Page 35 of Ice Daddy
“Yeah, well, that fell through.” Lance forced a strained smile. “And now I got myself a little vacation.”
Paige remembered how Lance's boss had banged on his hotel door last night and basically yelled at him. She bit her lip with worry. “Lance, did you get fired?”
Lance snickered. “No. Ican'tget fired. That's the beauty of a guaranteed contract. … but I did get suspended.”
“It's not because of me, is it?”
“No. The fight at Zickell's.” Lance gave a small shrug of his shoulder. “Anyway, enough about that. The point is, the team traveled without me, so now I've got a little free time and I thought I'd come pick you up.”
“To do what …?” Paige asked breathlessly.
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand between his mitts. “Come with me to Boston.”
She stole her hands back. “I can't, Lance.”
“Why not?”
“I have a job here, for one.”
Lance laughed and gave her a look as if she didn't understand what exactly was being offered. “Babe. Wait until you see my place. I own a condo in the Port of Boston, right on the waterfront. Indoor pool, private hot tub, rooftop bar.Fantasticview of the Boston skyline at night. Matt Damon and Tom Brady live right next door to me, believe it or not.”
Lance studied Paige, waiting to see how she'd react to that information. She wasn't exactly swayed, so he continued the pitch.
“Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the finest restaurants Boston's got to offer. At night, we'll party at the city's most exclusive clubs.” A spark of confidence glittered in his eye. “But if last night's anything to go by, I think we'll make our own fun. I'm telling you, Paige, you'll have the time of your life.” He paused and looked around. “Look, I think it's cool that you're such a loyal employee to this place, but … c'mon.”
Of course, objectively, Paige understood that all those things sounded amazing and absolutely should impress her. But Lance might as well have been describing the features of an alien planet. What did any of it matter to her, when she knew that she couldn't possibly drop her responsibilities and run away with him?
Paige buried her face in her hands. “I can't, Lance. I can't go.”
“But why not? Give meonegood reason and I'll stop asking.”
She stared at him. Lost in thought, she snagged her bottom lip between her teeth.
At last, she spoke. “Do you remember that cheesy pickup line you used on me the night at Zickell's?”
“Huh. Hold on.” Lance paused to remember, then recited: “Paige's have numbers, but I don't have yours?”
Paige stuck out her tongue as if she were gagging. “Ugh, still awful. But no, I meant the other one.”
Lance thought harder. “Oh! I remember:If your name is Paige, then I'm gonna need a bookmark so I don't lose you.”
“That's the one,” Paige said.
“Why do you bringthatup?”
She steeled herself, ready to drop 'the bomb,' as Emily called it. There was no turning back from this point.
“Lance, I have a daughter.”
Chapter 15
Paige
“Uh. Wait.” Lance's body tensed and all expression was wiped clean off his face. He leaned across the table and lowered his voice. “Are youmarried?”
“No …!” Paige growled, taking offense to the question. Did he seriously not understand what she was trying to tell him?
Lance let out a breath of relief. “Just making sure. I don't mess around with married chicks. It's bad karma. Plus,jeez,I'd probably have to let that Kip Sterling guy know about it …”
