Chapter 1-Going Green

Mike Green was everything he thought he wasn’t. He had the bad boy looks with the mohawk and the tattoos with the family values that all girls looked for. He was by no means an angel and like some of his closest friends and teammates, he had his fair share of women.

“Where are you from,” Mike whispered in the tall brunette’s ear in the overcrowded DC bar.

“Pittsburgh,” she replied taking a sip of her drink.

“You’re shitting me, right?”

“Fuck you, Green,” she said finally recognizing the man behind the Prada sunglasses.

Deep down Danielle was jumping for joy although she hated the men in red; she loved the baby faced defenseman.

“Can I buy you a drink,” he asked when her friend approached her.

“We’re actually just leaving to head home, we have to work tomorrow. See you around,” Danielle smiled slightly before she grabbed her purse off the table and left with the other girl.

“What’s the matter Greeny,” Brooks Laich asked, “Did she shoot you down because she’s a lesbian?”

Mike flipped the forward off as he ordered a drink, “She’s from Pittsburgh.”

“Crosby chaser,” Brooks laughed, “Nice one.”

“She has to head home because they both have to work tomorrow.”

“Do they mean home as in D.C. or home as is back in Pittsburgh?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know,” Mike asked, “I didn’t get a chance to ask?”

“Fail!”

“Shut the fuck up,” he replied taking a swig of his rum and coke.

Back at the Hilton Garden Inn on the outskirts of D.C. located in Arlington, Virginia, Danielle was on the phone with one of her friends back in Pittsburgh.

“So, you met Mike Green in a bar and left,” Jamie, one of her best friends asked, “And you left with Kristi and went home or back to the hotel rather.”

“He was intimidating to me,” Danielle replied, “He expects me to just drop my pants for him right there.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted to do,” Jamie asked as Kristi hollered in the background.

“That’s the same thing I said,” she yelled.

“Both of you need to shut up.”

“Not our fault that you’re a chicken,” Jamie replied.

“Fuck off,” Danielle replied, “You’re a real bitch.”

“I’m going to bed; I will call you tomorrow,” Jamie said, “Enjoy the practice tomorrow. I still don’t know why you want to go to a Caps training camp practice anyway.”

“We’re going to hassle Ovi,” Kristi yelled.

“Mhm, I’m sure,” Jamie replied, “Goodnight whore.”

“Goodnight slut,” Danielle replied ending the call.

“Think Mike will remember you at practice tomorrow,” Kristi asked.

“Nope, he’ll be so hung over he won’t even remember his name. Come on, let’s get some sleep we have a long day tomorrow.”

Mike threw back the shot of vodka that Ovi had given him. “Slow down, Greener,” Nick Backstrom warned, “Bruce’ll kill you at practice.”

“Fuck off, Nicky,” Mike slurred.

“Take him home,” Brooks said handing Nick the keys to Mike’s Lamborghini, “I’ll come pick you up and take you home.”

“What about Mojo,” Nick asked, “He can’t drive.”

“He’s going to have to learn soon enough,” Brooks joked as the young Swede glared at him, “Relax Nicky, I’m kidding. I’ll bring him home.”

Nick left the club with Mike and Brooks followed behind them with Marcus. Mike was passed out before Nick even reached the Arlington exit on the beltway.

Brooks helped Nicky carry Mike into the house because he was no lightweight and he couldn’t sleep in the garage. They dropped him gently on the bed before leaving a note reminding him that they had practice in the morning. Nick set the alarm on the bedside table and left the apartment locking the door behind him and sliding the keys under the door.

Danielle paced her hotel room the next morning making sure she had everything packed so that she and Kristi could leave the next morning and not forget anything.

“Are we going back to the bar tonight,” Kristi asked coming out of the bathroom putting her hair in a ponytail.”

“Let’s go to a different bar, I’m really not in the mood to be running into anyone.”

“You can’t avoid that today; we’re going to see his team practice.”

“Shut up, do you have to remind me?”

“Make sure you wear something sexy to the bar tonight just in case we see him.”

“I don’t even know what to wear today.”

“Just wear your red Wisconsin Badgers hockey hoodie, jeans, and your tennis shoes.”

“I don’t want to wear red.”

“We kind of have to blend in.”

“My Penguins logo necklace is going to be on full display, I could give a good fuck what the other people that see it have to say.”

“That’s my girl,” Kristi said high fiving her as they finished getting ready.

Mike woke up to the sound of the obnoxious alarm clock. He grabbed it and threw it across the room groaning as he opened his eyes and saw the sunlight coming through the window. He sat up rubbing his eyes before glancing at the bedside table to see his phone and a note with Nick’s chicken scratch writing letting him know that they had practice at eleven over at Kettler.

