Mr. G’s mansion is awesome and I’m going to be the first to find that orange tree orchard tonight. Then again, Aiden’s in such a damn funk, he’ll probably spend his night out there with a bottle of Jack when his lips should be attached to Mr. G’s ass. I know his game will come back, he’s just gotta have faith.
Although Aiden and I come from two different worlds, we’re not differing from wanting our hockey careers to carry us through retirement. He doesn’t want to go back to Wisconsin and serve Milwaukee’s Best for the rest of his life, and I don’t want to run my father’s business. If my hockey career tanks, the pressure my dad’s already breathing down my neck will only intensify and I’m not a man made for nine-to-five suit wearing. Although I do look killer in a three-piece suit.
Spotting a group of women in the corner, I snag a glass of something a server is delivering to someone else and walk over.
“Hey ladies,” I say, sipping my drink.
They all turn around and each one knows who I am already. What can I say? Being a hockey player has other perks besides keeping me away from the family business.
“Ford,” two of the women say at the same time, stepping closer.
Seriously, what a life?
They introduce themselves and soon were talking about who they are. Gotta make sure they’re not related to Mr. G in any way.
I’m deep in a conversation about the superficial shit when Mr. G slaps me on the back. “Ford Jacobs, I was hoping to corner you.”
He looks to the women and they all scurry away. Mr. G’s not intimidating, well at least not to me. I’ve been around men like Mr. G since I was in diapers. They like to use their wealth and status as intimidation, but my trust fund could buy this place plus his infamous orange orchard.
“Great party, Mr. G.” I sip my drink and stuff my free hand in my pocket. I know what he wants to talk to me about and I already got the lecture from my father this morning, I don’t need to hear it from him too.
“I shouldn’t be surprised you found your way to the group of girls, should I?” I watch his pinky ring raise with his glass as he eyes me over the rim.
“What can I say, I’m irresistible.”
He raises his bushy eyebrows. I guess right now isn’t the time to joke about this.
“You gotta keep your dick in your pants.”
“You can’t be serious?” I ask.
He stares at me dead on. “You’re giving the Florida Fury bad press.”
I clasp him on the shoulder. “Oh, Mr. G, there’s no such thing as bad press, we know that.”
“Tell that to your family PR rep, Lena Boyd.”
Is he really bringing up Boyd to me? She’s nothing but a pain. Why my father thinks we need her is ridiculous, we’re not the damn Kennedys. But he hired her, and now she’s on my ass every time I get in the press.
“Boyd needs to mind her business.”
Mr. G laughs. “You are her business.”
“The Jacobs family is her business. I’m down here and she’s up in New York. She should stay up there.”
“With stunts like two nights ago, she has no choice.”
I open my mouth, but Mr. G’s large paw of a hand raises to stop me.
“Listen, Ford, you’re a hell of a hockey player, and when we drafted you, we understood your reputation off the ice. But things are getting out of hand and it’s putting a bad image on the team. Womanizing is one thing, but fighting is a whole other.”
“I told you, Mr. G, the guy threw the first punch.”
“Yes, I know, but you have to have more control. On the ice is one thing, off the ice is another.”
I blow out a breath. So I got into a bar fight the other night and video footage was leaked. Turns out my temper and Ketel One don’t mix well. I learned my lesson.
“I promise I’ll clean up my act,” I say, not sure exactly what that means, but it will make him happy to hear it and hopefully get him off my back.
His hand lands on my shoulder and he squeezes. “Good to hear. Now go enjoy the party, but remember, Ford, when you’re as well known as you are, people want you to fail. They’re looking for you to screw up. Be smarter than them.” He smiles, showing me his mouth full of veneers, and walks away.
I shake my head, annoyed since I didn’t do shit wrong that night. If I was anyone else, it would have been a bar fight, and that’s all.
I head to get an actual drink since the one I snagged is mixed with soda. What kind of guy drinks a watered-down scotch?
Just as I get to the bar, my phone vibrates in the inside pocket of my suit jacket. I pull it out and groan seeing Boyd’s name flashing across like a red killjoy light. Not in the mood for her lectures, I click ignore and stuff it back into my pocket, but it only vibrates again.
After the bartender hands over my scotch without soda, I click accept and step into a quieter part of the room.
“What? You couldn’t find a frog to kiss at midnight?” I answer.
“Funny. If I could put an ankle bracelet on you, I would.”
“Oh, Boyd, you can handcuff me to my bed and spank me if you’d like.”
She groans. I love getting a rise out of her. “I just heard from your friend’s lawyer.”
“Friend?”
“The guy you hit at the bar?” Her voice is one of annoyance. “Ring any bells?”
“Well, he’s not a friend, he’s a foe. Should we go through the difference now or I can just send you a dictionary if you’d like.”
A long breath flows and I smile to myself. “You’re in desperate need of help. You do realize that? You have five family members who can keep their shit together, but here I am always dealing with you.”
“There’s a solution to your problem. Would you like to hear it?” I ask.
“No, I don’t.”
“Just stop working on me. I’m an adult and I can handle myself.”
“If only.”
“Listen—”
“No, you listen, you spoiled, self-centered prick.”
“Don’t talk dirty to me, it makes me all hot,” I say.
“You’re hopeless. You do know that, right?”
“Oh, you say the sweetest things. We really should catch up another time. But I’m at a party. You know one of those places you go and laugh. You do remember how to laugh?”
She grunts and I imagine her teeth clenched and her body going rigid. It really is more satisfying when we have these banters face-to-face.
“I hear you’re struggling for words, so let’s talk tomorrow—”
“FORD!” she yells.
“Happy New Year and I hope you find that frog to turn into a prince.” I hang up and she immediately calls back, but I silence my phone. No one should need to get a hold of me for the rest of the night.
I sip my drink. She killed my mood like she usually does, but I spot the women from earlier and the night starts looking up.