Kaufman: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 2)

by Nicole Edwards

  I can’t lie to the guy, it’s not my style, so I decide to go with a partial truth. “We went to high school together.”

  The slow nod Phoenix gives me makes me nervous. He’s assessing the situation, something he seems to always do. It’s the same thing I do when we’re down to the last minute of the game and my team’s got the puck. I can take it all in—the location of the other players, the number of seconds on the clock, which angle the biscuit has to go to get past the goalie—before determining the best course of action.

  When his eyes lift to mine, I can tell Phoenix is ready to move on to another topic.

  Bring it on, boss man.

  “After this is over, I want to talk to Rush.”

  I’m not sure what that has to do with me, but I nod anyway.

  “I want you there.”

  That doesn’t sound like fun. Again, I give a half-interested tilt of my head.

  Phoenix’s gaze sweeps the room behind me. “You think we’ve got the right guys in place this year?”

  I don’t have to turn around to know who’s here, or to know that Phoenix isn’t talking about any specific players, rather all of them as a whole. Every single one of my teammates has made it to the room already. I can hear them talking behind me, wondering aloud what’s going on.

  “Yes, sir.”

  I really do think we’re ready. It won’t be easy, no. But I think we’ve learned our lesson from the last couple of years. Granted, I don’t tell Phoenix that. There are some things I know not to share with the higher-ups. They’ll figure it all out on their own.

  “Anyone we should worry about?”

  Again, not my place to make those assessments. I’m a player, first and foremost. I might be the team captain, but the duties associated with that don’t entail determining the readiness of the guys I skate with. I can give my input when necessary, but at this point, I haven’t seen enough to give anything with substance, so I keep my mouth shut.

  Luckily, I don’t have to answer, because Mark shows up at my side requesting to talk to Phoenix for a minute.

  And I take the out as soon as it’s presented to me.

  Noelle

  AH, CRAP.

  No two ways about it, I’m going to have to call Ellie back. From the minute I walked into the Penalty Box, Chef Diva has been whining about not having those damn chicken wings he told me he needed on Friday. I know Ellie ordered them because she told me she did.

  Of course, I placated the man, ensuring him I would call her. Only, the second I got her on the phone, Lance started throwing shit around in the kitchen, and I had to let her go. Now that customers are coming in, I’m having to balance doing two things at once, plus keeping Lance from scaring off all the customers.

  One time, the crazy man actually came out of the kitchen wielding two giant knives. He didn’t say anything, but I think he was trying to intimidate. Thankfully, I speak his kind of crazy and talked him off that ledge. I think it had something to do with French fries that time. Seriously, the man is warped.

  Like I’m one to talk. I am the one who’s got empty space in my closet for a man who doesn’t even exist.

  I shake off that thought. Being that I’m the only waitress until noon, I know I have to hurry.

  It would be so much easier if Ellie were here so she could handle the problem, but she’s not, and I don’t have time to go digging through the mess on her desk to find the invoice. I’m sure it’s there, but honestly, sometimes it’s simply more fun to wake her up. Since she works the late shift, she usually doesn’t go to sleep until after Bianca goes to school. Which means Ellie’s probably been in bed for about three hours now.

  She’s going to be grummm-py.

  I dial my phone as I wander through the restaurant, glancing at all the empty tables, making sure they’ve been wiped down completely. I’m lucky that we only have about four groups here. In a few minutes, that’ll probably triple.

  Ellie’s scratchy voice greets me. “What’s up?”

  I smile to myself and opt for a little white lie. “Sorry ’bout that. We’re slammed. And I’m so, so sorry for calling and waking you up.” We’re not slammed, nor am I sorry. I do this to her all the time. She loves me for it.

  “No problem.”

  Liar, liar, pants on fire.

  “Where’s the extra chicken wings that you ordered on Friday? I thought they were supposed to be delivered today?”

  “I have no idea. I’m not there.”

