Page 12 of Wildcat
“Never.” Her smile is genuine. She must really love her job because I have not made it easy.
Jack runs a towel over his face, watching me like he’s in on whatever’s about to happen.
I glance between the three of them.Oh shit.What have they signed me up for? What do you get when you cross the coach, the captain, and the VP of marketing? Something that I can’t get out of.
“What’s going on?” I ask tentatively.
Coach speaks first. “I’m appointing you to alternate captain along with Declan.”
Blythe holds out the jersey—mine—to show the “A” now proudly displayed on the upper left of the green material. I’m speechless.
Jack claps me on the shoulder. “Congratulations.”
“Woah.” I take the jersey and continue staring at it. My hands shake with nerves and excitement. It’s my fourth year in the league, which in NHL years feels like a lifetime. It hasn’t always been an easy road, but the hard work I’ve put in feels like it’s starting to pay off.
I did not expect this, especially after my latest interview blunder. I swear, I wasn’t looking at her boobs. Really. “Thank you. I’m honored.”
Coach smiles and places one hand on his hip. It’s his calm but serious speech stance, usually reserved for those moments just before a big game. “You really stepped up for us last season. We have a lot of new guys looking for leadership, and I think you’re going to be a great addition to that.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Blythe continues her wide smile as she starts talking rapidly, “We’ll be putting out a statement, and I’d love to get a few signed jerseys that we can give away on our social media pages. We’ll want to do a couple of interviews as well.”
Another groan slips out before I can stop it. Jack laughs.
“I’m sorry,” I say, “I am thrilled to help lead the team, but the strong, silent type might be a better role for me.”
“Your last interview was… unfortunate,” Blythe says, her smile not faltering. “But these will be controlled, and I will prep you in advance.”
It doesn’t look like I have a choice, so I slap on a professional smile. “I appreciate it, Blythe.”
She takes a step back. “I’ll be in touch next week. Enjoy your weekend.”
“Congratulations,” Coach says when she’s gone. His posture relaxes. “I’ll see you boys tomorrow at my house.”
“Looking forward to it,” I say.
Jack follows me back into the locker room. “Are you ready to celebrate tonight?”
“Do I have a choice?” I sit on the bench in front of my stall, still holding the jersey. Jack is hosting a team party, and the way the invite was worded didn’t make it seem like it was optional. I’d go either way, but after being gone last weekend, then a long week of camp, I’d prefer a chill night at home where I speak to no one.
“No, but since you’re the man of the hour, you do get to pick up the booze. I’ll send you a list of everyone’s favorites. It shouldn’t get too crazy tonight, and I keep most of it stocked, but it’s always good to have a surplus. Especially with the rookies.”
I shake my head. My first official duty as an alternate captain is to pick up the booze for the party? Yeah, that sounds about right.
Ash goes with me to the liquor store. I read from the long list of all the guys’ favorites.
“Where do you think they keep MD 20/20?” I ask as we wander down the aisle, tossing various liquors and beers in the cart.
Ash doesn’t respond, and I stop and look back to find him staring down at his phone.
“Talia?”
“Yeah, she just got back in town,” he answers while still smiling at his phone.
“What’s her favorite drink?” I ask with a sigh. Might as well add another item to this long ass list.
He finally looks up. “I don’t think we’ll be doing any drinking tonight.”
