Page 16 of Cold as (N)ice

He understood the request completely because a lot of teams were making the changes trying to increase their presence, pushing the whole ‘role model’ image, and it was working. The Coyotes did it five years ago and filled arenas ever since the changes had been enacted. No, he needed to look at the contracts, the information sent over to him, and calm down sohe could think logically about this before he put his foot in his mouth.

Dialing, he called Batiste.

“Allo?”

“Hey – what school does Irene’s kid go to?”

“Why?”

“Can you just answer a question without asking another one,froggie?” Barrett bit out – only to be greeted by a string of foul terms, in French, as his friend and teammate called him things that would make a nun blush. In fact, he held the phone from his ear and stared at it in surprise before wincing and returning it to his head.

“You could have just called me agrostête ‘du cochonagain, Batiste. I swear, if I had feelings, one of them would have been hurt by that potty mouth.”

“Like you teasing Thierry and calling the man ‘Fat Clairol’ to ‘is face…”

“He loves me,” Barrett shrugged, chuckling at the memory.

“I don’t know why…”

“Me neither,” Barrett grinned. “Now, can you give me the name of the school, or should I pester Irene again – who, by the way – is in a really foul mood.”

“Did you piss ‘er off?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Ah.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Nothing…. Ah, ‘ere is thel’ecole.”

“Text it to me please – and tell Coach I’m gonna be ten or twenty minutes late because of a charity event.”

“Eh? What charity event…?”

Barrett hung up the phone – and chuckled.

“Time to be ‘charitable’,” he smirked, turning right. Clicking on his phone, he made another phone call and glanced at hiswatch. Hearing the surprised voice answer, he launched into his spiel.

“Mike – Barrett Coeur of the Coyotes – get in your car right now and listen to me very carefully…” he ordered immediately, his mind focused on a new course of action.

Fifteen minutes later, Barrett grabbed a box of Coyotes hats, T-shirts, and all the swag gear he kept in his vehicle for anyone that happened to stop him while he was out and about in town. It was about making a good name for yourself, keeping the public happy, and spreading that sense of wonder to any potential fans.

If he got noticed, he always had something to give away. If Barrett went to the grocery, he couldn’t wear his favorite baseball cap… he would always don another prepared to give it away. If he wore a T-shirt, he slung a jersey over it or another T-shirt. Your presence was your brand – and he believed that with everything in him.

“May I help you, sir?” a woman said immediately as he buzzed the callbox on the school doors.

“Barrett Coeur of the North Texas Coyotes here to speak to Stephen Kanen’s classroom…” he began and was quickly interrupted as the door buzzed.

“The deaf kid with the interpreter?” the woman balked, walking out of the office to meet them – and he gave her a stern frown.

“I’m gonna forget you just said that,” Barrett said openly, not bothering to hesitate in his displeasure. “This is a school, and unless you want to have the news accidently recording yousaying insensitive garbage like that…” he drew out pointedly, letting the silence give off the desired effect. “Now, point me in the direction, please?”

“Do you have an appointment? You’ll have to sign in and…”

“Fine,” he replied, cutting her off and quickly signing the clipboard before slapping a ‘Hello-My-Name-Is’ sticker on his chest obediently as the reporter jogged up to the school. Yes, with several seconds of Barrett telling her how this was going to happen, Mike gawking at him, and the woman sputtering… within minutes, they were standing in the hallway, directly in front of the classroom door.

Barrett swallowed back his nerves. He truly hated speaking, but this wasn’t about him. It was for Stephen – and whatever turds were bullying a very cool kid he liked and knew.

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