Page 41 of The Forever Game

The apartment felt cold and quiet without him… but that’s nothing new either. During hockey season, I feel like he’s never home. He is, but it just feels like he isn’t, you know?

I wince and shake my head, wondering if he feels that way with my demanding job. I know it’s pissing him off, but we’ve been making an effort to keep things upbeat and civil when we’re around each other.

He still thinks I should quit, but he doesn’t get it, and I don’t want to keep arguing with him about it. He just has to accept that this job will take me places and?—

“Hey, there.” Axel—a.k.a. Mr. Baseball—saunters up to the table, giving me a cheesy smile.

I stand and greet him, shaking his hand. His palms are sweaty, and he always holds on for a beat longer than I like.

His eyes glint as he eyes me up and down, then shoots Ryan a grin. “You brought her.”

“Just like you asked me to.” Ryan smooths down his tie as we all take our seats.

“Excuse me?” I whisper to him.

Ryan lets out an awkward laugh, then gives me a pointed look and murmurs out the side of his mouth, “He likes you. Just go with it.”

I don’t even have time to gape at him before Axel’s brushing his fingers over the top of my hand.

“So, how’s it going?” He rests his elbow against the table, pushing his cutlery askew as he watches me.

“Good.” I slide my hand away, tucking it under the table and trying for a smile. “How are things with you, Mr. Wayens?”

He tips his head back with a laugh. “Please. It’s Axel. Come on, girl. Don’t treat me like that. We’re friends, you and me. You’re my agent.”

“Actually, Ryan’s your agent, and I’m his assistant.”

“Which makes you my agent.” Axel bulges his eyes at me like I’m stupid.

I can’t believe I’m being made to feel like a fool by this dipshit.

Shifting in my seat, I pull out the folder Ryan made me bring and flip it open. “So, let’s get down to business.”

“What’s the rush?” He leans back in his seat, picking up his menu and taking forever to peruse it.

I shoot Ryan a side-eye, frowning at him as soon as Axel’s phone rings and he gets distracted.

He leans across to me. “I knew you’d get all pissy if I told you at the office, but I need you here. I really want Axel to sign with this new sporting goods company, and since he likes you so much, he’ll probably do it if you ask him to. I sent him the pitch, and he said he’d get back to me, but he’s taking forever to make a decision. The offer’s only on the table for a short time before they look elsewhere.”

I frown at him. “What do you mean, he likes me?”

“Ever since he saw you at the office that day, he’s been gaga over you. He asks about you all the time.”

What the fuck?

“So that’s why you make me come to all of these stupid, uncomfortable meetings?” I glare at him, darting my eyes to make sure Axel’s still distracted.

“Well, duh. You’ve got to be useful for something.” And now a second man is looking at me like I’m stupid today.

I growl in my throat and go to lean away, but he snatches my shirt sleeve and pulls me back.

“Hey, this is a great opportunity for you. Think of these meetings as tutorials. You’ll be doing this on your own one day, and you need to know how to sway a client in the direction you want him to go.”

I wrinkle my nose but am slightly appeased by the fact that he thinks I will eventually get somewhere one day. The thought of being an agent and having my own clients who I can support gives me a little thrill.

“Now, you sell him on this deal, you hear me? We need this. Remind him about the presentation. Tell him we need an answer by the end of this lunch.” I clench my jaw, my nostrils flaring as Ryan adds in another punch to the gut. “Be flirty. Make him think he’s the best thing since Babe Ruth.”

Okay, thrill killed, good feelings gone. I want to strangle Ryan right about now.

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