Chapter 10
Will
The Flyers general manager slammed the door and sat behind his desk. I sat across from him with Olivia, my publicist, and waited for his tense expression to soften. But by the looks of his scowl, his attitude was here to stay.
“Thank you for meeting with us,” Olivia said to him.
Ignoring Olivia, Mike glared at me, leaning forward, elbows resting on his desk. He leveled me with an intimidating stare. “Is this marriage real?”
“Yes,” I choked out.
“Last month, you and Liam almost got your stupid asses arrested for drunk driving. You’re lucky the cops called me first. And then you get married by Elvis in Vegas to a woman you barely know? What the hell is going on with you, Roman?”
“Nothing. I was blowing off some steam with Liam. It got a little out of hand. And Clarke… I’ve known her for years. She used to work with my sister at The Philadelphia Inquirer. Remember when we got into the playoffs two years ago, and she did a story on the team?”
He nodded. “What are you playing at? She’s a highly regarded reporter. Does she have dirt on you? What is she getting out of this deal?”
“It’s not a deal. We wanted to get married.”
“You’re in love with her? Hmm… Because I recall seeing you with a group of women a few weeks ago. You expect me to believe this woman is the love of your life when you can’t keep your dick in your pants?”
My heart raced so fast I could hardly breathe. Attempting to still my breathing and erratic thoughts, I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back in the leather chair.
“I do,” I muttered. “Love her.”
I liked her a lot. Did that count? I loved fucking her, talking to her, and kissing her. Okay, I loved a lot of things about her. But it was not the kind of love Clarke had described at the wedding.
“The owner is sick of this shit,” he growled as he folded his hands on the desk. “I’m thinking about trading you and Liam. Both of you are too much of a liability. This is a business, Roman. We have to keep asses in the seats to keep the lights on.”
“Look, I fucked up with Liam. It wasn’t personal.”
“When our star player makes it a point to embarrass the team publicly, it becomes personal.”
“Sorry, Mike. I’ll do better, I promise. I’m a married man now.” I showed him the gold band on my finger. “No more women or doing stupid shit with the boys. I’m leaving for DC to live with Clarke.”
“This is your final warning.” He pointed a long finger at me with a nasty look. “Fuck up again, and you’re out of here.”
I held up my hands in surrender. “It won’t come to that. I’ll be a saint from here on out.”
“I don’t care where you live but don’t use the distance as an excuse to show up late for practice. You’re still expected to fulfill your obligations to this team.”
“We’ll live in D.C. half the year and Philly the other. I won’t let our living arrangements interfere with the team.”
He flung his hand out toward the door. “Go. I’m sick of looking at you.”
Without another word, I walked out of his office with Olivia in tow. We got halfway down the long hallway before she broke the silence.
“He will kill you if this marriage doesn’t work out. I don’t care if it’s real or fake, but for your sake, I hope you love this girl. She must love you to agree to this.”
I considered her words for a moment and almost laughed. Clarke hated me on a good day. There wasn’t a bone in her body that loved me.
“Clarke isn’t a puck bunny,” I whispered. “We go way back. We’ll make it work. She has just as much to lose if this goes south.”
“Your career is on the line, Will. Do whatever it takes to keep her happy. Need some pointers?” Her top lip curled up into a smirk. “I can give you a few tips.”
I snickered. “I know how to please a woman.”
“Sex is only part of a relationship, Will. It’s the little things that make a big difference. Clean up, help around the house, do something that makes her life easier.”
“You think doing chores will make Clarke happy? No, you don’t know her.”
“I think you’re missing the point. Relationships are hard. Marriages are even harder. Actions speak louder than words.”
“We’re meeting with The Gossip Queen at her office next week. That should help validate our marriage to the public, don’t you think?”
She nodded. “It can’t hurt. I’m serious. Give this marriage a real shot, or you’re looking for another team.”
“I’ll do my best.”