“Look, I understand you’re mad about me and Ottavia. And I don’t blame you; I’d probably be upset if I were in your shoes, too. But the whole idea at the start of the summer was that I stop partying, sleeping around, and take my training seriously. Which Idid.”
“After lying about it.”
I ignored his accusation. “If our relationship is such a problem for you, then you should go ahead and trade me right now. But I’ll warn you right now—a trade won’t stop me from seeing Ottavia.”
I smirked, figuring I’d bested my owner.
“Trade? Who said anything about a trade?” A menacing grin twisted his features. “I own your contract, son. Why would I trade you? Why would I give up that control over your future?”
My heart sank. “So you’re going to send me to the minors, then?”
He laughed. “No, no. If I had you sent down, you’d still get playing time. And sure, you’d be pissed about it. But you’d still be playing hockey, wouldn’t you? Which means your life would still have meaning. I’d rather make you sit out.”
I gasped, realizing what he had in mind: he wanted to put me on the shelf.
“You won’t play in any games or practices for the duration of your contract,” he said. “You won’t be allowed into the team facilities or anywhere near the team. For five years, you won’t see any ice at all, Dakota. All you’ll do is sit on your couch, watch TV, and stuff your face with ice cream. And the rest of the world will move on without you. By the time your contract expires, you will already be forgotten, and your career over.”
I couldn’t believe he’d do something so extreme. “There’s no way you’d do that,” I muttered.
“Oh, but Iwould, Dakota. And I’d love every minute of those five years.”
“But you’d still have to pay me,” I said, my voice small. “There’s no way you’d burn twenty-five mil just to punish me.”
“I’m worthbillions. What’s twenty-five million to me? It’s chump change. And to end the career of the man who fucked my daughter? To me, that’s a damn good deal. In fact, I’d say it’s the best money I’ll have ever spent.” He paused. “Unless, of course—and here’s where I’m going to offer you a carrot—you agree to never contact my daughter ever again.”
I didn’t need to ponder his offer for long.
“No,” I said.
“No?” His eyes widened with surprise.
“Absolutely not,” I said, my conviction growing. “No deal.”
“You’re choosing my daughter over your career?”
Killer tried to intervene. “Be reasonable, Dak. Women come and go; you know that. You’ve worked so hard all summer long for a second chance. Don’t throw it away now.”
I shook my head, disappointed in my coach. “Killer, before I met Ottavia, you were ready to give me the axe. What changed?”
“Youchanged, Dak,” he said. “I saw it the moment you walked into the locker room this morning. You look different, you move and talk different. And your play on the ice? Tenacious. Unrelenting. Like a dog on a bone. It’s what I’vealways wanted to see from you—honest, hard-working hockey—instead of the flashy skill shit.”
I nodded. “And it’s all because of Ottavia. I’ve finally found someone who understands me. Do you have any idea how valuable that is? She makes me want to be a better person, Coach—she makes me want to begood. And as a result, hockey is funagain. I can’t wait to get out there and show not just the world, but Ottavia especially,what I’m capable of. So you guys aren’t just asking me to stop seeing Ottavia—you’re also asking me to give up the meaning I’ve found in my life. What would be the point of that? I know where that path leads. I’d go right back to playing uninspired hockey and you’d be wanting to get rid of me all over again. I might as well take the option where I at least know I have achanceat love, at being happy.”
“But what if, a year or two down the road, you and Ottavia break up?” Killer asked.
“It’d still be worth it,” I said.
Killer sighed. He cast a pleading leer at Mr. Capuano and quietly murmured, “He clearly likes the girl, Sal. Is it really so bad?”
Mr. Capuano wouldn’t hear it.
“You damned fool,” he said to me. “Do you seriously believe she actually likes you? Can’t you see she’s using you to get back at me? Why else would she go along with that ridiculous story about being ‘Jane?’”
“I don’t know why you keep thinking that I’m lying about me and Ottavia.” I added smugly, “Because the media sure believes my story.”
He laughed. “And who do you think planted that story in the first place, numbnuts?”
Then Ottavia was right,I thought. But that seemed to only createmorequestions.
