Page 10 of Puck You Very Much

“With respect, Leslie, are you serious? I have no special connection to him. I have a steak knife in my purse with his name on it.” She eyed her purse skeptically, which was so small it wouldn’t even hold a pocketknife. But it was the thought that counted!

Amused, Leslie smiled. “You know, it’s that enthusiasm that makes you so good at your job and that will stop Dax from further destroying his career.”

She snorted. She wished it were that simple. But no one had that much power.

“Lucy,” Leslie began again, this time in an unusually soft tone. “You haven’t even worked here a year yet. So, it’s way too early to give you a promotion. However, you work harder than anyone else and if you’re able to convert Temple…we’ll talk about it.”

Lucy bit the inside of her bottom lip. Oh, that wasn’t fair! Leslie knew she wanted a promotion more than calorie-free chocolate.

“Okay,” she said through her teeth. “Let’s say I take care of Dax. What exactly, if I may ask, does that entail?”

“Make sure he doesn’t date or sleep with anyone. No one. Women’s stories are the most harmful. Then, watch he doesn’t drink so much at parties, doesn’t cause a stir, and doesn’t allow himself to be photographed by the press. You’ll drag him to fundraisers, force him to visit a few children’s hospitals, and put on such a good show that even our Lord in heaven would be fooled into taking him in. Oh, and of course, you’ll make sure the press thinks he and Jack West are slowly but surely becoming best friends.”

Stunned, she stared at her direct superior. “Should I also cure cancer and go back in time to save the dinosaurs?”

“I don’t care what you do in your free time,” she replied without batting an eye.

Lucy laughed dryly. “That’s…a lot.”

“Naturally, we’ll pay you for overtime.”

“How long?” she asked woodenly. “How long do I have to…take care of him?”

“Let’s start with one month and then see where we are,” Leslie suggested diplomatically. “You start tomorrow. I want you to convince Dax to attend the press conference announcing that Jack West is joining the Hawks.”

She sighed heavily. “Okay. He certainly won’t object to that.”

“Well…” Leslie cleared her throat. “Jack West will be there too.”

Lucy’s shoulders slumped and she barely stifled a loud groan. Dax had made it clear to her more than once that he’d only encountertheSainton the ice, nowhere else. “Great. Easy-peasy,” she whispered.

By the time Lucy left Leslie Forth’s office five minutes later, her feet felt like lead.

Four weeks of Dax Temple. Every day. Every evening.

The press was right. He was the devil, and he had just pulled her down into hell. She would never admit it, but no one on earth unsettled her more than this one L.A. Hawks winger. She had no control over her mouth when it came to him! In his presence, she said things, did things, thought things…none of which she enjoyed!

She was groaning so loudly she almost didn’t hear her cell phone. She sighed softly when she saw the name on the caller ID. She knew exactly what this phone call was going to be about, and she would have preferred to avoid any further discussion about it today. However, her sister couldn’t help that she was having a bad day, so she answered it.

“Hey, Maddie, what’s going on?” she asked as she walked down the white hallway lined with hockey photos and past the elevators, heading for the stairwell. Since she hated exercising, she at least tried to take the steps as often as possible. It didn’t help the rolls of fat on her hips, but at least it eased her conscience.

“It’s your turn,” her older sister said firmly.

Lucy sighed and took the first step down. “Not today.”

“Please! I was there yesterday and he’s a wreck. He was sitting in a sea of photo albums and tissues. I was hoping things would get better after he joined the bowling team, but…oh, there was some woman there who reminded him of Mom and…well. You can imagine. From there he went into his usual spiral, and he can’t pull himself back out again.”

Lucy’s heart sank and she slowed her pace. “Can’t Rachel take care of him for once? After all, she is the psychotherapist in the family. She might know what will help.”

“Rachel lives in Chicago, Lucy. She can’t just stop by.”

Yes, she knew that, but today she was so exhausted. Exhausted by her life, by the thought of Dax Temple…

“There is Skype. The telephone. A thousand possibilities.”

Her oldest sister ran a successful psychotherapy practice and was the smartest person she knew. If anyone could think of a way to help her father from two thousand miles away, it would be her.

Maddie sighed heavily. “You know he doesn’t like all that technical stuff. Besides, he forgot his phone PIN, entered the wrong one three times, and…Please, Lucy?”

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