Page 86 of On the Line
Mitch opened his mouth to respond, then snapped it shut. He didn’t even have anywhere to live at the moment, so he supposed this was better than listlessly wandering the unfamiliar city.
As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, Jackson said, “I’ll set up an appointment with a realtor for this afternoon. For now, you’re going to have to stay in a hotel.”
With all the traveling he’d done in his career, Mitch was no stranger to hotel rooms. “That’ll be fine.”
“Great!” They reached the ground level where the offices were located, and Jackson led the way to a door behind which Mitch could hear voices. Jackson paused. “Just…try to see the bright side here, Mitch. I know you loved Detroit, but this is happening. There’s no going back. All I’m asking is you give this team and franchise one hundred percent, just like you did the Warriors and Detroit. It’ll make both of our jobs a lot easier.”
“I promise I’ll make the best of it,” he told Jackson truthfully.
It was his only option.
Jackson nodded. “Good. Now let’s go meet your new bosses.”
Later that evening, Mitch sat in his hotel room, Chinese takeout containers spread on the table in front of him, staring out the window as the sunset lit the city on fire.
He had spent several long hours in meetings with the Knights’ brass, hearing endless monologues about what they expected of him and the franchise moving forward.
We wanted you because we know you’ll be a major asset to this team for a playoff push.
We’re honestly still in shock Detroit gave you up.
We could go all the way this season with you on the roster.
Blah blah blah.
To Mitch, it was all bullshit. The same tired lines rolled out by every General Manager across the U.S. and Canada, welcoming newcomers into the fold with open arms, hoping all those useless platitudes would ease the sting of their former team not wanting them.
Mitch refused to be bitter. After all, nothing could be done about it now. But he hoped they didn’t expect him to acclimate fully right away. A new team. New facilities. New city. New everything.
It was a lot at once.
But that also meant a new Mitch. And a new Mitch would take some time to craft, a prospect he couldn’t deny was kind of exciting. The only thing he didn’t expect to change was his personal style of play, but even that was a stretch given the fact that the Knights were not the Warriors, and he would have an entirely new defensive partner.
Mitch hated change. As a hockey player, he liked his routines. When he’d signed with Detroit five years ago, by choice once his contract in Columbus was up, he had settled in easily. The move from Columbus to Detroit hadn’t been the culture shock coming to LA had been. He had easily become great friends with his teammates, genuinely loved the city and all it had to offer, and had been proud to play for the Warrior franchise, where so many greats had paved the way before him. Not to mention, he’d lived in Michigan for four years when he played in Ann Arbor, so it had been a homecoming for him, and his mother had been ecstatic to have him only forty miles down the road again.
Eventually, there was the girl.
Sitting there staring out at his new city, he made a plan: here in LA, he would live a surface-level existence. Only get to know his teammates well enough to help them win games. Short-term leases on apartments that came fully furnished. Acquaintances only outside of the rink; no deeper friendships allowed.
And absolutely no serious, emotional relationships with women.
He’d take a page from the playbook of one of the best: sex only.
Now, in that quiet hotel room, it was the first time since he’d gotten the trade news that he’d been completely alone. And unfortunately, with no distractions, Mitch couldn’t stop his brain from circling around one thing.
Lexie.
He wondered what she was doing right now. If she had been trying to reach him. If she missed him. If she regretted their last conversation.
He knew he did.
His phone buzzed on the table, pulling him from his thoughts, a number with a Detroit area code showing up on the readout. Anxious that Lexie or someone else had managed to get his new number, he let it go to voicemail, watching the screen like a hawk until the notification popped up, then eagerly picked it up and played the message.
“Hey, Mitch, this is Sherry, the Warriors’ realtor. I got in touch with your agent about taking care of some housekeeping stuff now that you’re no longer with Detroit. If you could give me a call back as soon as possible, that would be great. Thanks.”
Mitch sighed. He supposed there was no better time than the present to take care of this shit.
He redialed the number and waited for Sherry to pick up.
