Dinner was in the dining hall of the Chateau Laurier, which was one of the most beautiful places many of the group had ever seen. It was one thing that the rooms themselves were magnificent, but this place boasted a gigantic chandelier and what looked like antique furniture.
"I'm almost afraid to sit down," Oliver said quietly, while Andre took pictures with his phone. All around the table, the Swedes were sitting down to a meal, while the Czechs were seated at a table in the next room. Nathalie found herself sandwiched between David and Tim, while Autumn was fending off Jacob's gaze from across the table.
"I don't know what any of this is..." Andre groaned, looking over the menu, "My English...so bad..."
"I can help you if you like," Nathalie offered, leaning over to point to things. David looked at her longingly.
"If any of you order steak or lobster, I'm fining you." Autumn warned.
"What's the fine? Do we get a spanking?" Jacob asked, a wide grin spreading across his face at her reaction. She stared daggers at him.
"Are you trying to get in trouble, Markstrom?" she snapped.
Jacob kept smiling, "The angrier you get, the more I want to get into trouble with you." He lowered his voice. "All sorts of trouble..."
Tim smirked, "Atta boy."
Autumn rolled her eyes, "That will be the day."
"It sure will..."
"When HELL freezes OVER."
Later on, Oliver somehow found the courage to talk to her, "Hey...are you from around here? Roger said you were Canadian."
Autumn pushed her food around on her plate, "I'm from North of here, actually."
"Where?" Tim asked, prompting Nathalie to pay attention.
"You've never heard of it," Autumn insisted.
"Try me, I've been here a few times," Erik Karlsson piped up.
"Attawapiskat."
"Where's that?" Nathalie asked.
Autumn sighed, "Just a small village that no one cares about."
Jacob, who had been listening for some time, perked up, "You must care about it, it's where you're from."
Their eyes met, for probably the first time, without a hint of anger or tension.
"I assure you, it's the last place anyone would want to be."
"I would if you were there," Jacob said quietly. Autumn responded by kicking him in the shin, making him wince.
Tim, clearly bored, nudged Andre, "Hey, Andre..."
"Yeah?" Andre pushed the bland food around on his plate.
"Bet you 200 kroner you can't get a picture under her skirt," he gestured to Autumn. Andre nearly choked on his Coca-Cola, "What?!"
"I'll up it to 300 if you get a panty shot." Tim smirked.
Andre looked at Autumn, who was busy trying to ignore everyone, then back at Tim, "Deal. I'll get it done." He paused. "You distract everyone."
"Oy, Caretaker," Tim said loudly, garnering attention, "Why you such a priss?"
"TIM!" Nathalie's eyes went wide. Everyone was looking at him.
"Excuse me...?" Autumn arched an eyebrow.
"Legitimate question," Tim said cooly as Andre crawled under the table.
Autumn crossed her arms. Nathalie shook her head, "No, that's rude, Tim."
"I'm here because I'm being paid, and that's all," Autumn said, trying to mask her anger. How irritating could these kids be?
Of cours, Jacob had to say something, "You COULD be a little friendly from time to time..."
"Define 'friendly', Markstrom."
"You know, smile..."
Andre was about to snap a picture when Autumn accidentally dropped her fork. He froze. "Look, I'm not going to-" Too late. She noticed him and screamed.
"What the FUCK?!"
Andre hit his head on the table, "Shit, ow..."
Nathalie leaned over, "What the hell?"
"Fucking PERVERT!" Autumn screamed, backing away from the table, "I swear, I'm going to report..." Just then, she saw Tim laughing, and she figured it out instantly.
"You. Of COURSE it was you..." she pointed at him.
"My head seriously hurts," Andre said to no one in particular.
"Bet him 200 kroner, it's no big deal," Tim said non-chalantly, "Besides, you probably wear granny panties anyway." He grinned, "Does she, Jacob?"
Autumn was fuming to the boiling point and jumped onto the chair, diving across the table and tackling Tim to the ground. Nathalie got up just in time to grab her, "Whoa, do you want to get fired?!"
So thick in her rage, Autumn went to pull away from Nathalie and punch Tim when her fist sent a plate of spaghetti flying across the air, landing right in the face of Erik Karlsson. But instead of being upset that his Calvin Klein shirt was now ruined, Erik stood up and declared, "Food fight!"
Nathalie went straight into a panic, "GUYS, NO!" But it was already starting as food went every which way. Spaghetti sauce landed on her head and she gave in.
"Oh FUCK no!"
David sent a bowl of salad towards Jacob, who responded by hurling a piece of cake and missed, hitting Oliver, who squealed, "MY HAIR!" as loud as possible. Andre crawled back under the table to hide from all the mess, while Autumn tipped over the punch bowl all over Jacob. Tim had made a run to the other side, slapping his teammates with a giant breadstick.
"That all you got, PUSSY?!" Autumn screamed at Jacob, who responded by pouring his coke all over her head. She grabbed a handful of butter and shoved it down his shirt and wound up getting pudding in her face.
David was trying to fight off Nathalie, who was shoving dressing in his face, "Stop it! I'm gonna bite you!" Nathalie started to laugh, "You've got NOTHING!"
