Page 8 of Romancing the Grump
If the trainwreck ending to my dad’s life taught me anything, it’s how easilypeoplecan become collateral damage.
Across the room, Summer and Parker and the rest of theAppies’ administrative staff stand to leave. I ought to apologize. Stop Summer and tell her I’m sorry I was a jerk and she can park wherever she wants.
Instead, I let her go, watching as she greets a few more players on her way to the door.
Her smile is warm and easy, and she gives it generously as she shakes hands and repeats names and jots down little notes in the notebook she’s carrying.
When she talks to Alec, he must say something funny because she tilts her head back and laughs.
I pull out my phone and stare at the screen, mindlessly scrolling through news headlines I don’t read until Summer finally makes it out of the room.
I’m not sure why.
But I don’t manage to take a full breath until she’s gone.
CHAPTER 3
SUMMER
I pushthrough the large double doors that lead into the middle level of the arena’s stadium seating and look around for Parker.
Below, the sound of skates cutting across the ice is punctuated with shouts, grunts, and then a sharp whistle from Coach Davis.
A week into my new job, I have yet to wander into the hockey rink part of the Summit. I’ve been told numerous times I’m welcome to drop in whenever the guys are practicing if I’d like to watch, but this is the first time I’ve actually done it. And I’m only here because Parker invited me to meet her for lunch.
I don’t know the first thing about how hockey is played, so I probablyshouldwatch. And I’ve been more than a little curious to see the guys in action.
But it’s not like I haven’t been busy.
I decided, with Grant’s approval, that the very best way toprepare myself to negotiatenewcontracts was to read over every single branding or endorsement deal any of the Appies have signed in the past twelve months.
It took three days, practically made my eyes bleed, and led to several moments of panic in which I doubted whether I could even do this job. It’s honestly nothing like the work I did with the DA, and I half-wonder why Grant hired me. Though, in my desperation to leave the dumpster fire that was my last job, it’s possible I oversold the summer internship I did studying entertainment law.
It’s also possible I noticed theAgent Twelvemovie poster hanging behind his desk and casually mentioned that my sister is married to Flint Hawthorne—the actor who plays the lead. Grant immediately perked up, mumbling something about my ability to keep my cool around a bunch of famous athletes—something I can definitely do—then talked for a solid ten minutes about the surprise at the end of the second movie in the franchise.
However I got here, I already feel like I have a better grasp of my purpose. And I am definitely a woman who needs a purpose. A purpose and a pile of paperwork.
Nerdy confession—I secretly love paperwork. There’s something so satisfying about the inky smell of a contract, still warm from the printer. I’m guessing it will be even better when it’s a brilliant contract thatInegotiated. Hopefully, I’ll have one of those coming soon.
Parker is filming when I sit down beside her, but she looks over and smiles, holding up a single finger as if to say she’s almost done. Parker and I aren’t exactly close—at least not yet—but she’s been amazing as she’s helped me through my first week. We’ve started texting a bit, even when we aren’t at work, and I get the sense we’re going to be good friends.
Gracie told me I would love Parker, so I’m not surprised, but it feels nice to really connect and get along with her so easily. I have Gracie, and she’s amazing, but there’s a Lucy-sized hole in my day-to-day life, and the more people I have to fill it, the better.
Parker films for another few minutes while I unwrap my sandwich and start to eat, watching as the players fly from one end of the rink to the other. I’m sure there’s a puck on the ice somewhere, but as quickly as I find it, I lose it again.
I wonder if Parker can sense my current state of overwhelm because as soon as she turns off the camera on her phone, she gives me a knowing smile. “Never been to a hockey game?”
“Once,” I say through another bite of food. “But it was the game when Felix and Gracie finally got together, and I spent a lot more time watchingGraciethan I did the actual game.” I hold up my half-eaten sandwich. “Also, sorry I didn’t wait for you. I skipped breakfast this morning, and I was a little bit starving.”
She grins. “I a-little-bit forgive you.” She pulls out her own lunch, and we eat in silence for a beat, our eyes still focused on the ice.
“So, are they playing a game right now? Or…doing drills? Do they do those?”
“They do drills. Lots of them. But right now, they’re scrimmaging, so it’s more like a game.”
“How do you keep up? I can’t even find the puck.”
Parker pops open a bag of Doritos and offers me one. “The trick is to stop looking for it. Just watch the players. You’ll start to recognize their subtle shifts in posture, their speed, the way they guard the puck when they have it. If they don’t have it, they know where it is, so if you watch them, you’ll get better at figuring out where the play is happening.”
