Page 53 of Nash

“Oh, I love it when you talk hockey to me,” she says in a playful tone.

I laugh, shaking my head. “I was just giving you a heads-up that I fixed those metrics we talked about on the ads we've been running for the new lip stain.”

“You didn't!” she gasps. “You should be out celebrating with that gorgeous man of yours.”

Heat rushes through my body at just the thought of Nash, and I can't help but feel excited when she refers to him asmine.

“I'll go celebrate with him in just a little bit,” I say. “Even though he isn't officiallymyman. But I wasn't about to leave your ads hanging when you needed me.”

“I didn't mean you needed to fix them right this second. I was asking if you could fix them within the next day or so.”

“You're a client,” I explain. “As much as I love you and I'm a fan of all things you do, you're still a client. That means if you have a need I'm going to see to it.”

“You always were the serious one,” she teases. “I miss you. I can't wait to see you in the off-season,” she says. “Have you given any thought to that two-week trip to Jamacia I've been talking about?”

“I've thought about it a lot,” I say. “I want to go with you, I just haven't really had a lot of time to think about my schedule outside of the day-to-day. It's crazy what happens when your page goes viral like you've always wanted it to. Comes with more work than you would think.”

“At least that's a good problem to have,” she says. “You know, you could always bring your boyfriend with you too. I'm thinking about bringing mine.”

“Oh, if Connor is going to come, then I don't need to go. It could be a couple’s trip for you.”

“Yeah but if you brought Nash then it would be a couple’s trip forbothof us and it would give me a chance to interrogate him.”

I laugh, allowing my mind to run away with that fantasy.

Nash in a pair of swim trunks, walking along the beach with me, a private bungalow for two overlooking the turquoise water. It’s a dream, for sure, one that I want to make a reality, but don’t know if it’s in my power to do so.

“I don't know if we’re at that stage,” I finally admit.

“Oh, come on,” she says. “I see your videos, I hear it in your voice, and I can read it in your texts whenever you talk about him. You're totally in love with that guy.”

My heart does a little flip in confirmation. “I think I am,” I finally admit out loud, and the relief in that is almost dizzying.

“Holy shit,” she gasps. “I didn't think you’d actuallyadmitit. You really are in love with him?”

“That's ridiculous right?” I say, trying to backtrack. “I mean, we started this relationship based off of a lie. A lie we wanted to continue in order to get views. And while so much good has come out of those videos and all the spotlights I keep doing on these players, I can't help but wonder if that's all it is?”

“I don't think anybody would stick around that long if that's all it was,” she says.

“But then again, I've never met the guy, so it's hard to say. Either way, if you're in love with him you need to tell him.”

“Ah yes, that's so easy. Letting a notorious bachelor know I've fallen for him when that's exactly what I told him Iwouldn'tdo in the first place.”

“I get that it's hard,” she says. “But wouldn't you rather know now? I mean it already sounds like you're in a little too deep to be asking these sorts of questions. It's gonna hurt like a motherfucker if he actuallyisjust in it for the benefits.”

I groan, shaking my head.

“Well it is,” she continues. “Wouldn't you rather just get the hard out of the way now?”

“No,” I answer adamantly. “I'd rather just live in denial and enjoy the day-to-day bliss that I've been enjoying for the last five months.”

Five months.

Five months where we've gotten to know each other, grown closer, learned about each other intimately. It's been the most fun five months of my life.

“Okay, well if we're going to live in delulu land I guess we can make you president. I'll be VP this time where I try to advise you to come back to reality.”

I laugh, her joke helping ease the tension growing in my chest. I know she’s right, so were Monroe and Blakely, who continue to urge me to have a regular conversation with him about where we stand, but it doesn’t immediately make me grow the courage to do it.

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