Page 147 of Wrong Pucking Jersey

After the security check, we’re cruising up in the elevator that opens into the suit.

I show Maddox to the living room, encouraging him to lay Mikayla on the massive suede couch that I assume is fine for now. Mikayla will probably want to shower after today.

After changing into something more comfortable and giving Maddox a shirt and shorts, we’re focused on making a few phone calls. By the end of it, we’re on the balcony so Maddox can smoke while I sip on some gin.

“Didn’t you say you were going to quit?” I confront him when he takes a stick out to light after already finishing one.

“I did, but we’ve yet to go to the weed store,” he points out. “I don’t want to go alone. I don’t know shit, and that will make me look stupid. I doubt they’ll judge me but if they recognize us, I’m concerned they’ll make a big deal out of it.”

“Not if you book in private,” I voice and watch him give me a look that screams ‘elaborate.’ “I call the place, say my last name, ask for a private shopping experience and time, and they book it and sign NDAs prior so nothing can be shared. Easy.”

“The celebrity life,” Maddox mutters and takes a puff on his stick.

“If we start slaying our games and get a Shutout streak, you realize we can pop a million-dollar deal before mid-season?”

Maddox blinks at me like I’ve gone mad.

“No one talked numbers with you?” I’m surprised. “Does the team know?”

“N-No,” Maddox admits. “Fuck, Damien. You’re pulling my leg, yes?”

“I’m not pulling your leg,” I emphasize and take more of my drink. “Have you signed the final contracts regarding our pay?”

“No. Mr. Champion said he’d delay it until we have our first game that can determine our sponsorships.”

“How about the others?”

“I’m confident the others haven’t signed,” Maddox notes but have his phone out to text the group chat. “Wait. Doesn’t that mean you signed yours?”

“Yeah. Mine’s set,” I admit.

“And?”

“I’m getting paid a minimum of two million for this season.”

Maddox gawks at me as it sinks in. I decide, for the safety of my garden bush below, to take the cigarette from his grasp before he drops it like he just did his phone.

“Fuck,” he curses and reaches for his phone.

The device is buzzing with notifications, and with one long stare at the screen, Maddox is staring up at me.

“A good chunk of the team did. Only ones left are me, Wolfgang, Ace, Felix, Marcus, and Sebastian.”

I slowly nod.

“Not sure I can fix those who got signed, but we have leverage. They may get pissed when they find out the pay difference, but I can try to negotiate. I’ll call my lawyers in the morning.”

“Fuck, really?” Maddox is still standing there in disbelief. “Two fucking million? Wait. Is that why you said you wanted to look for a place for us to stay in this neighborhood?”

Strattonville is a small town, but thanks to development, the outskirts were becoming luxury paradises. Once my parents invested in these luxury condo complexes on Golden Diamond Street, the government has been looking into expanding the shopping industry by making the biggest shopping center in Canada to compete with Yorkdale Shopping Mall.

“They didn’t pay you all that money at once, right?” he inquires.I know it’s hard for him to talk about money, but his curiosity outweighs that fear.

“I got a one-million-dollar advance,” I disclose. “Homes in Strattonville are still relatively cheap, but with the development of the stadium matched with us building our popularity, things will skyrocket, which is why I wanted us to invest quickly into something if we’re up for it. Found a nice mansion up north that has nice forestry and is near a golf course, but recently found a place over in the east just twenty minutes from here where they have a huge mansion with private beach access. It has a forest to the left, which would be cool for us to go walking or running. Beach in front and a pond further behind the house, which can freeze over nicely during the winter months so we can skate.

“House has six bedrooms, three garage doors, a gate and all. The community is gated anyway, so I feel it’ll be perfect for when we do blow up. If we each invest in it, it’ll probably be one quarter of our earnings and if we decide Strattonville isn’t for us, we can flip it or make it into an Airbnb. Told my parents, and they support my idea. So, if they can’t figure out our dorm situation, we’ll invest there.”

I offer his cigarette back, but he takes it and puts it out in the ashtray.

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