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“Sounds like a catch.” He raises an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. “Wait, are you into this girl?”
“No. It’s not like that. She knows the score. She’s just doing me a solid.”
“How’d you swing that?”
“Let’s say we came to an understanding.” I grin, feeling confident in our arrangement. It’s true; Amanda doesn’t strike me as the type to become obsessed like my past dates. That alone makes her worth whatever price I’ve paid.
“Dare I ask?” The smirk on his lips is telling as what I said sinks in. He thinks I’m hooking up with her.
“Actually,” I hesitate, the weight of the unsaid truth as heavy as a puck before a shot. “I’m taking Amanda.”
“Am—” His voice cracks and clears. “Amanda Hoyt?”
“Yep, that’s the one.” The words are spoken casually as if it’s no big deal, but if I go by how his jaw clenches and hands curl and uncurl into fists, I’d say they’re still just as impactful.
“Interesting choice.” He manages to keep his tone even, but there’s an edge.
“Isn’t it, though?” I laugh, but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “She won’t cause drama.”
“Right.” He nods, but those two syllables hang heavy between us. There’s a question in his eyes, one I’m not about to answer, not when cash and pretend-affection are involved.
“I didn’t know you knew her well enough to bring her to strike a deal.”
For a minute, I wondered if he figured out our arrangement, but I shook off that thought. He just meant it figuratively. There’s no way he knows the monetary gains.
“We’ve talked a few times. She helped me out with Juliette the other day.”
“Oh?”
“She’s cool and agreed to help me out. I also trust her. She doesn’t come with strings or expectations.”
“But with a mother’s seal of approval?” His eyes hold a question while the corner of his mouth twitches.
“Especially that.” I flex my fingers. They’re itching for something, maybe the cold sting of ice beneath my skates or the grip of a hockey stick. Anything to distract from the ticking clock in my head counting down to Saturday.
“Look, Blake…” Ryan pauses, searching for words. “Just be careful, okay? I don’t want Amanda getting hurt.”
“It’s one dinner. I have no intention of hurting her.” I force out a laugh, trying for nonchalance, but it comes out brittle and hollow. Does my best friend think so little of me? Sure, I’m not one to commit, but she agreed to this one-time date.
My chest feels tight, and my breathing is shallow, like my lungs have shrunk two sizes. This situation with Amanda is a power play, one I must win. Because if I don’t, it’s not just a game I’m losing; it’s my sanity, my escape plan from Mom’s relentless setups.
“But she’s hot, though,” Ryan says, his smirk wicked. “Amanda always had that … vibe, you know? Like she could cut you down with one look or … lift you to heaven with another.”
“Dude, really?” Another laugh escapes, but it’s a tightrope walk of sound, balancing amusement and anxiety. This is more than just a dinner. It’s theatrical, a performance where every act counts. Paying Amanda was supposed to be simple and transactional. But now, it feels like a tangled web of deceit, and I’m the goddamn spider at its center.
I shudder.Fucking spiders.
And yet, nothing about Amanda is simple. She’s fire and ice, a challenge wrapped in an enigma, and I’m paying her to enter the lion’s den that is my family.
My fingertips dig into my thighs, the pressure anchoring me back to reality.
I can’t tell the guys about the money; it’d change everything. They’d see it as desperation, weakness. Amanda would become a laughingstock, and that’s not the deal we made. No, this secret—it stays with me.
Reaching the end of the hall, I make a silent vow. I’ll handle the family dinner and charm them with smiles and anecdotes, and Amanda will play her part flawlessly. And when the curtain falls on the night, it’ll be nothing but applause.
“Hey, I get it,” he continues, oblivious to the chaos brewing inside me. “But you’re playing a risky game?—”
“Isn’t that what hockey is all about?” I cut him off, voice a little too sharp and raw. The blue of my eyes hardens. Whatever it takes, I’ll keep the charade alive. For my career and sanity.
