Chapter Three

Matthew

I pick up the suit jacket, shrugging it on. I’m not putting on a tie, so the collar is open. I pull out the cuffs so my sleeves are smooth in my suit. I pick up my wallet, putting it in the pocket inside my suit jacket. I grab my phone and walk out ordering an Uber. As soon as I schedule the pick-up, my phone rings and a picture of Allison with her tongue out flashes on my screen.

“Why are you calling me at eleven? Aren’t you in school?” I ask her, listening to her giggle.

“Calm down there, big boy. I’m on lunch. I was calling to wish you luck. Don’t fuck this up.”

“Watch your mouth.” I shake my head. My little sister isn’t so little anymore. In her place is a fifteen almost sixteen-year-old spitfire. She is the reason I see some extra white in Cooper’s hair, and the other ones are for the twin girls, who are almost going to have to be homeschooled they are in trouble so much. The only sane one is my brother.

“Yeah, yeah. Okay, well, don’t mess this up. I gotta go. The teacher is coming.” And she clicks off.

I send her a text instead.

Liar, you said you were at lunch!

She doesn’t answer. Instead, she just sends the kisses emoji. She might be adding white hair to my head, too. I make it down to the lobby and escape without anyone seeing me. My Uber app shows me that the car is waiting for me. I jump in, saying hi and nothing else.

Instead, I scroll on TSN and Hockey News. My hands are sweaty. My stomach is rumbling. We make it to the building ten minutes before my meeting, but you know what they say, the early bird gets the worm. I shake my head, thinking about the saying my grandfather used to always tell me.

Walking up to the security guy, I give him my name and he lets me in since I’m on the list.

I make my way up to the reception desk after stepping out of the elevator. I smile at the girl who sees me and then blushes. “Hi there. Matthew Grant. I have a meeting.” I don’t even have to say anything because she nods.

“Yes, Mr. Grant.” She gets up and walks around her desk. “Follow me. I’ll take you to the conference room.” She walks ahead of me, swaying her hips so wide I hope she doesn’t fall.

When we reach the end of the hall she opens the door, allowing me to walk next to her. I see Robert getting up, walking over to me. “Hey, Matthew, looking good.” He shakes my hand while I nod at him. “This is Doug Cooney, the owner of the team. I’m just waiting for Dan, the coach, to get here. Let’s have a seat.” He points to the chairs.

I take a seat, putting my hands on the desk.

“I have to say thank you both for taking the chance on me.” I look at both of them. “I promise I won’t let you down.”

Doug nods at me, leaning back in his chair. “I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t want to give you that chance. But Robert here,” he says, looking at Robert, who looks at me, “fought for you. Don’t let him down.”

I nod at him, about to answer, when there’s a knock at the door and then Dan walks in wearing the team tracksuit.

“Hey there.” He walks to the table before we can get up. He smacks me on the shoulder. “Fucking great to have you.” He nods to the other two.

“Okay,” Robert starts, “we have your contract here. It’s a one-year contract for two point one million, as per your agent.” He smiles at me because I don’t have an agent. I have Cooper. “We also have the stipulation clause. I know last time you weren’t happy with some of them, but it’s the only way we can both win.” He opens the folder in front of him. “You will be living in a brownstone in Brooklyn.” The page flips over while he continues to read. “Your chaperone will live with you.” He looks up, waiting to see if I’ll say something, and I almost say fuck off. “It’s a three-story brownstone. You each have your own floor to do as you please.”

I nod at him. It isn’t as bad as I thought and maybe me and my roommate will be each other’s wing man. “Your chaperone will be at your side each time you go out. Especially, game day and traveling. Of course you will each have your own room when traveling, but it will be connecting.”

“I hope this guy is up for Netflix and working out.” I smile at them, my hand itchy to sign the papers before I call it all off.

Doug gets up, going to the phone on the table, pressing a couple of buttons. “Can you come to the conference room, please?” He hangs up right after.

“If you mess up even once, your contract is null and void,” Doug says, sitting down just as the door opens and I turn my head to stare at the person who just walked in.

“You?” I stand up, looking back at the other people at the table. The chick from the gym walks in, this time wearing black tight pants and a white button-down shirt, rolled up at the wrists. “Is this a joke?”

“I can assure you I had the same reaction when I was asked,” she says sternly. “I don’t want this any more than you do, but it is what it is.”

“She tried to pick me up yesterday.” I put my hands on my hips, telling the table.