Mike groaned before climbing out of bed and going into the bathroom to clean himself up. He didn’t bother taking a shower since he was going to be sweaty anyways and would have to shower after practice anyways. He washed his face and brushed his teeth after taking two ibuprofen pills that were in his medicine cabinet. He packed a clean outfit in an old backpack that consisted of a grey v-neck t-shirt and jeans before he sprayed on more of his cologne tossing the bottle into the backpack as well. Grabbing the keys to the black Cadillac Escalade, he headed out of the house and to the iceoplex.

Danielle was bouncing with anticipation as she stood in awe of the players going by and signing autographs. They weren’t her team that she was loyal to but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet players on an opposing team. So far both she and Kristi had gotten autographs and pictures taken with Brooks Laich, Nick Backstrom, Marcus Johannson, and even though neither one of them wanted to admit it, they got their pictures taken with Alexander Ovechkin as well. They both never dreamed they’d meet the Russian superstar at the rink since it was next to impossible. He even laughed when they told him that they were from Pittsburgh. He even tweeted a picture of himself with them and joked around, completely coming out of the douchebag persona that they had of him. It shocked them to say the least and they forgot all about their mission to hassle him.

Mike arrived next to last to Braden Holtby and Danielle hid behind her sunglasses and got a picture with the defenseman. She wanted to scream with excitement as soon as she put his arm around her waist when he posed for the picture.

“Thanks,” she replied.

“No problem,” he replied with a smile before signing a few more autographs and heading inside.

Danielle and Kristi sat close to the rink but not too close where the defenseman would see them. Danielle didn’t want to cause a scene and she wanted to go unnoticed. She suddenly realized that maybe telling Ovechkin they were from Pittsburgh was a huge mistake because they were probably talked about in the locker room because the Russian called their hometown “Shitsburgh” on the HBO documentary the season prior.

The practice ended sooner than the girls wanted it to and they headed towards the Smithsonian’s American History museum. As they looked around the museum they actually realized that they liked the nation’s capital and would be back when their schedules allowed them to. Grabbing a bite to eat at the small eatery inside, they made their way back to their hotel.

After taking a nap and showering before getting ready for the night, they called a cab and headed to the small nightclub in back in the city. As soon as they entered, they knew what kind of night it was going to be. The music of Lady Gaga filled the club and the bar wasn’t that crowded which means there would be no waiting for drinks.

“What will it be for you ladies tonight,” the bartender asked as Danielle and Kristi sat down on the two vacant barstools.

“Sex on the beach,” Kristi replied.

“Strawberry daiquiri, please,” Danielle said setting a twenty dollar bill down on the bar.

“Already taken care of,” the bartender informed them as he sat their drinks down in front of them.

“By who,” Danielle asked.

“He asked me not to say anything so you’ll have to figure that one out yourself.”

“Mike Green,” Kristi whispered as her eyes roamed the club and landed on the defenseman standing on the balcony looking down at them.

“Just my fucking luck,” Danielle mumbled pulling out her phone and sending a text message to Jamie letting her know what happened.

Just don’t come home pregnant

Danielle rolled her eyes before responding to the text message with an as if and she shoved it back in her purse. It wasn’t long before she felt someone behind her and Kristi nudging her, “Are you stalking me?”

“Oh please,” Danielle replied turning around, “I’m from Pittsburgh what the hell would I stalk you for?”

“The question is, if you’re such a loyal Penguins fan why were you at practice earlier today. I’m not stupid; I knew who you were before Ovi even opened his mouth to let me know who you were little miss Wisconsin Badger.”

“That’s not my name, my name is Danielle and if you want to talk to me you call me what my mother named me, okay?”

“You didn’t answer my question, why are you in DC?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know who you are, refresh my memory.”

“Don’t play dumb, you’re far too intelligent for that. Trust me, I can tell you’re what a junior maybe senior in college. What’s your major? Business, journalism?”

“My major is noneya.”

“Real funny,” Mike replied, “Let me do this the right way, hi, I’m Mike.”

Danielle smiled, “I’m Danielle, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Where are you from?”

“Pittsburgh, home of the 2009 Stanley Cup champions, you know the team that killed you in game 7 of the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals.”

“That was harsh.”

“You asked for it.”

Mike laughed and Danielle wanted to melt at the full smile that spread across his face, “You’re cute when you smile,” she blurted out and Mike’s head snapped in her direction and Kristi almost spit her drink out across the bar.

“Thanks,” he replied and Danielle swore she saw him blush.

“Want to dance?”

“Sure,” she replied following him to the dance floor.

“Why are you really here,” he asked as they moved to the music.

“It’s too embarrassing to tell you why I’m really here.”

“Come on, I’m sure it’s not that embarrassing.”

“Do you really want to know?”

Mike nodded his head and Danielle took a deep breath, “I came to meet you.”

“Nice try!”

“I’m being serious!!”

“Wow, I don’t know what to say.”

