Page 91 of The Hat Trick

I call out for Audrey as I walk in the door because I saw her car is here.

“In here,” she calls back, I follow her voice into the kitchen and look over into the living room to see she already has the pre-game on.

“I love that this is what we do now,” I say as she hands me a glass of wine she just poured.

“I love that you are fucking three of those men,” she counters, and I laugh, take a sip before setting it back on the counter.

“You would. I’m going to get comfy.” I head up to my room to change into some loose sweatpants and a t-shirt before coming back downstairs.

The reporters on the TV are talking about Vince and it makes me smile. I feel like he doesn’t get a lot of the spotlight during games like Brent and Matt tend to. He’s a good player, I know that, so I don’t know why that is.

“You’re so in love,” Audrey teases, pulling my eyes away from the screen for only a moment to glare at her.

“No, I’m not. I barely know him.”

She scoffs, “Sure, okay.”

“I’m not,” I groan, eyes drifting back to the screen where they have him sitting in the penalty box with headphones on while he answers questions from the reporter.

As soon as the short two-minute segment is over and they are talking about the game starting soon Audrey distracts me again from her loud laugh.

“You so are.”

I don’t justify an argument with her, just shaking my head at her antics. There’s no way I could love any of them yet, no way.Right?

“Oh, guess who gets to design her own ad campaign at work,” I say proudly in a tactic to divert her attention from my feelings I may or may not have for certain men.

“No way, that’s great! Georgie finally pulled his head out of his ass and promoted you?” She is very familiar with the issues I’ve had at my job.

“Not really a promotion, just letting me take the lead on this, but maybe it could lead to that. Or at least I have something to finally put on my resume to find something else.”

“I still think you should just do your own independent thing.” She shrugs.

“Of course, that’s the dream, but a lot of people want that and I would have to build a clientele and have a specialty and all that,” I shake my head. Obviously, I’ve thought about this, a lot. I also know how much would go into it and how difficult that would be which is why I get scared and push the thoughts away.

“I know you could do it; do you know how many people compliment me on everything you did for me and my marketing?”

I did all the design work for Audrey when she decided to become a cam girl. We’ve updated it over the last couple of years that she’s been doing it, and it’s been nice to develop my skills a bit while helping her.

“I doubt people are paying much attention, they are complimenting you and your hot as fuck pictures,” I chuckle.

“Okay sure the guys are usually talking about the pictures, but other girls always ask who I use for my graphics and promos. I always say ‘my roommate’, but they want a website or some way to see your work.”

“I mean I guess I could try to be a bit better about myownmarketing. But regardless, this new assignment is going to help me.”

“That’s the spirit.” She bounces up, collecting our glasses, probably to refill them.

The game starts and the guys are definitely playing well tonight. I also feel like Audrey and I are understanding things a bit better, though we tend to call out goalie interference a lot more than it’s actually called.

“How the fuck was that not goalie interference?” I snap.

“I don’t even know, they fully ran into him,” Audrey agrees, and the play just continues.

By the end of the second period Matt has made two goals and at this point they are the only goals of the whole game.

“Damn, boyfriend number three is killing it,” Audrey says.

“I don’t have a boyfriend one, two or three,” I roll my eyes.

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