Page 121 of The Hat Trick

I shake my head. “No, I think it’s going to be a clarification meeting and then telling us not to fuck up again.”

We walk silently for a few more steps before he speaks up again, “You talk to her?”

“No.”

“Me either, well, I tried. She hasn’t responded.”

I’m not surprised he tried. He’s head over heels for her, and I can’t help but feel a sense of guilt that it’s partly my fault he can’t have her. They would’ve been a happy normal couple. Just them. Then, I came in and despite Dumont saying he’s okay with it, I will always feel the looming guilt that I’m the biggest reason he lost her.

I couldn’t just deny him and let them be alone. I continued it. He should hate me.

“I’ll see you later,” I mumble as we go our separate ways to our cars. I can’t talk to him right now. Not with the spiral I’m on knowing this is all my fault.

I feel the loss of control nipping at me in the back of my mind and I need to do something to gain it back. Always in control. Always calm. Always the one everyone looks to for help. I drive home to obsessively clean both my body and my house until the meeting, needing the semblance of control. But it doesn’t help. By the time I’m leaving again I don’t feel better, and I still feel myself spinning, but I pretend it’s all okay and head to my GM’s office.

I arrive before Dumont and McQuaid because I’m a few minutes early. Deciding to head in to see if I can get ahead of the conversation before the other two arrive, our GM, Ronald lets me in.

“Brent Collee, good to see you,” he greets. He’s always been nice to me. I mean he’s the man who signs my paychecks and as long as I give him a winning team, he doesn’t have much to complain about. Except when my unique relationship takes over gossip sites, apparently.

“You too, sir, I know you wanted to meet with all three of us, but figured I could take the brunt of this conversation before they get here.” I sit in the chair on the other side of his desk.

“Already getting ready to take over as captain, aren’t you?” he chuckles.

“Always, sir.”

“Well, look, I really just wanted to ask you three what the article was about? I don’t like scandals with my team and that seemed like it could lead to a big one. So, tell me the truth and then we can all move on.”

I consider lying, I really do. It would be easier to just deny the whole thing and hope the other two do the same. I know that in the long run that isn’t the best, and I know how it looks already. So, even though it’s going to be a difficult conversation, I go with the truth.

“The truth is, Dumont started dating the girl that was mentioned and McQuaid and I also became involved with her. But it was all transparent. No drama and all consensual.”

I see the flicker of shock on Ron’s face, either from my honesty or from the situation. Just then, Dumont arrives and plops down in another chair, and McQuaid wasn’t far behind him.

“Let me get this straight,” Ron says, addressing all of us. “You all were in a relationship with this girl, and everyone was okay with it?”

Dumont looks at me, clearly shocked I told the truth and McQuaid looks smug as shit, like always.

“Yes sir,” I say when no one speaks up.

He sighs, running his hand over his face. “Gentleman, I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve heard a lot of shit from players over the years. A lot of different scandals needing to be dealt with. This is a first.”

I hide my wince because I don’t think this is going to go well. None of us say anything as he continues.

“I also think that what you do in the bedroom should be your own goddamn business and that other people shouldn’t get a say in it. If it doesn’t negatively affect your game performance, cause harm, or cost me money, it shouldn’t matter.”

My jaw drops. I see Dumont look as shocked as me. McQuaid looks like he’s trying to hold back a laugh.

“With the way the team has been playing, it seems like it hasn’t done any of that, other than some PR coverup. Do what you want to do, just try to keep it out of the media, how about that?”

We all nod in agreement, and just like that the meeting is over. Despite the slight change in mood from the three of us knowing we aren’t in trouble. There’s still a lingering disappointment because no matter what we’ve already lost the girl, and I don’t think we will be getting her back.

I head home, barely feeling any lighter and decide to work out until I am drenched in sweat again before dragging my ass into the shower and to bed, knowing the next stretch of games are going to be even more difficult to get through. The only motivation I have anymore is not letting others down. Because I couldn’t care less about doing anything for myself anymore.

41

Part of me thought once the media shit was taken care of, and Ron telling us to keep it that way, that would be the end of this nightmare. I should’ve known better and that my dad would be coming out of the shadows again to ruin everything once more.

When his name lights up my phone I don’t answer. Nothing he’s going to say is going to help my mood. I’ve been doing my best to be focused on hockey, practice, the gym, and games. That’s it, that’s my life. As much as I want to deny that Chandler meant something to me, she did and losing her has been a constant kick in the junk. And it’s not getting better. Which only makes me more pissed off.

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