Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

S he Wants to Play Hardball

Finn

Waking up with Charlie in my arms isn’t something I will ever take for granted. I had convinced myself for years that I wasn’t a relationship guy, but I was only fooling myself. I just hadn’t met anyone who was worth my time, but with Charlie everything has been different from day one. I kiss her forehead and she stirs.

“I have to get up for morning skate,” I whisper since she is sleeping in the crook of my arm.

“I should get up,” she mutters.

“Sleep a little more. You must be as exhausted as I am,” I murmur as a small smile curves my lips. This feels good.

“I need to go find a new job today. I have to work,” she mentions.

I’m hoping after what I plan to do today, she won’t need to find a new job.

“Sleep, baby,” I repeat, and I kiss her cheek.

I quickly slip on a pair of joggers and a hoodie and head downstairs. The guys are already up and rushing to get ready.

“I’m happy for you guys,” Cade says to me, punching me in the shoulder.

I just laugh because, damn, it feels good to just be with her out in the open.

I make my usual protein shake and I head toward the door. Some of the guys ride with me.

“Sucks she isn’t working for the team,” Macklin says.

“It does, but I’m hoping to change that,” I reply.

“You got a plan in mind?” Aaron asks.

“I do, but I’m not sharing right now. I’ll keep you posted later on,” I assure since I know the guys care about Charlie and they are invested in us working out, and Charlie working for the team.

“Bro, don’t do anything stupid,” Macklin advises.

“I’m thinking very clearly right now. You don’t need to worry,” I counter.

We head into the morning skate and I give it my all. My brother even pats me on the back for keeping my shit together. Of course, he doesn’t know that at 9:00 a.m. I plan to show up to Dean Anderson’s office. I don’t have an appointment, but she knows how important I am to this team.

After morning skate, I shower and get dressed.

“Bro, you okay?” Hayden asks, watching me weirdly.

“Yeah, why?” I ask.

“You’re unusually quiet,” he notes.

“Just got a lot on my mind,” I tell him.

He nods.

I get all my stuff together and head over to campus.

When I arrive at Dean Anderson’s office, her secretary tells me I don’t have an appointment.

Dean Anderson is walking into her office, holding a cup of coffee, when her secretary is explaining why I can’t just show up.

“Finn Heaton,” she says.

“Hi, Dean Anderson,” I reply. As the star of the hockey team, I know the administration in this school and they know me.

“How can I help you?” she asks.

“If you have a minute, I have something I would like to discuss with you,” I reply to her.

“Okay, come on in,” she invites .

“But, ma’am, you have a 9:15,” her secretary interrupts.

“They’ll wait,” the Dean says, and I don’t mean to turn around and give the secretary a gloating smile, but that’s what I do unintentionally.

I enter the Dean’s office. It looks very old school and she has two brown leather chairs in front of her desk.

“Have a seat, Finn,” she says as she rounds her desk and takes a seat behind it. She sips her coffee. “How can I help you today?”

“I’m here because of Charlotte Morgan,” I tell her.

She frowns, but I know she was expecting this to be the reason for my visit.

“As you know, her boyfriend cheated on her and Charlotte was humiliated,” I start.

“Professor Burton informed me of that unfortunate circumstance, and I have had a talk with the student in question,” she replies.

“He continued to harass Charlotte. He wasn’t leaving her alone. So not only was she humiliated but she was being stalked by her cheating ex, who also spread rumors about her to her friends and tried to get everyone in her program to turn against her.”

“I’m aware of all this, Finn. It’s a tough situation,” she states.

“It’s unfair that Charlie is getting penalized here,” I continue. “When I met her, she wasn’t given the internship. I have come to care about her deeply and I am not okay with her quitting the internship to save my as. . . me.”

“What are you saying, Finn?” she asks as she twiddles her thumbs. I have her complete attention and I know this could go either way, but things won’t sit right with me if I don’t do this.

“I’m going to quit the team. Please reinstate Charlie to her position as team social media coordinator. She has done wonders for the team. The app she created has been downloaded by twenty thousand users in forty-eight hours. She deserves the job.”

“I understand what’s happening here and I appreciate everything Charlie has done for the Rockets, but your team needs you, Finn. You guys are sitting at number two in the Big Ten Conference.”

“I’m sorry, Dean, but I am standing my ground. Charlie and I are both students. She is not in a position where I feel like she is in control of me. She is there to help the team. All the guys enjoy working with her, and she’s helped our social media accounts more than any previous coordinator. I hate to leave my team in the middle of the season, but the guys will understand.”

“And your brother?” she asks, and that statement tells me she wants to play hardball.

“With all do, respect, he is my coach here on campus, and I respect him like I would any of my coaches,” I reply, knowing I will not back down from my decision.

“Okay, well, I will need to take this matter to the Provost,” she responds. “Don’t quit just yet.”

“Okay, Dean Anderson.”

“Please leave Juliet your number. I will be in touch by the end of today,” she states.

“Thanks for hearing me out, Dean Anderson,” I say, still trying to be respectful. Even though I know I just put her in a difficult position.

I give Juliet my cell number on the way out, and then I head to my first class of the day. My head is swimming. I know exactly what college sports and the hockey team means to the university. The fact that we usually rank high in the conference and have taken the Frozen Four championships numerous times over the years makes Riverside U a top option for the best athletes in the country. A robust sports team like the Rockets means that profits from the team get reinvested into the university, which not only helps academic programs but also leads to the building of infrastructure and money for research in different programs. As the top player on the team, I know they don’t want me walking away mid-season. It would mean I would lose my scholarship, but I also have the funds to cover my last semester. The fact the Dean is taking this to the Provost means she knows how important I am to their bottom line.

