Part 29 - Pure Gold

The next day, I woke up to the now familiar sound of someone pounding on my door. “Who is it?” I called as I struggled to pull on a pair of sweats (apparently I’d just gotten undressed and crawled into bed).

“It’s me Drew.” D’s voice replied. “Open up.”

I didn’t bother to pull on a shirt. I just threw open the door. “What time is it?” I mumbled, running a hand through my tangled hair.

“Lunch time.” He replied. “Now come have lunch with me.”

“I want a shower….” I whined. “And I want to wash my hair.”

D laughed. “And I want lunch. And I’m bigger and stronger then you are, so guess whose going to get their way?” He replied.

I glared him. “Ass.” I mumbled, pulling on a hoodie.

“Here.” He said, handing me a hair elastic and a brush. “So did you and Chris have a good time last night?” He asked a small, annoying smirk on his face.

“If by good time do you mean did we both get really, really, really drunk then yes.” I said. “If by good time do you mean we hooked up then no.”

“I knew you wouldn’t!” D said triumphantly.

“Who thought I would?” I replied, immediately suspicious.

“Reggie.” D said. “But I think he was mainly enjoying torturing Darryl.”

“Why would ‘Darryl’ care?” I demanded, using Sidney’s hockey nickname for the first time. “He certainly didn’t act like he cared last night.”

“You are a grouch when you’re hung over.” Was D’s comment. “I mean we already skated.”

“Yes and you’re hungry I know.” I snapped. “So let’s go.”

D laughed and ruffled my hair. “You are hilarious.” He said.

“Ass.” I replied, fixing my hair again.

“You know you love me.” He replied, giving me a hug.

I looked at him suspiciously. “That’s it, who are you and what did you do with Dion Phaneuf?” I demanded.

D grinned. “What do you mean?” He asked.

I rolled my eyes. “Dion Phaneuf is never this happy when he’s hungry. Nor is he this happy when I am hung over.”

D shrugged. “Drew we’re fucking 5-0 including the exhibition games. 3-0 is pretty damn good. We’ve got Finland on tomorrow and we’ve already beaten them. I mean, I know Coach doesn’t want us to be overconfident, but they are going to have to really bring it tomorrow if they want to beat us.”

I laughed. “So tomorrow you’ll bring out your Dion face?” I asked.

“Tomorrow I won’t crack a smile or say more then a word or two at a time until after the game, I promise.” He told me. He raised his pinkie. “Pinkie swear.”

I hooked his pinkie in mine. “Deal.” I replied. “Because if you’re grinning tomorrow before the game then I am so going to tell TSN on you. And there will go your image with Pierre McGuire.”

D laughed at that. “You wouldn’t do that to me Drew… I’m the reason he does the whole McGuire’s Monster thing.”

I stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you Phaneuf.” I told him seriously.

He hugged me tightly, and dropped a kiss on my forehead and said softly. “I love you too Drew.”

“So where are we going for lunch?” I asked, gasping as I checked my reflection in the mirror.

“Just the restaurant downstairs.” He said. “But for God’s sake Drew, put on some fucking make up.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and stuck out my tongue. “Asshole.”

He stuck his tongue out at me in return. “You wouldn’t want to leave the room looking the way that you do.”

“You know me too fucking well.” I grumbled as I washed my face of last night’s make up.
D shrugged. “And you know everything there is to know about me.” He replied. “So its not a big deal.”

“I suppose.” I replied as I applied a mountain of foundation to even out my skin. “But most of the time lately it seems like you’re the one reading my mind, not the other way around.”

He shrugged again. “That’s because you’re falling in love right now, and I’m, well not.” He paused. “Oh and there’s that whole hugely important international hockey tournament where my teammates and I are touted as the best world junior team ever.”

“No one said anything about love.” I grumbled again as I finished applying my make up. “And why on earth would that be a reason for not being able to read your mind anymore Phaneuf?”

D rolled his eyes as he handed me a light sweater to put over top of my tank top. “Drew it’s because you’re falling in love. Right now you’re so wrapped up in yourself and what you’re feeling for Sidney that you aren’t as tuned into me as you usually are.”

I rolled my eyes right back. “I am not feeling anything for Sidney.” I snapped.

“Yeah and I never banged Christa.” D replied rolling his eyes.

I raised my eyebrows. “Well she says you didn’t.” I replied.

D rolled his eyes again. “Yep, she was just moaning because she does that when she sleeps in a guy’s bed platonically.”

I giggled, then laughed at the look on D’s face. “I never said you were lying D.” I said. “I was just repeating what Christa said. I was there remember?” I grinned wickedly. “Or maybe you don’t remember….”

He laughed and shrugged. “Not much, but enough to realize why we woke up naked next to each other.” D said.

I giggled. “So what did y’all do last night while Chris and I were out getting our drunk on?”

“Played some Madden.” He said. “Listened to some music. Played poker. It was pretty dull. Why didn’t you come hang out for awhile?” He asked.