  “Well, no shit. And neither is the chicken. Lance is freaking out.” Which is a complete understatement. Sometimes I wonder why Ellie likes the guy so much. Sure, he can cook, but so can a lot of other people. And they wouldn’t spend half the day pouting about it.

  “I really don’t know. It’s supposed to be there by now. Do you want me to come in and check on it?”

  Ha! As if. “God, no. I know how you are when you haven’t had any sleep. It ain’t pretty.”

  “The invoice is on my desk. Just give them a call. They’re really good about responding.”

  “Okay. That’s what I needed. Now go back to sleep while I continue dodging Lance as best I can. But if we don’t have wings for the evening crowd, he’s gonna go apeshit.” Hopefully I won’t have to dodge anything. He’s prone to throwing food, too. French fries, to be exact. He launches them like little spears. I took one in the eye once.

  “Send one of the guys over to Costco. They can grab enough to make it through the day.”

  Well, hell. Why didn’t I think about that? “Good idea.”

  “Oh, and remind me to tell you about Bianca’s hair.” Ellie’s words are accompanied by a mean yawn.

  I fight the urge to ask her to tell me now. What in the world did she do to her hair? Bianca? That’s got to be a good story. Instead of harassing her, I say, “Will do. Night.”

  Pocketing my phone, I head down the hall to Ellie’s office. I flip on the light, and sure enough, there’s the invoice right on top. I actually laugh. Hey, it’s amusing. It’s a good thing Ellie loves me. Otherwise, she would probably fire me. Or try to anyway.

  I’d just keep coming back and she knows it.

  Noelle’s Journal

  Dear Universe,

  I was thinking about the fact that I like to give Ellie a hard time. I promise, she loves me. No reason for her to figure my relationship with you. Not right now anyway. Thanks.

  4

  Spencer

  IT IS ABSOLUTELY SAFE TO say that this day is not going at all the way I would’ve expected it to. For one, I spent an hour in a room listening to Phoenix drone on and on about how he envisions this season going. Sure, we deserve to get our asses handed to us. We’ve been an embarrassment for quite some time now. I fully agree with Phoenix’s opening statement:

  I’m going to get right to the point. I get it. No one’s perfect, shit happens, it’s not what it looks like, and all that bullshit. I’ve heard it all, as have you, so I’m not gonna stand up here and reprimand you like a bunch of fucking five-year-olds. You’re grown men. Man up and own your shit. It’s your responsibility.

  He probably could’ve left it at that, but no, he continued on until someone was snoring in the back. I didn’t look, didn’t even want to know.

  Somehow, I managed to make it through that meeting without falling asleep, only to have Phoenix hold me back when he said he wanted to talk to Rush. I now know why he told me he wanted me to be a part of it. Apparently, he fucking wanted me to be a part of it.

  It wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. Kingston probably appreciated me being there to have his back. The guy has put up with this bullshit for long enough. The chick who claimed he hit her after a round of horizontal mattress surfing was a lying, conniving bitch. I know it. No way would Rush do something like that. The question is, why would this woman lie? And who is going to figure that out
?

  So, of course, I sat there listening while the rest of the room—Phoenix, Coach, Amber, Mark, Tarik, and one of the team’s lawyers—all worked on a way to make this go away as quickly as possible. With the season starting, the press is already working the story in an effort to heat things up. It’s a hot topic.

  Which is how I got to right here.

  At some point during the conversation, I came up with an idea. Whether it was a good idea or a bad one is still up in the air. I’m not exactly sure what prompted me to open my big-ass mouth, but I’m fairly certain I pimped out my sister to my best friend. Or vice versa. I don’t know. What I do know is that coming face-to-face with Amber North again this morning was a shock to my system that I damn sure don’t need.

  That doesn’t excuse my actions, by any means. However, it does mean I should probably give my sister a heads-up.

