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I consider this, chewing my lower lip. “No, I really don’t. He promised me that he wouldn’t, and I believe him. He knows it would probably get me fired, and I honestly think he wants to protect my reputation.”
“Sounds like a decent guy,” Tasha observes.
I shake my head. “I don’t even know if I’m going to see him again, and it’s not a big deal if I don’t.”
“Damn, girl. Send him my way, then.” Shelby laughs.
“And when she’s done, I will take sloppy thirds,” Tasha chimes in.
“Gross. And he’s a free agent; you can have him. Oh, Ruby’s calling me, I have to let you go. Love you both. Do not tell anyone, please.”
“We won’t,” they both assure me, as I switch over to take Ruby’s call.
“I’m fine, before you ask,” she says when I answer her. “Listen, can we make the movie time a little later? As part of this ridiculous fake dating scheme, I have to go with Pax to this trendy restaurant where the paparazzi always hang out. We’re going to walk in hand in hand, people will yell at him and ask if we’re dating, he’ll say ‘we’re just good friends,’ which is code for, of course we are, and then we’ll have dinner and catch a cab together afterwards in front of all the paps.”
“Dang, you have this all planned out. It’s like a military operation,” I laugh. “Are you guys getting along okay?”
She snorts. “This will be the first time I’ve seen him since we agreed on the fake boyfriend thing. I’m always up for a free dinner. There’s nothing more to it than that. Speaking of you and Mason ...”
“I’m pretty sure we weren’t.”
“But we are now,” she says. “Anything happening on that front?”
“We are work friends. He’s being less evil these days. That’s all it can be. My job is very important to me, and Mason Raker isn’t the kind of guy that you take seriously.” I feel a stab of guilt when I say that.
For the past few months, he actually hasn’t given me any reason to look down on him like that. He hasn’t dated, he hasn’t partied, he hasn’t gotten in a fight. He’s done nothing but take care of Puck, train, kick ass on the ice, and visit hospitals.
He has a reputation that he’s going to be trying to live down for years, which isn’t really fair, although it is the nature of the fame game.
“What time will you be at my apartment tonight?” I ask her.
“Is 10 p.m. too late?”
“Not at all. I will be waiting with popcorn, ice cream, and chick flicks.”
“Sounds like a fun time.”
“Bye, babe,” I say, and hang up. My latte’s gone cold now, so I carry it in to discard the cup, hoping that my friends keep their promise and don’t say a word about me and what’s-his-face.
As I’m walking down the sidewalk, I wonder how much longer I should let this go on. Should I end it now? Just let him know that—
My phone chirps with a text from Mason.Rowan. I need you.
Okay, well, I can definitely skip dance class today and see him one more time, I guess.
And how, exactly, does he need me?
The thought sends a wave of heat sweeping over me and a familiar ache of desire throbs between my legs.
Does he want me in the shower? Like last night? Or bending over his kitchen table? Which happened before the shower?
Another text bleeps.I have a problem with my mother.
Oh.
That’s how he needs me. Like a publicist, an advisor, not like the woman who wants to climb him like a tree.
I can do that. And honestly, that is all I should be doing. I press my thumb against my temple.
