Page 2 of Cold as (N)ice

Yeah, being on the North Texas Coyotes meant you had to not only play but keep your reputation clean. No drinking,no gambling, and no womanizing… which was fine with him because they were just drama. Now, things would be entirely different if they said ‘No PlayStation’ because he was addicted to the console. It was how he spent his downtime, kept from blowing all his cash, and truthfully – it was how he kept his house clean.

Barrett was actually a slob, but when you only had a couch, a small sofa table to put your food and drink on, a television, and a bed – it made things easy. Hence, the no need for a maid. Yeah, he liked his privacy, and having some woman dusting around him just made his skin rankle with irritation.

“Let’s go,” Barrett said, brushing off Batiste’s request once more. “And forget it.”

“Think about it,” Batiste practically begged, following behind him as he made his way to the rink where the other team members were waiting. He jerked his helmet on his head, snapping it into place, hoping to cover the mark on his jaw so Thierry didn’t tease him about it. “I need this, and she’s nice, Coeur.”

“Then she’ll have no problem finding a job somewhere else,” he retorted.

“Coeur…”

“We have practice, and we need to focus,” Barrett snapped, feeling pressured. “Drop it, or it’s definitely a ‘no’.”

Several hours later, Barrett was driving his blacked-out Tahoe home when his phone rang. His agent had the best timing sometimes, and while he wasn’t expecting a call, usually it was to announce that he was on television,someone wanted an interview, there was a charity event he wanted him to attend or some other bit of garbage. He wasn’t like some of the other guys and had just lost his endorsement contract because he hated the shoes. He wasn’t going to promote a crappy pair of sneakers if he hated wearing them – period.

“Sup Jimmy…”

“Mon Coeur…”

“Dude, you know that crap creeps me out. I’m not ‘your heart’ – I’m your wallet, remember? Call me Coeur or just Barrett – and leave off the ‘mon coeur’ garbage.”

“It’s funny, and I have news…”

“Then let’s hear it.”

“I might have a bite,” Jimmy said in a voice that was supposed to be intriguing and tantalizing but came off as scummy. His agent really was a creep, which is what made him so freaking good at his job. The man could sniff out money anywhere, from any place.

“Am I hungry?” he joked, playing along.

“How many worms can my favorite little fishie swallow?”

“Seriously? I can eat my weight in gummy worms.”

“More than six figures?” Jimmy whispered – and Barrett missed his exit.

“What?” Barrett immediately asked, not messing around with the cutesy euphemisms. “Who’s offering more than six figures – not that I’m looking – but I’m curious. Who out there in the NHL is wanting to pony-up for a contract when we both know that I’m not the golden child? Who else are they looking at? What’s my competition? Are we talking endorsements, too? Talk to me, Jimmy,” he ordered and heard Jimmy’s satisfied chuckle.

“This is a new team – and things are starting to whisper in the wind,” the man teased excitedly. “Barrett, we’re talking big money, all the endorsements you could want, the works. You’dbe on the starring team, leading the way, and they are willing to shell out the bucks to get you.”

“Who? Who is willing to shell out the bucks – because lemme tell you there are a few teams that I wouldn’t play for… and again – I’m not really looking,” he stressed carefully, pulling off at the next exit and making a U-turn. “I don’t want word of this getting out because I’m happy where I am.”

“They’re offering over a million a year.”

“A year?”

“Yes.”

Barrett cursed under his breath. Okay, that was a lot more than ‘six figures’ that his agent teased at. That was seven figures with a few commas thrown in – and nothing to sneeze at. He pulled over into the parking lot of a shopping mall, needing to focus. He threw the car into park, made sure the doors were locked, and took a deep breath.

“Gimme everything, Jimmy.”

“Quebec is launching a new NHL team – and they are looking for the best.”

“That’s not me…”

“They want you. They asked for you by name. Barrett, they are looking to hit the ground running and setting up a lineup for the Cup…”

“Are you freakin’ kidding me?”

---