Mike never asked a reason why and they both went back to their friends. Kristi went on and on about how everyone was talking about them in the club but Danielle ignored it. The bartender walked over and handed Danielle a piece of paper with a note written on it.

You and your friend should come up here

“A thousand times yes,” Kristi said grabbing Danielle’s hand and her drink off the bar before heading towards the balcony.

As the night wore on, Danielle felt herself getting drunk and she could tell Mike was too. She felt herself slowly wanting to kiss Mike and she tried to fight it but it wasn’t worth fighting anymore when he leaned down and claimed her lips with his own. Kristi was talking to Brooks Laich when she noticed her friend making out with the defensemen and she grabbed her phone and took a picture before sending it to Danielle’s phone.

Danielle woke up the next morning with a throbbing in her head an arm around her waist. She cracked and eye open and immediately both of her eyes went wide when she saw Mike next to her. Danielle lifted the blankets and saw that she and Mike were both naked. There were no signs of used condoms in the trash or the bathroom when she went searching for her clothes. She suddenly panicked and left without saying goodbye. She called for a taxi and went back to her hotel room where Kristi was waiting in the lobby with a smirk on her face and their luggage.

“It seems as if you had one hell of a night. Tell me all about it.”

“I don’t remember,” Danielle replied honestly opening her pink luggage to grab a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for the bus ride back home to Pittsburgh.

Two months later, Danielle wasn’t feeling well. She came down with the flu and called her doctor who immediately called her in a popular medicine used to cure it. When she wasn’t getting any better, she made an appointment to actually go see the doctor.

“No wonder you’re not getting any better, you’re two months pregnant,” Dr. Davis said into the telephone and Danielle sat there in silence.

“That’s funny doc, seriously what’s wrong with me?”

“You’re pregnant, Danielle,” she replied.

“That’s impossible!”

“I’m going to schedule an appointment for you to come in next week to get everything checked out and we’ll estimate your due date.”

“Thanks,” Danielle said ending the call before she slid down the wall crying. She pulled out her phone and sent a text message to Kristi and Kristi replied that they both knew who the father was and it was going to be impossible to tell him and it was better off if she didn’t know. Jamie was freaking out telling her that she knew it was going to happen.

The Capitals were in town in early December and Mike was skating around the rink at the CONSOL Energy Center with Brooks Laich talking and shooting pucks around.

“Hey Mikey, that chick you left the bar with that one night back home is sitting up in the upper bowl and she looks pregnant.”

“You’re talking out of your ass, Nicky,” Mike replied to the young Swede who rolled his eyes and skated away before he let his eyes wonder up to the top level of the arena. He could barely see her but he knew that red hair anywhere and the brunette she was with. Sure enough, there looked like there was a small bump forming under her Letang jersey.

“You need to talk to her,” Brooks said.

After the game finished, the Pens had won 4-2 in regulation after a brutal game between the rival teams. Mike contacted the ticket office and asked for the information of the girl named Danielle that was sitting in section 222. The office was reluctant to turn over such private information but since Mike was who he was, he got it without a problem.

Mike took a cab to the place thirteen minutes east of the city and he rang the doorbell, “I should have called,” he thought to himself, “It’s almost midnight, I’m probably going to wake up the entire house.”

The porch light went on and Mike saw the curtains move then he heard the locks clicking. The door opened and Mike’s eyes went wide when he saw Danielle. Her stomach was swollen and he could immediately tell that she was pregnant. He had enough teammates with wives and babies to know when a female was pregnant.

“Is it mine,” he asked.

“Mike, what the hell are you doing here,” Danielle asked eyes wide as Mike stood on the porch in the cold December night.

“Can I come in? I think we need to talk!”

Danielle swallowed hard and let the defenseman into the house, “How did you find me?”

“The ticket office had your contact information and gave it to me.”

“Can I get you something to eat or drink?”

“I’m fine.”

“I just found out a couple of weeks ago,” Danielle began when they sat down at the table, “It’s yours.”

Mike sat there in silence not knowing what to say. He couldn’t believe it. The only thing he could say was, “You’re coming back with me.”

“No, I’m not.”

“It’s my baby too.”

“Mike, I can’t just up and leave my family.”

“But you’re pregnant with my baby and I’m not going to stand back and let you have the baby without me.”

“Mike, please? You’re going to wake everybody up.”

“Danielle,” Mike began, “Just hear me out.”

“No,” she replied.

Mike sighed and he went to say something when Danielle cut him off, “Mike, it’s late. I have class in the morning and I hate waking up grouchy so you need to leave.”

“I’m not leaving until we talk about this.”

“We already talked about this, please leave.”

Mike rolled his eyes and grabbed his coat before leaving the house. Danielle broke down crying, she wanted Mike deserved to be in the baby’s life but she never expected to be pregnant either. Who would have thought going Green for one night would turn into something that neither one of them saw coming.