it?”
“Yes, I swear. I just wanted her safe. I almost took her to my place but changed my mind.”
“Good thing.” I shoved him into the wall and walked away.
“Max, I am really sorry.”
“No, you are not.”
“Yes man, I am. I really, really am.”
I skated out onto the ice. I knew it had been too easy. A get out of jail free card, my ass. She was feeling just a guilty as I was.