Page 17 of Here Be Dragons
He wasn't really sorry though. He knew how this game was played. Reporters needed to talk to players and players needed to talk to reporters. There were times when Dale would ask him a serious question for a feature story or a stupid question for a flippant story. ("What's the best Valentine's card you ever got?" Dale asked. "A cute girl gave me a Ninja Turtles card in third grade.")
So did he feel bad about lying to Dale? Sort of, but he wasn't totally lying. What did Ava say about that?
"You don't have to tell them every little detail."
So Shane told him enough details. Dale even mentioned that Jason Stewart's company had a regional office in Cleveland, which would help Dale hide his source.
"I mean, I won't even mention you as a source really," Dale stammered. "You're just talking to me on background and we'll never speak about this again."
"That's fine," Shane muttered.
"Thanks for the tip."
"Yep."
Dale paused. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but I really miss hockey, and I miss you guys."
Shane smiled to himself. "I feel the same way. Your secret is safe with me."
They said their goodbyes and Shane hung up the phone, staring at the glowing screen in his hand. It seemed a bit bright, but when he looked up, he realized that the room had become darker since he got back. Not that he would've really noticed anyway since he had a view of a parking lot and a little bit of the resort's golf course. It was nothing like the water view from Ava's room.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't want to see Ava tonight. Frankly, he didn't want to see Ava since that morning he watched her saunter down the hall with those killer heels and dress that was professional but still tailored enough to make him think dirty thoughts about her.
She had lied to him. No, wait -- she didn't tell him every little detail. But she also didn't have to talk to him at the bar tonight. She didn't have to invite him to her room, albeit with an entourage with him. She didn't have to tell them what she had learned about Jason and how he was trying to sabotage the negotiations. She could've kept all of that to herself.
But she's didn't.
What she did keep from him was the fact that her brother owned the Detroit Pirates, which was his team's biggest rivals. She also didn't tell him that she was negotiating against the players.
He needed to keep his head on straight and think clearly about this. Ava and Shane both wanted the same thing. They both wanted the season to finally get started again. But they were coming at the problem from two different sides. They were negotiating a new contract, not sitting around with cocktails talking about how they all agreed on the issues and everything was unicorns and puppies. She was still the enemy.
And yet as he listened to her tonight and watched the way she worked, he couldn't help but admire her. It wasn't just the fact that she had piled her long blonde hair on to her head in a messy bun that looked effortless or that she was dressed down in those tight leggings that gave him dirty thoughts. It was really her control of the room. The way she handed the papers to Mark so easily and ran through the facts so simply. She knew what she was talking about and she had figured out the details of the case. She had a plan that she was going to execute. It wasn't some pushy or combative stance. It was smart and determined and, holy hell, it made him hot.
Luckily, he was able to get away with covering his crotch with his folded hands and bent over at the waist while sitting on her bed. Those guys would've called him out if they saw the way his body was reacting to her in those stupid thin track pants that were really comfortable and yet betrayed his true intentions so easily.
It didn't help that Mark seemed to be so tuned in with Ava. Was he jealous when they started doing their little lawyer speak thing? Yeah. And when he left Ava's room and Mark stayed behind? Oh, definitely. Mark wasn't a bad guy. In fact, he was someone that Shane liked. He was on their side. He was fighting for their team.
But he stayed in Ava's room when the players left after the meeting.
Shane groaned and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Why was that little fact getting to him? He shook his head, disgusted at his own question. He knew why it was bothering him. He knew what was wrong. Shane was hung up on Ava. Still. Even after she didn't tell him about who she really was on the night she slept with him. Even after he found out she was the enemy. Even after he confronted her for being the enemy. Even after all of that, he couldn't shake off the thought of Ava.
Shane started pacing in his room, his mind stuck on this woman. Who would've ever thought that a boring dinner by himself at the hotel bar would end up like this? If things had gone according to his plans for tonight, he would be coming back from the gym right now. Instead, Ava had to show up and let all hell break loose.
He just got off the phone with a reporter from Cleveland to plant a story about what was going on here in this stupid hotel because Ava asked him to. Sure, he would've done it anyway. He really did want to get this stupid strike over with already, just like every other player in the league. But Ava asked him to do it, and he didn't object.
Shane closed his eyes and balled up his hands in frustration. Why did she have this power over him?
He wasn't exactly sure his brain was thinking logically though. Instead, he grabbed his hotel room key and his phone, stuffing both of them in the pocket of his track pants. Then he paused behind his hotel room door, his hand on the door handle. Was he really going to go out there? Was he really going to go to Ava's room?
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he muttered to himself.
But without any time to think about the answer, he swiftly opened the door and turned down the hall to Ava's room. The padded carpeting muffled his athletic slide shoes. Ava was only a few doors down from him, something he didn't realize until he walked by her door and caught a glimpse of her last week. She didn't even act any different when they walked past it on their way to his room that fateful night. He would have to remember that at the very least, he couldn't play poker with her in the future.
He stood in front of her door and quickly checked the hallway to see if anyone else was around, but he was alone. No one would see him standing there. He felt a little creepy leaning close to it, trying to hear voices on the other side. Maybe Mark was still there or something. But it was quiet.
Shane took a deep breath and closed his eyes, once again wondering what he was doing here. Then he knocked on the door.
Ava answered with a smile that faltered a little when she realized it was him.
