Up and Coming
Chapter 43
I walked back into the arena, after getting the girls settled in the bus. Miley Cyrus's We Can't Stop was playing in the dressing room, and I headed for my stall.
"Boys! 1 hour!" Called Darryl into the room, notifying us that the bus would pull out of the parking lot in an hour."
"Be in the parking lot in half an hour!" Called Dustin, tossing his equipment bag to an equipment manager.
I nodded, and checked my phone. I had one new message, and it was from Shay, asking when I wanted to meet the girls. I ignored it and walked to the mirror, fixing the gel in my hair.
"Hey Jakie!" Called Mike.
I glanced at him over my shoulder, and he smiled.
"We going out for a drink after the game tomorrow?"
"Maybe!" I shrugged.
"Good game boys." Called one of the scouts, passing the dressing room.
I turned around, smiling at a camera following me.
"Jake?" Asked an equipment manager. "Someone wants to interview you in the hallway."
I nodded, and walked out to the hall.
"Thank you. We're now joined by the LA Kings Jake Belanger, who played his first NHL game tonight. You're looking very dapper Jake!" Said a female reporter in a blue dress.
"Thank you. I'm glad to be here." I smiled at the camera, fixing my tie.
"Jake, you played your first career game today. How did that feel?" She asked.
"I really can't describe it. It was such a blend of emotions, and I had so much on my mind before the game, that it's pretty much impossible to say what the feelings were." I grinned sheepishly. "It was pretty amazing."
"How did you prepare for this game?" She questioned me.
"Um... I just got to the arena pretty early, with the rest of the team, and tried to take my mind off of the game by working out." I answered honestly.
"And, I know there are a lot of people questioning your hit on Ryan Suter in the game. What do you have to say about that?" She asked, and I fiddled with my coat buttons.
"I really didn't mean to hurt anyone, and I haven't gotten a chance to review the play either. It may not have been a clean hit, but the outcome was not my intention." I replied, and she nodded.
"Thank you for joining us, Jake, and good luck tomorrow!" She smiled toward the camera. "We will be following Jake Belanger and the Kings in Winnipeg tomorrow. Coverage starts at 9 PM Eastern Standard Time."
I nodded, and was walking away, when a man in a suit grabbed my arm.
"I'm sorry. Do you have a second?" He asked me worriedly.
"For sure!" I nodded. "What do you need?"
"I'm the producer of the TV show NHL 36. We would like to have you featured on the show at some point this season. Would that work for you?" He asked. "We would make money off of the show, and you would get publicity."
"Sounds good!" I said, grinning from ear to ear. "When do you want to do it?"
"I'll message your agent about it, but I wanted to confirm with you first. We'll work around your schedule." He told me, and walked back to his crew, giving the thumbs up.
"Boys! 1 hour!" Called Darryl into the room, notifying us that the bus would pull out of the parking lot in an hour."
"Be in the parking lot in half an hour!" Called Dustin, tossing his equipment bag to an equipment manager.
I nodded, and checked my phone. I had one new message, and it was from Shay, asking when I wanted to meet the girls. I ignored it and walked to the mirror, fixing the gel in my hair.
"Hey Jakie!" Called Mike.
I glanced at him over my shoulder, and he smiled.
"We going out for a drink after the game tomorrow?"
"Maybe!" I shrugged.
"Good game boys." Called one of the scouts, passing the dressing room.
I turned around, smiling at a camera following me.
"Jake?" Asked an equipment manager. "Someone wants to interview you in the hallway."
I nodded, and walked out to the hall.
"Thank you. We're now joined by the LA Kings Jake Belanger, who played his first NHL game tonight. You're looking very dapper Jake!" Said a female reporter in a blue dress.
"Thank you. I'm glad to be here." I smiled at the camera, fixing my tie.
"Jake, you played your first career game today. How did that feel?" She asked.
"I really can't describe it. It was such a blend of emotions, and I had so much on my mind before the game, that it's pretty much impossible to say what the feelings were." I grinned sheepishly. "It was pretty amazing."
"How did you prepare for this game?" She questioned me.
"Um... I just got to the arena pretty early, with the rest of the team, and tried to take my mind off of the game by working out." I answered honestly.
"And, I know there are a lot of people questioning your hit on Ryan Suter in the game. What do you have to say about that?" She asked, and I fiddled with my coat buttons.
"I really didn't mean to hurt anyone, and I haven't gotten a chance to review the play either. It may not have been a clean hit, but the outcome was not my intention." I replied, and she nodded.
"Thank you for joining us, Jake, and good luck tomorrow!" She smiled toward the camera. "We will be following Jake Belanger and the Kings in Winnipeg tomorrow. Coverage starts at 9 PM Eastern Standard Time."
I nodded, and was walking away, when a man in a suit grabbed my arm.
"I'm sorry. Do you have a second?" He asked me worriedly.
"For sure!" I nodded. "What do you need?"
"I'm the producer of the TV show NHL 36. We would like to have you featured on the show at some point this season. Would that work for you?" He asked. "We would make money off of the show, and you would get publicity."
"Sounds good!" I said, grinning from ear to ear. "When do you want to do it?"
"I'll message your agent about it, but I wanted to confirm with you first. We'll work around your schedule." He told me, and walked back to his crew, giving the thumbs up.
