Page 15 of Cold as (N)ice

“Now hang on…”

“Barrett, this is the chance of a lifetime,” Jimmy pleaded, but there was something else there – something not being said.

“It sounds too good to be true, so what is the catch?”

“They love your image, your reputation, the way you hold yourself on the ice, but…”

And Barrett braced himself for the letdown. There was always something, some catch, some exclusion. No one got carte blanche – there was always some clause. There was with the Coyotes when he signed with them, but that ‘catch’ was exceedingly easy to adhere to.

“They want to push a clean, wholesome team, with the wholefamilyimage,” Jimmy hesitated. “They are only signing married men so there is less chance of there being some terrible scandal that will ruin the image they are trying so hard to create in secret. So, I don’t suppose you have a girlfriend lurking in a closet somewhere – do you? Just lock that female down and put a ring on…”

Barrett hung up – and called back not two seconds later.

“Jimmy, marriage? …Seriously?”

“Mon Coeur, think of the money. You could have it all, everything, and they are giving you so much to take this chance… plus – and you did not here this from me – but your buddy Keith Boucher, just accepted a contract. You won’t be alone up there.”

“What?!”he screeched in disbelief.

“The heat the Coyotes are putting on him about that kerfuffle on social media, yes, well, I don’t think that little stunt that you all are trying to arrange…”

“How did you…?” Barrett whispered, shocked to his core. His agent knew they were working on a plan to get some of the social media heat off of his teammate, Boucher, after that last scandal hit the internet.

“I know every fish that swims in my oceans, boy – and don’t you ever forget it,” Jimmy laughed manically. “Remember when I told you I was the shark to your whale?”

“Yeah?”

“The ‘whale’ is your wallet now… and I’m your personal financial shark, Jaws. Now, find yourself a female –doesn’t matter who– and marry her. Pick a house, sign the documents I’m sending you right now, and let’s both go to the bank before someone else takes your spot.”

“But…”

“Barrett, so help me, if you back out of this deal –your next one won’t be brokered by me!”Jimmy said bluntly, taking him by surprise.

First of all, Jimmy never called him by his first name. It was always that insidious ‘Mon Couer’ that annoyed him – and secondly, he’d never been threatened before, making him wonder if he put everything on the line assuming he would jump at the chance.

“Let me look at the files tonight,” he said simply.

“If you need something, tell me. I’m here for you.”

“C-Can you see if…” Barrett hesitated, feeling the lump in his throat as the idea hit him right between the eyes. “Can you see if there is a school for the deaf near one of those homes – a school that speaks English?”

“Can you run that past me again? I’m not sure that I heard you correctly… did you just ask me to find aschool for the deaf– in Quebec? Like wavy-finger-stuff and…”

“Just find out and email me the information,” Barrett snapped angrily, cutting off the obnoxious man as he rubbed his hands over his face. The pressure of this entire conversation was getting to him. “Let me see what I can do – because if this falls apart, it’s not just you. It’s me too. I’ll end up blacklisted, married, unemployed, and without a manager.”

“I’m glad we understand each other. I’ll be talking to you soon.”

“I suppose so.”

Barrett hung up the phone and screamed angrily at the dash, pounding on the steering wheel like a toddler throwing a tantrum, for about twenty seconds flat, before sucking in several deep breaths that were enough to make his cheeks puff up and hollow with the effort exerted.

He was angry and felt trapped, plus he was pretty sure what Irene’s reaction would be. It was a heckuva lot to swallow.

Marriage…

Moving…

A new city – a new team?

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