Page 44 of The Puck Stops Here

She. Was. Doomed!

* * *

Blake let himself into his apartment and tossed his wallet onto the console table. Catching his reflection in the mirror above, he shook his head. What the hell was that goofy smile about?

‘Didn’t trust herself alone with you, huh?’

Aiden appeared in the hallway, a glass of water in hand.

‘What can I say?’ He shucked his jacket. ‘The girl’s got it bad.’

His brother shook his head, but Blake wasn’t interested in being humbled by his big bro. Grin still fixed, he swept past him into the open-plan living space. The glittering New York cityscape through the floor-to-ceiling glass greeted him, perfectly set off by the dark room with its black leather furnishings, dark wood and polished concrete floors, accent lighting set to low. Sometimes he still had to pinch himself that this was how they lived now.

‘Ever the humble one, aren’t you?’ Aiden said, following him into the room as he set the sound system going. The dulcet tone of Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ hitting the spot.

‘You’re just pissed you had to leave early.’

‘Yeah, about that…’

Blake headed to the bar and poured himself a bourbon. ‘What about it?’

‘Got something you wanna tell me?’

‘No, don’t think I do.’

Aiden sipped his water. ‘So that’s how you want to play it?’

‘Play it?’

‘Astrid?’

Blake threw back his drink. ‘You want me to play nice with her, I’m playing nice. And now I’m off to bed.’

Aiden watched him go, muttering under his breath,‘Playing dirty more like.’

‘I heard that…’

‘You were supposed to.’

And Blake just chuckled, Chapman’s lyrics about being someone with nothing to provemelding with his determination to show the world exactly that…

6

The next day Astrid woke determined to push Blake out and pull Aiden in.

She had a few days before she was due at the rink to interview the twins. A few days where she could do something karma-orientated, something without the distraction of Blake…

But what?

Caffeined up, a run under her belt, and in the zone, she pulled up the Titans schedule on her laptop. The team rarely had more than a day or two between games, and they were out of state tomorrow for two.

Today was her best bet and hot off the back of last night’s antics, she even had a way in.

Picking up her phone, she sent a message to Aiden.

Astrid

Sorry you had to dash last night, how about dinner for two on me tonight?

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