Sequel: Attractions

Counting the Ways to Reject You

Chapter Seventeen

I was in Stan’s office when I heard the ruckus. I raised an eyebrow at the GM and he shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said. “I didn’t invite anyone here at this time.”

“I didn’t tell anyone I was coming here, so I’m good,” I told him.

“Are you sure about this Natalie?” Stan asked me, tapping a finger on my resignation letter. “I mean I thought the goaltenders were doing so well since you came and took over.”

I nodded. “They’re both doing great, despite what the public thinks and says about Crawford. He just needs to find the confidence he had last year and he’ll be making those beautiful saves we’re all missing again. He’ll be fine and until he can get there, Emery is definitely improving and succeeding,” I gave him my report on my boys.

There was more ruckus coming from outside and Stan held up a finger, getting up to shut the blinds and close the door. “Sorry Natalie. I have no idea what is going on out there. Anyways, I can definitely see their improvement. It’s impressive.”

I nodded and stood, ready to leave. “Thank you for some great years Stan. I truly appreciate it,” I shook his hand.

“You will be missed Natalie,” he informed me.

I smiled a ghostly smile. Some less than others. “I will miss them too.”

I was turning to exit, when the door was thrust open, causing me to stumble back surprised, as Corey Crawford, Patrick Kane, and Marcus Kruger came crashing in, all of them looking quite pissed.

“You said you weren’t leaving!” Corey shouted.

“I haven’t left yet!” I shouted back. “I came here to turn in my resignation letter is all!”

“What?!” Kaner hollered. “You can’t quit! That’s just so incredibly selfish of you to quit on the best goaltenders of your life!”

Emery poked his head in. “Captain Suicide? What? They told me you were stuck here forever in a forever binding contract.”

I gave him a confused look. “Who in hell told you that and why in the hell did you believe them?”

“Kaner said it and he seemed like a trustworthy source at the time,” he shrugged. “So why are you quitting? Sharpie? That’s stupid. He still loves you and by the look in your eyes, you still love him too.”

I kept my facial expression stony and cold and shot Kaner a dirty look. “Are you the gossip girl around here, filling everyone in?” I asked.

He smiled his best good boy smile. “It’s out of love, which means you should stay.”

“You just don’t want Star to leave,” I said.

“Partially,” he admitted. “But you’re kind of fun sometimes,” he said.

“Guys I ran out on him while he was proposing to me and before that I rejected him for like two years. Come on, he hates me and I can accept that and I am moving on.”

“You know not everything is meant to be taken literally,” Kruger reminded me, blocking the door.

“Crow!” Kaner shouted at Corey.

“Can I see this Stan? Thanks,” Corey snatched up my resignation letter. “You are so not quitting and ruining your life and making mine easier. I enjoy those moments where I yell at you in French and aim for your head when you make fun of me or something. You’re not allowed to quit!” he ran out of the office and sprinted off somewhere.

I turned to Emery. “So when I ask you two to run just a few laps and you run like turtles, you’re just messing with me.”

All I got was a shrug.

“Don’t you shrug at me!” I shouted. “Damn goaltender looks like a gazelle running like that!”

“Not a fan of the whole running thing,” he admitted, gesturing where Corey once stood before gazelling off somewhere.

I turned to Stan, frazzled. “Your team is out of control here! Kaner just admitted that he liked me as a person, your goaltenders can run and they’re sneaky little bastards! I take back those nice things about Corey too,” I added on. “And Kruger is supposed to be quiet, but he’s obnoxious and blocking the door! And Sharpie fell in love with me! None of this was supposed to happen!”

He just stared at me. “So, you’ll be at practice tomorrow morning?” he asked.

I threw my hands up and shoved Kruger out of the way. “Let’s go boys! We have a rouge goaltender out there with my resignation letter!”

“Will you stay if we help?” Kaner asked.

“You, all of you! Shut it and let’s go,” I snapped and Stan just pointed at the door, obviosuly done with their antics..

“You should know, if you trade Sharpie, Natalie goes with him. It’s like a package deal,” Kaner was telling Stan. “And Crow. They’re like a school of fish. Where one goes, the others will follow. Hell, I’m pretty sure Krugs will swim on over too, so you’re stuck with all of us. Just as a by the way kind of thing.”

“Goodbye!” Stan rubbed his head and shooed us out of his office, shutting the door right on Kaner’s ass.

“Where would he go?” I turned to Emery, hands on my hip.

He shrugged. “The possibilities are endless.”

“Damn all you hockey players,” I swore under my breath. “Damn you all.”
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So it turns out that when Mibba crashed, it not only took parts of my other stories, but this chapter as well because I had it highlighted in my document which basically means it's up on here. I had forgotten to add it back up and I just wanted to give a BIG THANK YOU to happygirl199 for bringing it to my attention!!! So just kinda cross out the chapter you read and read this first. . . .