Page 93 of Grumpy Pucking Orc
It was easy to join the gym, even if I struggled to answer some of their application questions about my fitness goals. The manager was thrilled to have a hockey player as a member, and I had to pose for several photographs with employees. Jordan was mostly done with her workout by the time I was done, so she showed me how to use some of the equipment, then ran off to shower and change for her meeting, asking me to come over to her house tonight for dinner.
I was intrigued by the traditional food from her hometown that she was going to make for me, something called beef on weck, which she described as a roast-beef sandwich on a hard roll with salt and horseradish. Everything had been so easy and relaxed between us since I returned, but I still carried theengagement ring in the small box with me, hoping that we’d be able to resolve our differences and that I could put it back on her finger. She hadn’t once mentioned that horrible night in the stadium parking lot. I didn’t want to mention it either, but that ring would never have a chance of returning to her finger unless we were aligned on what our future held.
She had a career here. She had friends and family here. I had all of those things back home, but none of that would mean anything without her.
One of us would need to compromise.Iwould need to compromise if I wanted to spend my life with Jordan. So, after a brief workout at the gym, I jogged home to check on Coal, showered and changed, and went to the stadium.
Ugwyll was just finishing up his skating practice. I outlined my plan to him and together we went in search of Escellates Johnson, finally finding the team’s demon owner in a large office going over sheets of numbers and cackling gleefully.
“What?” the demon barked as we opened his door.
Holding our reply, Ugwyll and I entered, closing the door behind us and sitting in the two chairs in front of Escellates’ desk.
“The team has been improving,” Ugwyll began. “We no longer look like fools on the ice.”
“Which I’m not happy about,” the demon grumbled. “But the numbers last night look decent, so I’m willing to let that go.”
“We are losing by less points,” I continued. “And we are able to regularly score a goal or two each game.”
The team owner shrugged. “So what? Are you two asking for more money? Because you’re not getting any more money. I’m still angry at what the angels told me Ihave to pay you as it is. Fair wage. Fair to who? Certainly not me and my wallet.”
“We don’t want more money. We want a coach,” Ugwyll told him.
“And a team trainer,” I added.
For a second, I thought Escellates’ eyes would bulge right out of his skull. Then he laughed. “Why in all of Aaru would you need a coach and a team trainer?”
I cleared my throat, remembering the speech I’d rehearsed on the way over. “So the team can improve. We need someone who knows hockey, understands the strategy of the game, and can help us work together in ways that will counter our opponents. And we need a team trainer to help us use the equipment in the gym and practice on the ice. If we have these two things, we can win games.”
“Winning games isn’t important.” Escellates waved a hand as if he were wiping the concept off of one of his many white boards in the office. “I don’t care about whether you win games or not, I care about making money.”
“Teams that score and win bring more humans to see the games,” Ugwyll pointed out. “And they sell more of the T-shirts, coffee mugs, and other things that are now available.”
The demon thought about that for a moment. “Maybe, but I doubt you all would improve fast enough to cover the cost of a coach and a trainer.”
“We might,” I said, even though the owner was probably right.
“Come back next year and I’ll think about it.” Escellates looked back down at his paperwork.
I took a deep breath. “We won’t be here next year. If you do not hire a coach and a trainer, then Ugwyll and I will quit the team.”
The demon looked back up at us, his eyes narrowing. “You’re bluffing.”
Both Ugwyll and I had to look that word up on our phones.
“We are not bluffing,” Ugwyll said. “We will quit.”
“We’re your best players,” I added. “The humans know our names. I’ve been in the local paper already. Ugwyll and I both are approached by large groups of humans both after games and on the streets wanting to talk to us. Humans are wearing shirts with our names on them, even holding up signs with our names on them at games. Losing us will lose you money.”
“If we leave the team, the team will not survive,” Ugwyll said. “A few humans might come to watch the others, but the stands will be mostly empty. You need us.”
“And the pair of you needs me, needs this team,” the demon snapped. “Without this job, you’ll need to go back to your homes and your primitive clans. If you quit, the angels will send you back.”
I shrugged, trying not to panic, trying to…bluff. “Perhaps we have another job offer. The angels don’t care which hockey team we work for or even if we play hockey. They only said that we needed to ‘maintain gainful full-time employment.’”
Escellates sputtered, his face red. “Which team is trying to poach you two? Is it the Lightning? It’s that Vinik with the Lightning, isn’t it? I hate that guy.”
Ugwyll and I sat back, saying nothing and letting the demon rant about various other team owners, all of whom he seemed to hate. Finally, he glared at us, picking up a pen and throwing it across the room.
