The Goalie Bet novel · Chapter 11 of 32

Chapter 11: The Review

The conference room had a long table and eight chairs and a window facing the parking lot.

I got there at 8:45 and laid my logs out in order.

Twenty-six sessions. Dates, times, exercises, rep counts, door status.

The coordinator came in at 8:55 with a folder.

Jenna was already there.

She was at the far end of the table in the leather jacket with her hands folded on her phone.

I hadn't seen her come in.

"Ms. Kline," the coordinator said. "Sit."

I sat.

"Ms. Mercer is here as the complainant."

"I understand."

"This isn't a hearing. There's no lawyer and no record. It's a review."

"Okay."

The coordinator opened her folder.

"Ms. Mercer, you've alleged that Ms. Kline treated a student athlete in a closed room after I instructed her not to."

"That's right."

"When did you observe this."

"I walked in on it once. About three weeks ago."

"And after that."

"I've seen the door closed from the hallway. Twice."

The coordinator looked at me.

"Ms. Kline."

I slid the logs across the table.

"Session one through twenty-six. The door status is in the fifth column."

She put on her glasses and read.

"Session fourteen. Door: ajar. Session fifteen. Ajar. Sixteen through twenty-six. Ajar."

"Every one."

"Is that a self-report."

"It's a log. It's what I wrote at the time."

Jenna leaned forward.

"You wrote it yourself."

"Yes."

"So it's your word."

"It's a contemporaneous record. That's what a log is."

"It's still you saying it."

The door opened.

Logan came in.

He was in the navy crewneck and the charcoal trousers and he'd shaved.

He stood in the doorway and looked down the length of the table.

"Mr. Rusk," the coordinator said. "This is a closed review."

"I know."

"Then you can wait outside."

"I'd like to say something first."

"You're not part of this."

"I'm the student athlete in the complaint."

The coordinator looked at him for a long moment.

Then she looked at Jenna.

Jenna's face had gone still.

"Sit down," the coordinator said. "You get five minutes."

He sat at the end of the table, across from Jenna.

He didn't look at her.

"Three weeks ago I was in the training room with Ms. Kline," he said.

"I was on the table. The door was open. It sticks and it's open every session."

"That's not what I asked you here for."

"I know. I'm telling you anyway."

"Mr. Rusk."

"She's the only person in this building who's kept me off the ice when I wanted to be on it."

He said it slowly.

"I've been skating behind her back since week one. I've lied to her about it. I've quit sets and walked out and come back the next day."

"It's all in the log. The marks on the whiteboard are mine."

"I don't know what that has to do with a door."

"It has to do with whether she's the kind of person who'd cheat a room."

The coordinator took her glasses off.

"Mr. Rusk, I'd like you to leave."

"Okay."

He stood up.

At the door he stopped.

"I'm not cleared for playoffs," he said. "I asked her to clear me on Tuesday. She said no."

He went out.

The room was quiet.

The coordinator turned to Jenna.

← Chapter 10 · All chapters · Chapter 12 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend