Page 39 of Drawn to You

“Hey, about you quitting your job,” he says.

“I can’t quit my job, dickface. I need the money.”

“You call all your clients dickfaces?”

“Only the one who’s a dickface.”

He groans with frustration. “Anyway. You should quit and start your own company. I can help.”

I shake my head and laugh at the suggestion. “Oh, really? And how would you do that?”

He shrugs. “I have some ideas. Let’s talk about it after the game.”

I try to remember if we’re flying out immediately after the game, and I realize I don’t even know where we are.

“What city are we in?”

“Nashville. We can’t fly out until tomorrow morning because they couldn’t coordinate the planes to get us out tonight.”

The seat belt lights go off and I unfasten mine. I remember the deadline for the Brightside presentation, and it hits me all over again that I’ve lost the account.

I’ve considered sending résumés out to other PR companies a few times, but I’ve never been able to bring myself to do it. I tell myself Jane is the hardest on me because she knows I can take it. That it’s tough love to help me succeed no matter what comes my way.

This doesn’t feel like that, though. This feels like a knife in my back. I worked at the agency for years before getting my first big solo account with Brightside. And she took it away without even telling me.

I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. I want something better for myself, but I can’t afford to miss a single paycheck. I might as well check job listing sites while I’m at the hotel and arena today, now that I don’t have any other work to do besides watching over Dane.

Dane’sfirst game back after his suspension is a 5–2 victory. By the time he walks out of the locker room, freshly showered and wearing a suit, it’s nearly eleven p.m. and I’m tired.

“Hey, are you guys coming out?” Lucas asks, following behind Dane.

“Nah, not tonight.”

Lucas looks agitated. “Come on, man. Come out.” He glances at me.

“No,” Dane says, and I’m relieved.

I rarely drink, and last night, I made a fool of myself. I’m looking forward to some food, a shower and a great night of sleep.

Lucas walks over to me. He’s good-looking and nice, someone I’d normally be drawn to.

“You can still come if you want to,” he says.

“Where he goes, I go.” I shrug.

Lucas glares at Dane. “Can you keep from being a drunken asshole for one night so she can have some time off her twenty-four seven job?”

Dane narrows his eyes and a prickle of awareness tingles on my skin. Fresh off his suspension, I don’t want him fighting with a teammate with reporters swarming all over.

“I appreciate the invitation, but I’m going to stay with Dane,” I say.

A smile tugs on Dane’s lips as he puts an arm around my shoulder.

“Knock it off,” I say, shrugging his arm off and scowling. “I’m not a hydrant for you to piss all over.”

“You’re a fucking toddler,” Lucas says to Dane. “I’ll see you around, Josie.”

“You ready?” Dane asks me.

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