Page 52 of Power Play

“Fine, somewhere with better security,” I conceded. “But I don’t need a fancy lobby or gym or pool.”

“Those wouldn’t be horrible.” Joey shrugged. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind a pool when we visited.”

“Oh well, if it would please the court.” I rolled my hand and bowed.

He smirked and straightened up in his chair. “It does. Now bring me some fruit.”

I ignored his weak attempt at humor and flipped over to the next brochure. When I asked my teammates for recommendations, they all pointed me to Chloe. Apparently, she became the team’s unofficial real estate broker at some point. She sent over a full envelope stuffed with options. A few of them had handwritten notes about who had lived there in the past or if she recommended the building for me. It was more than I was expecting, and I couldn't help but wonder if this put me in her debt.

“Sort them into a pile of the ones you’re interested in, and we can go see them today,” Mom said as she pulled the majority of the papers toward her.

I shot a look at Dad but he just smiled. It would probably be easier to let her take this over than trying to voice my opinion. I really didn’t care too much, and if it made her feel better or like she had some say in my life, then who was I to deny that.

It only took her ten minutes, and a few compromises from me, to narrow the options down to four. After I called to make appointments to see the available units, I was down to three. One building that had more features than I needed or wanted, wouldn’t have a unit available until the end of the summer, and I didn’t want to wait that long. Moving in the coming weeks would be the best option. I didn’t want to push it off until training started back up.

“Okay, let’s go boys.” Mom picked up her purse and marched out like she was on a mission.

The first building was right down the street from the arena, the same one where Elena, Amelia, and Nikolai lived. Though I doubted they would be there for long. Nikolai and Elena were bound to get married soon, and Amelia and Derek didn’t seem far behind them.

The office manager walked us through the two-bedroom unit that was exactly like Nikolai’s. I liked this location, and it was built over the outdoor mall so there were plenty of restaurants I could walk to.

Once we got back in the car, Mom sighed. “I’m not sure about that one.”

“Why not?” Joey asked. “It was perfect.”

I thought so too. It checked all the boxes for me.

“It didn’t feel right,” she countered.

“What does that mean?” I asked as I pulled onto the street and headed to the next address.

“It was just missing something,” she said vaguely.

“That’s the best you’re going to get boys. Don’t argue with her. When she knows, she knows.” Dad shook his head and looked out the window.

The second option was where Erik and Chloe lived before they both got married. They lived in one of the two penthouses. I’d never been there, and I worried about the price tag that might be attached to this one.

From the moment we stepped through the revolving door, I knew Mom was sold. We were greeted by a uniformed doorman, and the manager met us and led us to the elevator. She gushed over the chandelier and marble floors in the lobby and how quiet the ride up to the tenth floor was.

At least we weren’t headed to the top. I was feeling more confident about this place until the manager opened the front door. This was an open concept to an extreme. One entire wall from the living room to the very back door was glass overlooking downtown. From the entrance you could see the dining room, kitchen, and through to the bedroom that was only separated by glass doors that slid back to reveal everything. The cement floors and white fixtures added to the sterile vibe.

Joey glanced at me, and I grimaced.

“Are all of the units this …” It seemed like Mom was at a loss for words. A very rare occurrence.

“Modern?” Dad filled in, ever the polite one.

The manager turned with a wide grin. “No, our building is a mixture of leases and owners. Some have the original design while some have been updated. This one has recently been remodeled in the most current style.”

Right. Well, at least I didn’t have to call Erik and Reese and ask them what the heck they were thinking living in a place like this. Their units were probably a bit warmer.

“Well, thanks so much for showing us this one.” I took a step back to the hall.

“Is this the only available unit?” Dad asked.

“Right now, yes. It’s very rare we have an opening. Many of our residents are high profile and enjoy the privacy our staff is known to accommodate.”

Sure.