Page 8 of The Closed Off Captain

I absently nod and then remember what I needed to tell him. “Oh, and SportsStop is asking for an interview.” He stiffens, and I put up my hand. “Not about the whole Jenny thing. I’ll tell them we’re not addressing that particular issue. They’re doing a segment on leading captains in the league.”

“When?”

“Friday at ten. We have to be at the studio at nine-thirty. I’ll meet you there at nine-fifteen.” The fact that I’m coming doesn’t faze him. It used to when I first started, but the players are used to me being on-site now for interviews.

He gives me another nod. “Fine.”

“Can you ask Brooks, Hart, and Garcia to come see me before practice? I won’t keep them long.”

“Yep.” He disappears a moment later, and I get to work. I’ve already lost precious time.

I’m buried in my work when somebody knocks on my door. “Come in.” I finish with the press release I’m writing before I look up. “Gentlemen, thanks for stopping by. Where's Hart?”

“Seb will be here in a minute,” Rico tells me as he takes a seat in front of my desk. Aiden leans against the wall while he waits. I’m used to that from him. I decide to wait for Sebastian because I don’t want to have to repeat myself.

“I’m here,” Sebastain says, nearly throwing the door into the wall.

I glance at the clock. “Cutting it a little close, aren’t we?”

He cringes. “Sorry I was talking to—”

I hold up a hand, and he cuts off. “I don’t need an explanation.” I sit back and eye the three of them. “I need your help.” Before I can say anything else, Sebastian butts in.

“You need our help?” He grins. “The great Chloe, PR agent extraordinaire, needs our help. What can we do to help?”

“Maybe start with shutting your trap,” Rico mutters.

“What he said,” I say. “I don’t have much time, since one of us was late, so I’ll make this quick.” I aim a pointed look a Sebastian. “I need each of you to ask your wives if they have any single friends who would be willing to date one of your teammates in name only. Let me know if you have any names. That’s all; thank you. You can get to practice now.”

I look back down and pull up an email I need to respond to. I only get about three words into it when Sebastian talks. “Which teammate?”

“Does it matter?” I ask without looking up.

“Yes,” at least two of them respond.

I sigh. “It’s for Coftman.”

Sebastian’s brows knit together. “Cap?”

I meet his gaze. “That’s what I said.”

He frowns even more. “Cap is capable of finding his own dates.”

His words irritate me. “Yes, I’m sure he is.”

“Then why does he need the help of our wives?”

“I don’t have time to explain the full story; ask Coftman if you want the details. I just need some names please, names of women that would be willing to date Coftman in name only.” I glance at the clock. “You’d better go. It’s ten fifty-seven; you only have three minutes until practice starts.”

That gets them moving up and out of my office, and I’m left to my peace and quiet once again. I finish my email and then push my chair back. I need to get to the ice and get some shots and videos to work with for the week for the team’s social media posts. Before I get to the ice, I’m stopped by one of the trainers, an intern, and one of the team’s physicians. When I finally make it to practice, there’s only about twenty minutes left. Coach Seers yells at Zac as I approach the ice. I step into the box and sit on the bench. I’ve found this to be the best place for picturesand videos. The guys fly past me on the ice; they’re so used to me by now that no one bothers to even notice me. Well, usually anyway. Today? Not so much. Gunner skates over to me and stops on a dime, spraying ice against the half wall separating the two of us. “You told them?”

I don’t even look up at him. I keep my phone trained on Aiden as he approaches Rico and fires off a shot. Rico blocks it, but it makes for a great shot.Yes.Fans will love that clip. I get a shot of Rico afterward and crop it to how I want it to look.

“Chloe?”

I hadn’t forgotten Gunner standing in front of me, but I was hoping he would get the clue and move on. “Coftman!” Coach Seers shouts across the ice. “Get back to work!”

I look up at him for just a moment. Way up because he’s wearing skates. “I didn’t tell them what was going on. I just told them I need them to ask their wives if they have any suggestions for somebody that would date you in name only, and—”

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