Page 5 of Whirlwind
A man would probably only bring drama and ruin my carefully curated vibe. Another thing I’d like to take a hard pass on. New things often trip me up; I’m not conducive to change as a perpetual overthinker who rides through life with general anxiety and is prone to occasional emotional meltdowns.
“Okay, this is veering down a road that leads to a much sadder night than I had planned,” I say. “Get your ass up out of that chair, Cill. I want to dance with somebody,” I sing, like I’m an eighties pop singer.
“I don’t know how to dance to…who is this?”
“Etta James,” I say. “Come on, I’ll teach you some new tricks to take home to your pretty wife.”
“How do you knoweverything?” He stands and lets me drag him to the small area that is clear of tables. It’s a question he teases me with often. A favorite game of his daughter’s is to ask me for facts on random items, just to see what I know.
One day, it’s pineapples, the next, it might be the Hubble telescope or raccoons. She tries her hardest to stump me, and sometimes, she manages. But that’s what we have smartphones for—interesting information is never far away.
“My grandma used to say I was a sponge for information. I guess I still am. Add an overactive attention span to it and you end up speeding from one subject to another. Plus, I don’t sleep much, and there’s the whole ADHD diagnosis.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I still take naps nearly every day.”
“I like a good nap,” I say, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on his hip, so I can guide him to move. “But it’s not like I have the rigorous schedule of a star NHL player. I sit at a desk all day.”
“I suppose that could make a difference.” He’s stiff as a board as I lead him through some steps.
“How do you move so well on the ice and not at all on the dance floor?” Laughter erupts behind me as the guys watch. Cillian flips them off before returning his attention to me.
“You should have chosen me, darling,” Letty says. “I’ve got moves like Jagger!”
“Oh my God, he did not just say that,” I whisper.
“You can’t be surprised.” Cillian laughs.
“No, I’m not. I guess I just needed the reminder. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gotten to hang out with the team.”
“You think that might change now that you’re a part of the team?”
“I’m a number cruncher in the office. It’s not like I’m on the bench with you guys.”
“Still,” he says with a grin. “You’ll be around more. It’ll be nice to see your face.”
“Thanks, it will be nice to be part of a team, now, instead of just another faceless body in a building full of cubicles.” Moving my other hand to his waist, I try to get him to sway better. “Besides, you need more lessons. You’re fucking hopeless, Wylder.”
2
Tyson
Being traded at the drop of a hat is never fucking enjoyable. It’s even less fun when, for some unknown reason, my visa takes a week to clear. It’s not the usual process, which is fairly speedy since we have so many international players in the NHL.
I should see it as a perk, not a bug. It did give me extra time to pack up what I needed from my house in Vancouver and find a place to crash in Seattle. Luckily, a friend of mine has a place down here that he usually uses for short-term rentals when he’s not using it personally. He’s letting me stay here for a few months, until I can find a place of my own. It’s close to the arena, which is nice. Not so close to the practice facility, but it’s available now, which means I won’t have to stay in a hotel. I see enough of those as it is. It’s a smaller two-bedroom townhome—modern, clean, and private.
I’m not selling my house back home. Since I’m only a few hours away, I’ll be able to come back often. Another bonus of this trade. I couldn’t ask for a better city to be traded to. They could have pawned me off to New Jersey. Or worse, Florida, where I’d be about as far from home as possible.
Being close to home, close to my family, is what matters most to me. This way, my parents and my sister aren’t so far that they can’t catch some of my games. I’d gotten used to having them inthe stands. It’s not often a pro gets to play for their hometown team; I was lucky in that regard.
It’s also great that I’m familiar with Seattle already, since my ex…girlfriend? No, she wasn’t that. Not exactly. My ex-hookup who I was in love with, happens to live here.
With her husband.
Who is now my teammate.
Isla also works for the team, and her father is now my coach.
Life really does have a way of kicking you in the dick. What I’ve done to deserve this level of karma is anyone’s guess. I like to think I’m a good person. Do I sleep around too much? Yeah, probably. I don’t make promises I won’t keep, though. I’m a good friend, a decent human, a great son, and brother.
