Page 76 of Pucking One Night Stand
“Damage control. First, you keep your mouth shut. No interviews, no cryptic social media posts. If they want to trade you, we position this as a fresh start, not a scandal.”
“And if they cut me loose?”
“Then we fight it. Legal terms, contract disputes, you don’t walk away empty-handed. But if you make this worse? You’ll be lucky if the KHL picks you up.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “And what about-”
Grant leans forward, his voice lower now, more serious. “The kid? That’s your responsibility now. Not mine, not the team’s. But if you don’t handle this like a pro, every headline will make sure you never shake this off.”
“For fuck’s sake, Grant... we've got to fix this.”
“We control the narrative. And we move fast. You ready?”
“Damn. I’ll do whatever I have to.”
Grant exhales, dragging his fingers to massage his temples. “Now to Hugh McCullum’s daughter, Cassy, who also happens to be the Aces’ Media and Communications Manager.”
That lands like a punch I don’t dodge.
Grant squints up at me. “Listen, I don’t know if there’s any saving this, but if you want a miracle? You’d have to sit down with the coach and somehow convince him not to burn you to the ground. I don't know, maybe if you approach this right, acknowledge you screwed up, make it clear you're willing to be professional, you might get him to ease off pushing you out immediately.”
I stare at the floor, then up at him. “And you really think that might work?”
“Yes. But you need to be prepared for the alternative. If this goes public, and given who she is, it very well could, your reputation takes another hit. The media department isn’t just an office job; they control narratives.”
I lean back, arms tensing. “You seriously think she would leak it?”
“No. Probably not intentionally, but if she talks to the wrong person, or if the wrong text lands in the wrong inbox, this is hitting every hockey news site in the country.”
“You know, Grant, I had already decided I was going to try and sort things out with her. Do something big. But not for my career.” I pause, look him dead in the eye. “I fucking want to be with the goddamn woman.”
Grant watches me, then nods once. “Well, whatever you do...You better hope it works. If not, we’re moving to Plan B, finding you a landing spot before you’re thrown out with nothing.”
My eyes drift to the edge of his desk, catching on something bright. A flyer, half buried under paperwork. Bold colors. A small plane in the middle of a perfect blue sky, trailing a massive banner behind it in screaming red letters.
Lightbulb.
I reach for it. “Mind if I have that?”
Chapter twelve
Cassy
The last couple of days have been... horrible. And I’m not saying that lightly.
Dad’s been nice. Like weirdly nice. Suspiciously polite, like he’s been abducted and replaced with some overly charming humanoid robot that doesn’t threaten people. That alone should’ve made national news.
Meanwhile, Blake has called and texted so many times I’ve lost count. I haven’t picked up once. Mostly because if I hear his voice right now, I might scream, cry, throw something, or worse, melt. And we are not melting.
And now here I am, sitting in a boardroom, stuck in a meeting with the Aces’ latest shiny signing from the New York Tigers, some guy named Jett Lawson who plays center. Because that’s what my life needs right now. Another hockey player.
I glance at the wall clock. An hour and a half in. The room still hums with that over-caffeinated buzz of strategy talk and soft keyboard clatter. Everyone’s comfortably in character, Valerie with her clipboard, Riley in Power Mode, Holly withthree different browser tabs open, and still managing to finish everyone’s sentences.
Across from me, Jett is lounging with that kind of relaxed posture that screams athlete, but his eyes are sharp. His agent, Manny Eliasch, leans in like he’s about to suggest the guy run for office or get his own sneaker line.
Valerie finally stops her monologue on branding expectations, and I tap my pen against my notes. “Alright. Last few things to iron out.” I turn to Jett. “First interview drops tomorrow. Riley’ll handle your media stuff, she’s your go-to for anything press-related.”
Riley gives a quick nod. “That means we’ll pre-screen the bigger outlets. ESPN, local Vegas media, NHL Network, they’ll want quick comments on your transition from New York. Nothing heavy. Are you comfortable with that?”
