“Yeah. I like it too. I mean, I live in New Jersey, but it’s so close. I have a great apartment there.”
“What are your plans for the summer? Going home to Calgary?”
“Yeah. At some point. I needed to deal with this first.”
“Of course. How’s your family?”
“They’re good.” She met my parents when they visited me at Bayard College. My little sister Arianna had been obsessed with Kate because she played college hockey. “Arianna’s at Bayard now.”
“Oh, no way! That’s amazing!”
Her happiness unfurls something warm in my chest. “Yeah. She just finished her junior year.”
“Playing hockey, I assume?”
“Of course.” I grin. “When I tell her you’re my agent now, she’ll go nuts.”
“We haven’t agreed yet, remember? Don’t jump the gun. What’s she doing for the summer?”
“She’s back in Calgary. She’s got a summer job as a camp counselor.”
“Fantastic.”
“I’ll probably go to Tofino for a while, too. Do some surfing. I love it there.”
“Right. I’m sure it’s beautiful.” She bites her lip and looks at me directly. “How’ve you been with your PTSD?”
Trust her to come right out and ask about it. Things are changing with respect to mental health, but a lot of people are still uncomfortable talking about it. I exhale slowly. “I was doing great until this happened with Vern.”
“Oh no.” Her forehead creases. “I’m sorry.”
“I guess it’s the uncertainty, not knowing what’s happening with him. Also a new contract and where I’ll play, and then suddenly not having an agent.”
She touches her fingertips to her lips.
“But I’m dealing with it. I don’t want you signing me because you feel sorry for me.”
She drops her hand and rolls her eyes. “As if. I’m a businesswoman, Hunter.”
“Right.”
“And look at you.” She waves a hand. “You’re a professional hockey player in the NHL. You had your doubts…but you did it.”
My chest warms. “Yeah. I did.” Big thanks to her.
“So.” She’s finished her lunch and pushes the plate to the side, leaning forward. “You need an agent.”
“Yep. Like I mentioned on the phone, Vern’s not going to be working for a while. If ever.” I grimace. “And I’m a UFA as of June thirtieth.”
She nods.
I know I don’t have to explain things to her. I’ve never questioned her hockey knowledge, or her knowledge about the business of hockey.
“There are fifteen guys on the team with finished contracts. They’re going to sign Crusher and Alfie as soon as they can. They’re not going to sign me again.”
“You don’t know that.”
I shake my head. “I’m being realistic. They won’t have enough cap space left to sign me for what I want.” I lean forward. “I’ve proven myself the last four years. I want more money and a longer contract term. They’ve been giving me one-year terms since I signed with them. I want more than that.”
She nods thoughtfully. “I agree.”
My eyebrows lift.
She hitches one slim shoulder. “I did my research before meeting today.”
Satisfaction spreads through my chest. Yeah. I knew she’d do that. And she agrees with me.
“Have you considered any other agents?” she asks.
“I have.” I pause. “But you were the first one I called.”
“Oh.”
“Yesterday I talked to a couple of guys after I phoned you. I didn’t get the feeling from them they think I deserve much more money than I’ve gotten the last couple of years.”
“That’s bullshit.”
I blink. She keeps her face expressionless even as she utters the expletive. She’s good.
“You finished the season third in the league in hits last season. You set a team franchise record for most hits in a season. You’re a shot-blocking machine—eighty-five last season.”
I grin. “Yeah.”
“Also, you upped your offensive game with a career high in goals, assists and points.” She reels off the numbers from memory.
I sit back in my chair and cross my arms.
“Why are you laughing?” she asks coolly.
“I’m not laughing. I’m impressed. You’re amazing. But then…I already knew that.”
Our eyes meet again, this time with a little crackle of heat between us.
Man, I have to watch what I say. Anything suggestive brings back memories of Cancun.
“Thank you.” Her tone is detached. Professional. She drops her gaze. “I did some research on comparable players.”
I nod. That’s one way agents establish a player’s value—what other similar players are getting paid.
“I see you as similar to a Jönsson. Also Denby. Maybe Girard in Montreal.”
I contemplate those names. “I’m better than Girard.”
“You’re more physical,” she says with a nod.
Oh Christ. She had to say that. Heat flows south, thinking about being physical with her. I battle to maintain my composure.
“I’ve researched the team, too,” she continues. “Whatever Al Feroze gets, you can be sure Cunningham will be looking for something similar.”
“Yeah.”
She purses her lips. “I could see those two eating half the team’s cap space. Let’s say locking up those two costs the team fourteen million. That leave them with twelve million if the cap goes up to its projected levels for next season.”
“That’s not much.”
“Agreed.”
“Have you got thought of other teams that would be interested?”
“Oh yeah.” A little smirk graces her pretty lips. “Have you?”
“Hell. I don’t know. Rumor has it the Golden Eagles are looking for third line winger.”
“Third line.” She taps her lips. “Yeah, I’ve heard that, too.” She tilts her head. “Are you sure you want to work with me?”
I hold her gaze steadily. Things might be a bit weird between us, but there’s nobody I’d trust more with my career than Kate. “Yes.”
“I can give you references. You can talk to some of my other clients.”
I doubt that will change my mind, but it’s probably a good idea to do due diligence. “Okay.”
She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth in a rare display of vulnerability. “Hunter…”
Heat slides through my veins. “Yeah?”
For a long moment she doesn’t reply. Finally, she says, “I don’t know if this is a good idea. After what we’ve discussed today, we should both think about it.”
Shit. I don’t need to think about it. But I don’t want to seem desperate either. Even though I am. “Okay.”
“I totally trust her.”
I’m on the phone with Kevin Beaven, one of Kate’s clients in New York. He plays for the Bears.