Who am I becoming for this woman?
“What a kind gesture. When you take this medicine, is it fast-acting, Armani?”
“Yes, it is, Mr. Champion. I’d be able to get there as soon as possible once I’ve taken it, though having fifteen to thirty minutes may be best just in case.”
“Very well.” He doesn’t seem mad. “I’ll let the rest of the team and administration know we’ll shift things to the afternoon since quite a few of our staff and interns haven’t arrived yet. There’s already a huge traffic delay getting to the stadium since many of the roads are still under construction, and having one main road is rather troublesome at this time. If you and Andrews can make it here before one this afternoon, that would be marvelous. Feel free to come early for free lunch that will be served in the cafeteria.”
Thank fucking God.
“I appreciate your kindness, Sir. Again, I apologize for contributing to this change of events.”
“Nonsense. Don’t take it to heart, Armani. This is a new initiative, and things can happen. Maybe it’s Mercury Retrograde for all we know,” he laughs. “I’ll see you in a few hours. Sylvester and Valerian. Can you let the others on your team know? I’ll go and inform the coaches and the Strattonville Vipers.”
“Certainly, Sir,” Kane assures him.
“Thank you, Sir. We appreciate the extra time,” Diesel adds.
“You two are pretty humble off the rink,” Mr. Champion says in amusement. “When you were near your new captain, you perceived to be more stoic in nature.
“Ah,” Kane begins with a nervous chuckle. “Well, we all know Winchester and how famous his family is in the world of hockey.”
“Definitely tricky to let loose when he’s very serious about this passion like his father and grandfather.”
“That is true,” Mr. Champion agrees. “Don’t get too caught in the need to uphold a legacy that you forget about enjoying the true sport on the ice.”
“Yes, Sir,” Diesel replies.
“Thank you, Sir,” Kane expresses his gratitude.
The moment Mr. Champion is gone, Kane sighs.
“You fucking owe us.”
“I know,” I confess with a deep sigh. “Fuck. I can sleep a little longer.”
“The man is giving you three hours, not all afternoon, Dummy,” Diesel acknowledges. “Seriously, Armani. Was that Andrews in your bed?”
“What if it was?” I don’t like his judgmental tone.
They both sense my quick switch from exhaustion to fucking annoyance.
“Relax, Grizzly Bear,” Kane chips in. “You know we won’t say shit. If we were going to reveal it to the world, we could have done so long before you woke up.”
They have a point.
“She was going to walk from the bar suites all the way to my place,” I admit. “At four o’clock in the morning.”
“Is she dumb?” Kane gasps.
“Or bold as fuck?” Diesel offers. “Why did she think that was a smart idea?”
“She knew it wasn’t smart,” I admit.
“But she’s stubborn,” Kane points out. “Andrews never likes asking for help.”
“Can you blame her? If her aunt is still in her life, I’m sure she’s doing anything to get every dime from that girl’s account while the government still has a grip on her.”
They knew Andrews's history because we were far closer to her when we were all younger and still a part of the Heartbreaker Crew in comparison to Jayce and the others.