Page 69 of On the Power Play

"I think I need those transcripts." Jack smirked.

Delia rolled her eyes, but Tony was already talking. "Nobody cares about reality, Delia, you know this. They want a story, and unfortunately, a healthy relationship where both parties gradually jump through rational intimacy hoops is boring."

She huffed. "So you want me to perpetuate this idea that you should meet a guy and have his tongue down your throat by the second date? Lust at first sight?"

Tony nodded. "That would be perfect. If we could get a picture of Jack's tongue?—"

"Tony!"

He held up his hands. "I'm not here to debate the morality of what makes headlines, I'm here to sell you more records and put more bums in seats."

She exhaled. Fair. She could hate the entertainment industry and the distractibility of the general public all she wanted, but arguing with Tony wasn't going to change the world.

Jack leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "What are you getting at, Tony?"

Tony pursed his lips. "Your contract states that public displays of affection are expected. It doesn't have to be anything huge, and you both need to agree on what you feel comfortable with, but right now, we're not getting a whole lot."

"But you're getting something, right? Jack had his arm around me when we walked into the studio."

Tony nodded. "That was sweet, but he could've been helping an old lady cross the street. It didn't look . . . you know."

"Like I needed compression shorts," Jack finished.

Tony grinned. "Exactly."

Jack stared at the screen, and Delia swallowed hard. "Smitten." She pronounced every syllable

"Yep, and now that we've gotten that out of the way, I was hoping we could talk dates . . ." Tony kept talking, and Delia zoned out. Tony had access to her calendar, as did Mary, so she didn't need to double-check anything.

Jack pulled out his phone and the two of them started negotiations for public appearances. Jack was a willing participant, but Delia was surprised at how full his schedule was. Not that she didn't also have a busy life, but he hadn't been kidding when he talked about the juggling act of a day job, his practice schedule, building relationships with his team, and showing up prepared for game day.

"Nope, I've got a podcast recording that morning," Jack said, and Delia tuned back in.

"You're recording for a podcast?" Delia asked.

He nodded. "Two guys who discuss the ins and outs of Canadian hockey. Lisa, our head of marketing, set it up."

Tony grunted. "Right, I knew about that. It was on the schedule she sent over."

Jack glanced up from his screen. "What if we go to a Snowballs game that night? They're in the playoffs."

Tony clapped his hands together. "Yes, fantastic. That’ll hit everything: community support, nostalgia, loyalty, a folding in of Delia into your regular life?—"

Again, Delia zoned out. What was she going to say to Jack after this call ended? She'd told him they didn't have to do anything physical—she knew it was a pain point for him—and now Tony was talking about tongues and throats and . . . blood rushing. Delia’s eyes landed on Jack’s crotch and she turned away from him so fast, her neck cracked.

She settled enough to look back and found Jack teasing his teeth over his lower lip. He was just a good-looking guy with a pulse. Not emotionally available. Ignoring the hockey-boob situation, he'd straight up told her his hands and his heart were off-limits. Also, they lived across the country from each other, were both focused on their careers—or they wouldn't be in this situation in the first place—oh, and they already had a scheduled, permanent breakup date.

"Alright, I think that's all for me." Tony turned his attention to Delia. "Where's Mary, by the way?"

Delia pondered this. Where was Mary? And Alvin, for that matter. She hadn’t seen either of them since they’d brought in the luggage. "Probably unpacking. I don't know, I haven't seen her."

"Well, tell her I've added these to the calendar, and I'll make sure we get plenty of press. How's the security detail working out?"

Delia pressed her hands into her knees. "So far, so good. We got here safely from the airport with minimal fuss."

Tony nodded. "Perfect. Okay, you kids have fun." He ended the call while Delia was mid-goodbye.

She plucked her phone from the table. "Well. I'm sorry about?—"

---