AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We finish up a few fan questions and then she has me pose for a few still shots. She furrows her brow as she watches, running the small diamond pendant along the chain around her throat, and I can practically see her wheels turning as she thinks hard about…something. She tilts her head to the side and then she straightens like the idea sent a jolt through her, eyes lighting up.
“You own a suit, right? I mean, y’all are like football players where you arrive to games all dressed up usually?”
“Um, yes…” I say slowly, not quite understanding her thought process.
As if reading my thoughts, she does a spinning motion with her finger near her temple. "I promise there was a connection up there somewhere that got me from one place to the other." I grin at that, really digging this girl. "But I just got a great idea for another promo.” She sounds giddy. “Ok, anyway, you’re all done. It was nice meetin’ you.”
“Nice meeting you, too.” Should I ask? Might as well. “Hey, if you need any help, I’m around.”
“Help?”
“I mean, with your place or finding things around town or anything.”
“Oh. Uh, thanks, I appreciate it.” She sounds a little surprised, but not entirely offended, so that’s good. I nod and skate off. If she wants to take me up on the offer, she has access to all my contact info. I stare up at the wreath as I skirt around the edge of the crane and shake my head. I cannot believe she hates Christmas.
Once I’m closer to the benches, I open my arms wide and yell, “Howey! We doing this shit or what!?”
Chapter Three
HATTIE
TheMeet the Vipersseries has been going really great. The videos have gotten tons of views and we’ve used them as promos to drive up attendance at the season opener in a week. Despite the Christmas décor already going up all around me, I’ve planned a Puck-or-Treat event for Halloween at the end of the month and am working on some more fall-themed promotions and things too.Christmas can back the fuck off, please.
I’ve done a handful of things with the players over the last two weeks and meeting them has been…interesting. Most of them seem like decent guys, but there are a few that definitely seem to live up to the rumors from Kelly. Anthony Rizzo told me to call him, and I quote, “for a good time, beautiful,” with a wink before skating off backwards that first day. I would be lying if I hadn’t been a little flattered and maybe even flushed a bit—he’s absolutely gorgeous, it would be impossiblenotto be affected by him flirting—but I wouldnotbe calling him. Ever. He was the worst out of all of them, and though gorgeous and seemingly notactuallyan arrogant jerk, he had a different girl—or sometimesgirls, plural—with him every other night if the stories were to be believed.
My mind admittedly keeps seeming to circle back to Connor. Or Shep, I guess. I know that’s what everyone calls him—apparently hockey is big on the nicknames thing—but I wonder if that’s what he actuallylikesto be called. I haven’t asked him outright, though we’ve chatted a bit here and there over the last two weeks when I’ve been doing promotional stuff or when we run into each other going to or from the gym. Mostly superficial stuff—this weather, huh? How’s work? How’s practice? Do you still hate Christmas?—but it’s been nice. It’s only one of those rare instances where I vibed with him immediately, that weird connection clicking into place as soon as he’d skated up for his interview and grinned at me. Afriendlyconnection, I mean, but it’s definitely there. We laugh at stupid shit at the same time, or someone will say or do something and we both somehow catch each other’s gazes at the same time, rolling our eyes or making a stupid face. We haven’t hung out or anything outside of work, but who knows. Maybe I’ll take him up on his offer one of these days to show me around town. Right now, I’m too busy, but…maybe soon.
I’m not gonna lie, I’m ridiculously excited for the video today. The idea had come to me when we’d been taking shots of Connor for theMeet the Vipers, and I saw how much the camera fucking loved him. And it should. He’s gorgeous by all accounts, though in a completely different way than I’m used to. He’s tall and built, with broad shoulders and thick, muscled arms that seem to strain the material of every shirt he wears. He’s a bit brawnier than some of the other players, but I guess that would be advantageous in a goalie, and it only adds to the attraction. He looks like the type of guy who could pick you up, toss you over his shoulder, and take you to bed without breaking his stride. The type that could hold you up against the wall…I flush inwardly.
Not that I’ve ever had that happen or thought about it happening or wanted it to happen or anything…notmuchanyway. Josh had always been way more, um, tame in the bedroom. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it had never quite quenched my thirst, if you know what I mean. Things were fine and I had a rabbit if I needed it, but I'd always craved more than justfine.
