It turned out that Ricki's dad knew cars and hockey; "My wife is the native, I came from Detroit." And it all made sense. 

The man spent more time on Jared than the others, even Gabe, but it was interesting conversation. On a scholarship from UCLA, the man joined his father in law's venture capital firm and made some really good picks; the guy had an eye for tech products, services and companies to invest in and acquire. He took modest family-owned holdings and turned it all into a powerhouse in California, particularly Silicon Valley. He moved around, looking at prospective investments and acquisitions firsthand and decided what it would need and how to turn it all profitable for a sale elsewhere, or the bank provided startup investment and raked if things went well.

Gabe filled him in; the Trentons had a nice house, but it sounded like way more money than that. "He's got more assets than Mitt Romney and way better judgement," Gabe assured him; his pops was one of the man's lawyers.

"That's scary," said Jared and he meant it. He came from a hard luck childhood with a single mom, after all. 

"You're a lot like him dude; Livingston came at you and you clicked him. You take a hit and you spit out the blood and get on with the job. I bet he'll like that. He almost pulled that gun of his on Livingston."

That was the chatter in practice and he'd gotten a sense of Andy at the party; a big, tough dude that didn't have to compete in sports to go to college, but there he was, a guy that talked about fighting in MMA because the Olympics stopped doing Greco-Roman wrestling and he wanted to compete.

"So I hear that Bears hockey is worth watching because you're lacing up for them," Mr. Trenton commented.

"I dunno, they have lots of good players like Gabe and Carl. Coach is from Minnesota and knows the business. Lots of training. He went to the same school as Sidney Crosby and some others."

"I remember that, the other coach really wasn't up to the job. But let's face it, you're good."

"I'm good," Jared agreed, "but I wouldn't be good enough if I were complacent about it." Like Jacob Jacobs, getting the wake up call when Jared played him and stayed on him the whole time. Jacobs was used to easy wins.

"Sounds about right, I wish I'd been there for you little duel with Santa Clara's star player, but I saw my daughter's pregnancy pictures, and it sounds like you have a gift and a competitor's spirit. Any plans? Maybe the Sharks?"

So the guy was an NHL fan. "Well, my mother would like me to go to college. But I suppose if someone made an offer I'd have to think about it real hard. Unless," he added, "it's the Bruins." 

That produced a laugh, "So if not hockey, what?"

"I'm not sure yet, but, I get a master's, take the praxis and teach. And probably have to tend bar in the summer to make ends meet." That was said humorously. 

"Well, hockey or teaching? If you had to pick, I mean."

"Then," Colt Trenton told him, "it sounds like you have two options-- play it safe and please your elders or make the move you really want to make."

Colt Trenton, always measuring.

---

Heather Voss had the red out and it looked good, but it wasn't like the others weren't done up either. Jared's sport coat and dress pants were breezily informal as jacket and tie went, but he looked a lot more comfortable and the dance wasn't black tie, tux or even requiring a suit. As it turned out, the hockey guys in the group cleaned up well anyway; Gabe kept his hair somewhat messed as was his way, but Carl had gotten trimmed down to something downright Marine, though his carefully trimmed soul patch was nonregulation. Jared looked a little more straight laced, but the outfit helped loosen the look up, as did the tie, which was good quality but not a power tie, though it matched him up with Heather, though they mostly matched in hair color and skin tone already, but his outfit didn't draw the eye the way her's did; she was there to be seen. Still, she seemed to enjoy staying nearby, hand on his arm as small talk was made with Rickis mother; polite conversation, a couple questions about the car; the one about back seat space, Mrs Trenton letting the mask slip just a moment with mischief, nearly made him choke on his drink. He still wasn't quite used to how much less reserved even Cali moms were; you'd never hear a Boston society type crack that question while sober.

Gabe made a motion like a handgun with his fingers, but it was with a grin; he'd heard. Jared just shook his head wonderingly.