Page 26 of Here Be Dragons
Shane took a deep breath and plastered on a smile. Ava wasn't his girl either and this deal would mean his late-night meetings with her would be over. He would be on the ice again, finding a piece of himself that hehad been missing for months, but it would also create a new missing piece shaped like Ava.
Chapter Nine
There was a buzz in the hotel this morning that Shane could physically feel. For the first time in a long time, he felt really good about waking up this morning and getting the day started. It didn't hurt that he woke up next to Ava.
That moment was bittersweet though. He had to say goodbye to her early because her brother was on his way to the hotel. Jack had called from the small Hamptons airport nearby to let her know. It was a bit of a hustle after that and Shane was hurried much more than he wanted to be. He wanted to just have some time with her, enjoy her one last little bit, but it just wasn't meant to be.
What was meant to be was the hockey season. Ava was the perfect addition to negotiations. Things that were taking forever to get finished before were able to be wrapped up in only a few weeks once she got there. The entire league owed her a debt of gratitude and even the players knew that. There were concessions that had to be made, that was no surprise. The players union didn't get everything it wanted, but then the owners didn't everything they wanted either. Overall, though, it was a deal and it was done.
The league office was talking about the season starting back up in only two weeks -- a crazy timeline, but it could work. Shane really wanted it to work. He so desperately missed putting on skates and pads. If he had to choose between being in this stupid hotel another week or being in Cleveland on the ice, he would choose Cleveland every time.
But he also hated the thought of that. If he could choose Ava or no Ava, he would always choose Ava.
He wasn't really sure how that happened or when that happened. But the thought of not seeing her every day was just gnawing at him. It wasn't just a physical thing either. She was damn smart and funny. In between those sexy moments were real moments when he could actually talk to her or listen to her. He was lucky to have that time with her, and he knew it. He also knew he wouldn't be that lucky anymore.
Shane finished fussing with his hair and walked out of the bathroom to throw his toiletry bag into his suitcase, which was sitting open on his bed. He walked over to the closet by the door and slipped on his dress shoes before grabbing his suit jacket off the hanger. He had only worn it once or twice since he got here weeks ago, but it was definitely needed today. The players would be in front of the media and all their cameras. He had to look sharp.
Shane grabbed his phone and key card off the dresser. Then he slipped on an expensive watch that one of the guys on his team had talked him into buying. It was big and shiny with lots of platinum, which wasn't normally his style. But it was perfect for moments like this when he needed to look like a businessman, like someone who commanded respect. His track pants with the Cleveland Dragons logo on them were not going to cut it today.
The door latched quietly behind him as he started to make his way to the bar downstairs. They had a breakfast buffet there and Shane was starving. It didn't help that Ava had worked him hard this morning. He needed some extra eggs and oatmeal to replenish. But that just made him think about her again, her smooth skin, her soft moans--
"Taylor."
Dylan was right behind him, but he didn't seem to be as excited as Shane was about this morning.
"Hey, Ferg." Shane gave Dylan a polite nod and waited for him to catch up. "Ready for today?"
"Sure."
Shane turned and gave him a perplexed look as the Bay City Bear pressed the button for the elevator.
"That didn't seem very enthusiastic," Shane said.
Dylan looked around to see if anyone was listening to them just as the elevator doors opened. They walked in quietly and Dylan pressed the button for the lobby, then stared ahead waiting until the doors closed.
"Jason is here."
"Jason who?" Shane asked.
Dylan stared at him. "Jason Stewart, my team owner."
"The team owner that tried to screw us out of a deal?"
"Yeah, that one."
"What's he doing here?" Shane asked. "I mean, Jack Foster is coming, but I wouldn't expect Jason showing up after what he tried to do."
Dylan gave him a perplexed look. "How do you know Jack is going to be here?"
Oh crap. How would Shane explain that he knew because Ava told him... in her hotel room... in her underwear?
The elevator stopped and the doors slid open, saving Shane from having to come up with some excuse that wouldn't sound very convincing anyway. But the way Dylan's demeanor changed, the way he put a fake smile on his face, told Shane that Dylan didn't care about some explanation from Shane right now anyway.
The two of them walked in silence into the bar, and Shane headed over to his table by the window. This time, there were a few other players who had already taken a seat there so he quickly told the waiter he was headed to the buffet and wanted a cup of coffee.
That's when he saw her. Ava. She was a few tables away sitting with Detroit Pirates captain Jordan King and her brother, Jack. They were all talking and smiling, looking like they were in a good mood. He couldn't blame them. Jack had sent a secret weapon into the negotiations to get the season back on track, and it had succeeded.
Shane thought it would be polite to walk over and at least say hi. He wasn't really sure why though. Jack was the owner of a rival team while the owner of Shane's team was some old guy that he hadn't even seen in a year. Despite that, it still wouldn't look good if someone saw him talking to a rival team owner.
