Thin Ice

by April Cronin

  The two men took their seats, Peter, in front of the desk again and Andre at the back of the room, all eyes on him as the other three occupants waited for his reply.

  “I got word from Jean yesterday that this pathetic attempt at a lawsuit involved me too, so I caught the first flight out this morning. This bitch won't get away with this!” He growled, pinning the lawyer in his dark gaze.

  Ever the professional though, Erin cleared her throat, nodded and looked down at several papers on her desk. “It was good of you to come Andre, certainly makes things easier for me. And I understand you're angry, but please allow me to do my job from here on out.” Looking up from her blotter, she bore her eyes into his, her voice daring him to challenge her. “You wouldn't be involved in this at all you know, if you'd just let me do my job to begin with.”

  Andre snorted in derision, earning him a pointed look from Jean as well.

  Nonplussed Erin continued, “She's trying to call our bluff. I'm extremely familiar with the lawyer she's hired, and his tactics, I can assure you, they're just trying to push you into mediation.”

  “How can you know this?” Peter asked, nervously looking from Erin to Jean.

  “I've been at this game for over a decade now Peter, and I haven't gotten where I am simply by luck. By serving you now, before the DNA results have been released, they're hoping you'll take their offer to seek out a mediator and avoid going to court.” Folding her hands on top of the desk, Erin did her best to speak slowly, pausing often enough that Peter was able to follow what she was saying without having Jean translate for him. “A court date couldn't be scheduled until sometime in September, the docket is pretty full as of now, so as I've said, by serving you now, they're hoping to scare you into a deal, and avoid court altogether.”

  “And what if you are wrong? What if I say no to this mediation and they want to go to court?”

  “They won't.”

  Andre piped up then sensing how deep Peter's concerns went on the matter, “humor us will you?”

  “Very well,” Erin remarked, her tone clipped. “I've read over the police reports thus far, their case is circumstantial at best, and once the results from the DNA test prove that Peter didn't have any contact with the lady below the waist, it becomes a he-said-she-said. Though I understand that the burden of proof is much less in a civil situation, I can assure you they won't have enough to go forward, especially not with your testimony Andre and that of her other recent indiscretions.”

  “Alright,” Andre said, looking to Peter who nodded that he understood and was satisfied with the answer. “And what about her claims against me? Slander and defamation of character?”

  “She isn't likely to try one without the other.”

  In an office downtown, Amanda Orsini sat tapping her fingers on the arm of the chair she occupied, listening as her good for nothing lawyer frowned and said “I see, I see,” over and over. She was pissed off, to say the least.

  Though her name had been kept out of the media thus far, she'd somehow been found out and had been receiving threatening letters at home and at work. She was lucky she hadn't been fired yet.

  This was turning into a nightmare. Travis had backed out on her, demanding that he be left out, though that was easy enough to explain away, she'd just say he couldn't handle the tragic incident and that they had broken up, but Cassie seemed to be getting cold feet as well. And that just wouldn't do. She needed to find a way to get her star witness back on her side. Money was no longer a tempting commodity, perhaps blackmail would be a good enough incentive.

  Placing the phone in its cradle, her bone-headed lawyer folded his hands on top of the desk and looked at her disdainfully, his lips pressed into a tight line. She knew she should've contacted someone else, but he'd been so eager to take her case, of course, she suspected he didn't believe her in the least, and with how his eyes roamed her face now, so indifferent as they were, she feared she might just need to hire some other schmuck before this whole thing was over.

  “Well?” she huffed.

  The suit startled, grimacing as he tried to regain his composure. “Ms. Orsini,” he began in that tight-lipped way of his. “I'm afraid they have declined to go to arbitration. It looks as if we'll have to try a different approach.”

  “So we go to court. No big deal.”

  Amanda's off-handed manner seemed to shock him, and she slowly realized he had never intended it to go this far. What was it with this guy?

