Dani flees to the safe heaven that is Rex and Jim, who are flanked by several of the players in an attempt to block them from too many intrusions of journalists and sponsors. She sees Nico cornering Gabrielle on the other side of the room, Gabrielle smiling at Nico like she's a cat that just got at the milk. Dani's not quite prepared for the wave of sickening, angry jealousy that hits her right in the pit of her stomach, so she turns her back to them, not wanting to see.
Jim offers her another glass of champagne, and Dani thinks she might get drunk soon if she doesn't start counting them. T.K. joins them too, with a new girlfriend in tow that Dani's sure won't last a week, seeing as T.K. looks so bored he basically ignores the girlfriend and talks to Dani instead. It's actually fun after a while. Dani knows most of the players about as well as she does her own kids by now, and it's nice to hang out with them and laugh with them about things that don't necessarily have to do with their game. Admit that it's also nice to be around all those hot, young bodies who all adore you, Santino!, she hears Jeanette teasing her inside her head, which has her grinning, because of course, that is true as well.
T.K. insists on dancing with her, which, as it turns out, consists of twirling and sweeping her around the floor like she's some kind of human yoyo, until she's so out of breath and giggling so hard she has to quit, making her way towards the bar for a much needed soda, T.K. shouting after her that's he's not even shown her half of his killer moves yet. She's till laughing, sipping her soda, when a woman slips in next to her and then she's suddenly eye to eye with Gabrielle Pittman.
"Dr Santino," Gabrielle says in greeting, glancing slyly at her. "I am so pleased to see you again. And don't you look… darling." It's flawlessly cruel and venomous, but Dani's not ready to take the bait - yet.
"Mrs Pittman. I'm surprised to see you here," she says, although she's more surprised that Nico let Gabrielle venture out of his sights. She glances quickly around the room, which prompts Gabrielle to say, "Oh, Nico had other urgent business to attend to. One of the players got a little too drunk, so Nico's escorting him of the premises to make sure he doesn't bring shame to the Hawks' good name. I'm sure he'll be right back."
Yes, Dani thinks, and I'm sure you'll use his absence to do as much damage as possible here tonight, but she's forcing a smile, determined to remain polite. Out of the corner of her eye, Dani sees Matt moving in, his face asking her if he needs to cut in and rescue her. Dani shakes her head at him in what she hopes is a subtle gesture, but of course nothing escapes Gabrielle Pittman, who looks behind her shoulder to see Matt moving away from them again, towards where Noelle is standing.
"Oh yes, Mr Donnally. I heard about him and Noelle Saris." Gabrielle shakes her head at Dani in mock-empathy. "It is hard, isn't it? For women our age. Always someone younger and prettier on the horizon," and the way Gabrielle says it, leaves little doubt in Dani's mind that Gabrielle considers it not so much to be her own problem, but mostly Dani's.
"That's not how it was. And not all men are like that," Dani says, defiantly.
"Oh, don't be so naive, Dr Santino. In my experience, some men may appear to be different, but they're really not."
Gabrielle's smiling at Dani, predatory, her eyes eating everything up, and Dani is suddenly aware that she's several inches smaller, and that her skin or her body are nowhere near as perfect as Gabrielle's and that her dress seems tacky and bland in comparison to the one that Gabrielle is wearing, which probably costs more than Dani's car does.
"What are you trying to say here, Gabrielle," she asks, working hard to keep her voice steady and only half succeeding.
"Just a friendly warning, Dr Santino. You know, us women, we should stick together. I just thought you would like to know, especially after what happened with your ex-husband, that our mutual friend may not actually be as decent and wonderful as he has led you to believe."
Dani's face burns with barely suppressed fury. She knows she should have walked away ages ago, she knows Gabrielle Pittman is poison, but the sneer at Ray's cheating rattles her - how could Gabrielle know? Could Nico have told her? The reason for her divorce isn't exactly common knowledge in Hawks circles and she knows for a fact that Matt has only barely ever spoken to Gabrielle. "Just say it, already," she hisses at Gabrielle, with a barely banked violence.
Gabrielle laughs, oozing with satisfaction as she hovers closer to Dani. "Such temperament! I can see why all these men like you so much. But you know, I might be wrong. You probably already know Nico's sleeping with Vera Dade, the League-investigator, right? Or did he forget to mention it?," Gabrielle goes on, favoring Dani with an innocent smile that Dani wishes she could claw right off Gabrielle's face.
"I know more than you think," Dani says, but even in her own ears it sounds lame and untrue, and then she's excusing herself, Gabrielle's triumphant laughter ringing in her ears as she makes it past the dance floor towards the bar, where she orders a Long Island Iced Tea that she downs in one. Dani's contemplating having another, and then she's contemplating going home, but just as she's about to make a quick getaway, Nico pops up by her side.
Dani jolts, scowls at him. "Jeez. Nico!"
"I'm sorry," he says, with a smile, but also an inquisitive lift of his eyebrows. "You're not leaving, are you? I still need to dance with you..."