I shrugged, not wanting to let him know that the conversation that Sidney and I had had the night before had bothered me so much. “Chris and I had made plans and, well, we didn’t want to be, like waiting in line or anything.” I explained.

D seemed to accept that to my surprise. “Yeah it was pretty cold outside.” He agreed. “But you’ll hang out for awhile tonight right?”

“Yeah for sure.” I replied. “I think Chris might join us. Maybe I should invite Dane to join us too if that’s okay.”

D grinned at me. He loves his little brother a lot. In fact, his phone bill is absolutely INSANE because of it. He calls all the time. “That’d be great. You’ll go find him this afternoon?”

“Of course. You guys are going to have a team dinner right?” I asked as we arrived at the restaurant and were seated.

“Thanks Drew.”

“See?” I said sticking my tongue out at him. “I can’t be falling in love because I can still read your mind.”

D rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Yeah well maybe it’s because you haven’t seen Sidney yet today.”

I shrugged. “Sure, whatever.” I said, before giving the waitress our order, knowing full well what D was going to want. “See?” I told him. “More mind reading.”

“More like, that’s what I always have.” He replied.

D and I sat and ate our lunch, not talking much. It doesn’t do much good to talk to Dion Phaneuf when he’s trying to eat. It’s better just to sit back, eat your own meal and wait for him to finish. It usually doesn’t take very long anyway. I was no more then halfway done my meal when D started picking at my fries. I just grinned and continued eating. Part of what helped me keep my girlish figure was the fact that D always finished most of my meals for me.

“So you guys have anything this afternoon?” I asked.

D shrugged. “Not that I know of. I was going to take a nap after lunch though, if you don’t mind going and finding Dane and letting him know about tonight.”

“Don’t mind at all. I’d love to get a chance to see my favourite Phaneuf.” I teased him playfully.

“Very funny Drew.” He replied.

“I know.” I said with a grin. “What can I say? You’re brother is a more charming version of you. Oh and he smiles more.”

“You ready to go Drew?” D asked, rising.

“Yeah sure I suppose.” I said wincing as I rose and the room spun slightly. “My head hurts.” I whined.

“Serves you right.” D said, ruffling my hair.

I stuck my tongue out at him. “Just wait until the next time that you go out and get blitzed.” I said with a giggle. “I’m going to show up on your doorstep first thing in the morning and wake you up.”

D grinned at me. “I look forward to it Drew.”

I grinned back at him. I knew why he was looking forward to it… because he was hoping that it would be soon. That they would win a gold medal and then get blitzed here in Grand Forks (legal drinking age be damned… D told me that after losing last year the guys got so drunk that he was amazed that they were all able to get up and get on planes the next day to go home). “Me too D.” I said, reaching down and squeezing his hand in mine. “Me too.”

D walked me up to my hotel room and left me there with a quick kiss on the cheek, promising to call me when he woke up from his nap. I picked up the phone and dialed the Phaneuf’s hotel room. “Hello?” Mrs. Phaneuf answered after a couple of rings.

“Hey Mrs. Phaneuf.” I said to his Mom. “It’s Drew. Is Dane up there with you?”

“Yes he is.” She replied. “And he’s horribly bored.”

“Well I can help alleviate some of that boredom.” I said. “D asked me to track him down to ask him if he wanted to come hang out with all of us later tonight. Chris Getzlaf will be there too.”

“I’m sure he’d love to Drew.” She replied, sounding pleased. “Just a second. Dane phone.”

“Hello?” Dane’s voice answered.

“Hey baby.” I said. “How’s it hanging?”

“Drew!” He replied excited. “I’m bored out of my mind. How are you?”

“Hung over as fucking hell.” I told him honestly, since I’m as honest with Dane as I am with Dion. “But otherwise fine. I would have been better if that annoying brother of your hadn’t come pounding on my bedroom door at an awful hour.”

“I intend on having just that much fun if I can Drew.” He said with a laugh. “If I can.”

I rolled my eyes. “And I intended on sleeping all day. But your brother ruined that for me.” I told him. “So don’t hold your breath baby boy.”

Dane laughed. “You know I’d never date a girl who only liked me because of who my brother is. Give me a little credit Drew.”

I raised my eyebrows even though he couldn’t see me. “I note that you only said you wouldn’t DATE a girl who only wanted you because of who your brother is. You said nothing about never FUCKING a girl who only wanted you because of who your brother is.”

I could almost see the sheepish grin on Dane’s face as he laughed. “Yeah well, I’m not perfect Drew.”

“Point well taken.” I said stretching as I yawned. “God I smell.” I told him, although Dane really didn’t need to know that.

“Dion didn’t let you have a shower when he dragged you out of bed?”

“Dion was hungry when he dragged me out of bed.” I replied. “Like he was going to wait to eat until I was clean.” I joked.

Dane laughed. “True.” He said. “My brother doesn’t exactly enjoy being hungry.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Like Dion Phaneuf has ever been hungry for more then a hour or two at most in his entire life.” I yawned again.

“Jeez Drew, go to bed.” Dane said.

I yawned again. “Behave yourself.”