Page 7 of Through the Five-Hole

I’d learned a long time ago, it was better to keep my mouth shut than it was to open it and start fighting back or trying to defend myself.Plus, I’d heard this lecture before.It wouldn’t matter the reason I’d lost my temper, because he’d never listen to me anyway.

“I’m pretty sure that when you came here, it was written in your contract in clear English that you were to keep your act clean.This isn’t fucking clean!In fact, it seems to get worse the longer time goes on,” he said, throwing down a copy of a sports article I’d not yet seen.

I reached for the paper, reading the headline:Once a Player, Always a Player, Hockey’s Notorious Bad Boy’s Secret Affair.Slamming the article down on the desktop, I started smirking at the fact that they were still going on about this.

“What the fuck do you find funny?”Thompkins screamed, getting right down into my face.

“This is ridiculous.I was simply defending Lorelai, so they wouldn’t drag her name through the mud.Besides, they shouldn’t have been lurking outside my house.Now they are lurking in this very building, capturing pictures they have no right to capture on private property while I’m in treatment for my back, and you aren’t doing a single thing about it.”

“Well, I see you clearly accomplished what you set out to do.As for the lurking, there are many other ways to deal with that than to beat the shit out of two reporters.”

“Well, they pissed me off!”I yelled back.“Accusing us of having an affair.Besides, it’s been two months.They really need to lay the fuck off.”

“So what?They pissed you off, big deal.You know what pisses me off?Players like you who only think about themselves.In that moment, there were so many other things you could have done to deal with the situation.”

“Like what?”

“Well, for starters, being sober would have been one of them!Or you could have done as Lorelai suggested and gone into the house, allowed her to call us, and allowed us to deal with it.Instead, you took matters into your own hands, leaving the girl in a poor panic, making a mess of everything you’ve worked hard to undo.”

I sat slumped in the chair, listening to every word Thompkins said.While part of me really didn’t care what I’d done, I knew he was right.After a public apology, The Enforcers had forced me into Gamblers Anonymous three years ago, and while it had been the best thing to cure my gambling addiction, it had also cured the women it drew as well.While the guys all thought my bedroom was active as hell and I had plenty of women at my beck and call, they didn’t know the half of it.My private life was dead, completely dried up.In fact, I hadn’t had action in so long, I was thinking I’d be giving away my virginity again when the time came—not that I’d ever tell them that though.

“Nothing has been undone.I’m not out gambling, I’m not out being photographed with inappropriate women as my last coach called them?—”

“No, you are right.Instead, you were out beating the shit out of photographers and reporters because they used the thought of you and Lorelai to get a reaction out of you.”

“Yep, and thanks to that decision, which I’m really not proud of, I have completed the anger management sessions that Larson asked to take, and I have completed the terms of my suspension, not breaking a single rule.”

Thompkins shook his head and leaned over me.“You have fucked your career and this team, Colton, and you did it all right in the middle of the fucking playoffs.Just be thankful I’ve had a couple of months to cool off.”

I glared at him, causing him to back off me.He didn’t need to tell me what I already knew.The team had been counting on me.I knew that, and I’d let them down.I knew that too.It was thanks to me and my poor decisions that had cost us our chance at winning the cup.

“I haven’t fucked my career.I’ll be in the spotlight for a while, until another player does something more outrageous than this.Give it time.It will blow over.It always does.”

“Well, according to your theory, in the three months you guys have been off, someone should have done something more outrageous than you have, yet here we are.The articles are still pouring in.”

That was when the office door opened and Larson walked in, followed by Pamela and my agent, Kent.This day just got better, I thought to myself.

The room was silent as the three of them walked in.Two of them made themselves comfortable in chairs before they all turned their attention to me, none of them smiling, while Larson walked over to Thompkins and mumbled something at him.

Kent looked at me, then reached for a file, standing up.

“Colton, effective Thursday, your team suspension is over.However, your contract is still under review, pending the outcome of the pending charges.When the Dominators signed you, there was an agreement that you didn’t drag your shit here.You have broken that agreement, so they have asked to have some time to rethink their decision to allow you to remain with the team.They have until the end of the season to decide, which if they want you to leave, would make you a free agent.”

I looked over at Larson and Thompkins.Both men stood there staring straight at me with the same look I’d seen from the Enforcers’ owners and coach had when they’d announced they were trading me.

“That being said, with the suspension this summer and your contract under review, your sponsors were going to drop you, but I was able to convince them not to because I told them you would not only fulfill your contract with each of them but you were taking steps to fix this mess.They have agreed to resign again next season, but only if you clean up your act and stay on with the Dominators.”

It was then that Pamela cleared her throat and looked at me.

“What?How am I to clean up my act?”I shrugged.“I think it’s pretty safe to say that maybe Thompkins and everyone else is right.Maybe I am just a fuckup.”

I’d heard those words from my father right until I’d eventually moved out of his home.I was almost certain those were the words he’d uttered as he waved to me as I backed out of his driveway, and if I were honest, they were also the exact words he muttered to me right before he passed away.

“You aren’t a fuckup, and we aren’t just giving up on you, Colton.You have completed the things that we have asked so far, and you have obeyed all aspects of your suspension.That speaks volumes, but we want to make sure this topic doesn’t come back up and that you are only highlighted in a positive light in the future.So, we have come up with a solution to fix this mess, but it’s one that is not up for discussion or negotiation,” Larson said, crossing his arms in front of him, letting me know he meant what he said.

I looked over at Pamela, who shuffled through some papers before finally stopping.She looked at me, an unsettling look in her eyes.

“We have hired a personal PR campaign person to be assigned to you.”