page47 (1/2)

As I step into her office, Gray stands from the desk and holds her hand out to me to shake My eyes immediately dran to the rounded bu back up to lock with her own Gray announced a feeeks ago at the team Christmas party that she and her husband, Ryker Evans, were expecting their first child together in May Ryker was the starting goalie last year for the Cold Fury and was instru the Stanley Cup He retired this past suoalie coaches for the team

I take Gray's hand and give it a quick shake before releasing it She waves to the chairs behindin casually While I a this , I don't ever want her to have the impression that it bothers me

Because it doesn't

I pretty much do what I want and I take my lumps when I deserve the

Gray sits down in her chair, rests her elbows on the top of her desk and steeples her hands in front of her "No sense in beating around the bush You have to pick your battles better, and frankly, a little less frequently"

"Not sure I' to be given the affirmative co me to dial it back a notch

"Well, let's take a look at your history," she says blandly and with a touch of sarcasive an involuntary so you celebrated joining the Cold Fury by going out and getting extre match with a fan from the other team"

"He started it," I say with a smile

She ignores that too "You got arrested for being drunk and disorderly"

"Those charges were dismissed," I point out

"Then," she says, barreling right past my excuses, "you pulled the infamous 'possum' stunt"

I snort That was a good one I took a high stick to h to put h, and while a shoving ht in front oftodead One of the trainers even caot broken up by the refs and about the time all the players started to slowly skate away I ju the shit out of our trainer, Goose--and attacked the fucker that gave h stick in the first place Got a few solid hits on him before the refs jumped on me

That earned ame misconduct ejection

Gray Brannon does not laugh, but continues to extol my "virtues" to this team

"You've been suspended for eleven games over the past two years," she says distastefully "Three for boarding, two for cross-checking, and six for abuse of an official," she recites

"Well, the abuse of an official was for ten gaht?" I ask without a hint of apology "Besides, you and I both know that guy is a douche"

"You're late to practice most of the time," she throws at me

"I need my beauty sleep," I say as I bat my eyelashes at her "And it's not personal I'"

I can tell she wants to roll her eyes at me but she never breaks that direct, hard stare "You've heckled and threatened fans, gotten into a public drunk spectacle on several occasions--the last just four days ago--with your girlfriend, which made the social media rounds--"

"I fucking hate Snapchat," I say gluirlfriend We'd been broken up a while and had just run into each other at a bar, and she's the one that--"

"And then today," she cuts in onit across to e of the sports section"

My eyes drop down and I have to practically biteup the entire top of the page It's ofon my back, covers pulled up to my hips, but it's clear I'm naked underneath And next to me is a woman, also clearly naked but with the sheet pulled up over her breasts, taking a selfie photograph with me

Unbeknownst to me

Didn't find out about it until she sentwith a short but clear deo to the press with it

My text back to her was simple: Fuck off

Of course, that text exchange ended up in the paper too, along with a quote from yours truly After all, the reporter called me for my side of the story and I told him I'd never be bribed by anyone, not to mention a two-bit model ould jump into bed with anyone just for the attention

I actually think I handled the situation well

Inclining my head toward the paper, I try for my most seriously affronted expression "You can't honestly be mad at me for that I had no clue she took that picture"

"She was previously engaged to one of your tearits out

I hold my hands up in mock surrender "I did not know that Well, not until after the clothes caed at the time"

"Jesus Christ, Sykora," Gray n of frustration "You have a godda But surely you can see you're taking things a bit too far For fuck's sake, you even had a rule instituted by the league naoddamn rule after you"

I give a lift ofin the rules preventing screening the goalies It happened all the tiht up in his face when the puck was in his end and waving etter, as oalie was otherwise occupied with my hands in his face