Just an idea that formed in my head and wouldn't go away until I started writing it. Set in the future. The Ducks are around 26-27. Obviously Julie's a lawyer and Dean's a builder. Let me know what you think.
CHAPTER ONE
Julie Gaffney arrived at her high rise apartment and let herself in with her key card.
Ensuring the door clicked shut behind her she tossed her handbag and brief case to their usual place by the door knowing full well that although she'd promised herself she wouldn't look at case files tonight she'd end up retrieving the brief case from the hallway.
She removed her overcoat, scarf and suit coat placing all three items on the rack next to the door. She then kicked off her heels feeling extreme relief that her feet were finally free.
She padded across the plush grey carpet in her stockinged feet, skirt and blouse towards the kitchen wondering if her flat mate was at home.
"Amy?" she called loudly entering the kitchen to switch the coffee machine on.
There was no response from her flatmate and Julie was actually relieved for a change at being alone.
Usually she would break out into a cold sweat if she found herself alone in her apartment but today was different. Today she felt free, with good reason too.
For the past six months Julie had been working a case in which she was prosecuting Ricardo Montegliano, an exceptionally well known international drug dealer. Throughout the trial Julie found herself subject to threatening phone calls, numerous break ins at her last apartment and death threat letters sent to both her home and office. Julie was aware that Ricardo had some incredibly powerful friends. That was until a huge bombshell was dropped at the trial in which his business associates, family and friends discovered that Ricardo Montegliano had been cutting them out of deals and taking all of the profits for himself.
Needless to say the threatening phone calls, break ins and letters stopped. Julie had even received a few apologetic letters and calls from the offenders.
And to top it all off yesterday Ricardo Montegliano was sentenced to 37 years in prison with a non-parole period of twenty-five years. Seems kinda harsh but the Judge was less than sympathetic when Julie presented her evidence that the drugs he supplied killed a seven year old boy.
Julie wasn't fooled and insisted that she and her college friend Amy move into a secure apartment in the nicer part of Chicago.
The coffee machine beeped, indicating that it had finished warming up and was now ready to dispense coffee. Julie pressed the button and watched as the steady stream of hot brown liquid fell into her favourite Anaheim Mighty Ducks mug that Adam Banks had sent her.
Adam Banks had made the NHL and Amy had teased her excessively about Adam Banks having a crush on Julie.
Julie did think so, Adam Banks simply wasn't her type and her argument was that Charlie Conway and Guy Germaine also made the NHL and had sent merchandise from their respective teams to her. But Amy was insistent that Adam liked Julie a little more than a friend.
Julie concluded that Amy probably just wanted to meet Adam one day.
She watched as the last drop of coffee was poured into her mug and picked it up. She liked her coffee black with no sugar. Simple but effective she always said.
Julie took a sip of her coffee and glanced at the answering machine. It indicated that she had new messages, three new messages in fact.
She took the opportunity to flick through her mail that Amy had collected for her as she listened to the machine.
"Amy its mom, call me when you get this, hi Julie, Bye"
The second one was a hang up.
It was the third one that got Julie's attention though.
"Julie the Cat how are you? Its Charlie here, listen Fulton Reed's getting married if you can believe it so we're sending out the Duck call. It'll be great having all the Ducks back together again. Call me back when you get a chance. Talk to you soon"
She was surprised to hear that Fulton was getting married. She knew he had a serious girlfriend but the entire group thought it would be Connie who'd get married first, not Fulton.
But it wasn't Fulton that she was thinking about. She was thinking about the guy who would be his best man. Fulton's best friend in the whole wide world and the one man who Julie would give anything to have another shot with.
Dean Portman.
Dean Portman arrived home from work tired, sweaty and grumpy. It had been another shitty day at the construction site. Building owners blaming him for every little thing that had gone wrong, the other guys slacking off and leaving work three hours before they were supposed to thereby leaving Dean to not only finish his own tasks but to attempt to do the other's tasks too.
After dumping his lunch cooler and keys by the door he entered the kitchen and went straight to the refrigerator pulling out a cold beer. Wiping his sweaty brow with one hand and chugging back on the can with the other he felt himself relax a little.
After downing almost half of the can's contents in one hit he crossed to the answering machine and flicked the playback button.
Two messages.
"Portman, is Barry, when you've finished the job over at Progress we have another line up at Falkiner Reed, some prestigious law firm up on the posh side. I'll run the details by you tomorrow"
"Portman dude! Its Fulton. Listen man you're probably gonna kill me, you know bachelors for life and stuff, but I'm getting married next month and I want you to be my best man. Well give me a call. Catch ya later bro"
Dean almost dropped his beer as he stared at the machine with his mouth hanging open. His best friend was actually getting married! He couldn't believe it. Especially since Fulton was getting married before Connie.
He finally stopped staring at the machine long enough to notice something was odd with his apartment.
It looked like his current girlfriend had just left him, according to the numerous missing items from the apartment and the note on the kitchen table.
Not that it really bothered him. Cathy was what some would call a freeloader. She expected Dean to pay for absolutely everything, never cooked, never cleaned and heaven forbid if he asked her to do something for him that wasn't sexual.
She was a good lay and he felt that was the primary reason he put up with her shit.
If he were truly honest with himself he'd see that was a lie. The only reason he put up with her was because she looked almost exactly like his old high school crush.
He decided he'd be happy for Fulton. Dean knew Fulton had been in love with Tammy Duncan since they were ten years old and it seemed fitting that they'd grow up, get together and get married.
He felt giddiness inside him and tried to squash any irrational thoughts he was having about this wedding, or rather who might be attending this wedding.
He tried to concentrate on finding something different but his mind kept wandering back to one thing.
Julie Gaffney.