Page 74 of Clear Shot
He grimaces before glancing at me. “I don’t know how other couples do it, but you’re not a child—you’re my wife. What’s mine is yours. We need to go to the bank so I can add you to my accounts and I’m going to order you credit cards.”
“Right, but…” I’m struggling to articulate what I’m trying to say. “Aiden, I’ve never been rich before! I don’t even know how it works in practice. How much is too much? When I was in college, I had student housing and a meal plan. Back in Slovakia, I lived with my family, and when I got the job in Philadelphia, I went between Claudia’s parents’ house in Philly and my brother’s house here. I’ve never lived on my own beyond college. I don’t know the details of what utilities cost or anything else.”
I take a breath. “Beyond my car, insurance, and phone payments, I don’t know how your world works and from that perspective, I’m nervous.”
“Shit, baby, I’m sorry.” He reaches for my hand and squeezes it. “I never considered that. I assumed because of your brother you had a handle on all of this.”
I shake my head. “Not even a little. I’m not stupid. Obviously, I understand there are utilities and taxes and all the things. I have a general idea about the cost of groceries and gas, but I know Johan has meals specially prepared for him to meet his nutrition needs. And I don’t have a clue what that costs. He also sees a chiropractor, which I assume is covered under insurance, but I hear him say something about copays and maxing out his plan. Other than two yearly physicals, I haven’t needed to see doctors since I left college, so I don’t know how your health insurance works either.”
“Then we’ll sit down and talk about all of that. I’ll make the time. These are the kinds of things I don’t know about you, so make sure you point this stuff out. As for money…” He smiles. “I learned a tough lesson my first year in the league, but I had mentors who set me straight and now I have a financial planner who keeps me on the straight and narrow.
“Generally speaking, buy what you want. The money isn’t endless, but if you need new sneakers or makeup or whatever, just buy it. For really big purchases, like furnishing a massive new house, we probably need to talk. We’ll buy a little at a time. Bedroom furniture and equipping the kitchen first. Then everything else. I don’t know any more about those things than you, so you’re better served talking to Sloane and the others because I honestly have no idea what that shit costs.”
“Okay.” I didn’t expect to get carte blanche for my spending and it makes me uncomfortable, but I also don’t want to make a big deal out of this because he’s being incredibly patient with me.
“Don’t worry so much. We’re going to figure everything out together. Promise.”
Chapter 26
Aiden
The dealon the house goes through without much fanfare. The owner just wanted to offload it so we have a closing date set for the day before Thanksgiving. Things go quickly when you’re paying cash, and I’ve never been so grateful for the mentors who set me straight when it came to money early in my career.
I have a healthy savings account, a retirement fund, and investments.
I’ve been careful with my spending because I had no reason to go crazy—other than my Harley and the five-thousand-dollar paperweight that used to be my TV. I have insurance so now it’s a matter of seeing how much they’ll cover after the storm, and in the meantime, I have a cautious new wife who seems intent on staying within some imaginary budget.
It’s impossible to give her exact numbers. How do I tell her what to spend on basic needs? How much is too much for groceries? Toiletries? Anything else she needs. I think the deodorant I use costs five bucks—I don’t really pay attentionbecause I just have money now. There’s always money in my checking account and savings accounts, and room on my credit cards.
I’ve never bought a house before, though.
Or a furnished one.
Or had a woman I’m in love with to spoil.
And I really want to.
If I can’t be around much during the season, I at least want her to know I’m thinking about her.
So I go to the one person I look up to, both personally and professionally.
Coach Petrov has a beautiful wife, five kids, three grandchildren, and is still in his forties. He started young with his oldest son Anton, who also plays in the league, but his other children are much younger, so in that regard, I feel like we’re on a more level playing field.
“Coach, you got a minute?” I ask him as we head into the hotel after arriving in LA during the next road trip.
“Sure. What’s on your mind?” he asks as we get on the elevator.
“Uh…” I glance at the two equipment managers who got on with us.
“Come on up to my room,” he suggests knowingly.
“Thanks.” I follow him and sink into a chair after he lets us in.
“So, what’s up?” He turns to me curiously.
“This is going to sound a little weird,” I admit, “but I need marriage advice.”
“Because there’s a specific problem or because it’s new?” he asks.
