Chapter 10
MADARS
I put my phone down on my chest and stared up at the ceiling of my hotel room.
Fucking hell. I was going to lose my mind before these Games were over, and for once, it wasn’t the pressure of international competition.
I needed Connor again. I hadn’t been this horny for someone in…
in… I didn’t know how long. Not even the earliest honeymoon period with my ex.
I had nothing but pleasant memories of the time I’d lived with the Ellis family, especially the explorations with Connor.
One night together as adults who knew what we were doing, though, and my mind was blown.
Was it too much to hope we might be able to sneak off during the Games for more than a drink or something? Because I wasn’t sure I could wait until the competition was over to finally sleep with him again. The sex was just too good to wait even a handful of days for more.
It wasn’t just the sex. The dinner together and the day we went out to the Bone Church had been a blast, and I wanted more time with him.
And… more sex with him. Because goddamn.
“Mads?” ?agars’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I realized he was watching me from the other bed. Cocking his head, he asked, “You get some bad news or something?”
“Huh? Uh… no. No. I’m good.” I sat up, being as casual as possible and hoping he didn’t notice my hard-on before my T-shirt fell over it. “Just texting with a friend.”
His arched eyebrow made my face heat up. Did he see through me? Fuck, maybe.
If he did, though, he let it go. “Did you see that there’s a bunch of NAL scouts here this week?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I was there when you guys were talking about that, remember? And they’re always lurking around competitions like this.”
“Uh-huh.” He looked right at me. “But have you noticed the one who’s been dialed in on you?”
“On…” I straightened. “On me?”
?agars nodded. “I think he’s with Vancouver? But I’ve seen him around, and I heard one of the coaches saying he’s been really focused on both you and Volfs. And I know for a fact Vancouver is hurting for a forward and a goalie.”
My mouth had gone dry. “They… They are?” I croaked.
“Yeah. Their goaltending has been a disaster ever since Corwin retired. And they’re… I’ve got a friend who plays for their farm team, and he’s heard they’re not rebuilding so much as retooling.”
I tilted my head. “What do you mean?” Though I kept up on things going on in the NAL, not everything made it to this side of the pond. Except through those who knew people on the inside, anyway, which ?agars apparently did.
“Like they’ve still got their core players, but they’re bringing in new talent to help the core instead of just scrapping everything and starting over.” He nodded toward me. “You’re the kind of forward they probably want.”
I scoffed. “I’d be a bottom six forward at best.”
“Yeah, and they want depth. They need good forwards in their bottom six.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. As much as I loved playing in the top six in Genève, even a fourth line position on an NAL team would be a dream come true.
Hell, it would be redemption after I hadn’t been able to get re-signed there.
I didn’t even care about being part of a complete rebuild, never mind a retooling, if it meant I got to play in that league again.
“You really think they’re interested in me?”
My teammate nodded sagely. “They’ve been watching you. And they should be. I’ve been hearing about you like crazy back in Latvia. You’re good, Mads. They’d be stupid to pass you by.”
My cheeks burned. “Thanks.”
I didn’t know if he was right, but I couldn’t lie—I hoped.
I loved Genève and my team, but the dream was and always would be the NAL.
I’d had a taste and I wanted it again. As much as I didn’t want to get my hopes up—especially since scouts usually came to look at numerous players at events like this—I couldn’t help it.
If that scout approached me, I’d be all over a contract.
Even at the League-minimum salary, I’d be making a hell of a lot more than I was in Genève.
If they offered me a professional tryout, then I’d damn well show up to training camp and play my heart out in hopes of making their roster. I could finally be back in the NAL!
Except…
Oh. Fuck.
Connor.
He was a referee in the NAL. There’d been people who didn’t like him officiating in the same league his brother played, and those voices had become a lot louder since the referee scandal.
The fact that he and his brother were the sons of a generational legend probably earned them what little leeway they had; no one was going to tell the sons of Stuart Ellis that they couldn’t be part of the League.
Something told me even the Ellis name wouldn’t make people amenable to Connor screwing a player.
Fuck. What was I supposed to do now?
Except I didn’t want to jump the gun and break things off with him. I also didn’t want to jinx anything by mentioning the scout to him.
I was getting way ahead of myself. In reality, they were both long shots.
Connor was probably game to hook up while we were in the same place, and then we’d keep in touch but that would be it.
The GMs who’d sent their scouts sniffing around might sign me, or they might not.
It depended on how much cap space they had and if their roster really would benefit from a bottom six forward no one had wanted to sign a few years ago.
Until I had a PTO in hand or Connor and I were making plans for a long-distance relationship, nothing had to give.
So why sabotage things with Connor or the scout when they were probably both flashes in the pan at best? Just enjoy them. Shine for the scout (and help my team toward a medal). Spend as much time with Connor as I could.
Why overcomplicate things with minute possibilities?