Page 23 of One Last Puck

A familiar voice had me looking up to see Brooklyn Warhawks wide receiver, Braelon Jackson, making his way tothe empty seat next to Faye. One thing people couldn’t see when watching these types of shows on the television was the amount of parlaying that went on during the commercial breaks and shit. Between niggas shooting their shot and people trying to get autographs, it was like damn musical chairs.

A twinge of annoyance shot through me as he settled next to her. His eyes roamed her body. Braelon and I weren’t best friends, but he was cool with my homie Kellon, so we’d been around each other a few times. I’d seen him in action enough to know he was over here to flirt. I bit my bottom lip as I watched them out the corner of my eye. I didn’t know what he was saying, but Faye’s entire face lit up. She was flirting with this nigga in front of me like I wasn’t digging in her guts less than twelve hours ago.

My jaw tightened as I sat there trying to mask my irritation. Being jealous was uncharted territory for me. I didn’t get jealous because I didn’t catch feelings. About Faye, though, I wanted to put this nigga’s head in the back of that auditorium seat. I couldn’t do that, though. I was a professional, and Faye wasn’t officially mine yet.Fuck! Are you crashing out over a girl you just met?

I redirected my focus to the stage as the host announced the next set of presenters, but every time I tried to focus on the show, this nigga leaned in to flirt with her some more. His ass needed to fucking go back to his seat.

Leaning forward, I turned my head in his direction.

“Braelon!” I called out, making sure he could see me. “This me,” I mouthed in his direction, letting him know to get the fuck on. Braelon sat up. His eyes grew big, and a silly smirk formed on his face.

“My bad, Jax. I didn’t know…” His words trailed off as a staff member approached us.

“You’re on next,” he said. Lafayette and I stood up together.

The staff member ushered her to the back, and I followed, but not before shooting Braelon another mug. His pretty boy ass needed to stay away from what was mine, or what was going to be mine. I turned my attention forward, watching Faye’s ass jiggle the entire way through the auditorium until we made it backstage.

“This is where you’ll enter from. Walk to the X on the floor and read the prompter,” we were instructed.

“Oh my God! I’m about to present at the EPIC Awards.”

“You got this,” I said as our names were announced.

“Presenting the award for Athlete of the Year is last year’s UHL finals MVP, Jaxton Saint, and this year’s Rep Your Podcast winner, Lafayette Porter.”

We walked onto the stage hand in hand as thunderous applause rang out through the auditorium.

“Good evening, everyone! I’m Jaxton Saint, and if you didn’t already know, I’m the guy who’s been pucking around all season.” I read the corny line into the microphone, making the crowd giggle.

“And I’m Lafayette Porter, host ofThe Porter Report. In short, I won a contest to stand next to a superstar! Dreams really do come true, huh?”

“I guess they do. Tell me, Lafayette. Do you have any experience standing next to a professional?”

“Well, I figured if I could keep up with my podcast listeners, I could keep up with a professional hockey player.”

“Fair point.” I chuckled. “And speaking of staying on our toes, the incredible athletes we’re here to honor tonight have demonstrated what it means to excel in their sport, pushing boundaries and inspiring millions.”

“Here are your nominees for Athlete of the Year.”

Faye directed the audience’s attention to the big screen, and I stared at her in awe. She was a natural. The stage lights onlymade her shine more. The nominee video wrapped up, and we turned back to the prompter to announce the category winner.

“And the winner is…” I said, reading off the screen.

Applause rang out, and Faye ripped open the envelope.

“Kellon Barnes of the Super Bowl champions, the Brooklyn Warhawks!”

Cheers and applause rang out as Kellon made his way to the stage. His pregnant wife and what appeared to be his entire team were beside him. Pride shot through me. Kellon and I had gone to the same college back in the day. It felt good to see him shining. He took hold of the microphone.

“Wow! Thank you so much for this incredible honor! I’m truly grateful to be recognized alongside so many amazing athletes. First, I want to thank my teammates for their dedication. We work hard together. We grind. This award isn’t just about me. It reflects what we do together. A special thank you to my amazing wife, Phileigh. Your support means everything to me, baby. You are my rock, my person. You have helped to make me whole, and I couldn’t do this without you.”

My eyes drifted over to Lafayette, who was watching with a content smile on her face. Something about Kellon’s words had me picturing her standing by my side, sporting a baby bump when I finally got my big win. I was down bad.

“And to the fans, Hawks Nation, thank you for believing in us and cheering for us. Here’s to a three-peat!” Kellon finished his speech, and we all exited the stage together, making our way backstage.

The air was full of excitement as the crews ran around like crazy, preparing to wrap up the show.

“Aye, bro, congratulations!” I dapped up my nigga Kellon. His ass practically glowed as he hugged his wife. “I’m proud of you, nigga!”

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