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And later, as I headed towards the post-game press conference, I couldn’t help but feel a little smug about the next part of my plan.
When I arrived at the podium, I walked in front of it first. And then I slowly did a turn, showcasing the custom jersey my assistant had wrangled up for me.
I could see the confusion on the reporters' faces as they noticed the name on the back of the jersey. It was Monroe's last name. There were murmurs and whispers, and then the questions started to fly in.
But it took me a minute to answer them.
Because the most fucking gorgeous girl in the world was standing in the back of the room, a satisfying, awe-struck look all over her pretty face as she stared at me. Her awe morphed into a brilliant smile, and for a second, I was afraid my heart had actually stopped beating.
We just stood there, smiling at each other like fucking clowns, cameras flashing around us.
And I wondered if I’d finally succeeded in chipping past that last wall Monroe had been guarding her heart with.
CHAPTER 32
MONROE
Dallas was buzzing with excitement as the Knights, led by Lincoln, won the first round of playoffs in a “stunning four games series” as the Fort Worth Star Telegram described it.
And ithadbeen stunning.
I’d never had a thing for sports before meeting Lincoln.
But, oh,,did I have a thing for them now. Or at least for hockey…
The streets around the arena were filled with fans after the games, chanting and cheering as they celebrated the team's victory. They even came to the airport to wait for the team and celebrate after game three in Chicago.
The next round was going to be difficult, but the whole city seemed to know the Stanley Cup was as good as ours.
The fans were absolutely rabid for Lincoln. Everywhere he went, there were screams of adoration and chants of his name. They crowded around him, waving signs and asking for autographs, even when he was trying to get from the locker room to the parking lot. It was like being in the presence of a rock star.
He handled it all with the same ease he seemed to handle everything else, and through it all, he put me first. It became clearer and clearer every day that Lincoln Daniels would do anything for me.
I knew what people thought now that Lincoln was taken, and that I was the one who’d done the taking. They wondered how someone so unextraordinary…so average…managed to snag someone as brilliant and dazzling as him. I was the dim streetlamp, and he was the stadium lights.
And I was perfectly okay with that.
There were even news stories over the last week that had dug into my background, and were now referring to me as “the daughter of a drugged out prostitute”.
But they didn’t have quite the effect on me that I’d worried they would.
It was like problems seemed to disappear around Lincoln, like they stopped existing at all. Any time I felt anxious, he’d make love to me for hours, until I’d forgotten what I was stressed about in the first place.
With Lincoln by my side, I’d suddenly found myself in the spotlight too. People started recognizing me when we were out and about, and some even asked formyautograph. It was…weird.
And I still hadn’t been able to find a job.
I’d been applying for one every single day, sending out countless applications, but not a single response came back my way. I’d even applied to some fast food places, places I knew from talking to others that hiredeverybodywho applied.
But I hadn’t gotten a single call.
It was frustrating and unnerving, but I refused to let it bring me down. For the first time in my life, I had some free time, and I was determined to make the most of it.
And Lincoln was always willing to use any of those moments I didn’t fill...
My phone buzzed, and I finished typing my thoughts before I glanced at it. This was my last paper for finals and then I would be free for a few weeks until summer semester.
Unknown: Hey. It’s Ari Lancaster. I stole your number from Lincoln’s phone.
