Jack

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-three

Jack

I got to the players entrance with like twenty minutes to go before the game. One of the guards was watching for me and led me through the tunnel to the locker-room without as much as a word.

Once there it was cleared out, no one was in there except the head trainer and he was waiting for me with a pair of skates, my skates, and they looked like they had been freshly sharpened.

I nodded thanks and smiled and headed to my locker stall, which was still there with my name on it. I grabbed my jersey down and looked at it. The A was still positioned on the chest in the corner and I felt a surge of emotion. I did miss this.

I hurried and got changed. I began heading down the player tunnel and was stopped by a woman about my age with a microphone and headset. "Not yet Jack," she said holding me back. "I'll let you know when."

I nodded thinking she must know more than I did so I waited. I could hear Mister Green on a microphone addressing the crowd. It was "we are Buffalo" night and I bet the stands were packed.

"Thank you all for coming. We are Buffalo," he said and the fans cheered.

"Well I will cut to the chase. The league has made the individual organizations responsible for fraternization between players and staff."

The crowd erupted again, and I smiled. I guess they were Ok with me and Maddie. "I however have to look at it from all angles, and I have decided to keep the standard policy in place."

"What," I said out loud. Why bother having me here if he didn't want me to play. Was I just a reminder to why you shouldn't fall in love with someone? I started turning for the locker room not wanting to be a symbol, when the woman with the headset grabbed my arm.

"You aren't going to want to miss this." She said urging me with her eyes to stay. I had Maddie, so I wasn't interested in her, but there was something about her look that spoke to me so I nodded and waited.

Of course it didn't start again right away because the crowd was still booing. "I understand," Mr. Green said again when he could get a word in. "So while I will leave in place the strict policy of no players and staff mingling, I will allow members of staff with in the same management level to mingle, as long as they are all of legal age."

No one cheered, why would they? I mean that really didn't affect what I or anyone wanted here. They wanted me on the ice. Haley wanted me on the ice. Hell, I wanted to be on the ice. This didn't accomplish anything for the fans.

"I have come up with a solution to a recent problem," Mr. Green said to the waiting crowd. "I have decided to make an official team position of Player scout. This player will also focus as a scout, to scout out new talent for the organization. It is in all practical purposes a management level position of the highest regard. Which means this person would not be able to date anyone beside upper management, say ownership, or at the least a general manager."

The crowd erupted and I think I could see where this was going now. Hell I had been doing the scout work for the organization since I got here anyway, so I might as well have a title to go with it.

"Of course, who could we put in such a valuable and responsible position?" Mr. Green asked the crowd.

"Jack," was whispered in the stands, and then holy shit, I'm not kidding, and it was like a tidal wave crescendo. "Jack, Jack, Jack," and it went on and on.