Page 5 of Power Pucking Play

I cough. “Yes, Gio’s sister, Gabi, is head of PR for the Blades. And my best friend. But…what about my co-lead position?"

"Don't worry, we'll have someone covering your usual beats while you work on this project. Consider it a chance to prove yourself even further and to get a deeper look at the man behind Giovanni's bad boy image."

"Uh-huh. And what if there's nothing behind that image?"

He chuckles. "Then you'll have a juicy story to write. Win-win, right? So, do we have a deal?"

I hesitate for just a moment, my mind racing with the possibilities. An exclusive feature on Gio De Luca could be a huge career boost for me.

But at what cost?

Gabi already has to constantly navigate the tense relationship between me and her brother. Every time I'm around Giovanni De Luca, I'm reminded that he's just as much of an ass off the ice as he is on it.

The man is arrogant and thinks the world revolves around him.

And has skills with his tongue that should be illegal.

But saying no to this opportunity would be career suicide.

With a deep breath, I paste on a smile. "You got it, Charlie."

"Wonderful." Charlie points at the “Gio” file still in my hands. "I'll set up a meeting with Gio's team and we can discuss details." He pauses. "Don't look so happy, Alexandra." His sarcasm is thick. "I'm only offering you the chance of a lifetime."

I take a deep breath and remind myself that this is what I signed up for when I chose this career path.

As I leave Charlie's office, my mind races.

Two weeks with Gio. Two weeks of pretending that night never happened. Two weeks of proving myself all over again.

Scurrying back to my own, much-smaller office, I collapse into my office chair, the file burning a hole in my hands.

I glance down at Gio's picture inside the file. He looks arrogant and cocky, a smirk on his lips as he holds onto his hockey stick the way he held onto other things that night.

I snort, my eyes falling on his face on the page. "Jackass. You just won't go away, will you?"

"I'm sorry?"

I jump, slamming the file shut. Sophie Bennett, our bright-eyed and bushy-tailed public relations intern, blinks at me from the doorway.

"Uh, hi." I straighten in my seat. "Sophie, can I help you?"

"I was just dropping off some papers for you," Sophie says, holding up a stack of files.

I take them from her and give her a small smile. "Thanks, Sophie."

She lingers for a moment, looking like she wants to say something else.

I blink. "Was there something else? Or do I have lipstick on my teeth?"

"Nothing. I...well, I was wondering if it was all true."

"If what was all true?"

She leans in, lowering her voice. "The feature." She pauses, and my small office grows silent. "Giovanni De Luca."

I raise an eyebrow. "Um, you weren’t up in the A/C vents again, were you?"

"N-no." She fidgets with her blouse. "News travels fast around here, you know."

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