Page 114 of No Pucks

“They insisted.” I shrug.

“The cost of the delayed flight?—”

“Maybe you should have prioritized an earlier meeting then.” Archangel rubs a hand over his freshly shaved head, cutting an imposing figure in front of Gary, over a foot taller than the athletic director.

“We were just made aware of a serious infraction and had to act.”

This had to be it.

The board tries to tell the team they can’t join us, but Wolfe and Archangel shove their way in, claiming transparency.

The board basically gives up in the face of that many hockey players. They form a sizable group behind the open seat. I walk in and take it, feeling like I have an army at my back.

“This is quite unprecedented, Mr. Hawke,” one of the board members says.

“Let’s skip the formalities. What did Cox Sr. accuse me of this time?”

“This is a very serious matter,” another snaps.

“I’m sure it is. It has to be to allow a rival coach to disrupt my team’s routine going into the postseason.” My words get their attention.

Gary clears his throat. “We have a very serious report.”

I smile, tenting my fingers and setting my elbows on the table. “I’m sure it is. Given the source, though, I doubt the credibility.”

“We have to take every allegation seriously, and I don’t think you want your team present for this meeting,” Gary says in a threatening tone.

“I’ve been transparent with my team about what the Monster’s coach is trying to pull here.” I feel more confident by the second. Maybe Wolfe was right. I’ll never tell him, but it feels good to have all the guys standing up for me.

Gary balks. “So it’s true?”

“Is what true? I’ve been transparent with my team about what Cox Sr. is trying to pull.”

“He’s accusing you of having a sexual relationship with his son.”

Logan bursts out laughing, catching me completely off guard, but I stop myself from turning to look at him. The rest of the team quickly joins.

“What evidence did he present?” I ask.

“He said he’s been tracking his son’s location and saw him at your residence daily.”

“You do realize I live in an apartment, right? One close to campus, one with many other tenants?” I ask, staring him right in the face.

“We understand, but given the evidence and the optics, we don’t like the image if it was to be leaked to the media.”

“Are you telling me I should bar my players from stepping foot in my building, betraying my privacy? Because I’d have to tell them where I live. It’s also beyond my abilities to control the leasing of the building, as I don’t own it. Do you police where students live? Or other faculty to insure no students are living in the same building? I’m sure as fuck not getting paid enough if I’m restricted in building choice.”

Gary narrows his eyes. “No. By policy, we do not control where faculty lives, and it would be impossible to keep track of where our student body lives.”

“Then why am I being held to a different standard?”

“That’s not what we’re doing?—”

I cut him off. “Would you like to question my team about my conduct on the ice or off? I can step out…”

I’m met with silence.

“Logan, would you like to speak about your father?”

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