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“You heard the man,” Miller murmurs as we make our way out.
As one, we all stride into the conference room, and I’m pleasantly surprised to see the place decked out with a wide variety of lunch arrangements, buffet style. The rest of the guys are as well, and we all beeline straight for the food.
With plates piled high, we take our seats and let Coach get the meeting underway.
He starts with the usual housekeeping stuff. How things are going to work, who our biggest competition is this season, and the general plan for how we’re going to succeed. He goes over our training schedule and his expectations for the season before finally getting to the good stuff.
“Alright, guys,” he starts. “I’ve kept you long enough so we’ll get right down to what you really want to know.”
The boys holler and cheer as I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I slide my hand into my pocket and quickly pull it out before Coach gets started. I see Dani’s name flash across the screen, and I quickly look to Miller who looks none the wiser. Maybe she’s been trying to get a hold of him and thought she’d try me. Either way, she’s going to have to wait. Now really isn’t a great time.
I silence the call, slip my phone back into my pocket, and pay full attention to Coach Larsden. “Alright, we’ll start with vice-captain,” Coach says as my phone starts up for the second time. I silence it again, hoping no one else can hear the soft vibration buzzing through the room. Not that anyone would care, but it looks bad. “Congratulations, Cameron. The job is all yours.”
The boys cheer for Cameron, who looks at Coach with a proud smile and nods, and I realize at some point, I’m going to have to whip this motherfucker’s ass into gear. He’s not the vice-captain I would have chosen, but the decision is out of my hands.
“Okay, now for this season’s captain,” Coach says. My eyes flick to Miller, who I know has been waiting for this moment just as much as I have, but my phone starts up again.
For fuck’s sake, Dani. Not now.
I concentrate on Coach as I silence the call again. “Your new captain has shown incredible dedication over the five years he has been a part of this team, and he is long overdue for the position. Congratulations Tank. You’re the new captain of the LA Storm.”
Pride surges through me. I don’t even know how to describe the feeling within me. Excitement? Happiness? I don’t fucking know, but what I do know is that this day will forever be right up there with the day I met Sophie and our wedding day. It’s everything I’ve worked for since I was a kid learning how to skate, and here it is. All the hard work has finally paid off.
Well, I guess you could say the hard work is just getting started. Now I have to prove I belong here each and every day. I need to be the best damn captain these boys have ever seen, and I’ll be damned if I don’t lead this team to victory.
Fuck. The only thing missing right now is Sophie. What I wouldn’t give to have her in my arms right now. I can’t fucking wait to get out of his meeting and give her a call. I can just imagine what she’s going to say. She probably has something extra special planned for tonight, and I’m sure it’s going to blow my mind.
The boys give their congratulations in the form of whoops and hollers. Miller jumps out of his chair with a massive “Yes,” followed up by a fist pump while I grin like a fucking idiot. Coach catches my eye and gives me a proud smile. He comes forward and holds out his hand, and quickly I take it, giving a firm shake. “You deserve it, kid,” he says.
“Thanks, Coach. I won’t let you down,” I say, knowing just how much he hates being thanked, but fuck it, I’m thanking the bastard whether he likes it or not.
The boys finally settle down and Coach calls us to attention. “Okay, now that’s over, you may as well eat the rest of this shit. I don’t want it going to waste. Give yourselves a quick break, then I want you in the gym.” He’s just wrapping up his dismissal when his phone comes screeching to life on the table before him.
He looks down at the caller ID before glancing up at Miller. A strange feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. If that’s Dani, it must be damn important for her to call Coach, especially when she knows we’re in a meeting like this. Coach hits answer and holds the phone up to his ear while his eyes remain locked on Miller, who I notice is looking back at him in confusion, clearly wondering why Coach has him in his sights.