"Nico, I don't know. I'm really very tired."
"Nonsense," he says, nearly dragging her onto the floor. Dani believes she might be a little drunk now - that Long Island was a whopper. Not drunk enough to not be able to dance though. It is hot and hazy being surrounded by so many people, but all Dani can really concentrate on is the feeling of being held by him, moving together, even with the words of Gabrielle Pittman still echoing inside her head. It doesn't help that Otis Redding's These Arms of Mine starts sounding through the speakers either. Stupid Coach and his damn' soul-collection.
Nico shifts a little closer, moves his mouth to her ear. "You know, you're pretty good at this."
Feeling his breath against her neck makes Dani blush again. "You're very nice."
"I'm really not that nice," he goes on, and there is that dangerous edge in his voice.
"Yes," Dani mutters, "Gabrielle told me."
"Gabrielle… wait, what?!" Nico grounds them to a halt, takes a step back. "Gabrielle talked to you? When?"
"Just now," Dani answers, "when you were taking care of whatever you were taking care of."
Nico scans the room until he finds Gabrielle standing in a corner, looking over at them with that sly smile, surrounded by a bunch of rich looking men. "Dani, whatever she told you, you must know that chances are it's probably exaggerated or simply not true, right?"
"Okay," Dani whispers, barely audible above the noises of the dance floor. "So you're not sleeping with Vera Dade?"
Nico grits his teeth in unconcealed irritation. "Gabrielle told you that?"
"She did, yes." Dani blinks her eyes a couple of times, swallows, feeling more than a little lost all of a sudden.
"I was," Nico says, very seriously. "I'm not anymore."
Dani nods at him, allows herself to be swept onto the dance floor once again, but her mind is reeling, tension settling in her arms and shoulders. Nico never lies. It's what he always says, she tells herself. Yet right now, she can't help not feeling so sure. She let Gabrielle get under her skin, she realizes, with the comment about Ray, her air of I-know-so-many-things-you-don't.
"Dani, please," Nico's voice sounds somewhere near the top of her head. "You need to loosen up a little. Don't let her get inside your head."
Dani's throat makes a noise that is in between a laugh and a groan, but she tries, and they're dancing, and then it's like Nico's body just syncs with hers, pressing closer and closer still until all coherent thought starts leaving her head.
Nico's quiet for a very long time, just guides her through dance after dance, until the silence grows too dense, and he lets out an exasperated sigh. "Dani… Why do I always feel like I'm taking you out of your comfort zone?' His voice sounds softer than Dani has ever heard it.
'I don't know, Nico,' Dani deadpans. Then, more close to the truth, she says, 'I've probably been out of my comfort zone since the day I met you.'
Nico shifts a little, so he can look her in the eye, his own burning. "We really do need to have that talk. Soon, Dani."
"Yes," Dani agrees, "but now is really not the time," and she closes her eyes in frustration at the sight of Gabrielle Pittman making her way over to them.
"Mind if I cut in for a second?", Gabrielle asks Danielle, voice dripping with honey.
"You can not be serious," Nico hisses between his teeth. "Didn't I ask you to leave like an hour ago?"
"But I don't want to leave," Gabrielle pouts, ugly - making Dani wonder what on earth Marshall Pittman and Nico ever saw in her - "I may not own the Hawks anymore, but they still feel like my team and I want to show my support in their time of need. Really, Nico, it can't hurt to dance with an old friend, can it?"
"And what if I say no?", Nico says, avoiding Gabrielle's gaze and looking at Dani instead.
"Come on, now. You don't want me to make a scene now, do you? Certainly not tonight?"
Dani's the first to give in, throwing up her arms in surrender and taking a few steps back. She immediately wishes she hadn't, because it causes Gabrielle to say, "See, she's sweet. Isn't she sweet, Nico?", and it makes her want to kiss Nico right then and there, just to show Gabrielle Pittman she won't be messed with. Then she becomes aware that their little get-together is under close scrutiny of at least a dozen people in the room; Coach and Matt, several of the trainers, even T.K., who's not smiling, but looking apprehensive as if shit might be about to blow. Dani's really not left with any other choice than to step off the dance floor, shrugging like she doesn't care, and moving to a corner with T.K. following closely on her heels.
"Dr D, what's up? What is she doing here?"
"It's so complicated, T.K. I can't even begin to explain."
"Yeah, well, whatever it is, Nico looks like he's about to kill her, man."
They both look over and Dani sees T.K.'s got a point; Nico's face is set on thunder and he's keeping Gabrielle at arm's length, yet at the same time they look good together, and the idea that they must have danced together so many times in the past is enough to catapult Dani's mood straight below zero degrees. Finally fed up, she's not even trying to hide how she's feeling, as she heads for the exit and then heads home.
Txt message - Nico, 3.12 am
I'm sorry, Dani. Can we still talk tomorrow? Nx
Txt message - Dani, 3.21 am
Yes. I'll find you after practice.
Txt message - Dani, 3.27 am
x