"Is that so?" Zoey sounds amused now, which is somehow worse. "Well, well. Colt Lane, eager to spend his mornings elbow-deep scrubbing my burnt oven trays, huh? That's... unexpected."
"He's full of surprises," Delaney says.
Paige snorts and I glare at her.
"Well it's settled then. Colt will be by tomorrow morning to discuss the details," Delaney continues, unfazed. "Say, seven AM?"
Zoey howls with a roar of laughter. "A hockey boy awake before sunrise? I'm sorry, but does he even know what seven AM looks like?"
Something snaps in me. Maybe it's the challenge in her voice. Maybe it's the way she keeps underestimating me. Maybe it's just that I've spent three weeks alone in my apartment and I'm desperate for someone to see me as more than a sidelined liability.
I lean toward the phone before I can stop myself.
"I'll have you know I'mdelightfulat seven AM, Morrison."
The silence that follows is so complete I can hear my own heartbeat.
"Oh my God.Colt?!"
Zoey's voice has gone flat. Horrified. Like she's just realized she's been skinny-dipping and someone turned on the floodlights.
"Colt Lane. You have been sitting there. This entire time."
"Surprise?"
"How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know you think I'm an incapable neanderthal, apparently."
"That's—I didn't—" She makes a sound that's half-groan, half-laugh. "Urgh. This is going to besomuch fun. Goodbye,everybody."
She hangs up and I sit back. Delaney and Paige are both staring at me with identical expressions of pure glee.
"That," Delaney says, "was the most entertaining phone call I've had in months."
"Glad I could provide quality content." I push to my feet, suddenly restless. "Anything else, or can I go panic about tomorrow in peace?"
Paige tilts her head. "Word of advice? Zoey's very particular about her space. Her bakery is her kingdom. And so is her daughter. So maybe… try not to... be yourself too hard."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means dial back the charm offensive, pretty boy." Delaney stands, smoothing her skirt. "She's not like the other women you flirt with, Colt. She's got a life. A good one. And a daughter who comes first, second, and third. So if you want her to trust you, you're going to have to earn it."
Earn it?
When's the last time I had toearnanything? My whole life has been a series of performances, each one designed to generate the approval I needed to survive. Smile for the scouts. Charm the sponsors. Entertain the fans.
But Zoey doesn't care about any of that.
Delaney pops one last gummy bear, her smile knowing. "Good luck, Lane. Something tells me you're going to need it."
I leave the office with my heart beating too fast and my mind already racing toward tomorrow.
I'm halfway to the exit, mind still spinning with images of Zoey behind the counter, when I nearly walk face-first into a brick wall.
A brick wall thatbreathes.
"Shit—" I stumble back, catching myself against the corridor wall.
