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Ollie: Don't you fucking dare speak ill of Dowager Duchess of Grantham and the Crawley family.
Ryan: I don't want to watch fucking Downton Abby, you dickheads. I want to do dirty things to your sister.
Ozzy: STOP!
Ollie: Shut it, Monk!
Ryan: But to answer your original question. Yes, I only have one intention when it comes to Emerson Avery.
Ozzy: And that is?
Ryan: To one day persuade her to become Emerson Gunner.
Ollie: Good. We approve. Now about this persuading you need to do. It's called wooing, Monk. Woo the hell out of her.
Ozzy: Woo until you can't woo no more.
It looks like I'm wooing, and wooing takes planning.
??????
I love Ollie and Ozzy, but if they’re considered the big guns in this battle, then I've just called in the atomic bomb of weaponry. I know there is probably a strict BFF Code, but Holly knows I would never hurt Em, and I like to think she's rooting for me. Holly is my secret weapon.She’s the Swiss army knife of this operation and she’s going to help me win my girl back.
My first plan of action is to get Em to stop avoiding me, or at least force her to start paying more attention to me. She and Holly are usually somewhere in the arena for practices and games, which is why I'm hunting Holly down.
I find her with Luke in the media room after practice. Some guys are wandering around getting treatments from trainers, taking ice baths, or working out on bikes. I'm not sure where Em is, so this is my chance to convince Holly to join the dark side.
"Hey, Holls." I smile. She immediately smiles back and leans in for a quick hug, which makes Luke's eye twitch. That guy is seriously territorial, but he gives me a nod and walks away to speak to our trainer, Bob Stewart.
"Ryan! You're looking great out there. Everyone loves you," Holly says.
"Yeah," I say casually. "The fans here are great." I pause for a second as if everything I'm about to say isn't premeditated and scripted in my head. "I remember you and Em saying that you guys are trying to think up new ways to promote fan engagement."
"Always. Did you have something in mind?"
"Actually, I do."
Over the next half hour, I explain my idea to Holly. It's pretty simple but it’ll require lots of one-on-one time with me and someone from SASS, hopefully Em. The long and short of it is to have someone follow me around, keeping me in constant contact with fans. The great thing about phones is that they provide high-quality video quickly. We can give fans an inside look into what it's like to be an NHL player heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs with little effort.
We'll live stream parts of my life at practices, games, pregames, training, and anything else hockey related. I'll be an open book on and off the ice; available for fans to connect, ask questions and get instant responses. It will be the first time a player has opened his life to fans in such a way. People are curious about what it's like to be an NHL player. It will be an instant crowd-pleaser.
"What about off-ice stuff?" Holly asks, tapping a finger on her bottom lip. "You'll allow us to shoot anything from home or days off?"
"Sure. We can open it up, but I draw the line at the bedroom or shower scenes." Holly laughs at my joke. I can already see the wheels and cogs in her mind working. She loves the idea.
"Okay, Mr. Gunner," Holly raises an eyebrow. "What's the catch? What's in it for you?"
"Em."
"She won't go for it, and you know it." Holly sighs and shrugs her shoulders.
"Tell her management is demanding we do it, and the only way I'll play along is if she's the one I'm working with."
Holly pauses, chewing it over for a few moments.
"I can make that work, but—"
"But?"
