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“Do you think they’d really do that?” Jonas asks, shifting his kid on his lap.
I shrug. “Doubt it, although he seemed pretty serious. And we saw what happened to Harrington last year. They’re not too sentimental about getting rid of guys they don’t like.”
“Yeah, but he was playing like shit. You are not,” Tyler says.
“Hey,” Jonas calls. “Little ears here.” He points at the small child in his lap, who’s sleeping.
“It doesn’t sound so bad to me. Go on one date with a nice girl and teach some kids to play hockey. If you ask me, you’re getting off easy,” Tyler says, propping his feet up on my coffee table.
I now see what Vince was going for when he asked me to move my feet off his desk.
And Tyler does have a point. It could be worse, way worse. They could tell me to change bedpans in a nursing home, for example.
Thank God no one thought of that because I am sure Vince would relish driving me there and back.
“So what’s the girl like? How’d they find her?”
“She bid on me at that charity auction thing. Two thousand dollars. The hilarious thing is that she tried to back out, claiming she waved her paddle to swat at a fly.”
Jonas busts out laughing so hard the little one stirs in his lap. “Dude, she got one look at your ugly mug and was likeno thanks.”
Tyler frowns at me. “Someone paid two thousand dollars foryou? No fucking way. In fact, you probably have to payhertwo thousand dollars for a date. Wait till she gets a load of your little dick. Then she’llreallywant her money back.”
He and Jonas high-five each other over their brilliant jokes.
“You guys are so goddamn funny,” I say, rolling my eyes. “The thing is, I don’t want to go out with her, either.”
Tyler looks serious. “Oh. Is she... you know… unattractive or something?”
Typical Tyler. He likes beautiful women, exceptionally beautiful women. Like, supermodel women. The funny thing is, they don’t like him back. I bet he can’t even remember the last time he had a date.
“Actually, she’s nice-looking. Brown hair, kind of girl-next-door. You know? Like pretty without trying too hard?”
I don’t tell them she’s hot as fuck. There’s no reason to, especially since I will go out with her once and never see her again. I don’t need them all up in my ass about a gorgeous woman.
Tyler guffaws. “So you mean about a thousand percent classier than your typical girl?”
I flip him off.
“She doesn’t sound bad. Maybe not your usual type, but it’s not like she has two heads. What’s the problem? Aside from the fact that she can’t stand your ass?” Jonas asks.
“I just… I just don’t want to be coerced into anything. Whether it’s a date, or teaching hockey. You know me. I’m a stubborn asshole. I hate anyone telling me what to do.”
Even when it’s the best thing for my career, apparently. As much as I hate to admit it, Vince has a point. I’ve just about used up all the goodwill the team’s going to grant me. I can’t fuck up again.
Problem is, I’m not sure Icanstay on the straight and narrow. It’s just not my style. I’d have to stay at home, never go out, avoid beer—basically turn in a hermit.
And I would certainly never get laid. That goes without saying.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I confess.
Shit. Why did I just say that? These guys might be my buddies, but I don’t let anyone know when I am having doubts about myself. I just don’t.
I went through enough of that when I was a kid. Didn’t work out too well for me.
“I say suck it up, Rake. Go out with the girl. She can’t be worse than the last psycho you dated,” Tyler says.
“Vince told me she’s from an old San Francisco family. She has money or something.”
