Chapter 38
Before Jill found out about Orla, I had planned a fun few days with her during the Kodiaks bye week. I knew her friend was coming in from Minnesota, but I’d planned around it. I thought we could head up to Whistler for a few days so she could finally see it. Now I was sitting alone in my condo, playing video games, and trying to stay under the radar. I’d already gotten a tongue-lashing from Mom about Orla, and my dad had given me a lecture about how disappointed he was. I deserved it all.
I’d avoided social media. The last thing I needed to see were all the nasty comments directed my way. Nothing anyone could say would compare to the things I’d said to myself. I immersed myself in mindless gaming, a place where no one knew who I was.
I was heading to bed when my phone chimed. I took a quick look to see that it was from Ethan.
Breakfast tomorrow? With all of us?
Who is all of us?
Me, Tang, Maddy, Wolseley, Jill.
The text came from Ethan, so I had to wonder if Jill even wanted me there. If she did, she would have sent the message directly, and I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. Another reason to say no had to do with other people. Would they glare at me? Give me a hard time? I didn’t think that was worth it. But then I thought of Jill. I did want to see her. Maybe this could be a way of showing her how much I cared.
Before making a decision, I decided to sleep on it. When I pulled myself out of bed and ignored my aching shoulder, my phone was on the nightstand, daring me to answer.
Sure. Where and what time?
I showered, changed, and headed to the restaurant. I’d never heard of it, but that didn’t surprise me. Even though I’d lived in Vancouver during the season, there was still so much I hadn’t seen, but I was shocked when I drove up to a greasy spoon. I assumed they’d want to have breakfast at some popular and expensive place, but this was neither. I went inside, and Jill was with someone with orange hair in a booth. The diner was half-full, and no one seemed to notice me as I made my way over. I got to the booth, and Jill watched me, her blue eyes following my every move. I smiled at her and focused on her friend.
“You must be Wolseley.”
“I am,” she said, her brown eyes twinkling. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard so many great things.”
“I’ve heard great things about you too. It’s nice to finally meet the third Musketeer.”
Jill frowned, unimpressed with the charm I was laying out. “We are waiting for Tangi, Ethan, and Maddy,” Jill said coldly. She picked up a menu and started looking through it.
“Sorry about the crap you’ve gone through. It must suck,” Wolseley said to me. “Good thing the Kodiaks have an amazing PR team.” She glanced over at Jill and beamed.
“It’s all self-inflicted,” I said. I couldn’t help but smile at Wolseley. She gave off fun energy, like a breath of fresh air. Based on her clothes, she wasn’t as stuffy and conservative as Jill. In fact, she looked like she was on the other end of the spectrum—a hippie, I could hear my mother say.
“Bah! We all do things we wish we could take back. This will pass, and you’ll be fine. And if anyone gives you grief today, they are going to have to deal with me.”
She was sweet, and I could see why Jill liked her so much.
Ethan, Tangi, and Maddy arrived while Wolseley was telling me about her restaurant. The food sounded delicious, even if meat wasn’t involved. I noted that Jill remained mostly silent. I guess having me here wasn’t her idea.
“Have you ever thought about meal prep for athletes? You could be hitting up football, hockey, baseball players, you name it. It’s big business. I know some that are vegetarian, and this would be a game changer for them,” I said as I scooted over to make space for Ethan. Tangi sat next to Wolseley, but more importantly, I was now directly across from Jill.
“I haven’t, but I’m not sure I’d have the time.”
“It is big business,” Ethan added. “A few guys on the team are doing it.”
“And you could make it out of your kitchen and deliver it,” I said.
I could see Wolseley’s wheels turning. She was definitely thinking about it.
“I won’t rule it out,” she said. “Thanks for the idea.”
I thought to engage Jill in conversation, but decided against it. She clearly wanted nothing to do with me, so I ordered my food and ate it. I chatted with Ethan, Tangi, and Wolseley. I couldn’t help but notice that Jill was quiet, and I hated that my presence caused that. I probably should have stayed home, but it was too late for that.
We’d just finished eating when two kids came up to the table and asked for a picture. I figured the kids just wanted Ethan in the picture, but the smaller boy seemed perplexed when I didn’t get up.
“Me too?” I asked.
The kids both blushed. “Yes, please.”
We took some pictures with the kids and signed some napkins since we didn’t have anything else. A few more kids came around and not a single parent gave me a dirty look. That was good. I even chatted up some kids and their parents. My mantra was that kids should always be treated with respect, and these kids were loving it. I’d seen guys be rude to kids in the past, and it reflected badly on the game. Many years ago, I’d been one of those kids, and never had a player been rude to me. I was following that lead, no matter how shitty of a day I’d had.
“I insist on paying for breakfast,” I said when the server came around with the bill. Everyone tried to snatch it from me, but I had a firm grip on it. The server came around, and I paid and gave her a healthy tip.
I thanked them for inviting me and headed to my car. I snuck one last look at Jill and was sure she was looking at me. I wanted to go back and tell her I’d do whatever it took to make it up to her, to win her back, but too much was still between us. Instead, I got into my car and drove home to the empty condo that awaited me.