  He shook his head, his snooty Harvard law school attitude creeping into his features. “It would appear that they have a wealth of people willing to come forward on Mr. Petrovic's behalf, I'm afraid it wouldn't be wise to trot this out in front of a judge.”

  “Seriously? You're kidding right?” Amanda stood, placing her hands on his desk in front of her and staring him straight in the face, his beady little eyes widening in fear. “I have a damn star witness who's willing to testify that she saw Peter assault me damn it!”

  Adjusting his glasses, the lawyer pushed a few feet away from the desk and sat back in his seat, attempting to put a little distance between them. “Is that not a different account than what she told the police?”

  “What difference does that make? She'll say whatever I want her to say!”

  “Look, Ms. Orsini, I'm afraid that given the nature of this case, and the people involved, I think it best that you find yourself another lawyer.” He flinched suddenly then as Amanda slammed her palms down on the desk and backed away. “I am not prepared to take a case of this magnitude to court. I'm sorry. Really, I am.”

  He was sorry? Oh fuck him! She thought to herself, knocking over her chair and slamming the door behind her as she walked out of his office. That's what she got for looking a lawyer up in the yellow pages online. To hell with him! She'd find herself a real shark, someone who wasn't afraid to draw a little blood!

  Damn Travis and that fucking Andre Lepowski, this was all their fault!

  Running through the daily reports and ensuring that everything was accurate, Harmony let her mind drift a little and began to wonder how Peter was making out with his lawyer. Thoughts of the previous night’s lovemaking snaking their way in as she counted down one of the cashier drawers and finished off the deposit.

  All at once she was assailed by images of Peter before her, on top of her, inside her. She gasped as her body began to react. Shaking her head, as if the near violent motion could loosen the grasp her fantasies had on her. She gripped the edge of the counter with her fingers, willing her heart rate to slow down, begging her mind to think of something else, anything else except Peter. Then came images of Peter behind bars, of cameras and microphones, flashed in her face. It was one disturbing image after another.

  And that's how Chelsea found her, bent over the counter gasping for air and trembling.

  “Harmony!” she cried, prying her hands off the counter and leading her into her office where she eased her down into a chair and locked the door behind her. “Sweetheart, what's wrong? Do I need to call 911?”

  As Chelsea's words, along with the shock on her worn face broke through the gripping daydream she was having, Harmony took a few deep breaths, gulping in one lungful of air after another, then placed her head between her knees and counted to ten. What was the matter with her? She'd never had a panic attack in her life! So why the hell was she having one now?

  Peter.

  That one word flew through her brain like an osprey diving for its prey. Swift and cunning. She had finally admitted to herself that she could believe Peter's innocence, but rather than tell him that, she'd choked. Sure, she'd told him she wanted to help, and yes, she'd made love to him with an amazing amount of passion, but she hadn't told him she believed him. Surely he deserved to know that?

  And why hadn't she? Why couldn't she say the words? Was she still having a hard time accepting it? Or was it the newest wrinkle, his being sued? Or maybe it was the reporters, because not only had they taken plenty of pictures yesterday, splash
ing them all the papers this morning with one headline or another, but now they were camping out in front of her house!

  She had never imagined they could turn something beautiful, like what she had with Peter, into something so ugly. That had to be it. It just had to! No way would she panic just thinking about making love to Peter! Hell, she dreamt about it every night, and she certainly hadn't woken up scared then! No indeed! She'd wake up flushed and feeling every bit as if Peter had truly been there ravishing her body.

  It had to be the cameras, the way people now wondered how she could support a rapist! Damn it, Peter was NOT a rapist! Even if he had assaulted this girl, and she knew without a doubt now that he wasn't capable of such a thing, rape and assault were not the same thing! You could hug a person, and if they didn't welcome such affections it would be considered assault, but that was certainly a far cry from physically forcing yourself on and into a person!

