17. Stefan
17
STEFAN
“Once again, Stefan has shown us that he’s still the party boy player we all know and love. Last night he was seen in a bar downing shots and having a good time with the locals,” Margaret from WtB says to her viewers. “Later that night, he was found passed out on the beach in Venice in only his boxer briefs. Bystanders tell us he went for a midnight swim before promptly passing out. Word on the street is Stefan’s contract with LA is on the line and his handler, Wren Brookes, is close to losing her career and reputation after not being able to tame her wild client.”
“Fucking bitch,” Wren hisses from beside me.
Flicking off the television, she throws the remote onto the coffee table and it flies across the wood, landing on the rug below. “I’m not losing my job but I might end up in jail.” Wren turns her murderous gaze to me as I bend down and pick up the remote. “What the fuck were you thinking, Stefan?” Opening my mouth to defend myself, I pause because I really don’t have a defense. I got news that rocked me to my soul and when Alicia and Tyrone—who by the way, is more of a douche than me—met up the following day, it didn’t end well. He pissed me off with the way he was treating Alicia. He was being a massive dick to me and giving me attitude, it took everything I had not to punch the fucker in the face. After that I went out for a drink and before I knew it, I was drunk. Leglessly drunk. I ended up going for a night swim, and then I passed out on the beach.
End.Of.Story.
If it was any other person, no one would give a shit, but because I’m a God on the ice, what I do off the ice is everybody’s business. When this baby news breaks, it’s going to be everywhere. Margaret will have a fucking field day with this. “Please tell me, Stefan, how we went from an amazing afternoon of you hanging with the kids followed by a movie night. You then went to training them and BOOM, you acted like a frat dick from rush week combined with spring break. What gives?”
“I’m going to be a dad,” I snap at her.
“And is that how a father behaves?”
“Well, no but?—”
“No, no buts, Stefan. You need to man up and be the dad I know you can be. Now more than ever you need to change your ways. You’re going to be a dad, Stefan.” Her words “you’re going to be a dad” slam into me like a freight train. “Ohhh,” she adds, breaking the silence that fell between us. “Speaking of becoming a dad, I’ve already spoken with Sebastian.”
Sebastian is my lawyer from Nobel and Hayes. He’s the son of the owner and knows his shit. He’s a little quirky and not my kind of guy, but he’s a cutthroat lawyer and I’m glad to have him on my team. He has my back and my best interests at heart. He doesn’t care that I’m a millionaire hockey player. He only cares about me and my estate. I’ve managed my money well since I started playing professionally and aside from my Venice Beach pad, I have my car, a bike, and a sizable stock portfolio. It’s funny, I tried to hit on his sister, Soraya, once but she’s a ballbuster and put me in my place. The chick is hot, can you blame me?
“Why did you speak with him?” I ask her, confused.
She raises her eyebrows in a really kind of way. “You have an appointment with him Tuesday morning after practice for Alicia to sign the NDA. He’s also going to draft an agreement regarding the paternity and your rights and what you’re willing to cover an?—”
“Everything,” I snap at her. “I will cover all expenses.”
“Stefan—”
“Everything,” I repeat. “I will not be one of those dads who isn’t involved.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you but, Stefan, just think about adding a clause that if you’re not the father then all expenses must be returned.”
“I’ll chat with Sebastian and go with what he says. He’s always had my back and this time will be no different.”
“Good.”
“Good,” I reply. “Now, I’m going to head upstairs and soak off this hangover.”
“You do that,” she tells me. “I need to fix this shit you’ve found yourself in once again.” Just as she says that, her phone rings and she curses before answering. “Jaxson, what can I do for you?”
From where I’m standing I can hear him yelling and I take that as my cue to leave.
Heading up to my room, I change into my board shorts and then climb the last flight of stairs up to the rooftop and slide into the hot tub.
Sitting in my spot, I stare out at the ocean as the water bubbles away around me. It eases the ache in my muscles from sleeping in an odd position on the beach last night. Considering how much I drank over the evening, I feel pretty good.
It still blows my mind that I’m going to be a dad, guess my wild ways have finally caught up with me. I would have thought I’d be shitting my pants over the prospect of becoming a dad but, if I’m being honest, I’m kinda excited. I’m going to have a son. I’m going to be a dad to a little boy. I can picture he and I skating around the rink together. Hanging on the beach together in the offseason. This could be fun. Do I wish it was with someone I was in a committed relationship with? Well yeah, I do, but I have to accept the cards I’m dealt and that means I’m having a baby with Alicia.
I’m trying to remember our night together. She mentioned a club opening, and if my memory is correct, it was the night I was caught having a threesome in the alley, which resulted in Wren and I being shipped off to the mountains together. It was me, her, and another chick. I was fucking Alicia from behind and fingering her friend, we were about to swap positions when we were interrupted and that was when all hell broke loose.
A noise snaps me back to the present, and when I open my eyes, I see Wren standing there. She’s wearing a red swimsuit that should be illegal, with a glass of wine in one hand and a beer in the other. She looks like a goddess in the afternoon sun and she’s fucking hot.
We stare at one another for a few beats and then she asks, “Mind if I join you?