Prologue #2
The crowd went wild. Louis was very well liked. He was focused and lived for the game. The new captain smiled, not surprised at all since he was obviously involved and already in the role. Those around him whooped in celebration and clapped him on the back.
“Come here, Louis!” Frederick invited.
Everyone continued to clap as he made his way onto the ice. Someone must have handed him shoes, so his skates didn’t rip up the red carpet. He was just as confident walking on the icy surface when he approached Frederick at the end of the carpet.
Side by side with Frederick, he shook his hand. The clapping and cheering died down so everyone could hear what they said. Their boss handed Louis the microphone.
Chuckling to hide a blush, Louis took it. “I cannot thank you enough for your faith in me. I am here for the long game. I am here for this team, and I hope I help it thrive just like Riley did.”
Riley Jameson was the first captain this team had had since it was a young team, only a few years old, and he had been brilliant in the role.
He had been a popular player, fun, stern when he needed to be, and just a fantastic mentor.
In fact, he pushed back his retirement just so he could be part of this team, wanting the new challenge to lead a brand-new team.
That left huge shoes for Louis to fill. Rosie took notice of what Louis said. That was his catch phrase, “In it for the long game”. It was something she would have to add to the press release to make it personal to him.
He had been playing the sport since he was a child.
Each second of training, each game, and each opportunity helped him reach where he was.
It had all led to this moment, and his expression of joy told the world he was loving it.
No doubt he would be a much different captain, and it would be interesting to watch what he did.
“Second to last announcement. We have a new player. Many of you already know, but for those of you that may have missed it or you are new to the business, he is here with us today. Spencer Nightingale will be joining us.”
Just as Frederick had said, many were not surprised, but they clapped anyway since it was an exciting change.
Spencer was a tough player, and it took a lot to take him down.
Just what this team needed when times would inevitably get tough.
He was known to get into fights on the ice, since he was passionate and protective.
Not always a good thing, but for some players that was reassuring to know they had backup that would support them in seconds.
Spencer joined Louis and Frederick on the ice, shaking the owner’s, then the captain’s hand. Spencer was another one that could walk on the ice confidently.
It would be something she would have to learn since no doubt she would end up on the ice at times. Not something she was looking forward to since she hated ice.
Why pick an ice hockey team to work with? Well sometimes you had to do new things to find new opportunities.
Nodding his head as a sign of respect at Louis, he said, “I look forward to playing with you, Louis. I think you will be an awesome captain, and one I can learn a lot from.”
“Really excited to have you, Spencer.” Louis smirked. “As long as you remember you’re a hockey player and not a rugby player, we should be fine.”
The room laughed, and thankfully, Spencer took it as the joke it was meant to be. The ice breaker.
Snorting, Spencer slapped Louis’s back. “I will certainly try.”
Starting off in rugby, Spencer actually loved ice hockey more. With both sports he had started playing at a young age but got given a break to play professionally in rugby first. Continuing to push, he eventually got his lucky break for ice hockey.
The problem was, in a few of the games when he started, he had tackled players to the ice.
At first, fans thought it was great. Then, he did it when he got upset on the ice.
It became his trademark, and one he now had to focus on to not keep repeating since he was now more experienced, and it was not a reputation he wanted.
Thankfully, it was gradually seen less and less.
“Lastly, we have Rosemary Eddison joining us,” Frederick announced. “She will be our new Public Relations Manager. I know some of you have heard of her. She is one of the best in her profession, and we need that to improve our image.”
Yep. The players got into a lot of fights with other teams, and also off the ice.
Tension was high. They didn’t get much sponsorship because of it.
They needed more season ticket holders. They needed better visibility and more positive appearances in the news, or on social media.
Most importantly, they needed a better image in their local community, since local people were the most likely ones to support them.
They were a young team, so they were still finding their place in the world.
To be fair, Rosie was impressed with how much they had done with temporary staff.
Not many stayed for the full-time jobs or extended their contract when the time came, wanting to work with better known teams and used this as a stepping stone.
A few of the players were rookies, some were also using this team as a stepping stone.
The more experienced players were here for a new challenge.
“It will be hard, getting used to her methods,” Frederick added. “However, do not be intimidated. We are all here for the sport we love!”
He wasn’t wrong. Rosie was intense, but she got the job done.
Making her way to the ice, people welcomed her as she went. Slowly, she stepped on to the carpet. Sensing her unease and seeing her slow steps, Louis approached her and offered her an arm.
“Need a hand? It can be really slippery if you’re not used to it.”
“Ah, yes, please. I would appreciate it.”
Blushing, she accepted the help and linked their arms. Louis took it slow and made sure she stayed standing. There was no mockery, just calm assurance.
She shook hands with Spencer and Frederick when she reached them, saving the concerned Louis for last. Finally, she shook Louis’s hand. It was warm. Firm. They kept full eye contact, challenging each other.
“I look forward to working with you,” she said sweetly.
Her methods may not be the most fun, but if it kept them out of trouble, Louis would just have to deal with it.
So far, he seemed a nice guy. There was hostility at first, however, that was to be expected with her reputation.
It meant that she would just have to wait and see how he was with her when she finally got to work.
He tilted his head. “I can imagine we will both find it . . . interesting.”
Louis wasn’t sure of her judging by his tone. At all. Well, at least he didn’t let her fall over. But he would just have to get used to her presence since she was in it for the long game, too.