Page 110 of What Are the Chances
“You too.”
I’d spoken to Eric often over the past two-and-a-half-years. He’d checked in regularly ever since I was drafted and had come and watched some games.
“We have another prospect joining us. I hope you don’t mind.”
I didn’t mind, but I was surprised. I knew all of the players from around here who had been drafted. Nobody else had been picked up by the Bobcats.
“Here he is now.”
Turning over my shoulder, my gaze collided with Tanner fucking Holbeck. He faltered slightly upon seeing me.You and me both, dude.
The Bobcats couldn’t seriously be considering Tanner, could they? He hadn’t declared. There must’ve been a reason for that. Whatever had changed between now and then was officially on my hitlist.
“I assume you two know each other,” Eric said.
“We’ve crossed paths,” I returned.
“We actually knocked Phil-U off less than twenty-four hours ago in overtime,” Tanner smugly added.
Eric chuckled. “I saw. A good game on both sides. Could’ve gone either way, but props on the win.”
The attendant arrived and ushered us to the table. Unlike many GMs who would select the nicest restaurant in town, Eric had booked a laidback sports bar. It was thirty minutes from Phil-U, which meant it was also thirty minutes from Allentown. The location made sense now.
“I invited Tanner last minute after a mutual friend reached out and mentioned Tanner might be interested in continuing with hockey after college,” Eric began once he was settled in his seat. “I thought talking to you might help Tanner make the decision, Will. Tanner has some reservations about playing at the professional level.”
I raised my eyebrows. This was the first I was hearing of it. And fuck it, I was curious.
“Like?” I prompted.
Tanner cautiously looked between Eric and me before reluctantly sighing. I doubt he wanted to level with me about his concerns, but here we were.
“A friend of mine’s dad used to play in the NHL and because of that I have some...” Tanner paused to choose the right word. “Trepidationsabout the lifestyle I suppose.”
Eric hung back in his seat, his lips sealed. It was clear he was wanting me to take the reins here. If I was to guess, I’d say he had done all he could do to convince Tanner about playing next year. He was trying another tactic. And that tactic was me.
“Family will always come first to me,” Tanner went on. “I guess I don’t think that’s achievable playing professionally.”
Tanner’s confession and honesty made me hate the guy a little bit less. It was raw admitting that. It made him seem a bit more human. Part of me had expected he was worried about getting caught up in the party scene, or even the fame and the attention that came with the NHL.
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t had those same concerns,” I told him.
“Really?”
He sounded sceptical.
“Sure. It’s a lot. And we’ve all heard of the players who have fallen to the wrong side.” And ended their career in the process – a trap I would never fall into. “But knowing your priorities going in sounds like a smart place to start. There are plenty of guys who seem to have found the right balance.”
My response was surface level and Tanner picked up on that. He pulled back, as if I’d lost him. In my peripheral I caught the subtle look Eric flashed my way. I needed to try a different approach.
I tried picturing what my life in Texas would look like next year and how I’d spend my time. But the reality was I couldn’t see my future now without seeing Riley. I imagined what it would be like having her in the stands cheering me on, or coming home from an away game to her in our bed, or FaceTiming her late at night from my hotel to hear about her day. Preferably a quick recap before we transitioned to naked FaceTime.
Even now, sitting with one of the men who controlled my future, I was still thinking about her. About what she was doing. And whether she was still upset. And what I could do to convince her that we were endgame.
“Your friend’s dad, did he have a girlfriend when he joined the league?”
Tanner shrugged. “Kind of, but not by choice though.”
That was cryptic as hell, but it played into my theory.
