AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Drinks in hand, Aaron makes his way over to me, handing me a whiskey before he takes a seat on the chair across the room. Tristan unbuttons his suit jacket, leaning against the kitchen countertop.
“I had a chance to look through all the social media threads on the car ride over. I know how to fix this, but I’m just not sure if we can find the right person for the job.”
The right person for what?
“This is my mess. I don’t want to hire someone to fix it for me. I need to fix this myself. Coach was very clear on that.”
Tristan laughs, raising his crystal glass to his lips. “Sometimes, it’s necessary to ask for outside help, and the way I see it, you only have one option here, Dominator.”
I find my focus shifting toward the giant, floor-to-ceiling fireplace, distracted by the dancing flames. They flicker with hues of blue and red, gracefully engulfing the artificial logs behind the glass. I’m desperate to slow down time because I know I’m going to loathe whatever is about to come out of Tristan’s mouth.
“Are you ready to hear my thoughts?”
I sit up straight, shifting closer to the edge of the couch. “No, but let’s hear it anyway.”
He takes a sip of his whiskey, his eyes fixed on the New York skyline. “You need a girlfriend.”
I bark out a laugh. My friends look at me, their expressions somewhere between shock and confusion. Neither one of them even cracks a smile.
“Wait…you’re serious? You can’t be serious.”
“I am. You need a girlfriend, or you need to make it appear like you have a girlfriend. People need to see that you don’t actually hate women or the idea of commitment. And that the only reason you were jumping from woman to woman is because none of those girls were it for you. You hadn’t found the one who changed everything. But now, you have.”
This might be the funniest shit I’ve heard in a long time. “Oh, and just like that…I have found The One?”
Tristan shrugs.
“This is ridiculous. What else you got?”
I wait for Tristan to speak, to tell me he was joking, but when he continues to stare at me, I turn my focus on Aaron. He glances down inside his glass of amber, swirling it around as if it holds all the answers to my problems.
“I’m with Tristan, but I think I know how we can justify your behavior.”
I stand and begin to pace, fighting the urge to pull out my hair and tell these two to go fuck themselves.
“Are you both hearing yourselves right now? I don’t need a goddamn girlfriend. I need to fix this PR nightmare that’s going around right now. Can we please get back on track? Me engaging with women is the reason I’m in this mess in the first place. Are you trying to get me traded?”
Unlike my best friends, I lack the ability to effectively manage my temper or emotions. The words effortlessly spill from my lips, my voice gradually escalating, and my fingers trembling with an overwhelming sense of frustration.
“I can find you someone trustworthy. Someone from my office who will be compensated generously,” Tristan mutters, as if it’s that simple.
I scoff, throwing my hands up in the air. “No fucking way. I can’t believe that’s the best you can come up with.”
Tristan downs his drink, calmly placing his glass on the table behind him. Unlike me, he is utterly unfazed and sporting a borderline smile on that smug face of his. All it’s missing is my fist.
“Dom’s right. We can’t pay someone at your work. It’s too risky. He’s a successful hockey player, and there is too much at risk with everything circulating. Someone could try to take advantage of him,” Aaron finally chimes in.
“Thank you!” I extend my hand, grateful common sense is finally joining us.
“Like I said, I think I might have the solution.” Aaron stands up and grabs Tristan’s empty glass, walking over to the liquor cart to refill his drink. He walks back a minute later, and I might as well be watching a movie on pause, dying a little on the inside while I wait for these assholes to say something helpful.
“And that is?”
He quirks a brow at me, staying silent.
“Cut out the manipulative, quiet bullshit tactic, will you? It’s just us.”
They both remain quiet as Tristan grabs the whiskey from Aaron’s outstretched hand, nodding his thanks to him. Feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders, I make my way over to the windows. Leaning my shoulder against the frame, I watch the sun lower into the Hudson River.
