Page 10 of Expose on the Ice

“How’d it go?” I echo, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I just wasted an hour of my life trying to interview a human ice sculpture!”

“Uh oh,” Jess says. “That bad, huh?”

I launch into a heated rant, my free hand gesticulating wildly as I recount every frustrating moment of my encounter with Knox. “I swear to God, Jess, it was like pulling teeth. No, scratch that – pulling teeth would’ve been easier and more pleasant.”

“Damn,” Jess says when I finally pause for breath. “Sounds like a real charmer.”

“Oh, he’s charming, all right,” I scoff. “If by ‘charming’ you mean an arrogant, evasive jackass who thinks he’s God’s gift to hockey.”

“Well, from what I’ve seen, he is,” Jess points out.

“Not helping,” I say.

“Sorry, sorry,” she backpedals. “Look, maybe he was just having a bad day. You’ve got all season to work with him, right? I’m sure things will get better.”

I sigh heavily, feeling utterly defeated. “I even tried it, Jess. Can you believe that?”

“Tried what?” she asks, her curiosity piqued.

I hesitate briefly, feeling a bit embarrassed. “The cleavage,” I finally admit, my cheeks flushing slightly.

Jess laughs boisterously, her voice filled with amusement. “Oh my god, you didn’t…” she prompts.

“I did…” I sigh again, remembering the moment. “And he looked. I mean, he definitely looked.”

“Of course he did!” Jess exclaims. “See! It’s not all bad! Maybe there’s hope for this assignment after all.”

I crack a small smile at her enthusiasm, even as I shake my head in disbelief at the situation I’ve found myself in. And that I’d flashed some cleavage at Knox.

I snort. “Yeah, I’m sure he’ll magically transform into an open book overnight. Face it, Jess, I’m screwed. How am I supposed to write a year-long profile series on a guy who won’t give me anything more than his jersey number?”

“Come on, Lil, don’t talk like that,” Jess says, her voice softening. “You can’t let one bad interview derail you.”

“I know, I know,” I sigh, some fight going out of me. “It’s just… God, he’s infuriating! You should’ve seen the way he looked at me, like I was some annoying bug he wanted to swat away.”

“Well, maybe you should swat back,” Jess suggests. “You’ve never been one to back down from a challenge.”

I pause, considering her words. She has a point. I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am in my career. Am I really going to let some hotshot with a chip on his shoulder derail my dreams?

“You’re right,” I say, a newfound determination creeping into my voice. “If Knox thinks he can scare me off with his brooding silence and death glares, he’s got another thing coming.”

“That’s my girl,” Jess cheers. “So, what’s the plan? More tit?”

“No more tit!” I laugh, then chew my lip, my mind already racing with possibilities. “I’m not sure yet. But one thing’s for certain – I’m going to crack that icy exterior of his if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Now that’s the Lily Grant I know and love,” Jess says. “Just… be careful, okay? Don’t do anything crazy.”

I laugh, some of my earlier anger dissipating. “Define crazy.”

“You know what I mean,” she says, her tone mock-stern. “No breaking and entering, no hidden cameras in the locker room…”

“Damn, there go all my best ideas,” I tease.

We chat for a few more minutes before hanging up.

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, my mind racing. Maybe I should call Frank. He’d know how to handle this situation, right? He’s dealt with difficult subjects before. Surely, he’d have some sage advice. But I hesitate, because I can already hear Frank’s gruff voice in my head:

“Figure it out, Grant.”

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