  I stop outside the door and grab my phone from my pocket. I need to let Ellie know we have to talk. I’m sure she’s asleep since she doesn’t have to be at work until four, so I shoot her a quick text to say that I’ll be stopping by the bar later.

  “Hey, Optimus!” I turn around at the sound of my nickname to find Phoenix standing at the doors to the conference room. “We’re not done here.”

  I glance down the hallway in the opposite direction, the direction Kingston disappeared only a moment ago.

  Shit.

  I’m currently rolling solo, so it looks as though I can’t get out of this.

  “You want me to get someone else?” I offer, hoping he’ll send me on an errand. Any errand. I don’t mind fetching people, especially when it looks as though Phoenix’s interest is in me and not any of my teammates.

  “Nope. Not looking for anyone else.”

  Yeah. That’s what I thought.

  Pivoting on my heel, I go back down the hall and join Phoenix. I really want to get out on the ice, but it looks as though that’s not on my agenda. At least not for the morning. “Yes, sir?”

  “Come back in. It’s your turn.”

  What the hell? “My turn?”

  With his arms still crossed, Phoenix steps out of the way and gives me enough space to pass by him. As soon as I’m in the room, he closes the door and I notice the group has dwindled some. Coach, Kingston, and Mark Coleman are absent. However, Phoenix’s legal sidekick, Tarik, and Amber are still sitting at the table, all three of them raptly focused on me.

  This can’t be good.

  I do my best not to look at Amber. Earlier, during the discussion with Kingston, I noticed a little hostility coming from her. I get why I’m angry with her, but I have no idea why she could possibly be upset with me. She’s the one who left me a voice mail telling me we were better off ending things before they got too serious.

  At the time, I was of the mindset that things had already passed serious and were getting closer to forever. I was clearly wrong. When I attempted to get her to explain, Amber ignored my calls and then finally sicced her father on me. Being that I was up north, it wasn’t like I could run over and see her, either. I only attempted to do a face-to-face once. Christmas, I’m pretty sure. I didn’t get past her father that time, either.

  Phoenix nods toward an empty chair. “Have a seat.”

  It’s not a request, it’s an order, so I sit.

  “You heard me talking about the fans earlier,” he prompts.

  “Yes, sir.” The man fully believes, as do I, that the fans are the most important people in our world. If it weren’t for them, we would be nothing more than ice dancers with sticks and gloves. He didn’t say that exactly, but that’s how I took it.

  “And you know that one of the best ways to engage the fans is to give back to the community.”

  I nod, wondering where he’s going with this.

  “Being that you’re the captain of this team, it’s especially important that you participate in the efforts to raise money for the Austin Arrows Foundation,” Phoenix explains.

  I already know this, so I sit still, staring at him.

  “It was brought to my attention that, for the last few years, although you met the minimum requirements by showing up at most of the events, you didn’t follow through. I get that you have a responsibility to the team, but that responsibility extends to the fans and the charities that we support. It was noted that you snuck out of most, if not all, of your engagements as soon as you could.” Phoenix frowns. “This is all hearsay, so if you’d like to plead your case and tell me this isn’t true, I’ll gladly hear you out. And then I’ll address the issue on the other side.”

  The inability to lie to the people I respect most can be a serious fucking nuisance at times. Like right now. Especially since everything Phoenix said is true.

  “No, sir.”

  His frown deepens. “That sort of behavior is unacceptable. You’re a valued member of this team. The fans and the media look to you to be a spokesperson for this organization. Ducking out on those responsibilities doesn’t work for me.”

  Shit.

  I should’ve known this would come up eventually. Unfortunately, Phoenix is right, but I don’t think he’ll believe my reasons if I tell him. I guess I should take it as a good thing that he’s willing to give me a reprieve. It’s also a good thing that I don’t tell him how much I detest the social engagements and that sneaking out is my only option. Clearly I haven’t perfected my disappearing act as much as I thought. I’m thinking I need to work on that some.