Autumn got on top of the table and grabbed the giant salad bowl, preparing to throw it at Jacob, who saw her plan instantly. He grabbed her leg and pulled her down, both of them ending up on the floor, her on top of him.
It was quite the scene, the walls were coated with food and everyone was throwing whatever they could find. David and Nathalie were laughing like crazy, trying to fight but so lost in fits of giggles that they just wound up on the floor. Tim ran across the table screaming as Oliver chased him with a jar of pickles, threatening to break it over his head.
"You're a BITCH!" Tim shouted. Oliver threw the contents of the jar, watching Victor Hedman slip over some of them and use the rest as ammunition against the others. As a full bottle of mayonnaise went all over the chandelier above, a booming, angry voice echoed throughout the room and brought silence.
"What is going on in here?!"
Roger Ronnenberg, the coach, was furious.
Autumn quickly got up off Jacob, "Roger, sir, I had the situation under control, but Andre Petersson and Tim Erixon-"
Tim objected, "HEY!"
Roger glared at her, "All of you. Line up. Now."
The group hurried to get in order while Nathalie pleaded, "We are so sorry, sir...we tried to stop it-"
Roger snapped, "Enough."
Everyone was quiet.
"Who started this?"
No one said a word.
Oliver said quietly, "Everyone..."
Roger looked at him, "I highly doubt that, Oliver."
Tim pointed at Autumn, "She did. She blew up at me."
David sighed, "Tim..."
"What?" Tim shrugged, "She did."
Roger turned to Autumn, "Is this true, De Wilde?"
Autumn closed her eyes, "...yes, sir."
Roger nodded, "I'm sure you're aware of the punishment."
Autumn sighed, "A game day suspension of activities."
"But that's not fair-" Nathalie started to say, but David hushed her. She bit her lip.
Roger continued, "In addition, since you started this, and the nature of your mistake here, in representing this team...you will be denied three days pay."
Autumn's eyes grew wide and terrified, "Roger, please..." She desperately needed the money, but she wasn't about to say it. Only if she had to. Begging wasn't something she wanted to resort to.
"No, that's fair. You aren't even a Swede, therefore you've led this team astray in support of an ulterior motive, in the eyes of the IIHF." Roger paused. "I don't make the rules, Miss De Wilde, I'm sorry."
Just then, Jacob spoke up, "Actually, I'm the one that started this..."
Autumn looked at him in shock.
Roger frowned, "Markstrom?"
Jacob nodded quietly, "I apologize, Roger, but it was me."
Roger sighed, "Well. You'll be suspended for the game against Latvia tomorrow. Fair?"
Jacob agreed, "I'll take the suspension. She had nothing to do with it."
Roger accepted, "You're dismissed, De Wilde. The rest of you, I'm going to have a word..." He then broke into angry, thick Swedish, of which Autumn was unable to understand. Roger then pointed to the elevator, and the boys nodded. She slipped away through the stairwell and climbed to her floor and into her room.
-
It was 10:00pm and Autumn was doing her last roll call to be sure all the boys were in their rooms. She had gotten to everyone, and Jacob was last on her list. She briskly knocked on the door.
Jacob opened the door, standing in just his boxers, "Oh. Hi."
Autumn found herself looking him up and down without realizing it, then she quickly stopped and cleared her throat, "Right...just doing roll call."
Jacob nodded, "Alright. Well...I'm here. Can't really leave."
Autumn put a check next to his name and pressed her clipboard to her hip, "Listen...about what you did tonight...for me.."
Jacob shrugged, "It's not a big deal."
"You didn't have to. And I don't want you to. I can take care of myself."
Jacob was surprised with how frigid she was, but still saw the good in what had been done, "Well I wanted to. I miss a game, you would have lost your salary for three days... I can manage."
"Right, well...good night, Markstrom."
"Good night, I guess..."
Autumn suddenly turned around, "Look."
Jacob leaned against the door, "Yes?"
"Just...just because you helped me out once, doesn't mean I owe you." She stuttered.
Jacob frowned, "When have I said that you owe me?"
"You haven't," Autumn explained, seeing the bulge in his boxers, "It's just..."
"Just..."
Autumn tapped impatiently on her clipboard, waiting for him to get it.
He didn't, "Do you have something to say, or...?"
Autumn rolled her eyes, starting to walk away and down the hall, "No. Nothing. Good night. Dumb athletes..."
"Excuse me?" Jacob went after her, "What right do you have to say that?"
"YOU GOT A BONER WHEN I SHOWED UP!" Autumn clapped her hand over her mouth.
"I'm a GUY, I can't help it every time!" Jacob exclaimed.
"Oh for fuck's sakes."
"What is your problem?"
"YOU. YOU are my problem, and yo have been since day one!" Autumn dropped her clipboard on the carpeted hall floor, "You are irritating with your stupid...face and body and voice and accent and..."
Jacob raised his eyebrows, "Um...doesn't really sound like you dislike me."
"Oh believe me, I am trying my VERY best."
Jacob smirked and turned around, heading back to his room, "Good night."
Autumn shook her head, "Unbelievable..."
Sometimes, he made it easier to hate him. This was not one of those times.
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