3

Chelsea

“How old are you?”

I blurted out and felt really stupid for asking such a foolish question. Jace lifted his eyebrows. Hayes laughed, and Beck just straight up shook his head at me in disapproval.

Forgive me for wanting to know their age, but as a thirty-year-old woman, I can’t be caught having silly thoughts about anyone younger than twenty-five.

That’s literally my one rule when it comes to flirting and dating. Though I have only dated guys older than me, and I don’t have any plan of dating any of these guys, no matter how hot I find them.

“We are not teenagers.”

Hayes said between laughs.

“That’s not what I asked.”

I already asked the question, so there’s no point backing down until I get the answer that I wanted.

“I like her already. She is feisty.”

Beckham said and winked at me. The guys were such flirts, and they weren’t even trying to hide it.

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

I pressed on, and they all laughed.

“The oldest among us is twenty-eight, and the youngest will be twenty-seven in a month.”

Jace finally answered. Okay, all within legal age, but I still don’t know why I even care about something like that.

“Okay, so when do I start working with you guys? What do I need to do?”

Dad only told me I would be their road manager; he never said anything about what I was required to do, and as crazy as it sounds for being the daughter of a hockey coach, I still don’t know anything about hockey.

Okay, I deliberately avoided everything about hockey and never imagined myself working for hockey players.

There was still enough time for me to turn this down and return to New York. I have family members there, and it doesn’t have to be about Owen or his new bride.

I can go back to work and start afresh, but the thought of going back to where I failed at everything made me sick.

Sicker than hockey has ever made me feel.

“Everything that doesn’t involve playing. We love our team, but we like to do our things separately, so you will be responsible for logistics during our travels, bookings, tracking game schedules, and double as our media personnel if you can take good pictures. We are paying out of our pockets, and it has nothing to do with the club.”

Beck explained.

“Oh, that’s something I can do, but you do know that it’s only for this season, right?”

I don’t want them thinking that I would be here longer than one season.

“We didn’t know that. Why one season? Do you have other obligations?”

Hayes asked.

“It’s personal. If you don’t want what I can offer, you can continue looking for someone ready to work permanently with you. I am only in this for one season.”

I told them. They looked at one another before turning back to me.

“We will see how that goes. Unrelated, but you have really beautiful eyes.”

Jace’s compliment threw me off, and it took everything in me not to smile and tuck my hair behind my ear.

“I don’t see how that’s relevant to our conversation.”

I said in an effort to be professional.

“Do you have a boyfriend or a husband?”

Hayes asked me, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

I asked him, and he shrugged his shoulders.

“You will be with us for most of the year as the season runs for several months. It’s not ideal for someone in a relationship or married.”

His explanation made sense, but for some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking that he might have other reasons for asking me the question.

“I am not married, and I just got out of a relationship that ended badly, so you don’t have to worry about me getting in a relationship during the season. I have sworn off men.”

They looked like they didn’t believe me but didn’t voice their opinions.

“Okay, we can deal with that. Hayes will work on the new contract by the end of the week. Before that, have you discussed the pay with your dad?”

Jace asked me, and I nodded. That’s the only part my dad made sure to tell me about, and I must say the salary is very good.

“Yes.”

“We are good here then. We have to practice as we have a home game later, so see you around, Chelsea.”

The way my name rolled off Hayes' tongue made me shiver, and I only managed to nod.

The guys left me in my dad’s office, and dad showed up a few minutes later.

“Did it go well?”

I nodded at his words, and he handed me a tablet.

“That contains everything that you need to know about the boys. You are only going to be in charge of three of them, not the whole team, so it will be pretty easy to deal with them. They are all star players in their respective positions and are needed in every game, so the club always accommodates them.”

I nodded absently at my dad’s words and focused on checking out everything that I needed to know about the boys.

Beckham was the oldest, the center, and captain of the team. Hayes was second oldest and played defense, and lastly Jace, who was the youngest and the goalie.

“Do you want to see them play? I have to go now.”

Dad said, and I nodded. I took the tablet along with me to the arena.

The team members were already on the rink. Dad pointed me to where I could sit and watched them practice, and I spent the thirty minutes watching them do what they were paid to do.