  Rather than defend my actions, I nod my understanding.

  “I’m putting you and Amber in charge of the charity drives for this season. You will be the face of the Austin Arrows Foundation. You will be front and center at every single event … food drives, teddy bear drives, military appreciation. Amber can field the press and work with the groups who want to partner with us. She can help to schedule the events, and she can ensure you’re aware of where you need to be, what you need to do, and when.”

  I want to interrupt, but I manage to bite my tongue.

  “I know you can’t be everywhere at once. You can work with Amber to select which players you want to help out with the literacy programs and whatnot, but I expect you to be involved every step of the way. I want you to have your hand in all the pies. And most importantly, I want this year’s charity donations to be double what they were last year. And that’s the metric I’ll use to gauge your progress.”

  Fuck.

  That isn’t going to be easy considering we’re lacking support because of our actions.

  “As you’re well aware, my wife is focusing her efforts on suicide prevention. Her father took his own life, which makes this cause very important to her. And since this team has dealt with that firsthand, I want us to ramp up our efforts in that area. You’ll be working with Mia and Amber on how to make that happen. Do you have any questions?”

  I have a fucking ton of questions, none of which will paint me in a better light, so I shake my head. I’ll have time to formulate my case later. Until then, it probably isn’t wise to tell the owner of the team that the mere thought of being out in the public like that sends me into a panic. It’s true, though. It’s hard enough to deal with a handful of fans one on one, or a half dozen reporters shoving their microphones in my face, but I somehow manage. But put me in a room with a bunch of people, send me up on a stage to speak in public… You’re seriously asking for disaster.

  I glance over at Amber.

  It looks as though she’s biting her tongue and I have to wonder why. Was she as surprised by this as I was? Or is the mere thought of having to work side by side with me making her scowl?

  I hope like hell it isn’t the latter or this is going to be a long fucking season.

  Noelle

  OVER THE COURSE OF ANY given day, there is usually an overabundance of entertainment. I’m used to it. Hell, I’d go so far as to say I thrive on it. T
oday isn’t an exception. In fact, today is freaking fabulous because the entertainment is being provided by none other than my best friend’s brother. Based on his tone, I’m pretty sure he’s come up with a way to stop world hunger.

  “Let’s just say, speculation has reared its ugly head once again, and the media is in a frenzy. In order to quell that particular story, we need a distraction.”

  Okay, not as broad an issue as world hunger, but definitely something that intrigues me. The moment I hear Spencer’s voice, I know I need to interfere. It’s what I do.

  “And that means what to me?” Ellie questions.

  “I’ll do it!” I announce, coming up behind Ellie, noticing both Spencer and Kingston sitting at the bar, staring at Ellie.

  I’m going to refer to them as the somber set. At least today. There’s a lot of serious and even more disbelief, which is what I refer to as opportunity. Score.

  “You don’t even know what they want,” Ellie says, rolling her eyes.

  I smile to myself. “Doesn’t matter. Hot hockey players asking for favors … I’m in,” I tease, coming to stand beside my best friend. “So, what’s the favor?” I mimic the somber tone as I glance from Spencer to Kingston, then back. Screw somber. This is going to be fun. “Please, please, please tell me it requires some sort of kinky sexual position between the two of you.”

  I feel Ellie go still beside me.

  Noelle: one. Ellie: zero.

  I love tormenting her, and I know when it comes to Kingston Rush, that’s not all that hard. I do it so often it’s a wonder everyone in the world hasn’t caught on to the secret. Especially her brother. If he knows that my girl harbors some serious lust for the goalie god, he manages to hide it well.

  I glance over at Spencer, admiring him for a moment. The man is ridiculously attractive. With his slightly spikey brown hair, sparkling eyes that change from light brown to dark depending on his mood, all that scruffy facial hair that covers his jaw, lip, and chin, plus a body that should never, ever, ever have clothes covering it … he’s delicious.