Page 53 of Going All In

That was before she’d pushed him away and jumped up like someone had dumped spiders down the back of her shirt.

“Jake,” Ralph said.

He looked up at his agent. “What? I’m focused. Why are we meeting again?”

Ralph sighed like he was put out, like Jake wasn’t paying for his damn breakfast—with a mimosa flight or three.

“Progress report. I’ve got a few decent-sized companies interested in endorsement deals.”

Jake perked up. Endorsements helped bulk up his savings. Hockey wouldn’t last forever. He’d had a few deals in New York, but after the scandal, they’d dropped him immediately. No one wanted to touch the guy who fucked the team owner’s daughter in a bar bathroom.

To be fair, it’d been a really nice bathroom.

“What companies?” he asked.

“Midsized watch company and a Chicago pizza company,” Ralph said. “Not what you used to bring in, but we gotta start somewhere.”

“Send me the stuff and I’ll look it over.”

“How’s everything going with Miss Nerdy? The pictures have looked tame. And the ones from the hospital visits were nice too.”

“Don’t call her that,” Jake bit out.

Ralph leaned back in his chair, placing his hands on his growing gut. “What? Isn’t she finishing up some fancy degree in science or math or something?”

“Yes. Clinical research and epidemiology.”

Ralph laughed. “Yeah. A nerd. And you said that with pride like you’re the one getting the degree. What do you care? Not like you’re really dating her.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to act like a dick about her. She’s a friend.”

“You sure that’s all she is? Don’t get twisted up about her.”

“Watch it, man.” Jake’s fingers itched to punch his agent, and that did not bode well for his current state of mind and how twisted he probably was over Darcy.

“Fine, fine. I won’t tarnish her good name, or whatever. Anyway, keep playing the way you have been and keep your dick out of anyone except her, and hopefully we’ll get the Strikers to offer a big contract. Then you can stop this charade. It must chafe.”

“Thin ice, man. Thin ice,” Jake growled.

“Ahh, you’re sweet on her,” his agent taunted. “Just don’t let her fuck you up.”

If the guy wasn’t good at his job, Jake would’ve laid him out flat.

“We’re done here,” Jake said, pushing back from the table. He threw a few bills down to cover the meal.

“Calm down, Jake. I’m doing my job, and you need to do yours.”

“Rein in the bullshit next time, or I’ll punch you in that new nose of yours.” Jake all but growled before he spun on his heel and walked out of the restaurant.

His agent was a shark and a dick. And until that moment, Jake hadn’t cared.

***

Shit, they weredragging ass right now. It was their second away game on a short four-day road trip. They’d barely squeaked out a win in regulation against Calgary yesterday, and tonight they were losing one to three against Vancouver. It was halfway through the second period and they needed to get their legs under them, and brush off last night’s game.

He already had one penalty tonight for tripping, which even Bugsy said hadn’t been avoidable. But it was still a strike against him in the penalty minutes category. And he was minus for the night after being on the ice for two of Vancouver’s goals.

Now one of Vancouver’s defensemen, a top penalty killer, was sitting in the box for slashing, and Jake was over the boards and on the ice for the power play. He’d recently been added to the power play specialty team, having at least proved himself in that area.

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