I actually found it fascinating when I heard my dad’s voice giving instructions, and the guys who were professional players all listened to him.

“You have a very cool job, Appa.”

I told him when practice was done, and he smirked proudly.

“I am a pro.”

I rolled my eyes but nodded in agreement.

“The guys are going back to their house to rest before the game, and you are to go with them.”

Dad announced, and my eyes widened.

“How am I going to follow all three men home? I am one woman!”

I pointed out, and my dad laughed.

“They live together.”

Oh.

“Right, of course, they do. They are best friends.”

Among the things that were listed in the tablet I was given, the one thing that stood out to me was the fact that the three men were close friends on and off the rink.

“Your job already started, and you will be spending more time with them.”

Dad told me.

“Dad, I am a girl. Aren’t you worried about sending me to a house full of men?”

My dad laughed and threw his towel at me, and I made a disgusted face, which only made him laugh more.

“I am not worried at all. I have known those boys since they were teenagers. I trust them, and I trust you. Plus, you just got out of a relationship; I know you are not looking to date anyone. Even if you are, you can’t date any of them, okay?”

My dad said the last part in a serious voice.

“Okay, your boys are safe.”

I hope that I can keep that promise because I suddenly felt a flare of heat grow inside me when I saw Hayes walking towards my dad and me.

“Coach Lee, can she come with us? We are leaving now.”

Hayes said, and my dad nodded. I threw his towel back at him and waved him goodbye.

“You are going to love working with us.”

Hayes told me as we made our way to where the others were.

“I hope so.”

I told him, and he laughed. damn, even his laugh sounded like music to my ears.

I shook off the silly thoughts that formed in my head and reminded myself that I couldn’t date him or the others.

“I am glad that you don’t have a boyfriend, Chelsea.”

Hayes said just before we reached the other guys, and I couldn’t respond to his words because Jace pulled me into a sweaty hug.

“Eww,”

I let out and pushed him away. Why does he have to be such a hugger, and why the fuck did I like hugging him even while he was all sweaty?

“Sorry, sugar. I got excited seeing you again. I will shower once we get to the apartment.”

He told me.

“First of all, I am not your sugar. Secondly, you can’t just hug me when you like! I am not your friend!”

I cautioned him, and he just smirked.

I realized he was going to be a big problem, but I can take up a challenge.

“Don’t be too hard on him; he is affection-deprived.”

Hayes said, and Jace glared at him before playfully punching him.

Beckham didn’t say anything and instead walked ahead of us. I followed the other guys who argued all the way to the black sprinter van, which was left open.

“No, you join us.”

Hayes said when I tried to get in front with the driver. I wordlessly nodded and got into the van.

Beckham sat next to me without saying anything to me, and that made me feel uneasy.

His sudden change of attitude made me worried that I might have said or done something to piss him off, and now he might not agree to me working for them.

I fought the urge to say something to him and instead focused on looking at the schedule, which was part of what was in the tablet that I was given.

The drive from the arena to their apartment was the worst twenty minutes of my life.

Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it was really bad since Beckham didn’t say a word to me throughout the ride and I was dying to know what I did to piss him off.

“Did I do something wrong?”

I whispered to Jace once we arrived at their apartment complex and the others went to their various rooms.

At least Hayes told me to make myself comfortable, while Beckham didn’t say a word to me.

“No, you didn’t.”

He assured me.

“But Beck hasn’t said a word to me, and I have a feeling that I offended him.”

Jace shook his head.

“His mood has nothing to do with you. He is always like that after a call with his family.”

He revealed, and I blinked in confusion.

“They want him to quit hockey and take over the family’s business. It’s pretty intense right now.”

I felt like an idiot for making everything about myself.

Why didn’t I think about the possibility of something else making him quiet?

Heck, the man only just met me, and I am sure I am the least of his worries. I need to remember my position with these guys.

I just met them, and I am only working for them for one season; no need to get ahead of myself and overstep.

I need to focus on what I was employed for. A road manager. That’s what I am, and that’s what I will be for the whole season, after which I will quit and move on like it never happened.