Page 15 of Grudge Puck
Larry could barely contain his excitement. He dug deeper for more controversy.
“Beau, you're slated to match up against Dave Leroux tomorrow. Any comments on his contract?”
“Was he wearing a ski mask when he signed it? It's a robbery.”
That's how the biz works sometimes. I give Larry a few controversial quotes, which will drive clicks to his articles. In turn, I get inside the heads of the Scouts players before the puck's even dropped.
I scratch his back, he scratches mine.
Chapter 5
The BBB
Camille
Upper East Side, 8:00 PM.
The second Piper swung her apartment door open and saw me, her jaw fell. Stunned, she ran her eyes up and down my body.
“Damn, girl! You lookhot!”
Self-consciously, I held my clutch over my boobs. “Is it too much?”
Normally when Piper drags me to the clubs against my will, I protest in the only way I can: by wearing jeans and a t-shirt. But tonight I actually took a little time to do up my hair and face and wore a racy dress that was perfect for the upscale, snooty kind of club that I'm sure Beau and all his millionaire hockey buddies frequent.
“Too much? Hell no! Beau's going to be drooling all over himself when he sees you.”
I made a face. “Ew. First of all—that'snotwhat I want.”
“Right,” Piper said with a wink. She waved me into her apartment and handed me an already-prepared mixed drink. The glass had been sweating while it waited for me. “Here you go. I'm already a couple deep, so you got some catching up to do.”
“Seriously though. I know what you're thinking. And you're wrong.” I took a sip of the vodka-cranberry. The dry tartness clawed at the back of my throat.
“And what am I thinking?”
“That I have this deep-seated needto impress Beau, all stemming from this unresolved sexual tension and conflict between us.”
Piper tapped her chin. “Er. No, but it sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this.”
I huffed. “I only dressed up like this to make sure I can get into that club. Getting rejected at the door because I'm not sexyenough? I'd be so mortified, I'ddie. And that's probably exactly what Beau is hoping for.”
Piper bit her lip. “God, I am lovingthis timeline.”
“What timeline? What the heck does that mean?”
“The timeline in which you had a secret love affair with an athlete, who went on to become a famous NHL player, and he has now reappeared in your life, and you two are bothtotallyabout to screw and reclaim your love, but you're still stuck in extreme denial over it.”
I laughed. “Trust me, Piper, that's absurd. You don't know the story. If you did, you'd understand.”
With drink in hand, Piper curled up on her couch and patted the cushion next to her. “Come, child, and tell me everything. I've waited long enough.”
I sat on the leather couch next to her and sighed. “Nothing happened, first of all. So you can stop hinting that we dated or screwed or whatever.”
“Did you have a crush on him?”
I huffed and puffed. “Okay—I mean—look.”
Piper snickered. “He's hot,Camille, you can admit it.”
