I lean back in my chair, folding my hands behind my head. “Ace, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“What do you think of Harrison Kaiser?”
Behind his glasses, he lifts his brow in surprise. “As a player, or as a person?”
“I already know what kind of player he is.”
Kai sighs, leaning back in his chair. “He’s not my favorite.”
“Why?”
“We were on the same team for only a few months, so I might not be the best judge of character.”
But he is. Kai is steady and perceptive. I wouldn’t care if he only knew Harrison Kaiser for a day, I’d still trust his opinion on the guy.
When I don’t interrupt him, Kai continues. “He’s arrogant. And not in a goofy, Isaiah kind of way, but in an elitist way. With how much he’s getting paid, I know his attitude rubs some of the guys wrong. He likes to talk shit about other players, and you know how close our team is, so no one really fucks with that. He doesn’t join any of the team outings. He’s never come to our house when Miller does her baking nights for the guys, even though he’s always invited.”
He pauses his own rant, slowing himself down. “To put it simply, Cody can befriend a brick wall if asked to and even he’s not a fan. But...” Kai tosses his head from side to side. “I also know he’s fast as hell and can outrun anyone around the bases and in the outfield, so it’s not like he’s going anywhere either.”
I’m shocked silent, frozen in my chair.
“Should I continue?” Kai asks. “Because I can.”
“Why did I not know about this? I’m around you all every single day.”
“We’re adults, here to do a job. No one is going to come running to your office to bitch about someone’s personality not meshing.”
Well, I feel like an idiot.
Reese told me this and I didn’t listen. I was so adamant she was wrong, that there was no way she could know about our team dynamics better than me.
Fuck.Apparently, I do need to apologize.
My future son-in-law studies me. “Why do you ask?”
I exhale a resigned breath. “If I tell you something, it needs to stay here.”
“Of course.”
“That disagreement me and Reese had, it was over Kaiser. I sat in on an advisory board meeting where Reese proposed trading him and no one agreed with her, including me.”
Kai’s eyes widen with surprise. “Who would she replace him with?”
“I’m not sure. She didn’t give details, only that she had someone in mind. But she said something about him not meshing with the team, and I didn’t believe her. I thought she was just pulling something out of thin air to back up her idea.”
“Wow.” Kai pauses for a long moment. “That’s impressive, that she was able to pick up on that. Most owners wouldn’t give a shit about team personalities, let alone notice on their own.”
“Yeah,” I sigh, running a hand down my face. “I underestimated her.”
Just like everyone else.
7
Emmett
Leaning a shoulder against the lobby wall, I wait.
