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Penelope
I started out this morning, deciding that I would be the picture of professionalism with Slade during practice.
If I’m going to meet Win tomorrow and we’re going to start dating, I need to be able to be in the same room as Slade without acting on my attraction to him.
I have to believe that my attraction for Slade will vanish once Win and I finally meet. Otherwise, I’ll have to put more space between us.
I took a quick shower in the locker room before the guys all showed up for skating drills. Then, I went to my office and answered a few emails before my meeting with Tessa and Autumn about the list of people who need to be invited from the media outlets and sponsors who will need VIP arrangements when they fly in for the playoffs happening at home.
I head to one of the smaller conference rooms that we decided to meet in. By the time I walk in, Tess and Autumn are already seated with their tablets for note taking and coffees they made from the break room.
They smile at me as they continue a conversation they must have started right before I walked in.
“If we win, will you travel with Lake to the Stanely Cup away games? Briggs is asking me to come,” Autumn tells Tessa.
“Lake asked me too. I think we should, don’t you? Any work we need to do, we can do on the road.”
“And I’ll be here if you guys need me to do anything,” I chime in as I pull out a chair and take a seat.
“You should come with us if we win the final. How often do the Hawkeyes make it to the Stanley Cup.”
“The last time was when Bex played for us,” Tessa says, though we all know the Hawkeyes history pretty well… it’s been a while.
“Yeah, but with Phil and my dad away at the games, someone needs to be here who has access to both of them if questions or concerns come up.”
They nod in understanding.
“You didn’t get your chai this morning? It seems like you never miss these days,” Autumn says.
I haven’t told anyone that Slade brings me one daily, and I’m not about to tell them now.
“Practice went a little longer than I planned. It’s fine, though. I’ll get one at lunch. Are we ready to start?” I ask.
“Sure, should we start going over the list of executives coming in? I think it would be nice to have gift baskets sent to each of their suites at the hotel,” Autumn suggests.
“I like that idea. I’ll reach out to Juliet and Shawnie about that restaurant that catered for the alumni brunch. That food was so good. I’ll ask Shawnie to order some baskets and have them delivered to the hotel.”
“That’s a great. I know they are doing a big display in the lobby for all of the home games, but what about asking them to decorate the owner’s suit—”
A knock on the conference door interrupts Autumn as Tessa and I are making notes.
“Come in,” I call out.
The door opens, and the second my eyes settle on the tall man walking through the door, my belly flutters with wild butterflies.
Damn, I hate when it does that.
Slade.
Armed with a coffee to-go cup… that I don’t have to wonder what the contents are, and a pink cardboard box from Serendipity’s Coffee Shop.
“Slade, hi,” Autumn smiles.
“What a surprise,” Tessa says, tossing a smirk my way and then smiles up at him next.
“I hope I didn’t interrupt. I was at Serendipity’s getting breakfast and thought you might need some sugar for your meeting,” he says, walking in.
“You got that for us?” Autumn asks as she eyes the box of hidden goodies.
