Page 79 of Wild Love
“I’ll bet.”
* * *
Friday morning,Johnny and I head over to the arena together. He holds my hand as we go down the elevator, swinging it playfully and scrolling on his phone. “I heard you sent over the endorsement stuff. Hugh was happy with what you got.”
“What about the Maverick Company?” I pull out my phone to see if Linda responded. She didn’t.
“I assume they approved it. Hugh forwarded me an image and text that they want me to post on my accounts teasing the launch date.” He tips his phone for me to see, and I take it, eager to see what they are using. They went with one of my favorites from the first shoot before he got under the shower. He’s holding up the deodorant with a half smile that somehow comes off as confident and humble at the same time.
“That’s it? Just one image? I sent hundreds. What about the behind-the-scenes stuff?”
“I don’t know.” He pockets his phone. “Maybe they’re going to send more closer to the launch date.”
I’m quiet as we step out into the lobby. I have an unsettling feeling that they weren’t as happy with the shoot as I was.
“Are you okay?” he asks, shooting me a side-glance.
“Yeah.” I shake my head. “Of course. I’m glad they’re happy. I just thought they’d use more of the content. We got that image in the first thirty minutes.”
He stops and tugs me closer to drop a kiss on my lips. I look around, but we’re alone.
“Whatever they decided to use or not use is more about me than you. You did an amazing job.”
“Yeah, so good they didn’t use it,” I mumble. “I told you that you should have gotten someone with more experience.”
He laughs, the shake of his chest loosening the pit in my stomach. He tilts up my chin and forces me to look at him. “My slam piece has mad skills. Don’t be hating on her.”
“Oh my god.” I smack his chest.
He laughs. “That’s better.”
“I don’t think you can call me your slam piece when we haven’t slammed.”
“Could change that right now. I’ve got two minutes.”
I roll my eyes and start toward the door.
“Orgasm buddy?”
I don’t answer, and he keeps going. “Personalassistant?”
26
Johnny
Coach dividesus up into four teams to scrimmage. All week the guys and I have been looking forward to it. The workouts and the drills were necessary, but this is where it’ll be decided. Everyone wants to prove they deserve to be here and no one more than me.
My team is resting while two others play. I catch Dakota and Blythe at the media bench with the photographer from my shoot, Lindsey. The stands are filled with people today, more than have been here all week. Diehards, mostly, who want to see what the future of the team looks like.
Statistically, most of us will end up in Iowa, where we’ll continue to duke it out and try to impress the coaches to get our shot.
A couple of these guys I played against just a month ago at the Frozen Four. Morris from Waterville would like nothing more than to embarrass me and send me packing if his pissed-off stares all week are anything to go on. He’s a great player, and I think he has a decent shot at staying. Either way, there’s a good chance we’re going to be teammates one day, so hopefully, a little shoving on the ice will make him feel better about the loss I helped deal at the college championships.
Coach blows the whistle. “Green and black teams. You’re up.”
“White and red, hit the bench.”
I skate out and take a knee. Assistant Coach Peters puts us in our positions to start. Some of us will have to switch from where we’re most comfortable, and that’s kind of the purpose of this week. Yesterday we had to skate on one leg for thirty minutes, then switch for the next thirty minutes. Discovering weaknesses and knowing what to work on this week and beyond will, in the long run, make us all better pro players. Still, everyone wants to look good for the coaches and media watching our every move.