The rest of my day goes by in a blur, with me checking my phone every half hour to make sure I didn’t miss any calls. As I am driving home after four, my cell rings with unknown caller written on the screen.

“Hello,” I answer.

“Is this Finn Heaton?” the voice asks.

“Yes, speaking,” I reply.

“This is Provost Daniel Tucker,” he says.

“Hello, sir,” I reply and wait.

“Dean Anderson has been in touch with me. We have conferred with Professor Burton to confirm that Mr. Raphael Olivier was in fact harassing Ms. Morgan. It appears not only was Ms. Morgan humiliated in front of all her peers, but she was also bullied by Mr. Olivier. We thank you for coming forward to Professor Burton to bring this matter to our attention. The university abides by a zero tolerance bullying environment. We also understand you and Ms. Morgan have entered into a relationship that began before her internship started. We feel your relationship with Ms. Morgan was solidified because you were protecting her from Mr. Olivier. We generally feel students should not engage with employees of the university, however, we do acknowledge this is a gray area, as both of you are students of Riverside U. You are both on the Dean’s list and exceptional athletes. We have decided to reinstate Ms. Morgan to her internship position. We do ask that any personal relationship be kept quiet until Ms. Morgan completes her internship at the end of this semester, which is only four weeks away. We don’t want to send a message to other students that personal relationships are acceptable when one student is employed by the university.”

“Thank you, Provost Tucker. Ms. Morgan and I can respect those boundaries,” I assure, feeling victorious.

“Good to hear,” he replies. “I will be calling the coaching staff of the Rockets to ask the internship be reinstated for Ms. Morgan.”

“Thank you, sir,” I say.

“You have a good evening, Finn,” he replies and with that we end the call.

Fuck yes.

By the time I get home, everyone is already here. Charlie is cooking fried chicken for everyone in the kitchen and she’s made biscuits as a side dish.

“I love her,” Cade says as I walk into the kitchen.

“As long as it’s in a friendly way,” I warn my friend.

“She’s like the sister I never had,” Cade assures. “Look at that chicken,” he says almost weeping.

Charlie turns around and she is about to kiss me when I hold her shoulders back. Her eyebrows draw together. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” I say. I just want to keep my word to the Provost.

“Did anyone from the team get in touch with you recently?” I ask.

“No,” she replies, just as her cell rings. She eyes me suspiciously. “What did you do, Finn Heaton?”

The way she says my name makes me laugh.

“Maybe we should give you privacy,” I suggest, looking to Cade so he takes the hint.

Cade and I leave the kitchen and head to the main room.

“What did you do?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I reply.

“Nothing my ass,” he counters. “How did you know she was going to get a call?”

“I have a special skill.” I shrug.

Just as Cade is about to pressure me more Charlie walks through the kitchen door into the main room. “That was Alice.”

She watches me like I confuse her.

“She just offered me my job back as team social media coordinator. She told me I better be on the bus with you guys tonight,” Charlie says, looking so damn happy.

I whisk her off her feet. “Fuck yeah.” I swivel her around and then I place her back on the floor.

“What did you do, Finn?” she asks accusingly.

“Why do you think it was me?” I reply, enjoying playing with her a bit.

“You knew I was getting a call,” she reminds. She has one hand on her hip and it’s jutting out. I like this sassy side of her.

“Doesn’t matter? What’s important is I get to play for the team and you get to work for the team. There is just one stipulation. . .” I fall silent watching Charlie and Cade, looking like they may explode from curiosity.

“You’re milking this too much,” Cade complains.

“Fine. . .” I concede.

“Well?” Charlie asks.

“We have to act professional until the end of the semester. That means no. . .”

“I’m plugging my ears,” Cade states, shoving his fingers in his ears. He turns and walks away.

“That means no sex for four weeks,” I tell her.

“Not even next weekend when we go to your family farm?” she pouts.

“It’s going to be tough, but I am a man of my word. I promise when the semester is over, I’ll be making it up to you big time,” I assure her.

“Does that mean I’m your girlfriend?” she asks.

“You’re more than my girlfriend, Charlie, you’re my everything, but for now we have to be completely platonic.”

“I’m happy I don’t have to come back for a fifth year, but the next four weeks are going to suck. I guess I’m going to have to use my fingers more than I want to,” she teases, knowing full well she is getting me riled up at the thought.

I groan, “You’re killing me, woman. Be kind.”

“Okay,” she concedes. “Just because I have a feeling you pulled some strings to get me my job back.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” I counter.

“So what did you do?” she asks. Her eyes go wide. “Shit, I forgot about the chicken frying.” She runs back into the kitchen.

I follow her as she does some damage control. The chicken isn’t burned though, but it’s ready to come out of the pot of oil.

“Maybe one day I’ll share the story with you. For now, let’s just keep our distance and follow the rules,” I advise. I kiss her neck and watch goosebumps pebble on her skin. “Starting now.”

Charlie laughs.

“Are you still going to try out for Team USA?” I ask.

She nods. “All this made me realize I don’t want to give up on my dreams. It just means I can get my degree and compete in the Olympics. I just hope my dad won’t be disappointed.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine and if he isn’t, then it’s okay too. You do so much, you’re allowed to put yourself and your needs first sometimes,” I tell her.

“That is really difficult for me to do,” she admits.

“I know but don’t worry, baby. I’ve got your back. I’ll make sure all your needs are met,” I assure.

“That sounds very sexual,” she purrs.

I growl. “This is going to be a long four weeks.”