  Calmer now as she worked through her problems, and figured out just what it was that had triggered her panic, Harmony ran a hand through her hair and sighed, looking up at Chelsea, who crouched vigilantly at her side, one hand rubbing up and down her back.

  “I'm fine.” She managed in a somewhat shaky voice.

  “You're sure?” Chelsea prodded, lifting Harmony's chin in her free hand. “If I didn't know better I'd say you were having a panic attack. A dandy one at that.” Her eyes were little slits as she studied Harmony's reaction.

  “I was actually, but you snapped me out of it.”

  “Maybe I should take you to the hospital just in case.”

  Harmony lifted her chin indignantly, no way was she going to any hospital. “I'm fine Chelsea. I've gotten myself under control now. Maybe I'll go home and rest, but I'm fine.”

  Nodding, though she didn't buy it for a minute, Chelsea thought about how best to approach things. She'd known Harmony for a long time now, but damned if she knew how to get her to open up. The girl's own mother hadn't been able to, though to be fair, she hadn't wanted to either.

  With a sigh, Chelsea said, “why don't you tell me what's on your mind? Maybe it'll help to say it out loud.” She stood and pulled up the other chair in the office, sitting across from Harmony and hoping she wasn't overstepping her boundaries.

  Harmony took her by surprise though, crossing her arms in front of her and asking, “do you love my father?”

  Stunned, Chelsea blinked a couple of times before answering. “You weren't panicking about your father and I Harmony, what's this really about?”

  “No, I wasn't, but answer the question anyways. Do you love my father?”

  “Of course I do, but what has this got to do with anything?”

  “How long have you loved him?” Harmony demanded, side stepping Chelsea's question once again. She wasn't ready to talk about it yet, and her father's relationship with Chelsea had been on her mind more often than not when she was in his company.

  “What?” Chelsea gasped. “What's the meaning of this?”

  “Please,” she pled, “I promise I'll tell you everything, just cut me some slack okay? I need a minute.”

  With a nod, Chelsea's shoulders heaved in a defeated sigh. Perhaps it was time she was honest with someone too. “I met your father when I ran the diner, he was a frequent customer. I loved him on sight.”

  Harmony's eyes widened, she hadn't expected that. “Did you two ever have an affair?”

  Truly shocked and utterly repulsed by the thought of that question, Chelsea shook her head vehemently. “Never. I knew he was married, and I would never have disrespected your mother that way.” She looked down at her hands then, playing with her fingers as she spoke. “I think she knew though, your mother. She loved your father Harmony, even if she didn't know how to show it.”

  Harmony placed an encouraging hand on Chelsea's, a warm smile touching her lips as the two women looked each other in the eyes.

  “When the diner closed, your father offered me a job at the market, and I was delighted. He was such a charming man, he simply fascinated me. And when your mother died, I'll admit, though shamefully, that I didn't mourn her passing.”

  “Thank you for being honest with me Chelsea, I'm really happy my father has you.”

  The women gripped each other’s hands in a token of love and friendship, “thank you.” Chelsea whispered, on the brink of tears. She'd always wanted to have a relationship like this with Harmony, and since she was dating her father, she couldn't be happier at the way it was finally developing. “Now tell me what's been going on. I know you're under a lot of stress, I can see how much of a toll it's taking on you.”

  Resigned to having drawn things out long enough, Harmony opened up for the second time that week. But unlike Kate who had held back and made her come to her own conclusions, Chelsea spoke more freely of her advice and opinions.

  “As far as the reporters go, I've never seen someone so courageous, or outspoken. Perhaps you give them a piece of your mind? As for Peter, tell him the truth, he deserves to hear it from you, and I can only imagine how he has been suffering without your support.”

  She was right of course. Harmony had the biggest mouth of anyone she'd ever known. So why was she so afraid of defending herself to these vultures lurking about in front of her house? Better yet, she should give them something to chew on and then send Lupus out after them. Surely he'd clear them off once and for all.

