Page 44 of Puck Fest
“Noah and I were just catching up. We used to date. Back inChicago.” Alex says it casually, like it’s no big deal. He turns to me with a triumphant smirk on his face. “Well, it was good seeing you, Noah. We should do this again. And nice meeting you, Danny. Looking forward to Friday’s game.”
He leaves, and I’m left sitting here under Masterson’s suspicious stare.
“You dated a journalist,” he says.
“Yeah,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “A long time ago.”
“He looked cozy with you. Was he looking for a scoop on something?” His eyes narrow. “Or someone?”
I shoot out of my chair. “It wasn’t like that at all. I’d never talk about you to the press.”
“Whatever.” He shrugs and twists away. “I need to go.”
“Masterson—”
But he’s already walking out.
I grab my jacket and follow him out onto the street.
“Masterson. Wait.”
He doesn’t stop.
“Danny.”
He finally stops and turns around. The pained look on his face makes my gut twist.
“What?” he mutters.
“It’s not what it looked like in there.”
“What did it look like?”
“Like I was having coffee with an ex who happens to be looking for a story.”
“And was it?”
“No. Alex showed up in Oakland He wanted to meet to smooth things over between us. I said no. He kept pushing. I agreed to coffee just to get him to back off.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s a journalist who specializes in digging up dirt on athletes and turning it into headlines. And I don’t want him anywhere near you or the team.”
Masterson studies me, waiting for me to keep going.
I sweep a hand through my hair. “Look, when we were together in Chicago, I was managing a player who was going through personal issues. His name was Devin Edwards. He was a center for the Blackhawks, twenty-six years old, second year in the league. He came to me eight months in because his anxiety had gotten bad enough that he couldn't sleep before games. He was throwing up in the tunnel before warmups. I helped him work with the team to get him connected to a sports psych and adjust his media schedule so he had a buffer. He started playing better. He was happy.”
I take a breath.
“I told Alex about it one night. Not as a story. Just venting. The way you tell your boyfriend about a hard week at work. Three days later, theTribuneran a front-page piece about Devin's ‘mental fragility.’ There were quotes from anonymous sources, speculation about whether he could handle the league. Within a week, his endorsements pulled out. The team stopped giving him play time. By the end of the season he was in the AHL. He hasn't played NHL hockey since.”
Danny's jaw tightens. “Jesus.”
“That's why we broke up. That's one of the reasons I left Chicago. And that's why I don't want Alex anywhere near you.”
“So you met him for coffee to tell him to back off.”
“Yes.”
