Page 49 of Dump and Chase

“I got traded here and we couldn’t keep the long-distance thing going.”

I continued typing, and when I glanced over at him, I saw he was waiting for an answer. I kind of hoped he’d forget.

“Seven years,” I admitted.

He whistled. “Holy shit! I thought you’d say a couple of years. And he got you this job? Guys don’t usually do that for exes.”

That bugged me. “No, he was a reference. He didn’t get the job.”

“Jim told me he put in a good word for you. Almost held a gun to Allan’s head, is what Jim said.”

I rolled my stool closer to him. “What makes you think Ethan’s got that kind of pull with this team?”

“He’s our top center. He’s probably the top three guys on our team. Of course he’s got pull with our farm team. Just like he can’t wait for the Kodiaks to trade me. I’m sure he’s in our GM’s ear all the time about it. I’m threatening to him.”

Brandon was proving to be a wealth of information despite his inflated ego. “I wasn’t the Ravens’ first choice.”

“Yeah, they hired some shmuck who lasted two days. Jim told me. The second person lasted one afternoon.”

I stopped everything. I think I stopped breathing too. “I was their third choice?”

“Appears so. But if you ask me, you’re one of the best PTs I’ve ever worked with, and I’ve worked with a lot.”

I’d assumed I was the second choice, but the third? That was a massive blow to my ego. “Well, thanks.”

He glanced over at me. “Shit, I shouldn’t have told you that. I figured you knew, that Jim had told you.”

“Jim has a lot to say, but no, it’s news. So much for Ethan having pull, though. You’d think he would have made me their first choice.”

“You would have been my first choice.”

I supposed that was some kind of consolation.

We finished up with a set of new exercises, and when I was done my paperwork, I headed home in the rain. It’d rained for two days.

Ethan was home, playing video games with some of his teammates. I’d forgotten how often he used to do that, something about unwinding. I slipped off my wet shoes and jacket and headed for my bedroom to stew about being the Ravens’ third choice. I must have dozed off because a light knock on the door startled me.

“I was going to make an early dinner. You hungry?” Ethan asked.

I was famished. “Yeah.”

“How does my special mac and cheese sound?”

My stomach rumbled at the thought. “Fantastic.” Ethan made a mean mac and cheese.

Half an hour later I was eating a bowl full of gooey mac and cheese while he ate brown rice, steamed broccoli, and what looked like the most unseasoned chicken breast I’d ever seen. He’d allowed himself a small scoop of mac and cheese.

“You’re not running yourself ragged, are you?” he asked. He was being delicate about it, and I appreciated that.

“Nah. I take breaks, eat well, keep hydrated … I just had a rough day.”

“Do you want to share?”

I’d stuffed a spoonful of mac and cheese into my mouth so I waited until I swallowed. “Did you know I was the Ravens’ third choice?”

“I had no idea. I figured you were the second based on when you got the job.”

“I was their freaking third choice!”

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