Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
Bodi
Jayne is Coach Morrison’s daughter.
How the fuck did we not talk about this stuff?
We’ve both been playing things close to the vest, so I understand it emotionally, but intellectually I feel like an idiot.
This is basic stuff when you meet someone new.
You talk about what you do for a living, exchange full names…
instead, I was trying to make a girl like me without telling her I’m a professional athlete.
And on some level, she was probably doing the same.
Making sure that the new guy she’s dating isn’t interested in hanging out at hockey games or whatever.
She even had me drop her off—twice—at a house a few doors down as if she didn’t completely trust me.
Now it makes sense.
I’m just pissed about it.
Because I like her.
More than I thought I would.
Now that we’ve agreed not to see each other again, I’m annoyed. It’s the right move, because we both have a lot to lose, but it shouldn’t be like this.
A sense of shame crawls through me.
I did something similar to my sister and it feels like fate is bringing the bad karma back around.
I tried to keep her from dating one of my teammates—my friend and roommate—and it turns out he’s a good guy, one who makes her happy and is taking care of her now.
If she hadn’t stood up to me, they wouldn’t be together, and where would the three of us be now?
Overall, I didn’t have a good season last year.
I was distracted. Anxious to prove myself but so deep in my own head I was basically self-sabotaging.
The pressure and spotlight got to me. I couldn’t make anything happen on the ice and that’s a big reason why I was picked up by Atlanta.
Coach Morrison is known for being tough on young or struggling players, good at molding them into who and what they should be on the ice.
That’s why he’s here and I’m sure my lackluster performance is part of why they chose me, along with all my so-called untapped potential.
I can’t fuck that up because this is my shot at the big leagues.
So even though the man in me wants to fight for the chance to see Jayne again, the hockey player in me knows it’s better this way.
It’s not like I’m in love with her.
Hell, I barely know her.
And she was right that there will probably be lots of fish in the sea once hockey season starts.
The trouble is, I worked hard this summer, both physically and emotionally, not to be that guy anymore.
The one who sleeps around and isn’t interested in anything long-term.
I’m trying to be better. Not that I’m in a rush to settle down, but it would be nice to be with one person for a while, at least get a feel for what a serious relationship is like.
I thought Jayne might be someone I could do that with.
Now it’s back to the drawing board.
“Guess what?” West interrupts my thoughts.
“Huh?” I look up, startled.
“Dude, you were a million miles away.”
“Yeah.” I shake my head ruefully. “Anyway, what’s up?”
“Coach said the rookie, Blaze Villaverde, is going to be moving in here, with him and his family. So, I’m going to tell Felix and Simon they can move in with us. What do you think?”
“Five guys in one house,” I say, chuckling. “It’s going to be busy.”
He shrugs. “It’ll be nice to have company. I mean, Vik barely talks. You’re always off doing something. I think we’ll be fine. And if it’s too much, we’ll reassess once the season is over. For now, it’ll be party central.”
“Sure. Cool with me.”
“You okay?” he asks after a beat.
I glance around to make sure no one is close enough to hear us. “Remember the pretty librarian? The one I met at the DDS? It’s Jayne.”
“Jayne?” He pauses and then his eyes widen. “Ah, shit. Coach’s daughter? The one you went into the pool with?”
I nod.
“Oh, hell, buddy.” He grimaces. “That’s unfortunate.”
“Tell me about it. And make sure you don’t let anyone know she and I met before. Coach already gave me the ‘my daughter is off-limits’ speech. I mean, it was vague and laced with humor, but his meaning was crystal clear.”
“Right. Well, I’m certainly not going to say anything.”
“Figures the first interesting woman I meet turns out to be someone I can’t have.”
“Interesting is overrated,” he mutters. “Trust me on that. You’re better off playing the field.”
“But for how long?” I counter. “I’ve been doing that for a long time now.”
“I don’t have a timeline for you but I’m older than you and I have no plans to settle down any time soon.”
“But you were ready. You had a serious girlfriend before you moved here, didn’t you?”
His face tightens but then he shrugs. “Pseudo-serious. Then her ex came back and she dropped me without looking back. So that’s my plan—no strings, just fun and hockey.”
For the first time in my life, that’s not what I want.
At some point, I’m going to have to think about why.
Not today, though. The party is in full swing, someone has put music on, and the back yard is packed.
“We should mingle,” I say after a moment.
This conversation is too heavy for our current location.
We walk around and start talking to people, meeting wives, girlfriends, and many of the team’s support staff.