“Are you insane?” she huffs out, her voice rising. “You and your anatomy landed on me.” She looks at Doug. “Right in my back.”

I roll my eyes at her.

“Karrie,” Doug says, looking at her.

“What?” She shrugs at him. “He couldn’t even contain himself, and he thinks I tried to pick him up.” She looks at me. “You wish.”

I pfft out. “Please, one word and you would have come home with me.” I look at the men in front of me. “You guys can’t be serious.” I then look back at Karrie. “Besides, how old is she? Twelve?”

“Pervert. I would have pulled the fire alarm and kicked you in the nuts.” She crosses her arms over her chest, making her tits strain against the buttons. “Either way you would have ended up in the same place. Alone. With bruised nuts.”

Robert slaps the table. “That’s enough, you two.” He looks at both of us. “Now, you two have a lot of catching up to do. I will forward you both the travel schedule.” He stands up, grabbing the papers, and slapping me on the shoulder. “Good to have you.”

Coach Dan gets up also, smirking at me while I stand here speechless that they allow a girl to chaperone me. Not just any girl, the hottest fucking girl I’ve ever set eyes on. I had to take care of myself three times since I stumbled on her.

“You two try not to kill each other.” Dan looks at Karrie. “Be good, sweetheart.” And he kisses her cheek.

“Really?” I throw my hands in the air. “Does no one think this is a ridiculous idea?” I look around the room and the only one left is Doug, who gets up.

“I think it’s the best thing to ever happen to you.” He walks over to squeeze my shoulder. “But if you make my little girl cry”—he leans in, whispering—“they won’t find your body.”

My mouth opens and closes, and then opens again, not a sound coming out.

“Sweetheart, I’ll call you later.” He kisses her on the same cheek that Dan just kissed her on. Why the fuck is everyone kissing her, and why the fuck am I so irritated that it bothers me?

Just Karrie and I are standing in the middle of the room. “You’re the boss’s daughter?” I finally get some words to come out.

“Yes,” she says, turning around to walk away from me, but I grab her arm, and it’s too much. Her tiny arm in my big hand almost feels like it sears me. She looks down at where I’m touching her, her eyes never coming up to meet mine. “I want to get home.” She shrugs my hand off and walks ahead of me. “We can take an Uber back to the hotel and pick up our stuff and then we can get home. Finally.”

I follow her out of the conference room where she goes to the reception desk, grabbing a black matching jacket and her big black purse. “Thanks, Alice.” She smiles and then walks to the elevator, and I have no choice but to follow her. The only thing I can wish for is that I don’t end up fucking this whole thing up.

The minute we leave the conference room I’m already taking my phone out to text Cooper.

We have a problem. My chaperone cannot be served alcohol in a bar. Can we have it changed? To a man? Who is older? With saggy balls?

I press send and then put the phone in my pocket while I follow Karrie all the way outside to a car and ride over to the hotel.

We are both looking out our respective window when her soft voice fills the car. “This wasn’t an ideal situation for me either.”

I turn to her, which is a mistake because I want to yank her over to me and kiss her. I want to make her squirm on my lap, but most of all I want to see what she looks like when she smiles. I don’t have a chance to say anything because we are already back at the hotel where she has already exited the car.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, so I pull it out and see that it’s from my mother.

He’s on the ice with the twins.

I smile while I reply because I know my sisters.

The twins hate skating!!!

I know, but this is a punishment. It seems the bus driver was talking smack about Cooper and him retiring too young.

And? Why are they punished?

They got kicked off the bus indefinitely because they called him a pencil dick moron. Then Zara gave him the finger.

I start laughing out loud when I bump into Karrie again for not looking where I’m going.

“If you're finished sexting, we can meet outside in ten. I’m already packed.” Her voice comes out curt.

“Jealous that I’m not sexting you?” I ask her and then smile while she glares. “Besides, I wouldn’t sext my mother. Ever.”

“Whatever,” she says, getting out of the elevator. “Ten minutes.” Then she slams the door, making me growl.

An hour later, we’re sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic while we weave our way from mid-town to Brooklyn. We finally make it to the front of the brownstone. All the houses are lined up on the street, all attached. All literally brown. Big bay windows on each side of the door. The only thing telling them apart is the different cast iron railings up to the front doors. Those also are original because no two doors are alike. I follow Karrie up the ten stairs that lead to the big brown doors. Both doors have windows on them so you can see inside. You don’t see much because there’s a white rounded door on the inside with stained windows, not allowing you to see inside the house.

