Page 18 of Famous Last Words
Coach stares at me long and hard, his face a blank mask, void of any and all emotion. He’s quietly terrifying, if I’m honest. And I find my mind wandering back to what Dallas said earlier in the locker room. I know it’s not the time or the place, but all I keep thinking is how the hell doesthisguy have a hot daughter?
“You better not let me down, son.” Coach looks down at his phone again and starts tapping something into it.
I stand, lingering a moment or two before I realize I’ve been dismissed. Grabbing my bag off the floor I turn, and I’m out of there so damn fast.
“Mason!”
I stop halfway down the corridor, turning to see Coach Bromley standing there, hands tucked in his pockets, the hint of a grin curling his lips. And it’s not lost on me that this is the first sign of a smile I’ve received from any of the coaching staff since I’ve arrived.
“Let’s you and me grab some time on the ice tomorrow, before everyone gets here,” he says. “I wanna do a review ofyour edgework. You’re one of the best skaters in the league, but you were looking a little sloppy out there today.”
I nod. Because I do agree with him that I’m one of the best skater in the league—possibly the best. His mention of my edgework, however, almost has me laughing out loud, because is he serious?
“Be here at ten.”
“Sure thing, Coach.”
Bromley nods but doesn’t say anything more before turning and disappearing back into Draper’s office. Probably to talk more about how shit I am.
I turn, hurrying back along the corridor, down the stairs and through the lobby of the training center. And as I walk out into the afternoon, the city chaos hitting me like brutal slap to the face, I realize something; I seriously need to get my shit together before I fuck this whole thing up.
CHAPTER 9
FRAN
Clutching theofficially in escrowbottle of champagne Tony Carlton presented me in our morning meeting, I try so hard to play it cool, like it’s no big deal as I walk through the sales floor. But it’s hard not to smile. This is my first escrow. Sure, the way it came about might be a little shady, but no one knows that; to everyone that matters, I sold a six-million-dollar apartment.
“Good job, Fran,” someone says from the other side of the floor.
Smile beaming, I continue on the way to my desk only to be stopped by my name coming from behind me. Turning, my eyes bulge at the sight of Giselle, Carlton Myers’ receptionist, advancing on me, carrying a box of red roses almost as big as she is.
“Fran!” Giselle calls out again, grinning at me with a slight skip in her step.
“Hey,” I say, dubiously eyeing the flowers.
“These just came for you.” Giselle hands me the box and the small gift bag she’d had hanging off her arm.
Confused, I look at her, my eyebrows knitting together because it’s definitelynotmy birthday.
“Someone has an admirer,” Giselle says with a conspiratorial wink before spinning on her heels and practically prancing off.
I peer into the bunch of expensive looking roses for a card, but there’s nothing. I turn and head to my desk, ready to do some serious digging.
“Nice flowers.”
Loaded down with the flowers, the gift bag, and my bottle of champagne, I almost stumble, gawking up as Tadd steps out of his office and directly into my path. Craning my neck to look up at him, I don’t miss the way his smile totally contradicts the darkness in his gaze.
I force a smile.
“Who’s sendingyouroses?”
“None ofyourbusiness,” I sass, stepping around him and hurrying all the way back to my desk, thankful for the semblance of privacy my cubicle walls provide.
I huff a breath, gathering my wits, looking from the gaudy display of roses to the white gift bag secured by a black ribbon. Tucking my hair behind my ears, I slowly tug on the ribbon, opening the bag, gasping when I find MASON glaring back at me in big bold letters.
“Oh my God,” I groan as realization settles low in my belly.
Pulling the sorry excuse for agiftout of its bag, the white and black jersey unfurls in my hands. I hold it up, studying it with serious disdain. I hope he doesn’t actually expect me to wear this thing.
