Page 39 of Slap Shot Scandal
“Oh my gosh, Piper. I don’t know if they’re single. AndI’m not interested in Weston. We’re working together is all. He’s the captain of the team and I need him to get on board with the plan so the rebrand is successful.”
“I bet he wants to get on board.” She raises her perfect brows, and I crack up laughing despite how annoying she is.
“He does not. We’ve been fighting non-stop since we met.”
Well, that’s sort of true. We weren’t fighting this afternoon in the elevator.
“Harbor…what aren’t you telling me? Because that’s your lie face.” She points her index finger at me and I frown.
She’s losing her mind. “I don’t have a lie face.”
“You do. And you’re making it right now. The way your brow’s scrunching and you hold your lips really tight.”
I grab my wineglass and swirl the golden liquid, averting my gaze and debating how much to share here.
“Fine. We have been fighting. A lot. He hates my PR plan and has been a huge, grumpy pain in the ass.”
“Until he wasn’t.” Piper finishes the thought for me and a mixture of annoyance and comfort swirls through me. There’s nothing quite like a sister to sift through your bullshit. Cheapest therapy on the planet.
“Yeah. Until he wasn’t.” I sigh, leaning back against the fluffy white pillows. “Today we were trapped in the elevator together?—”
She interrupts my story. “What? Did you say trapped? Like, in the movies? Oh my god, did you havesexin the elevator with the hockey star?” She fans herself, lips parted in shock.
“No! Of course not. It was dark and hot and we wereboth kind of panicking. I was afraid he was going to pass out from a panic attack. Don’t repeat that—top-secret info. Not that he told me not to tell anyone or anything, but…”
“Oh my gosh. You have itbadfor this guy. You’re protecting him. Harbs! That’s so sweet. Can I be your maid of honor?”
“Piper! We’re not even dating, let alone getting married. You’re so ridiculous. Besides, even if we weren’t clashing at every turn, the situation’s tricky. I work for his team.”
“Yeah, it’s called an office romance. Like fifty percent of relationships begin at the office.”
I huff out a breath. “But it’s more complicated than that. It’s not like we’re peers. Not really.”
“But you’re not his boss, right?” She lowers her chin, staring straight through the screen at me.
“Not technically, no.”
“So what’s the issue?”
“Remember Kate, from Redline PR? She dated a player and once the media found out, she was fired on the spot. Besides, my job is to protect the team from scandal. I can’t bepartof the scandal, getting with the players. Especially not when I’m Doug Hayes’s daughter. Any misstep gets amplified. Dad would have a field day and it would prove exactly what he thinks—I don’t have what it takes to be in the hockey world.”
“Right, I agree. You definitely shouldn’t get with the players. Just him. Weston.”
A shiver rolls through me at his name.
God, my sister’s so annoying.
And also, accurate.
“I can’t go there, Piper. Too much is at stake here. The team needs my entire focus to be on their success.”
What I don’t tell her—can’t tell her, no matter how close we are—is this rebrand is every bit as much about my success, too.
This isn’t just about the team. Our dad’s watching, waiting for me to fail. I can’t give him the tiniest scrap of ammunition to use against me.
I can practically hear hisI told you sofrom here.
“And their success probably hinges on how well Weston Steele, team captain, plays. And I bet he plays better hockey when he’s happy, know what I mean?” Piper gives me an exaggerated wink and I laugh.
