Page 56 of Yo Ho Ho
"Are you coming back for more?" he asked.
She gave him a small smile. Better to do that than anything else, which could cause them both all kinds of trouble. She just needed to get through a few more days of acting like a normal reporter who didn't get all hot and bothered by a hockey player.
"No," she replied. "I'm just coming to grab my bag before heading out."
"How did you like the star?"
She looked up to see Sam smiling over at her. "It was the best part of the whole thing," she said.
"You have no idea how much fun Griffin had picking that out," he said. "But he was a kid in a toy store and we somehow ended up with a few other things so, you know, he may be biased."
Max laughed. "Well, tell him he did a great job."
Alex walked over with his suit on and his hair wet. "What about the champagne?"
"As long as you don't spray it in my eyes this time, it'll be fine."
The big Russian defenseman came over and gave her a hug. "We're going to miss you, Quinn," he said. "Don't be a stranger."
Sam also said his goodbyes and told her to keep them updated on where she headed next. Then the two of them walked away, leaving only Max with Logan. He was still wearing his uniform, still sweaty and gross from playing hockey.
"You haven't gone back yet?" she asked.
"I thought I would wait for some of the guys to clear out so I could try and talk to you."
Logan tried to say it casually, but there was a bit of fire in his eyes that made Max feel things she shouldn't be feeling in the locker room full of people.
"Hey, you're still here!"
Jordan wandered over between them, not realizing he had just interrupted a moment between Max and Logan. Maybe that was a good thing. She wanted to continue that conversation, she really did, but her brain seemed to finally be catching up with what was happening. Weird feelings, locker room, boss a few feet away. It was a bad combination.
"Still here," she replied.
She heard someone clear his throat behind her. Turning around, she saw Barry standing there with a concerned look on his face.
"Max, could I talk to you for a minute?"
She nodded. "I'll be right back," she told the guys.
Barry stepped a few more feet away from the players with Max following him before he leaned over so they couldn't hear what he was saying.
"Listen, I know that was a nice gesture from the team, but you know you can't take their gift," Barry gently said.
Her eyes narrowed as she stared back at him. "Why not?"
"You know why," he said quietly. "You still work for the paper, and you still need to look impartial. That means no gifts from anyone."
"Barry, our paper is locking the doors in 48 hours."
He took a deep breath and gave her a stern look. "I understand that, Max, but we still have to be professionals."
Max could feel her face burning up. She knew he was right. They had to look professional until the bitter end, even if the paper's parent company was treating them like they were just a commodity that needed to be disposed of. It meant she had to turn down a gift from players who had taken the time to do something nice for her and brighten up the darkness she had found herself in. After all of that, she had to walk over there and tell them thanks but no thanks.
"I'm sorry, Max." Barry gently squeezed her arm. "You heading back to the newsroom?"
"Yeah."
"I'll wait for you."
