“At least something good came out of it and you got a coach that cares. Speaking of, did you and Collin have a look at the agents he recommended?”
“I know what you’re doing.”
“What am I doing?”
“Deflecting. It’s not going to make what happened to tonight go away.”
“No, but I want to forget about it for tonight. Can we not talk about Joseph or his uncle anymore? Please?”
“Sure, sweetheart. What do you want to talk about?”
“Nothing? Can we watch a movie or something and just not think about anything? I need to settle.”
“Sure. Can I sit on the bed with you or do you want me in the chair?”
The fact that he’s asking means so much to me. Collin would have just plopped down and thought about it later. My nerves are raw and I need to feel like I have a little control when everything around me is spiraling.
“I’d put you on the air mattress, but since it’s not here yet, you can sit with me.”
“You sure?”
“You’re not going to hurt me.” I’m not sure I say it for me or him or both. Either way he sits down and leans against the headboard.
It only takes me a minute to go into the bathroom and change into my night clothes. I look like a hot mess. My eyes are wide and blown, my face is pale, and my red hair is as frizzy as if I’ve been out in the heat all day. Good Lord, what does that man see in me? He’s determined, but looking at my reflection, I’m as far from ‘hot’ as you can get. I look sad and pitiful.
Shaking my head, I pull my hair back into a loose ponytail and join Hutch on the bed. He hasn’t turned on the TV. He’s looking at his phone. Please don’t let him be stalking Joseph.
“What are you looking at?”
“One of the agent websites. He lists out a bunch of different athletes he represents, but I only see one hockey player. I’d rather have someone who deals with more hockey teams.”
“How many names do you have?”
“Three. Two men and a woman.”
“Check the woman’s website.”
“I’m already on this one. We’ll check her out in a minute.”
I snort. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys.”
He frowns and looks up from his phone. “What do you mean?”
“You’re leery of having a woman for a manager or agent or whatever.”
“No…”
I put a finger to his lips. “I get it. My friend Lucy is the top player in her division. She plays basketball better than some on the men’s team and they get all the deals and sponsorships. People overlook women in sports a lot of the time, especially sports like basketball and hockey.”
“I thought you didn’t know anything about hockey?”
“I might have looked up a few articles. That’s beside the point. What I’m saying I get that you’re leery because this is your career and you have to be wondering if she can do everything for you that a male agent could.”
He nods slowly. “I’m not the person to put a woman down or think she’s not as good as a guy, but the business sort of does that. A lot’s changed in the world of professional sports, but a lot has stayed the same too.”
“Well, there’s no harm in looking at her website is there?”
“No, I guess not.”
