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She agreed to go out to the bar with me tonight so we can talk about the logistics of everything, I just hope that after post-game media, she’s still around.
“Who gives a fuck? That chic was a user… I never liked her,” Kaenan says, walking past me and slapping my shoulder.
That might be the most words I’ve heard Kaenan speak on a situation like this in the locker room. Kaenan’s always had my back, and I now appreciate it more than ever.
Although, it would have been nice if Kaenan had warned me. Might have saved me some time. However, Altman isn’t one to chit-chat.
“Ladies ladies… save your useless gossip for The Commons where you all live. You have a Stanley Cup to win me this season, remember?” Coach Bex says, coming out of his office. “Now get your asses out there and bring me back a win.”
I grab my hockey stick and helmet like everyone else and we all head back out for the tunnel.
In about twenty minutes, we’ll be skating back off the ice with a win, and then the only thing standing between me and a much-needed conversation with my fiancé is a room full of nosy media vultures looking to pry into my life. They’re worse than my own mom who’s probably blowing up my phone as we speak.
Things with my mom are going to go one of two ways. She’s either going to kill me for not telling her I was getting engaged tonight, or she’s going to be elated.
Either way, I’m going to find out next week when I take Juliet home for the charity hockey match.
Juliet
“Come on. Marjorie Carlton is here tonight. Let’s go say hi and then I’ll introduce you to Isla and Tessa. They’re also dating players on the team,” Autumn informs me. “And you’re the newest member.”
She grins over at me.
My stomach drops at the idea of lying to these women that I barely know and will have to work with for the next five years. And what happens when Ryker and I divorce? How awkward is that going to be at work if no one knows this was our plan all along?
I knew Ryker and I would have to lie to the immigration officer and in some ways, lie to the Hawkeyes…but this? Lying to these women who are bringing me into their circle of friendship as another player's wife?
This feels wrong on a whole different level.
I try to hide the look of dread on my face and force a smile as I nod following Autumn further into the room. I follow behind looking around to see if Penelope, the other woman I met who was in our meeting yesterday.
It only takes a second until my eyes catch on a vigorously waving blonde in the back corner of the room with a huge smile across her face.
Penelope Roberts.
She’s sitting with two other women at a bar-height round table by the glass windows. I can only assume that the other two women are the ones that Autumn was referring to. Tessa and Isla.
I follow autumn further into the large room and spot Marjorie sitting in the right corner of the room.
“Juliet! What a surprise dear,” she says as we draw closer. “I did not know that you are dating one of our star players. Ryker is like family to us, isn’t he Phil?”
I look around her to find Marjorie Carlton beaming up at me from her spot on a couch near the opposite side of the room as the girls. Tucked in the corner with a great view of the rink below.
Marjorie looks over to the man sitting to the left of her.
I recognized him immediately as Phil Carlton for the research I did on him when I found out about the Hawkeyes contract.
He’s talking with another man who I also recognize from the digging I did on the team’s website before my interview.
Sam Roberts.
The current GM of the team and an alumni player who was the team captain the last time the Hawkeyes won a Stanley Cup twenty years ago.
Phil is a husky man with a short build and greying hair of what’s left of it. From the internet search I did on him, he’s around his seventies and Sam is tall from what I can tell, even though he’s sitting. His dark hair is hidden under a Hawkeyes hat with light peppering around the ears.
Phil turns his attention to me and smiles, “Yes he is and he made quite a splash with that proposal tonight,” Phil beams. He looks over at Autumn quickly. “We should capitalize on the media attention as soon as possible.”
“I already have the videographer processing a few still shots for me to upload to social media. I already have news outlets blowing up my phone asking for an exclusive interview with Ryker,” she tells him.
