And So I Know

The group was relaxed, joking with one another for over an hour at their table. Marc bought the next round and then Dan. Brie offered to go to the bar and Dan stood, Derick sliding out after him.

“Brassy, you should help Brie,” Felicia said sweetly.

“Oh no, I’m sure I can manage,” Brie spoke up.

“No, I’ll help. If I don’t, Fefe will yell at me,” Derick answered.

“That is very true,” Marc laughed.

He let Brie pass first and then he followed quickly behind her, admiring the curve of her ass and the sway of her hips. She caught the bartenders eye right away and he came in her direction. She ordered the drinks and told him which tab to put it on. The crowd jostled and Derick placed a hand at her hip as his body drew flush to hers.

Brie stiffened at the contact but then relaxed into his close proximity. The crowd thinned around them a moment later but Derick stayed close to her back, his hand still holding her hip. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed and instinct made her lean back into him. She tipped her face back to look at him and he smiled so she smiled back. And then he leaned in close and his lips pressed into hers.

It was a light press of his lips to hers as he waited for her response. He didn’t wait long as she turned, putting an arm around his neck and pressing into him without hesitation. Her lips parted and Derick took the invitation to explore her mouth. She sighed, holding onto him before abruptly pulling away. She stared at him, touching her lips in disbelief.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“For what? I kissed you.”

“That was wrong. So wrong.”

“You’re not making any sense, Brie. Why was that wrong?”

“I can’t do this. This isn’t me. Tell Felicia I’m sorry.”

“Why would you apologize to Fe?”

She pushed around him, heading for the stairs. Derick followed, catching her arm as she reached the stairwell. “Brie, what is wrong?”

“We crossed the line, Derick. I’m sorry that I was giving off all the wrong signals but I won’t be a homewrecker. Not when you have a baby on the way.” She pulled away from him and rushed down the stairs. Derick watched dumbfounded and by the time he recovered and went after her, she was gone. He returned to the table where his friends sat.

“Where’s Brie?” Lennon asked.

“And the beers I paid for,” Dan said.

“She left,” Derick replied as he stood there.

“What do you mean, she left?” Felicia asked.

“She left.”

“Okay, you all have to go so I can talk to Derick,” she said, looking around the table. “Right now.” The other three went off in the direction of the bar to claim their drinks, leaving Felicia alone with Derick, who sat down heavily across from her.

“Derick,” Felicia started softly. “What happened? Talk to me.” She reached across the table and laid her hand on his but he pulled away as if her touch burned him. She looked at him quizzically. “Derick Brassard. You start talking and you start talking now. From the beginning. I sent you away with Brie to give you a chance alone with her and now she’s gone. So tell me what happened.”

Derick sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. He could not believe his luck. He meets a girl, someone he could really like, and she thinks he has a girlfriend. A pregnant girlfriend. He officially hated the internet.

“The bar was crowded and we got pushed closer together,” Derick started. “Which was great honestly. I was right up behind her with a hand on her. And then the crowd thinned out but we stayed close. We kissed. God, Fe, it was amazing. Almost perfect for a first kiss.”

“So she got scared then?”

“No.”

“No.” He paused, hating the next part. “Fe, she thinks me and you are together.”

“I’m sorry; what?”

“She broke away from the kiss, told me to tell you she was sorry and bolted. I caught her in the stairs and asked her why and she said she wouldn’t be a homewrecker. She thinks you and I are expecting a baby together.”

“WHAT?!” Felicia exclaimed. “You can not be serious right now!”

Her outburst drew Marc’s attention and he appeared at the booth seconds later. “What is going on?” he demanded. He leveled Derick with a glare. “What did you say to her?”

“Sit down, Marc,” Felicia said, tugging his hand and pulling him in next to her. “And don’t be a jerk to Derick. He didn’t do anything. Well, I mean, maybe we both did something without realizing it.”

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“Brie thinks me and Felicia are having a baby. She thinks we’re together,” Derick answered.

