Page 93 of Playing to Win

Whether they did or not, I needed to plan for a future without them.

“Now, for Tempo’s next project,” Faith said.

A buzzer announced the arrival of the food, so we had to wait for whatever Faith had in mind. I was cautiously optimistic. Online job sites hadn’t helped yet, but maybe she knew someone. She had a lot of connections in the world of hockey.

Cooper kept a strict diet since he was in the playoffs, but the rest of us enjoyed wine and the less nutritious side of North American-style Chinese food. I wished Braydon was here, but maybe he was right about sorting this out on my own.

When we were done eating, Hunter took the dirty plates and leftovers to store away while Faith grabbed her notepad again, now slightly spattered with sauces. “Before we tell you some ideas we came up with, will you tell us what you want to do?”

I studied the wine in my glass, light reflecting off the red surface. I swirled it, breaking up the reflection. “What I’d like to do without worrying about the cost of living in Toronto and other expensive places where there are actual jobs?” There had been ideas percolating in the back of my head, but they weren’t practical. Not the kind of thing that could pay the rent.

“Exactly.”

“I love hockey, and I like talking about it—posting and interacting and promoting it to people. But everyone knows the NHL, and too many people think that’s all that really counts in hockey. If I didn’t have to worry about paying the rent and supporting my lingerie habit…” Cooper’s eyes bugged.Oops, TMI.I’d forgotten about him. My teammates knew my weakness. “I’d like to do the same kind of thing for the types of hockey that people don’t know as well.”

“Like the Bonfire.”

“Women’s hockey doesn’t get a lot of respect, but there’s more than that. Sledge hockey. Blind hockey. I mean, can you imagine playing without full vision? Or being blind and loving hockey and thinking you can never play?”

Faith set down her glass. “That sounds like an incredibly worthwhile way to use your skills.”

“Yeah, but without the support and money professional teams have to pay for someone like me, how could I make a living from that?”

“What if you worked for yourself?”

My head snapped back. “For myself?”

“Your own company, doing the same kind of work you’ve been doing for the Blaze and the Bonfire. You could have some bigger clients who pay more and support your eating and sexy underwear habits, and that would let you do other, more meaningful jobs for smaller clients who couldn’t pay a lot.”

I blinked at her. Where had she come up with this idea? “I hadn’t even thought of that. Wouldn’t it be risky?”

“Tempo, I’ve seen you play. You can handle risk. But if you had a couple of clients ready now to keep you going through the summer, until hockey season starts up again… If you’re working with disadvantaged groups, there might be grants. And, well…”

Faith had thought a lot about this. And she looked…guilty? “What have you done, Faith?”

“I think it’s Cooper’s show now.”

I glared at Faith to let her know I wasn’t letting her off the hook, but Cooper had his phone out again.

“Faith told me about the project Braydon has planned for this summer in Montana, and I spoke to him. It’s also a worthwhile thing.”

“Yeah. I was impressed. It would be good to expand elsewhere, but when it’s just him he can only do so much. Especially if you go far in the playoffs.”

Cooper nodded and relaxed back in his chair. “He spoke to the team when we were on the road. Some of the guys want to do it back where they’re from, but it’s too late for this summer. Still, we’d like to get things set up, get some attention on it.”

I tapped the table. “I see where you’re going with this, but Braydon doesn’t have money.”

“He does now,” Faith said.

“Oh no, I’m not going to be your pity project.”

“Jayna”—I didn’t know if Cooper had ever used my given name before—“if you’re going to work with groups like sledge hockey and blind hockey, you’re going to be some people’s pity projects. That’s how you get them to give you money. Why don’t you wait to hear what we’ve got worked out before you turn it down?”

I crossed my arms and waited.

“Faith spoke to the women’s hockey league office. They could use someone freelance when the Canadian teams are playing. It would be on a contract basis, and won’t start till fall, but you have that in your pocket.”

Working with the women’s teams would be awesome, but that wasn’t a full time job.

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