  And as for Peter indeed. She needed to tell him she believed in him, and she needed to do it soon. But when? Her father's birthday was this weekend, and the whole store had planned to throw him a little party on Sunday, which she needed to get ready for on Saturday. Maybe Monday then?

  Time was moving too swiftly, and it wasn't going to stop for her!

  Peter felt better after having talked to the lawyer, and having both Jean and Andre there for support was truly a godsend. He didn't know what he would have done if he were facing this alone. Of course, knowing Andre was pretty much going to be beside him during this entire ordeal gave him mixed emotions all around.

  It was nice to know he wasn't alone, that someone else was involved, but at the same time, he knew Andre was due for a good tongue lashing from the Slashers organization, who was luckily able to keep his involvement from reaching the ears of the commissioner, otherwise he might have faced some sort of legal recourse as well. Surely there was something in their contracts that forbid them from getting involved in these sorts of situations.

  But Andre was his friend, and cared about him in the same way that one might care for a brother. So Peter was grateful for what he had done, even if he knew Andre shouldn't have and could have landed himself in some really hot water on his behalf.

  After leaving Ms. Paulino's office, he and Andre had stopped at a little diner in town for a quick bite to eat, and luckily no one bothered to approach them. Most of the patrons were older, so Peter figured they either didn't know who they were or they didn't care. Either way, it suited him just fine.

  “Hey Pete,” Andre said in between bites of a sandwich he had ordered. “I still get the cup next week, and I thought maybe we could take it to Molly's together, you know, since you didn't spend any time with it. What do you think?”

  Peter was astonished. Andre's offer was generous and tempting, he had, in fact, felt awful about relinquishing his cup time, even though he desperately wanted it, he knew there was no sense in it. If he couldn't take it home to Russia, and he was still fearful of going out in public, then what was the point? Here was his chance to celebrate with it though, and perhaps with Andre out and about with him it wouldn't be so bad.

  “Da, I will think on it,” he replied, taking a swallow of water to wash down his own food.

  Andre nodded, shoved the rest of his sandwich in his mouth and wiped at his lips where a glob of mustard laid just out of reach of his tongue. “You think about it and let me know Monday. I was thinking we'd go out on Wednesday. I've got plans to take it to the local rink, show it off to the kids, and I think one of the h
igh schools in the area too, but otherwise, I figured we'd hit the town with it!”

  Peter liked the sound of that. He had spent far too much time at home, feeling sorry for himself, or blaming himself for how things were or were not going, depending on what he was thinking about. Maybe getting out there, showing his face in public and letting everyone know that he wasn't afraid of this little girl and her nasty rumors, was just what he needed.

  He couldn't hide forever, and sooner or later he'd need to face his fans, whether that meant trying to explain things or just acting like it had never happened to begin with he didn't know. Either way, it was time to face the music.

  Chapter 19

  Lord Stanley

  The weekend came and went, Viktor arrived home on Monday, and training camp was just a week away, and with encouragement from his friends, Peter was going out to celebrate. He'd be damned if he was going to let this little twit ruin it completely for him. He'd already had to cancel going home to see his family and friends, though they were all due to fly out in a couple of weeks after the start of the season to spend some time with him, and he'd also been forced to pass on his week alone with the Stanley Cup.

  Andre and Viktor meant to rectify that though, along with Donovan and Dean they had set it up to take over Molly MacPherson's for the night. It was a place they frequented often during the season after a home win, so it only felt natural. And since they were quite familiar with the staff there, Andre had cleared the party with them first.

  There would be a buffet, and having postponed their honeymoon due to Abby's being pregnant, Dean was covering the bar tab for the evening, and had in fact invited the entire team and their families. Jean and her husband were going to be there too, as well as the coaching staff. Molly's would be closed to the public for the night, which made things easier on Peter, and bouncers had been hired and given a list of those who would attend, making security as tight as possible.