Page 144 of The Romance Line
I scratch my beard, then sigh. “Pretty good, but you gotta see what’s going on with Bryant and this stick. It’s messed up.”
He takes a breath, then asks, “And you need me? About a stick? Not Quinn?”
Quinn’s the equipment manager, and honestly, that’s not a bad idea. But the clock’s ticking, so I say, “Both of you would be great.”
Coach rolls his eyes. “I’ll let him know if I see him.” Hetells the assistant coach he’ll be right back, then pushes up and follows me.
He’s a little irked, but I can handle an irked coach. I’ve got the crew assembled now. Timing is everything in sports and if I’ve engineered this play properly, Elias ought to be in the hallway outside the locker room right as we walk up to him.
Like…now.
Wesley’s handing a signed stick to my enemy as we turn the corner. I fight off a winning smile as I call out, “Hey, Elias.”
The prick turns to me, his beady eyes flickering with worry. But he tries to cover it up with a, “Hey, Max. How you doing?”
Like we’re friends.
His gaze shifts nervously to the man in the suit next to me. “Hey, Coach. Good to see you too,” Elias says, playing up the buddy-buddy card with him.
“Elias,” Coach says, with a crisp nod and a tone that clearly says,Max, why the hell did you pull me out of my meetingfor this?
I tip my chin toward Elias, playing innocent. “I saw you were selling our stuff online. Sweet, man. You must have a nice side hustle there?”
Elias freezes. Aww, poor baby didn’t expect to get caught. “Um…”
That’s all he says.Um.
“But good for you,” I add, then clap him on the shoulder before I turn toward Coach, since I need to deliver this message to someone internal to the organization—someone with power. “Finding workarounds and whatnot. Right, Coach?” I turn back to Elias. “That’s the kind of sportsmanlike conduct the Sea Dogs reallyembraces, and you are an enterprising young man, selling signed gear from players instead of giving it away. And well, the other side hustle you tried to launch this morning.” Then I whisper, low and menacing in his ear, for him only, “Do not ever fuck with Everly again or I won’t be so nice. That clear?”
Elias gulps and nods.
I back off right as Coach sighs heavily, then peers at me likeI do not have time for this shit. “This is what you called me out for?”
But I have faith in Coach. He runs a squeaky-clean ship. He doesn’t like weasels, and he doesn’t like distractions, and he really doesn’t like people who fuck with his team.
The man with more power than me grabs his phone from his pocket. “I’ll call Clementine and let her handle this.”
My mind throws a ticker-tape parade. Yes! Fucking yes! I pulled off the play.
“Good call, sir,” I say, like he needs me to approve of his decision. “I should have thought of that. But that’s why you’re the man.”
He waves a dismissive hand. All is forgiven with theseathlete shenanigans. “Clementine, I need you to deal with something,” he says into the phone, and I flash a very,verysatisfied grin at Elias.
Wesley lifts a finger the weasel’s way. “Actually, I’ll give this stick to Donna,” he says, then takes the bait back.
I hit the ice for warm-ups and a few minutes later, my future wife walks to the gate, like she owns the world.
56
GET A ROOM
Everly
My pulse is thundering. My blood is rushing fast. And I feel on top of the world even though I don’t have an answer to my work fate.
But that’s okay. I have other answers. Ones that will carry me through. I have friends I love, a man who’s my soulmate, and a life well worth living.
On the ice, the Sea Dogs are warming up as I walk through the tunnel, heading straight for the players’ bench. Some players are stretching on the ice. Others are taking easy shots on the net.