Page 67 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
“You don’t need to buy me things.” I frowned, still sitting on the plush carpet.
Mercy rolled her eyes. “You know I’m a professional athlete, too? I also signed a new contract, since I’m eighteen now. I make a little more and even got a re-signing bonus. So, I can get you some sports bras and workout shorts. I want to help, too. You were fucking there for me when I got my alpha and freaked the fuck out. Let me be there for you?”
Her sister and her pack had been away, because someone had a breakthrough heat. Mercy didn’t understand what was happening. Because hockey was full of alphas, I’d been around a whole lot of teenage alphas awakening and knew what to do and how to reassure her.
“It sounds fun.” A trip to the clothing department at Athlete’s World would round things out. I might be able to get a couple of cooler weather things, too. It wouldn’t be summer forever.
“Also, you don’t work at a place where I can massively tip you anymore, so we’ll just pretend it’s that,” she added.
“True.” My eyes teared a little. Mercy had left me a giant tip when I needed it, more than once. “Why is everyone so nice to me?”
“We’re your friends, you ding-dong. Also, I know how it feels to lose all your shit.” Mercy handed me my purse and the bag from the salon. She swayed a little.
Her and Verity’s place had flooded right before the snowstorm where I’d found Marty. It had forced them to move in with Verity’s guys, which then had been her boyfriends, not mates.
“Thank you.” I leaned my head on her shoulder. I’d figure out tuition, eventually.
“Hey, where are you living now? Valya said your things are being delivered to Clark’s?” Mercy asked, as she grabbed the bag with the outfits she’d bought.
Valya came out of the bathroom and grabbed her purse. “Onward.”
“I’m staying in Clark’s guest room for now. I’m not sure about fall. The dorms are full up and sort of expensive. I could move in with a bunch of friends, but I might stay at Clark’s until he evicts me.” I followed Valya into the main part of the boutique.
Jolette waved. “Thanks ladies. See you at choir practice, Valya.”
“That would give you a chance to save up,” Mercy said as we exited the store into the bright, hot early August afternoon.
“True.” A deposit was a lot.
“It’s good you’re living with Clark. Carlos thought you were living in a closet at the ice rink.” Valya laughed as she flagged down a taxi.
I laughed as we all piled into the taxi. “Could you imagine?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Clark
European warehouse music thumped all around me as I made my way into the kitchen of Dimitri’s townhouse. Models took turns lying on the granite counter and doing shots off of each other’s bare stomachs. While a couple of rugby players played cards at the kitchen table.
I grabbed a beer and went back out to the living room, where beautiful people dressed in nice clothes, danced, drank, and talked. Carlos made out with someone on the couch. A group of omegas held court in the corner, talking about whose daddies had a bigger yacht. A business deal was going on in the hall.
Outside in their tiny garden, a few people played with a miniature fútbol, including some hockey players that lived in New York in the summer, and trained with Dimitri and Carlos.
Dimitri’s house parties always brought out the young and rich of New York. You never knew who’d show up. I’d found one of my sponsors this way. One moment, I was talking to a woman who was trying to come up with ideas to impress her dad. The next moment, we were in the bathroom, shooting a mock-up of an ad campaign for cologne. Now I was on giant billboards.
Also, the thrill of running into random famous people hadn’t worn off after a year in New York City. However, I didn’t spy the person I wanted to see.
I saw Carson though, an asshat who played for the Mexico City Tigres. He was hitting on some cute omegas, along with Mitchy, who played defense for the Knights. Carson and Mitchy were local, but spent most of the off-season in Toronto training.
“Clark!” a male voice called.
I turned around and saw a grinning, giant Swede. “Anders, back in town?”
“For Squire Camp.” Anders nodded. It was the summer camp run by the Knights’ youth program.
We found a quiet place and got caught up, as he’d been back in Sweden with his family. Last year we’d been rookies together.
“Any word on that trade?” It seemed like every time I turned on the sports news, that multi-team trade Anders was part of had gotten even more complicated.