I keep looking for Jayne but she’s disappeared, and though I really want to text her, I figure it’s better if I don’t.
What’s the point? I need to stay out of trouble and make the coming season the best of my career.
I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself but it’s time to shake things up professionally.
I need to focus on my career, despite this unfamiliar sense of both loneliness and being adrift.
I know part of it is that I’ve moved to a place where I don’t know anyone and this is the first time I’ve lived this far from my sister, but it’s more than that.
Damn therapy must be working.
“This house is lit,” Simon says, joining us at one point. “I mean, this isn’t a McMansion—it’s a freakin’ castle.”
“You’re not kidding,” I reply. “It’s even nicer than West’s house, and I thought his place was insane.”
“This probably cost two or three times what I paid,” West says, looking around. “And I had a buttload of equity.”
“Didn’t Coach come from college hockey?” Felix asks, joining our conversation. “They make this much money?”
“I don’t think so,” West says, “but to be fair, I never really thought about the salaries of college coaches.”
“It’s like he’s the team owner instead of the head coach,” I muse.
“I feel like it’s overkill.” A young guy on the team, Ashton Knight, has been listening quietly and now speaks up.
He’s a twenty-two-year-old rookie, just out of college, and his older brother owns the Lauderdale Knights.
There’s been a lot of talk about him because of it but I’m not one to jump to conclusions.
I find it’s better to judge people on my personal experiences with them, not rumors or gossip.
“In what way?” I ask.
“My brother is literally a billionaire,” he says quietly. “And this place is reminiscent of his house. Lots of columns and marble and gold and crystal. He made money both in hockey and in business.”
“How’s it going, boys?” Coach Morrison joins us and we all smile innocently.
“Admiring your house,” West says. “It’s really nice.”
“This is the dream,” Coach says proudly, motioning around with one arm. “The culmination of everything I’ve worked for. It’s fucking awesome.”
He’s not even a little bit humble.
“Maybe I should give up hockey and start coaching at the college level,” I quip, chuckling.
Coach narrows his gaze at me. “Do you know how long it took, and how many dues I paid, to get where I am? This didn’t come quickly or easily.”
“No offense, Coach,” I say, back pedaling slightly. “It’s just a really nice house.”
“You really are living the dream,” West interjects smoothly. “Big, beautiful house, gorgeous family, and coaching in the big leagues—what more could anyone want?”
Coach puffs out his chest a little, smirking. “Exactly. And if you play your cards right, you can have the hot wife and the big, gorgeous house too.”
He’s so full of himself, but there doesn’t seem to be anything to say to that. Luckily, he’s called away and my phone buzzes in my pocket.
It’s Billie.
BILLIE: How’s the party? Are your teammates nice? Tell me everything when you get home!
I laugh because that’s always been our thing at the beginning of every season, with me telling her about new teammates, coaches, whatever the situation is.
BODI: Oh, I have a story for you, but it’ll have to be later, on the phone. I can’t talk about it now, I’m still at the party.
BILLIE: Seriously? You’re going to leave me hanging?!
BODI: Let’s just say I met a girl. I like her. Guess who showed up today? And guess who her father is?
There’s a long silence before I see the three dots, indicating that she’s typing a response.
BILLIE: PLEASE don’t tell me she’s your coach’s daughter…
BODI: Okay, I won’t.
BILLIE: ROFL I’m sorry, you do know this is karma, right?
BODI: Yeah, yeah. Laugh at my expense. I deserve it.
BILLIE: You really like her?
BODI: I thought I did. I mean, we only met a couple of times. Obviously. I didn’t even know her last name—and before you get snarky, we did NOT hook up.
BILLIE: I’m guessing her dad isn’t down with you dating his daughter…
BODI: Nope.
BILLIE: I could be snarky but I won’t be. I’m sorry. Maybe he’ll chill out if you guys get serious?
BODI: Not happening. We already talked about it and decided it wasn’t worth the risk.
BILLIE: Shit. Well, if you want to talk when you get home, I’ll be here. I’m off today, just relaxing and doing some cleaning.
BODI: I don’t know how late I’ll be but I’ll call you this week if you don’t hear from me tonight.
BILLIE: All right. Love you.
BODI: Love you too.
I’m just about to put my phone away when it buzzes again. To my surprise, there’s a message from Jeannie.
JEANNIE: Hey, how are you? We haven’t talked in a couple of days, but I was thinking about you and wondering if you’d want to meet up?