“And she definitely learned that on the internet. She told us she watched some highlights. She told me that she saw some of my highlights, which means she read about me, which means she read that dumb gossip that Derick and I are a thing.”

“Well then maybe it’s a good thing my interview with Jim goes live tomorrow morning,” Marc responded. “This is a damn mess. We should have said something when you announced your retirement.”

“It’s not everyone else's business who I’m seeing, or who the father of my baby is. It’s our choice to release that news, and we shouldn’t be forced to make a statement because the internet enjoys speculating who or who isn’t my baby daddy.”

“We are not having this discussion here,” Marc said firmly. “We’re going home and tomorrow you are going to fix this, Flea. Didn’t you ever mention that I’m your boyfriend?”

“I thought I did,” Felicia responded weakly.

“But Marc never came into the lounge that first game Brie was at. And you were wearing my jersey and we left the room together," Derick replied. He recalled his conversation at the coffee shop with Brie and groaned. “When I ran into her at Pushcart, she was asking me about you and the pregnancy and I answered her questions. None of my answers included Marc and could’ve easily been seen as being about me and you, Fe.”

“I guess the only good thing here is that at least she doesn't think Jordan is the father,” Marc sighed. Felicia couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. “It’s not funny. Could you maybe get a girl best friend next time?”

“I do have a girl best friend, two in fact; Lennon and Kate. At least the internet isn’t speculating about which one of them is my lover.”

“Because they are open about which New York Ranger they’re banging.”

Felicia's eyes narrowed as she looked at Marc. “If you have a problem with my not shouting from the rooftops that I’m banging you, then you should have said something,” she said shortly. She shoved at Marc, pushing him out of the booth. “I’m going home. I’ll call you tomorrow, Brassy.”

“Felicia, wait,” Marc called out after her. “Damn it,” he muttered. “I’ll see you at practice, Derick,” he said before taking off after her.

“Flea!” Marc yelled out when he burst out the door of the bar. Felicia stood at the curb, trying to hail a cab. “You know I didn’t mean it like that,” he said quietly, closing his hands on her shoulders.

“Then what, Marc?” Felicia asked, spinning on her heel to face him. “You’ve never said anything about our keeping our relationship between us. So why now? Why is it such a big deal? Because people think it’s Derick?”

“I don’t want to argue with you in front of a bar, Flea.”

“Fine, we can argue at home. I don’t really care but we are not riding in the same cab,” she said as one came to a stop.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

She threw open the door of the cab. “I am not being ridiculous. You’re being ridiculous.” She slammed it behind her and Marc tapped on the window. “What?” she snarled.

“I love you.”

Her face softened and she smiled up at him. “Ditto,” she said, opening the door and letting Marc slide in beside her. “Ditto, Marc,” she repeated, snuggling into his side. He kissed the top of her head and gave their address to the cab driver.

“Fe, I just want everyone to know how happy I am,” Marc started softly. “I want everyone to know that you’re having my baby and that I couldn’t be more excited. Yeah, it sucks that people think it’s Derick. It sucked the day that shit came out going into the locker room and taking the guys teasing. It still sucks when you wear your Brassard jersey and unknowingly feeding them more ammunition. But I love you, and I know you love me. I can deal with my teammates, I can deal with fucking Jordan, but I hate that everyone else thinks it's someone else."

"How come you never said anything before? We could've said something together. I thought you were okay."

"I am okay."

"Until the Derick gossip started."

"It hurts a little, that people think it's someone else, that it couldn't possibly be me."

"No one said it couldn't. Everyone thought it was you until a week ago."

"Stupid Brass and his French."

Felicia giggled. "Yeah, stupid Brass." She hugged him around the middle and leaned up to kiss him. "How about I start wearing your jersey to games?"

Marc's face lit in a smile. "Yeah?"

"Have your mom send your winter classic jersey and you've got a deal."

"I'll call her first thing in the morning."

"And I'll call Jordan and yell at him. Because the only person who gets to pick on you is me."