I needed this.
My chest expands as I inhale deeply, the frigid air filling my lungs. The smell, the feel—it’s like a breath of fresh air. It calms my nervous system without me even realizing it. A frown tugs at my lips as I glance down at the betrayal beneath my jeans.
It’s such a mind fuck, feeling like I’m strong enough to do whatever I want, but knowing that my ankle will never withstand the intensity of playing hockey professionally again. The aching only seems to come if I’m on my feet all day or when it rains.
“Are you coming?”
I lift my gaze to the realtor, Sarah, who’s showing me the place. She grew up in the Hollow, although she was a few years younger than me, so the two of us didn’t really know one another.
“Yes,” I say, nodding. “Sorry.”
“No worries,” she says with a smile as she waves her hand dismissively. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the place, so feel free to walk around and check it out. Surprisingly, the place is in decent condition. I have the paperwork that lists some things that do need to be taken care of, but I can assure you, it’s not an extensive or expensive list.”
“Okay,” I dip my chin at her, turning back around to look out at the sheet of ice on the other sides of the boards and glass. It’s not a facility, like some places. Instead, it’s a modest ice rink with a single sheet, a row of locker rooms, stands above it, and a small warm room with a snack bar next to the skate rental counter.
Sarah heads into the warm room, leaving me alone to explore. My feet carry me over to the glass and I run my fingers along the boards as I start to walk towards the locker rooms. The ice is in shitty condition and most likely hasn’t been resurfaced in years. The flooring can use some work. The whole place is a bit run down and could use an entire refresh, but it has bones. Good bones.
I make my way through the locker rooms and the rest of the building, making a mental checklist of the things I see that can use some work before heading into the warm room to meet back up with Sarah. As I step inside, I notice the temperature isn’t much different than out in the rink. Is the heat off or does it just not work?
Sarah stands up from one of the tables and hands me a paper with a list typed on it. “Here are the things that need work, aside from cosmetics. The HVAC system is in working order. But the roof does need to be replaced and there are some pipes that also need repaired for the toilets to be working. If you’re interested in purchasing, we can also ask the sellers to cover the costs of the repairs or reduce the price.”
Holding the paper, my eyes run through the list. It’s not as bad as it could be and, luckily for me, I’m in a financial position where I can afford to invest in something like this. Not to mention my past construction experience and my family’s business. It won’t be hard to get the work done, and I could even do some myself.
“What is the asking price?”
Sarah tells me the price as I chew on the inside of my cheek and look back through the window to the sheet of ice. The price isn’t an issue, and the work and repairs are completely manageable. My best friend, Harrison, wants to go in as partners, if I feel like this is a good move.
And there’s only one thing that makes me question it all.
What if I fail again?
“Are there any other interested buyers?”
Sarah purses her lips as I look back at her. “There are two different developers I’m scheduled to meet with next week. If this is something you’re interested in, I don’t suggest waiting, honestly.”
My throat bobs as I swallow hard. Is this the part where I’m supposed to make an executive decision? Harrison may have agreed, but I don’t feel right saying yes without talking to him first. I don’t know the first thing about running a business. I need Harrison in on this. He has the business and coaching experience we would need to get something up and running here.
“Can you give me an hour and I’ll have an answer?”
“Of course,” she says with a smile as she walks to the door and holds it open. “You have my number, so just give me a call.”
“I will.”
I wait until we’re both outside and in our respective vehicles before I call Harrison. I put the call on speaker, and set my phone down on the center console before I even turn on the truck. He answers on the second ring.
“So, am I quitting my job and coming to open a hockey program with you?”
I blow out a breath, shaking my head as my eyelids fall shut and I tilt my head back against the seat. “I don’t know, man. It’s not a bad deal. It doesn’t need any extensive work.” I pause, lifting my head as I look back at the screen. “Do you want to come look at it?”
“Nope, I trust your judgement,” he says. “I don’t think you’d want to do it if it would put either of us in a bad position.” He clears his throat. “What does it need to have done?”
I give him the run down, reading off the sheet of paper Sarah gave me and the additional things I saw that needed to be redone. After running through the whole list, I throw in the price at the end. Harrison falls quiet and after a minute of silence, I think he may have hung up.
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah, sorry I was just thinking and estimating numbers.” He pauses. “The price isn’t bad and gives us a decent budgetfor upgrades and repairs. You do know this most likely won’t be profitable for some time, right?”
“I do,” I say, nodding, even though he can’t see me. “But I also think this place has a lot of potential.”
