Chapter 2
packy
Fuck Arnold Gasser. And fuck all these suits too. They could play with the schedule all they wanted, but the bottom line was that we would miss games. More than anything, fans wanted us to win, so making that more difficult would create more problems than it would solve.
On top of all the other bullshit, they wanted us to be best friends? Some players in the room were good guys, and others were prima donna assholes. No matter how much we pretended to be buddies, people would see right through it.
But since I didn’t want the HFNA to die, I’d have to play along. I’d find a way to make it work as long as they didn’t put me with Nico. That would be nothing less than a tragedy.
“This is a load of bullshit, eh?” Nico leaned closer and added, “Surely they can find a better way out than this.”
His voice surprised me because I thought we were ignoring each other.
My focus wavered. It was nothing dramatic, but a noticeable hitch, like my brain went looking for a file it deleted years ago.
Meanwhile, I was irritated, because what else would I feel?
I didn’t like Nico, and I didn’t miss him.
Really, I only remembered him. That was all.
I shouldn’t have replied, but since he’d spoken, I had to disagree. Cutting him a look, I said, “Sounds like they’re doing the only thing they can.” Then I smirked. “Maybe your brilliant mind can come up with a solution all these business types couldn’t.”
Joel Preston took the floor and tried to sell how much we’d enjoy this new experience.
At the end of his spiel, he said, “We’ll pair you up now and train you on your new duties.
After lunch, each duo will meet with someone from the PR department.
Finally, you’ll record videos we’ll post on social media tonight.
The sooner the public starts thinking of you as partners, the better. ”
Nico snorted, but when I looked over, he kept his eyes straight ahead.
Preston continued. “Go home and rest tonight. You’ll be leaving for your first appearances soon.”
The players’ loud groans made me laugh.
“The commissioner already introduced Marissa,” Preston said. “She’ll direct the proceedings for the rest of the day. Good luck, men. I know you’ll do the league proud.”
Marissa was a smokeshow with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a body made for sex. Since my divorce had become final a few weeks earlier, I should have wanted to ask her out, but I didn’t. I hadn’t recovered from Mia yet.
Marissa stood and picked up a sheet of paper. “Here we go.” My heart raced as she read the names. “Conti and Painter, Spivak and Chase, Rossi and Paquette, Johanssen and…”
The pain in my gut made me grab my stomach. I glanced at Nico, whose face had gone pale. For a moment, we stared at each other, and then he shook his head and mumbled, “No way in hell will I do this with you.”
“Asshole,” I hissed. “Don’t worry, because I’d quit playing first.”
Marissa finished and gave us a ten-minute break. Nico and I raced around the table so fast she jumped back.
“This won’t work,” Nico said. “It’s a—”
“You don’t know our history,” I said, raising my voice to be heard over him. “We’ll kill—”
“You’ve got to change us, or I won’t—”
“No way I’m working with him.” I elbowed his arm for emphasis.
She held up her hands. “Stop it. Stop—”
Nico and I spoke in unison. “I will not do this with him.”
“It’ll be a cold day in hell,” Nico added.
“Shut it!” Marissa sounded like my mom used to when my brothers and I got into it.
“If that’s how you really feel, then this is a cold day in hell.
We put you together because you’re both popular with fans, and you were college teammates.
In our narrative, you’re thrilled to work together again. Best friends reunited.”
“It won’t work,” Nico and I said together.
“Everyone knows…” I gave her a pleading look. “We do not like each other.”
“At all,” Nico said.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at us. “This will work because you’ll make sure it does. I’d hate to get the commissioner on the phone with your GMs. Don’t test me on this because I’ll do it in a heartbeat.”
“Fuck.” The word shot out of Nico’s mouth like a bullet.
“Goddammit,” I added because I would not let him have the last word.
Her lips curved into a smug grin. “Go splash cold water on your faces. When you come back, sit together because we’ll be doing some role play.”
“Role play?” Nico’s voice cracked. “With him?”
His grimace was like something out of a cartoon. If I hadn’t been so mad, I would’ve laughed. Back in college, one of his exes told me he liked role play during sex.
Role play. With Nico Rossi. My skin prickled.
Marissa made a flicking motion with her hand. “Go. You don’t have much time.”
We were silent until we were washing our hands in the restroom. Staring into the mirror, Nico locked eyes with me and shook his head. I stared him down as I reached for a paper towel.
“What are you looking at?” he snapped.
“You. Thinking about how ugly you are.”
He gave an exasperated sigh. “This is what’s going to happen. We’ll go back in there and do what she says, but don’t even think we’ll actually be partners for this circus. I’ll figure a way out for us because I know you’re too stupid.”
“Fuck off. Maybe finding a solution is one thing we should do together.”
“Jesus Christ.” His voice bounced off the tile. “I couldn’t work with you for ten minutes. You’re so dumb you don’t even know when you’re being insulted.”
Before the echo died, he turned and left me watching his big hockey butt as he marched away. What the fuck? I didn’t want to see his ass, big or otherwise. How the hell was I supposed to keep from killing the bastard before the role play was over?
Back in the conference room, I sat beside him and caught a whiff of something spicy. “I can’t believe you still wear the same cologne you did in college,” I said. “It still stinks.”
His expression hardened. “You’re the one who stinks. Have you considered using deodorant?”
“Fucking slimeball,” I whispered. “Don’t talk to me.”
“You started it.” One corner of his mouth lifted. “You always liked this cologne. Go ahead, I know you want to sniff my throat.”
“What? I wouldn’t go anywhere near your throat.”
“We’d better get started,” Marissa said. “An email giving you details about your first appearances will be in your inbox by the time we’re finished here.”
Blake held up a forefinger and asked a question. “Just to verify, we won’t be missing many games, right? Because I have—”
“You’ll miss as few as possible,” Marissa said. “It’s inevitable you’ll miss some, but as the commissioner already said, we’re holding it to one every two weeks.”
All the sighs on the players’ side of the table were enough to start a windstorm.
Marissa gave Nico and me sheets of paper. “Paquette and Rossi will start because they kick off the initiative the day after tomorrow. They’re our first.”
“At least you’ll be somebody’s first,” Painter said in a stage whisper, drawing a big laugh.
Marissa ignored him and focused on us. “You’ll fly to Atlanta tomorrow, make your first appearances there the next day, and then fly on to Houston.”
My stomach tanked. “But I’ll miss—”
“You’ll miss a game,” she said. “But then you won’t miss another for two weeks. Most appearances will not require missed games.”
“Fuck.”
Nico snorted and gave me a sideways look.
“What I gave you is the script of a sample interview,” Marissa said. “For now, I’ll be the reporter, and all you have to do is read your parts.”
Nico and I locked eyes again, and if glares had been lasers, we’d have both been vaporized.
Marissa started in. “Packy and Nico, we’ve heard you were buddies in college. Have you remained close ever since?”
When we didn’t move, she tapped the table. “Your line, Packy.”
I looked at the script for the first time and nearly choked. There was no way I’d say the shit she’d written, so I improvised. “Hell no. I’ve stayed as far away from the sleazy bastard as I could get.”
A roar of laughter broke out while Nico looked at his line. When the guys quieted, he raised his head. “Like hell did this fucker stay away. He stalked me until I had to get a restraining order.”
This time, the laughs were even louder. It seemed everyone was enjoying the show except Marissa.
“Stop it right now,” she said. “Read the lines I gave you and make me believe them.”
I grunted. Maybe if I played along, we’d get done faster. “Nico and I were best friends in college and still are.” I sounded as lively as a corpse.
“Hell yes. We text every day. Some nights, we FaceTime to say goodnight.” Nico was as convincing as a voicemail menu.
Not to be outdone, I used my best robot voice. “Nico’s a great guy. He’d give you the shirt off his back.”
Marissa pressed on. “Are you excited to be working on this new project together? Since you’re so close, it must be a dream come true.”
Nico snorted. “It’s a dream all right. A fucking nightmare.”
“Nico!” Marissa was not amused. “Read the line I gave you.”
He groaned like he was on the rack. “It’s fantastic. We’re going to have so much fun traveling together and spreading the joy of hockey.”
Before I could go on, I had to swallow the bile rising in my throat. “There’s no one I’d rather do it with. Look at those eyes. You could drown in them.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Nico said.
Marissa looked at both of us. “Go on.”
Nico and I read together through clenched teeth. “Ha ha ha.”
“There now.” Marissa’s voice was as bright as a kindergarten teacher trying to keep the kids awake. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“No worse than a root canal done by a drunk goalie,” Nico deadpanned.
The boys completely lost it, howling and pounding the table. I was glad somebody was having a good time.