Patins et pilules

Chapitre 16

Liam

6 décembre

- There's a rumour across the league that says that you have a serious girlfriend now and that you had just fought with her the other day when you lost it against Brandon Woods...

It's Aaron, my former center, who is talking to me. We're playing against the Lightning at Bell Centre tonight. Aaron and I are stretching on both sides of the red line during the warm-up. It's the first time that we're playing against them since we beat them during the playoffs.

- Well, if the rumour also says that Virginie and I made up and that I properly corrected this fucker last week, then it's 100% true!

Since we made up, things are going pretty well between Virginie and I. I now understand more where she's coming from, and she agreed that there are moments when I have the right to spoil her if I want to. And tomorrow will be one of these since it's her 30th birthday.

- Virginie, hey? ... I'm happy for you man! And the rumour that says that this guy is doing really well seems to be true also.

Aaron is pointing his chin toward Jay who is waiting for his turn to shoot at the net, bend so that his stick rests on his knees, his head bobbing at the music's beat, chewing a gum with a smile on his lips and his eyes focused on the pucks that are approaching him.

- Well, if the rumour says that he also has a new girl, then it's totally true!

- I heard that yeah...the pharmacist who took care of him last summer, right?

- Right! Maeva.

- Is she good for him? I liked Anne-Sophie but I didn't like how she ended their relationship.

- Maeva still takes really good care of him, maybe even too much in my opinion but he doesn't seem to mind. I'm sure you'd like her. She's a hockey fan too, she understands a lot of things.

- Are your girlfriends getting along well? I guess you guys still see each other outside...

- Yeah... yeah...they were good friends before, they're roommates actually. Virginie is a pharmacist too.

Jay now skates toward us, breaks and sprays me with the snow.

- Dude! Don't do that! The media will think that you're mad at me and they'll make a whole TV segment about it!

Jay rolls his eyes and Aaron chuckles.

- Things never change in Montreal apparently!

- Always the same... Good to see you, Aaron! Hey, I just heard something about you...well.... about Claire actually, is it true that she's pregnant?

Wait, what? I didn't hear that rumour. Aaron is one year younger than me but we started our careers in Montreal the same year. I can say that we had a lot of fun together in our first years here. We were pretty known in the bars back then and our phones were full of phone numbers from the girls we had met. I was with him the night when he met Claire about 3 years ago and he became a responsible, faithful man right at that moment. She moved to Tampa with him when he got traded and I knew that they were serious but now, I can't believe that Aaron is going to become a dad before me!

- Yeah...It's still early and I didn't say it to many people but, yeah, we're gonna have a baby toward the end of June.

- Wow, congrats man...

- Congrats! I can't believe you're gonna be a dad!

- Yep...Thank you guys! We were not really trying but we were not doing anything anymore not to have kids you know...I mean, it's a good time, we have a nice house, a good income, we're healthy, our relationship is going well...