Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Okay, I have to run, but I want you to FaceTime me with the man who has captured your heart,” she says, blowing me a kiss. “J’taime, poulette.”
“J’taime, ma tant preferee,” I tell her and she winks at me before hanging up.
I put the phone down as I hear her words play over in my head, he has captured your heart. Said heart now starts to speed up even faster as I get up and walk over to look out the window, the sun filling the sky with not one single cloud in sight. “Good luck, Xavier,” I whisper, hoping he can feel my energy.
CHAPTER 28
XAVIER
I sit in the back seat of the SUV, looking out the window. My leg moves up and down with the nerves that are soaring through my body. My heart’s beating so fast it’s the only thing I can hear in my ears, and my hands become clammy. My stomach is in full knots, making it so hard to swallow. I grab the little bottle of water that is in the cupholder in the middle of the seat, my hands shaking as I unscrew the top. I bring the bottle to my lips, taking a sip. My throat feels like it’s tightening even tighter. Screwing the cover back on, I put my head back on the headrest, closing my eyes. I start to control my breathing just like I had practiced. I think back to my happy place, but I’m a little shocked and surprised that now it’s with Vivienne sitting in the middle of my legs as we watch the sun setting. I don’t have time to think about what it means because the SUV comes to a stop. The door opens right away. “Mr. Montgomery.” The man nods at me as I put one foot out, hoping my knees don’t buckle, making me fall flat on my ass.
“There he is,” I hear from the side and see Bernie, the GM, walking toward me with a smile on his face. He extends his hand to me when he gets close enough. I have enough time to wipe my hand on my pants before shaking his hand.
“Bernie,” I greet him as he lets go of my hand.
“Thank you for meeting with me.” He smiles. “Shall I show you around?”
“Sure,” I agree. It’s the first time in my whole career that I’m doing this. When I was traded, it was done with my agent, and I was just told where to go. Now I feel like I’m being courted. He takes me around the training facility, the whole time telling me the best of it. It’s a state-of-the-art facility for sure, and because it’s the off-season, there really isn’t anyone here. The walls are filled with iconic plays through the years as he tells me about the way the club works. I really don’t say much. Just listening at this point.
We visit the dressing room, and then he takes me to his office. “Have a seat,” he offers, pointing to the empty chair in front of his desk as he walks around his desk to sit behind it. I take a seat in front of him. “So, do you have any questions for me?” He pushes back in his chair, rocking.
“Why me?” I ask the obvious question, and he just looks at me. “You must have heard some of the gossip that has been going around.” I chuckle nervously.
“From where I sit, there are always three sides to every story,” he answers. “Everything in the middle is muddled.”
I nod at his honesty. “How would you handle a player who comes to you, telling you the pressure with the press is overwhelming him?”
“There are always things we can do on our end,” he starts. “The press can be one way when you are winning and another when you are losing. I think it’s important for both sides to be respectful of that.” I take in the words he’s saying. “But I also know I have to have my players’ backs. If they come to me and are like, ‘I can’t do it anymore.’ I have to take them out of the press lineup.” He puts his hands on the desk. “But you have to know, doing that will just put more press on their back.”
“It can be,” I agree with him. “But if I tell you I can’t deal with it anymore, and I need help.” I watch his face when I say the next words. “I just don’t want to be ignored and then thrown to the wolves with no one at my back.”
His eyes find mine as he gets the full extent of my words. “There is nothing I won’t do as a GM to protect my guys. I don’t know what happened in Long Island.” His eyes go down, and then he makes sure he’s looking me straight in the eyes when he finishes the next part. “But I know that we win as a team, and we lose as a team.” The rest of the conversation is about what he wants to achieve as GM, and like everyone out there, his main goal is to get a Cup into his hands.