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Once the wine was poured, Levi held up his glass. "Good to see you, old buddy."
I clicked my glass with his. "You too. In fact, you've picked a good day to show up." As we each took a sip of the wine, I pushed the report across the table to him. "The Silver Nuggets team is in the black. Pay up, old friend."
Levi laughed as he shook his head and looked at the report. "Midas Marshall does it again."
I smirked. "Oh, ye of little faith."
“Are you kidding? I know you. Everything you touch turns to gold. I’d envy you if I didn’t like you so much.”
I shrugged and sipped again. That old feeling of having accomplished something, but now it was done, swept through me again, leaving me feeling agitated and empty. It was a sure sign that my idea of pursuing Betts still concerned me.
"For someone who's just won a million bucks, you look like someone stole your favorite toy,” Levi said, sitting back in the booth.
I shrugged.
Levi shook his head. "You're like that poor little rich girl. You have everything, and yet you always seem so miserable. Have you ever been happy?"
I bristled, not because I was offended but because his words hit their mark. I was very rarely happy. I was beginning to think I’d have to live my life feeling like something was missing and only having fleeting moments of fulfillment.
"You were married once. Surely, you were happy then,” Levi said.
"Until I wasn't." I didn't like thinking about my ex-wife, Taylor. At the time we married, I supposed I thought I was happy, but in retrospect, I'm not sure I was. I had done everything I was supposed to do, from attending college to growing a successful business. When I met Taylor, getting married seemed like the next step in my life’s progression. As it turned out, that hadn't been a good reason to get married.
"So, there wasn't a time when you and your wife were happy?"
I shrugged. "Maybe in the beginning. But then she didn't like how much I had to work, even though when I didn't work, she was frequently complaining or wanting more money. After a while, it just seemed easier to give her the money she wanted and walk away. I was happy when my son was born.” That was true, but even that soured somewhere along the way. At first, I was an involved father, but then Taylor took our son and moved to Los Angeles, and slowly over time, my son and I became estranged as well.
Levi studied me as he swirled his fancy wine in his glass. "Seriously, man, when was the last time you were happy?"
Immediately, the image of Betts in the library came to mind. It didn't really make sense. Yes, it was exciting, exhilarating even. So much so that I wanted to do it again. But was I happy?
I wasn't about to tell Levi that I had hooked up with one of my employees. Not that he would judge me for it because I was pretty sure Levi had hooked up with his employees. But there was something about Betts and my attraction to her that I wanted to keep to myself.
"I liked winning the championship and my bet,” I said instead.
Levi laughed. "Well, how about this, then? If competition and challenge are the only things that give you a hard-on, how about a new bet? Double or nothing? The team did well this season, I'll give you that, but with your coach out on maternity leave and your two best players having moved on, I really question whether you can pull it off a second year in a row."
In my mind, I'd already moved on from the hockey team looking for a new challenge. But of course, I had recently decided I wanted to make Betts my new challenge, and what better way to do that than to start reinvesting my time in the hockey team and working with her on the marketing element?
I nodded. "You're on."
"That's it? No negotiating?"
I shook my head. "You're right. The team as it is now will be an even bigger challenge than it was last year. But I feel confident I can make it happen." And if I lose two million dollars, so be it. It will be money well spent if it gives me the opportunity to spend time with Betts.
Levi poured us both new glasses of wine, and we held up our glasses, clicking them together. “Double or nothing.”
“Double or nothing.” As I sipped my wine, my phone rang. Pulling it out, I looked at the caller ID and rolled my eyes. “Speak of the devil. Excuse me for a minute. I have to take this.” I pressed the answer button. "Taylor. Is something wrong with Dean?" Taylor never called me unless there was an emergency, or of course, she wanted money.
"It's not an emergency, but I am having trouble with Dean. He needs a fatherly influence. He's a teenager now, and I am tired of having to hire new housekeepers and au pairs to keep up with his pranks and bad attitude."
"I can arrange to have new staff hired—”
"That's not why I'm calling."
"Dean is a young man who is full of himself, as all kids his age are. I’ll arrange to have somebody who can help keep him in check. But I'm sorry, I need to go now." I hung up, trying not to feel guilty that I’d just brushed off my ex-wife, or more accurately, my son.
"How is your son?" Levi asked.
