Page 48 of Power Play Pursuit

“Heck yes it is,” he says, giving me a high-five.

“Let’s go then,” Elizabeth says, her eyes sparkling brighter than ever.

We walk to the arena, blending in with the sea of hockey fans and merchandising vendors outside. No one even spares us a second glance. I guess you wouldn’t expect a hockey player to be walking alongside you on your way to a game—even an injured one.

“Oh, we’re using the players’ entrance,” Richard says with awe as we pass through the first gate using my badge.

It’s strange. I thought I’d feel a weight on my shoulders or a shroud of disappointment coming here tonight, but truth be told, I’m still loving every second.

“You’re getting the VIP treatment tonight.” I smile, leading them toward the second door. There, we meet Clay, the security agent.

“Good to see you, man,” he says to me, shaking my hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Peachy.” I flash a smile. “Should be back on the ice in no time. Coming as a fan today, and I’ve got some friends with me.”

He nods to them in greeting. “Sounds good. Have a good night, folks.”

We continue inside. It’s not as sleek and pretty as the lobby or concourse, but Richard and Pam are all “oh” and “wow” as we make our way through.

We stop by the PR office, where we talk to Jenna and grab the VIP lanyards she set aside for them.

“Do you also want some merch?” she asks, scrutinizing me, as if I’m a disappointment to the brand, only wearing a cap.

I chuckle. “I’m good, but definitely some for our friends.”

“I already have mine,” Elizabeth says, opening her coat to reveal her jersey.

“Okay.” Jenna nods. “Let’s see what we can find.”

We follow after her to a room full of Raptors merch, and she tells Pam and Richard to help themselves to whatever they want. Being modest, they only take a single jersey each, and I grin when I notice it’s mine.

“You should also grab a cap,”I tell Richard. “They’re super comfortable.”

He chuckles, and Jenna hands him one.

“No one else?” She glances at Elizabeth and me.

I roll my eyes. “Fine, give me one of those Raptors pins.”

Jenna’s eyes light up. “The one with the flashing light and sound effect?”

I nod, and Elizabeth chuckles. “Oh, yeah. He needs to work on his raptor call.”

Jenna gives me the pin, and I secure it on my denim jacket. “All right, let’s get this show on the road.”

We continue our tour through the event level, and I have to stop every five seconds to say hello or chat with people. Most of them texted me this past week, but it’s nice to see their faces again, and to know that they're genuinely happy to see me.

Finally, we reach a corner, and I stop. “I’ll be right back. Can you guys wait here?”

Elizabeth furrows her eyebrows, silently asking me what’s going on, but I just raise my index finger, begging them to hold on for just a second.

I follow the smell of dudes and hockey equipment until I reach the locker room. It’s weird to be here dressed in my normal clothes.

“Adler!” bellows Stan, the equipment manager, giving me a hug the moment I step into the room. That attracts everyone’s attention, and soon, they’re all huddled around me, slapping my back and shaking my hand. Thankfully, the hearty back slaps don’t come with a splitting headache this time around.

“James Adler is in the house,” Beaumont shouts, coming toward me with a big smile. He gives me a bro hug, then holds me at arm’s length. “Let me see, how’s that face healing up?”

I roll my eyes. “Still looking better than yours.”

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