She unlocks the two deadbolts and walks in, throwing her keys on a mirrored table with fresh white roses in the middle. She steps in, turning the brass rounded handles, making us come face to face with a white staircase. The railing is a dark chestnut brown. The flooring is a glossy green almost black marble flooring. All I can see is Zoe and Zara trying to run and then slide with their socks.

“I’ll give you the tour,” Karrie says to me, turning left and entering what she calls the living room.

It looks like it’s been in a magazine ad. I walk into the room, taking in the bay windows. A hidden bench makes it so you can curl up with a book. All white, the room has one color, but the couch is a huge U-shaped deep brown. There are a million throw pillows placed all over, but what gets me is the fireplace right in front of the couch. It’s old school, hand-carved in white marble, the old details from the past all engraved. A huge screen television sits on top of the fireplace. The table in the middle is black with nothing on it but the different remotes.

“All these remotes are for the television as well as the music system that plays throughout the house. The small gray one is for the curtains.”

“I’ve never had a remote for curtains before. If my sisters ever visit, we must hide that.” I laugh at her while she smiles and walks back out, turning left and heading down a narrow hallway. Different types of frames line the wall from top to bottom. All personal. I try to stop and take it in, but she’s already at the end of the hallway that opens up to a huge kitchen.

The middle counter is all white and gray marble. A white vase with red flowers brings out the light in the house. Skylights from the ceiling let in more light. The range against the wall is black. White cabinets line up the two walls while her huge ass fridge is against the wall on the other side. One door is see-through and you can see that there isn’t much inside. We are going to have to make sure it’s stocked at all times. While I’m training, I hate eating unhealthy. She walks to the other side of the room into what she calls the dining room. There’s a white square marble table in the center with eight brown chairs around it. A vase of green flowers sits in the middle with a couple of candles. Her mail is on the table, so she picks it up.

“Everything is so white,” I tell her while she ignores me. “Can you show me where my room is?”

She puts the mail down on the table, taking off her jacket and throwing it over one of the chairs while she takes off the heels she’s been wearing. “Follow me.” She leads me back to the hallway where we take the stairs up to the second level. Once we get there, I see there are two doors. She points to the right. “That’s my room.” She ignores me, opening the door, and then walks a couple of feet into the hallway to the door on the left. “And this,” she says, opening the door, “is my off—” But she stops talking. “What in the hell is going on?” she says, walking into the huge room that doesn’t look like an office at all.

The big king-sized bed in the middle of the room against the wall lets me know this isn’t an office. The walls are painted a nice soft gray, making the red and navy blue cover pop even more. The furniture is all dark and very masculine.

“No, no, no, no.” She keeps chanting, walking to the door in the corner. She opens it and I see it’s an empty walk-in closet. “I’m going to fucking kill Jose,” she says while she pulls out her cell phone to call someone. “Jose, it’s Karrie. What happened to my office?” she asks, one second away from snapping and throwing something across the room. I don’t know what Jose tells her, but she replies, “No, the bedroom upstairs is the gray room, not my office.” She nods her head and then all she says is goodbye.

“So good news,” she tells me. “This is your room. Bad news, your bathroom is upstairs. But you’re fit. It’ll be fine.” She shrugs her shoulders while I take off my jacket, tossing it on the bed. I unsnap the buttons on my wrists.

“Whatever, I’m not difficult.” I walk to the window, which is facing the small covered backyard. “I noticed that the fridge is empty downstairs, so I’ll make a list and you can go and pick up the things I’ll need.” I turn to face her.

“Um, excuse me?” She puts a hand on her hip. “Pick up the things you need? I think you’re confused just a touch. I’m a chaperone, not a PA. You want someone at your beck and call, hire someone.”

“They did, you,” I tell her, watching her bite her teeth together so hard, I think her teeth might snap.

She charges out of the room, opening her bedroom door and slamming it. I wait at the entrance of my room, listening to the banging that’s going on behind her closed door. I’m about to go knock when the door swings open.

“You listen here.” She walks up to me, huffing and pointing her finger at me. “You want stuff in the fridge, go buy it yourself. You need soap or shampoo, get it on your way out. You need your cleaning picked up, I’ll call you an Uber. I won’t now, nor ever, be at your beck and fucking call.”

I don’t hear anything else that comes out of her mouth. The only thing I can focus on is her lips and how plump they are and how she licks them a lot when she’s angry and the only thing running through my mind now is making them even more plump by kissing the shit out of her.