Page 11 of Famous Last Words
“Yeah.” I snort. “Have you seen what they charge for rent in this city?”
“But—but you’re rich.”
I actually laugh out loud at that. “Um, what?”
“You’re rich,” he says again as if it’s a fact.
“Uh, no, I’m not.”
“But you went to Belmont.”
“Yeah, because I was on an academic scholarship. Why do you think I was so high strung?”
A contemplative silence fills the line.
“Look, let me think about this, and I’ll get back to you.” I love how casual I sound, as if I’m not currently considering being the fake girlfriend of my sworn enemy in exchange for a signed deal sheet on a six-million-dollar apartment. It’s sordid and seedy and surely a breach of my fiduciary responsibility.
“Okay, well—” Robbie clears his throat. “I’ll be waiting for your answer,baby.” The way he says baby, all low and rasped, would almost be hot if I didn’t know firsthand what a disgusting bag of dicks he is.
“Gross,” I murmur.
His low chuckle is the last thing I hear before he ends the call and the line falls dead.
CHAPTER 5
FRAN
When I first moved to New York, there was no way I could afford to live on my own, but I was terrified of moving in with a stranger. What if they left toenail clippings in the sink or, worse, never emptied the dishwasher? Thankfully, I lucked out, finding a studio apartment in the Lower East Side.
My apartment is on the third floor of an old five story red brick building with a rusted external fire escape, faded graffiti covering most of the ground floor façade, and an elevator that’s out of order more than it’s not because the building super will happily accept our rent but refuse to fix anything in a timely manner.
By the time I trudge up the three flights of stairs and into my tiny shoebox apartment, it’s close to midnight, and I can’t decide if I’m tired or hungry. Aside from the handful of olives I snacked on at the bar, I haven’t eaten anything since the cream cheese bagel I practically inhaled after my morning meeting. But before anything, I’m in dire need of a shower, not only because I’vebeen working all day and night, but Robbie Mason’s indecent proposal is lingering like a bad smell.
After a long shower, I change into an old college t-shirt and some sweats, and I settle on my bed with my laptop and a steaming cup of ramen, which is precisely when the MacBook chimes, startling me. My stomach knots when I see a new message pop-up fromunknown. I quickly update the contact so that I can at least screen his calls if I need to.
Asshat: Times ticking…
I glare at his taunting threat, but then curiosity gets the better of me.
Clicking on a new webpage, I enterRobbie Masoninto the search engine, my brows immediately knitting together at the page that appears, full of links to news articles with unflattering headlines. Placing my noodles on the nightstand, I decide to get comfortable.When Robbie mentioned his reputation was in trouble, I just assumed he was being a drama queen; I certainly didn’t think it wasthisserious.
Most Valuable Player to Most Despised Man in the League
At just twenty-five, Robbie Mason already has two Hart Trophies, three Stanley Cup wins, and sponsorship deals with some of the biggest brands in the world. Yet, in the wake of the news that St. Paul has released their star defenseman only two games into the pre-season, the hockey world has been left in shock, wondering where it all went wrong for the game’s most valuable player?
Fans first began to express their concern for Mason following the Lions’ Stanley Cup win in June when, during the break, he was often spotted looking disheveled, stumbling out of nightclubs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Miami, photographed partying with Hollywood celebrities amidst his rumored relationship with controversial influencer, Lola Grey.
When photos appeared of Mason asleep on a couch, shirtless, with a suspicious looking bag of white powder sitting in his lap, concern increased for the athlete.When asked about the photo at a press conference, Mason declined to respond before unplugging and abruptly exiting the media room.
Following the Lions’ pre-season opener loss against the Bears, it appeared that the once unbeatable team had lost momentum on the ice. A few days later, as the Lions faced off against the Miners at home, fans were forced to watch on as their beloved team fell apart right in front of them. Fights are aren’t uncommon in the sport of ice hockey, but this was the first time in NHL history that a brutal, bloody, mid-game brawl had broken out between players on the same team, and it sent shockwaves throughout the sporting community.
The question that remains on everyone’s lips is what on earth could possibly have caused Robbie Mason to drop mitts and launch at his own teammate, Ben Harris?
There’s been no mention of the incident, no explanation, no apology from the club, the league, or the man himself, and fans are understandably reeling.
The New York Thunder are rumored to have been in contact with the now free agent, but Mason’s future lies in the hands of David Ferris and the league's Player Safety Board, who will ultimately decide whether he is cleared to continue playing, or whether his professional hockey career has come to a sudden and unexpected end.
More to come on this breaking story.
