Page 37 of Playing to Win

My parents were great—well, the ones who raised me. The only time I wasn’t good after a call with my mom was when I found out about Frank Devereaux. Even the last call about Jayna hadn’t been uncomfortable.

“Can I do anything?” What the hell I could do was a good question, but I had to ask.

She plastered a big, fake smile on her face. “Sure. My parents would like to come see one of your games, if you can swing some tickets.”

I opened my mouth to assure her I would, but could I? I’d just played—well, been on the roster—for my second game, and I had no idea if I could get tickets. Probably. Maybe? But that fake smile on Jayna’s face— Did she want me to say yes? “Do you want me to ask?”

She looked away. “That would be nice.”

“No.”

Her head jerked around to look at me. “What?”

“I said no. I don’t want to get tickets for anyone who upsets you like that.”

“What?” she repeated.

“I don’t know what’s going on with your family, and you don’t have to tell me. But if they treat you like shit, I don’t want to do them any favors.”

She collapsed a bit on the seat. “They don’t treat me like shit. Well, not really.”

“If it makes you feel like that, then maybe it is, really.”

She looked out the window again. Nothing but concrete to see. “I won a gold medal in the Olympics, you know?”

“Yeah, I do. My girlfriend is a pretty awesome hockey player.”

The corner of her mouth ticked up, but only for a moment. “I asked my parents to come to the Olympics, to watch some of my games. I could have got them tickets to the gold medal game.”

I hazarded a guess. “They didn’t come.”

“No, it was a long way, and maybe we wouldn’t win. And besides, the next month they were flying to Europe to see my brother play.”

Her parents said no to the Olympics? What was wrong with them? “They turned it down to see your brother play?”

“Yeah, he plays real hockey.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Men’s hockey. That call was because they wanted to know if I could get them tickets to see real hockey. Since I’m now dating a real hockey player. They’ll fly in, pay for a hotel for a night, because this is what they admire.”

I was angry with them, especially when I could see how much they’d hurt Jayna. But was I in a position to judge? I had mostly ignored women’s hockey and I was a damned hockey player. Still, they should support their daughter.

“Real hockey players are often assholes, so I don’t mind refusing to do anything for them.”

Jayna laughed and turned back to me. “True. But if you can get tickets, please do. I can post some shots with you meeting the parents and that will make our story stronger.”

Right. Our story.Jayna wasn’t here with me because she wanted to be. That reminded me. “My parents want to fly in for a game.”

There was little chance I’d be starting, but I’d be on the ice for warm-ups, I’d be wearing the Blaze jersey, and they’d be watching an NHL game in person. I could spring for tickets and a hotel for them since my salary had bumped up now that I was with the Blaze. If I couldn’t get comp tickets, I’d buy them, no matter the cost.

Jayna flicked back into professional mode. “Did you tell them about us? That we’re not really together?”

Hammer it home there, Jayna. “Yeah. They know why I freaked out in that video, so they knew our story was a cover. But they’ll support us.”

“Are they willing to be in posts on social? It would help.”

I nodded. They’d do whatever it took.

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