Connor's hair is a bit on the longer side, a dark blonde, with matching scruff across his chin and lip, a bit too long to be called stubble, but maybe not enough to be called a full beard either. It looks damn good on him though, whatever it is. His eyes are a deep green with a starburst of gold around the middle and he’s got one hell of a smile. I can easily see why girls throw themselves at him. He’s just got a rugged sexiness to him that I can’t explain. I can see him riding a Harley, but just as easily chopping wood out at a cabin in the woods. Each scenario is equally enticing.
One arm is fully covered in tattoos, the other one inked to his elbow, and I’ve seen the edges of more peeking out from beneath his collar, so I know he has more on his chest. I wonder where else he might have them. His back? His torso?
Seeing the photos of him when we’d been doing theMeet the Vipersinterviews, I’d suddenly wanted to see him in a suit, knowing he would look drop-dead sexy in it, the rugged and the chic coming together. I loved the idea of the juxtaposition between dirty hockey gear and dressing to the nines, so, I’d gotten the idea for a little transition magic video for Clipper, the new trending social media platform.
Now, I wait in the long corridor outside the locker rooms for the team to get here. We’ve already done the part with them in their gear, now it’s time for the suits. They’d been given strict instructions to come looking their best, and thankfully heard very little grumbling from them. They really are a good bunch of guys. They start arriving and I’m so not disappointed—they look amazing and I can already see in my head how awesome the video is going to turn out.
“Wow. Y’all clean up nice,” I say, smiling as they shuffle into the hallway.
One of the star wings, Tanner Juliard—or Jules, of course—puts his hand over his heart. In his thick Boston accent, he pleads, “Ah God, please say that again.That accent!” He reaches over and grips another player’s shoulder, squeezing hard and shaking him. “Am I right?” I laugh and shake my head. They’ve all seemed to thoroughly enjoy my accent. There’s one guy, Nelson, from Virginia, but that’s about as southern as anyone on the team gets, so I’m a bit of a novelty apparently.
Now, I ham up the accent a bit and quirk a brow at him when I say, “Behave, Jules. Don’t make me call your momma.”
“Ah,God,” he says again, biting his fist dramatically. I try and fail not to laugh. They’re actually really fun to be around and none of them have really outright hit on me. The few that have, it’s really been mostly harmless flirting, or done in a way that doesn’t make me want to puke—actual invitations to dinner or drinks, or going to see a movie. I’d had half a mind to accept a few, but decided against it. Not only had I decided dating a hockey player wasn’t for me, I don’t think dating anyone right now is a good idea. I need to focus on work and figuring out my life. I still don’t even have furniture in my house for crying out loud. So, a kitchen table first, then dates.
But overall, being around the guys has been great. I already kind of feel a bit of a little-sister-with-twenty-older-brothers kind of vibes, and honestly, it feels nice.
“Ok, go ahead and pull up the other video so we can get them in the right spots,” I say to Natalie—Nat— my very own assistant. She just started and she’s a freaking rock star. I honestly don’t know why she even wanted to be my assistant with the resume she has, but she seems content and I’m lucky to have her. Between the two of us, I have zero doubts we can flip the Vipers media plan and outreach on its head and really get their shit on point.
I look at the screen and then start arranging the guys so that the transition will be smooth as butter.
“Annnnd, let’s see, ok, Rizzo needs to go here. Is he here yet?” I glance around, but I honestly can’t see much other than the chests of the guys closest to me. I’m not all that tall to begin with, but I swear each and every one of these dudes is at least six feet tall, some well over.
“No need to panic, I have arrived!” Rizzo calls in a smooth voice from behind me. I turn to find him gliding down the hallway towards us, arms outstretched and smiling a million-dollar smile. I study him appreciatively. He looks like he stepped off of a red carpet somewhere in a sharp navy suit, but then I catch Connor behind him and my mouth goes dry.Holy. Shit.
He’s wearing the absolute hell out of that suit. It’s a slate gray, and the crisp white shirt beneath makes his skin look even tanner, the dark lines of the tattoo snaking up from his chest visible just beneath the collar looking stark against the white. It’s obviously expensive and tailored to fit his large frame, hugging him perfectly. He looks like an ad for a cologne that you know is gonna smell like heaven. His hair is slicked back, his scruff trimmed nicely, and when he catches my eye, his lips curl into a crooked, sexy smile.I’m staring. Am I staring? Stop staring. I can’t. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, send help.
