30. Chapter 30
Chapter thirty
It’s been more than a week since the photos of Nandy, Fynn and I hit the internet, and other than the headlines the first day, nobody seems to care.
We all got a good chuckle out of how wrong they got it. I actually loved that aspect of it and, well, the three of us look damn good together.
Maybe they haven’t noticed yet. Maybe they truly don’t care. My relationship with Nandy, or Fynn, has nothing to do with my performance on the ice, which has, in fact, improved since the All Star break. So actually, everyone should thank them.
What is concerning is the silence from my father. This isn’t something he would take quietly…but so far, that seems to be exactly how he is taking it. Or, he hasn’t heard about it yet, either, which is highly unlikely.
“Hey,” I look up from untying my skates to see Davey staring down at me.
“Hey.” He says. I smile at him. A smile he doesn’t return.
“Come to my office on your way out.”
Fuck, that can’t be good. Davey, of all people, can’t be upset about this. Is he pissed Nandy gave in to me? Pissed I continued my pursuit? But he doesn’t know this isn’t one of my usual conquests, as Nandy called it. This matters to me. Nandy matters to me. Fynn matters to me.
I make my way to his office, prepared to defend myself and then tell him in no uncertain terms to stay out of my personal life. Madison rushes to me when I step through the open door and Davey chuckles. Sit, he motions me to the couch and I hear the door close. That’s when I see we are not alone. Brady is here. And my agent! What the fuck?
Why would Paul need to be here to discuss who I am sleeping with?
My heart pounds in my ears. The trade deadline is tomorrow. What the hell is happening? They can’t possibly be considering trading me…
“I’m not sure where to start,” Davey says.
I hear Brady clear his throat, and I look over at him. He steps away from the door. “I’ll start by asking if you want a trade?”
My jaw hits the floor. And I can’t even get a syllable out because I can’t process what the fuck he just said. I eye all three of them and my eyes settle on Paul, my agent.
“Paul, what is happening?”
He raises his hands and encourages me to calm down.
“Your father—”
“My father!!!” I leap off the couch, startling Madison so much she dashes across the room in a blur of red and turns to look at me from her bed.
“My father,” I seethe more quietly this time. “What the hell? He doesn’t get to make these things happen…you do…and a trade—”
Paul nods. “He fired me this morning…said it was at your request.”
“That’s a damn lie—”
“I know.” Paul tries to get me to calm down again. “I figured it was. That’s why I came to Brady and Davey even before you, in case anything got out of hand and word got out that you were asking for a trade.”
“I don’t want a trade…ever….”
My brain is a scramble of confusion, and I take far longer than I should to realize why dear old dad wants this trade.
“This is why I haven’t heard from him,” I mumble.
“What?” Davey asks.
I exhale and sit back down. My hands begin their telltale tremble. Davey catches it before I can clutch them together. I exhale again and swallow.
“I haven’t heard from my father since the photos came out.” Breathe…2,.3, 4. “That seemed odd…nice…but odd. Obviously, it was too good to be true that he didn’t care about them.”
“Oh, he cares,” Brady says. “He had some choice words for the organization, starting with Bryan.”
“Fuck,” I swallow again. Bryan and his brother own the team. Bryan is openly gay and an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. And the men in this room…Brady is bi, Davey is gay…and now I’m…what, what am I? My head throbs. “I am so, so sorry.”
The room stays quiet. My mind racing with what to do. I look at Paul.
“First of all, I don’t want you fired. He can’t do that, can he?” I stammer. “I didn’t think our contract—”
“No, he can’t, but he does still control a lot of your money. I would strongly advise you to see if you and your attorney can tighten that hold.”
“That money is for Rowan and Janice…I…” I moan and rake my hands through my hair and hang my head.
“I know,” Paul says. He walks over and places a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s call your attorney today and see what she says.” I don’t immediately look up. I just nod and clasp my hands together, squeezing hard. Brady and Paul leave us and shut the door. I sit up and fall back against the couch and cover my face with my hands. How is this my damn life?
