Chapter 11
Jake
Cal’s about to finish his second cup of coffee and our breakfast hasn’t even come yet. I’m scrolling through the middle of the night texts Hailey sent me last night, each one making me cringe harder than the last.
Text me back boo
I miss u
Where are u?????
Are u ignoring me?
Jake I miss u so bad…txt me pls
Cal’s been my agent for two years, and we hang out often. He doesn’t get offended by me checking my phone.
“I agree with all your comments on the contract,” he says, sliding his coffee mug to the edge of the table as our waitress passes.
She refills it and he immediately takes a sip.
“Do they just have great coffee, or do you have a problem?” I ask.
Cal shrugs. “Both.”
I sigh heavily, Hailey’s texts still on my mind. “I need to talk to you about something.”
“Shit.” Cal rubs his shiny bald head, his nervous habit. Dude’s only about forty, but he shaves it. “I know that tone.”
“What tone?”
“That was the same tone you used when you told me about taking a shit in Lancaster’s equipment bag. And when you got busted with your face under a woman’s skirt at the Hockey with Heart fundraiser.”
I shrug. “We were just sneaking off for a quickie. I had no idea that photographer followed us.”
Buying those photos had cost me. Cal had a point, it was bad for my image to be caught getting ass at the biggest NHL fundraiser of the year. Worse since I’d just met the woman at the bar fifteen minutes before the photos were taken.
But the Lancaster thing I have no remorse about. The guy is a douche of the highest order. He was the captain of an opposing team at the time, and he made a pass at one of my teammate’s wives. Then he ran his mouth on the ice about her wanting to suck his rod.
It wasn’t actually my shit, it was my teammate Konstantin’s. Not that I wouldn’t have done it, I just didn’t have the urge when we snuck into their locker room while they warmed up. But it seemed only right for the team captain to take responsibility when we got caught.
“And those things both happened more than a year ago,” I tell Cal.
He gives me a wry smile. “Are you saying you’re due for a fuckup?”
“I keep your job more interesting, man.”
“You keep my life more interesting, Jake. I’m just a boring married guy.”
Cal married his longtime partner, Denny, last year in the Bahamas. He’s the only openly gay agent representing anyone in the league. Not that it matters to me. I hired him for his skills. We’ve become close friends since, though. Hell, I was his best man at his wedding. And if anyone gives him shit, they’re asking for trouble with me, too.
“This one’s pretty bad,” I admit, finishing my coffee.
The waitress delivers our food and refills my cup. I have a few bites of my omelet before continuing.
“I made out with a woman at a bar a few weeks ago. It was nothing, man—nothing. Just kissing and over the clothes groping. She bit my dick and I wasn’t letting her anywhere near it after that.”
“Bit it?” Cal’s mouth falls open with shock. “Bit? Through your clothes?”
I look side to side to make sure no one can hear. “Yeah. Said she was hungry for sausage. So fucked up. I got out of there fast, but she forced her number on me. I never called.”
“Okay.” Cal’s measured damage-control tone instills confidence.
“I didn’t know who she was. If I’d known—”
“Just say it, Jake.”
“Hailey Hampton.”
Cal shakes his head.
“I know.”
“Damn it, Jake,” he says softly.
“Yeah.” I sigh deeply. “So a couple weeks went by and she went crying to her father, who told Gene to bench me until they can dump me.”
“Bench you? And dump you? You’re his star center.”
“Gene talked him down. Told him there had to be some mistake. So guess who I’m now ‘dating’?” I use air quotes for emphasis and Cal cringes.
“Are you serious?”
“Unfortunately, I am.”
“Has she been hungry for sausage again?”
I glare at him. “She’s never getting near my crotch again.”
“She’ll expect to if you’re dating.”
“I’ll have to find a way to work around that.”
“Tell her you have an STD.”
I groan. “Not happening. Shit like that gets around.”
“No way she’ll believe you’re waiting for marriage.” Cal laughs heartily.
“Yeah, that’s…unlikely. And what makes it even worse is that I met someone I really do want to date. Gene told me no other women while I’m pretending to date Hailey, but…”
“But you’re gonna dig your hole deeper and do it anyway?”
“I have to, Cal. There’s something about her.”
He finishes off his third cup of coffee. “Does she know about Hailey?”
“No. I just barely convinced her to go out with me, I can’t drop that on her.”
Cal’s lips quirk with amusement. “Barely convinced her?”
I give him a sheepish grin. “For some reason she’s under the impression I’m a narcissistic playboy.”
“Imagine that. But usually your seven-figure salary and washboard abs make the panties hit the floor anyway.”
I laugh. “Not Miranda’s. She doesn’t put up with any bullshit. I don’t think she dates much. Probably because she’s working two jobs and going to school.”
“How old is she?”
“A guy in the kitchen at the Dupont told me she’s twenty-five.”
“How does he know?”
“She works in housekeeping there.”
“You’re trying to get with your hotel maid?”
I shake my head. “It’s not like that. I really like her. So much that I almost didn’t ask her out.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want her to get hurt.”
“You don’t really like her if you’re already thinking of hurting her.”