I sit up and refocus on Davey. He is leaning against his desk with his long legs crossed. He looks relieved now. But his eyes are on my hands.
“How long has that been going on?”
I don’t even hesitate. “Ever since Mom died.”
He nods, but says nothing more about it. “Just so you know, if you wanted a trade, Chicago would not be on the table as an option,” he winks at me and I flip him off, grateful for the small moment of levity.
He walks over and places a hand on my shoulder, and I exhale. “We’re not letting you go, TJ.”
I nod and Madison comes over sheepishly, concerned about another outburst from me. I reach for her ears and feel my heart rate dip another notch. Maybe I really do need a dog.
“Stay as long as you need to,” Davey steps out of his office, leaving me with the sweet redhead, who promptly takes her position on the couch, her head in my lap, tail thumping.
“Sweetheart, I need to make a phone call and there may be shouting involved.”
Thump, thump, thump.
Not ready to leave. I am feeling calm and actually amused that my father thought he could orchestrate a trade without my knowledge. Things like that happen, but not with a player of my caliber. Not with players who have been with the same team their entire career. Not with players who step out onto the ice with the A on their jersey.
I have a hard time imagining Brady or Davey or anyone in this organization making a trade without the player involved. We are a family here. We share everything.
I pull out my phone, place one hand on Madison’s ears, and wait for my dad to answer.
“Nice try, Dad, but it didn’t work.”
“I am only looking out for your best interest, which is more than you are doing,” he hisses.
I stroke Madison’s ears again. Her warm brown eyes gaze up at me. My hands are steady. My voice calm.
“Do you know how many endorsements just hanging around with those people can cost you?”
And there it is…. the money.
“Wow, that took less than sixty seconds to get to the money. Those people are my friends.” I refrain from saying lovers. Refrain from saying the best friends I’ve ever had. But part of me wants to throw it in his face. Best sex of my life, dad. What would he do if I told him that? Right now he thinks it’s rumors. He hopes it’s rumors. He might have a heart attack if I tell him the truth. Definitely blow a gasket. I stroke Madison’s ears some more. My dad’s voice still reverberating through the phone. I’m not listening to any of the words. I’m surprised at how calm I am. Looking at this sweet dog. Knowing it is out there in the world. My friendship with Nandy and Fynn.
Thump, thump, thump.
I don’t care what people want to make of it. I know what it is. I know the truth. So do they. And any endorsement deal I lose because of this, well, that isn’t a deal I want.
“Where’s Rowan dad, I want to talk to him.”
That shuts him up. And he takes too long to answer. My hand freezes along Madison’s belly, and I sit up straighter on the couch.
“Uh, he took his mom out for ice cream.”
The hesitation was odd. That he is not with them, also odd. But his focus on my contract, meddling with my life, I can see that being his priority.
“She must be having a good day,” I say.
“Yes, but she was also upset by all of this, too.”
I’m not buying that for a second. Something is up. Maybe she is having a good day. She’s nearing the end and we all know it. But a good enough day for ice cream is great news.
“Why aren’t you with them?” I ask.
“You have to ask? I’ve been busy trying to keep you from ruining our lives.”
Our lives…exhale… “Tell him to call me when he gets back.”
I don’t wait for a response. I end the call and fall back against the back of the couch.
Thump, thump, thump… “Thanks sweet girl.” Thump, thump, thump. Something unsettling swirls in my gut. Rowan’s mom is dying. That’s unsettling. That has to be what it is. Dad calmed down quickly. And at the mention of Rowan…that hesitation…. it was just a hesitation, nothing more.
Thump, thump, thump.
I kiss my favorite redhead on the head and lift her gently off of me. She makes no move to leave the couch, and I smile at her again. I smile at the effect she has had on Davey. Love is crazy.