Page 140 of Cold Feet
I stood to greet her as Katie led the woman into my office. She wore a hibiscus pink sundress, wedge espadrilles, and her chestnut hair pulled up in a messy top knot.
She startled when she saw both Zayne and Cam standing in my office.
“I apologize for all the nuttiness this morning. We had a bit of a situation,” I laughed.
“Shelby,” she said, extending her hand. I shook it as she gushed, “Oh my GOD. Like, no worries at all. I watched the whole thing while I was waiting. I swear, it was the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Really…incredible.”
Her eyes were wide, like she’d just finished riding a roller coaster.
“Shelby, it’s fantastic to meet you. I apologize that I’m not a bit more prepared for this meeting. This is Cam, and this is Zayne, two of our star players.”
“I’m a fan,” she gushed, shaking both their hands enthusiastically. Cam grinned, thanking her, and Zayne politely nodded.“
Thanks so much,” Zayne said, “It’s always so great to meet the fans. Do you live in the area? Or are you visiting?”
“I’m local,” she grinned. “Born and raised.” Zayne smiled.
“Uh, would you like a photo?” Zayne asked. “With me… and Cam? Lana can take it.”
Huh? What was this?Zayne was always polite and accommodating to fans because that’s how we were raised, but in his entire life, I had never seen him like this. It was like watching a body double or something.
“I’d love it,” she smiled. “That would be cool.”
Zayne scooped my phone off my desk and handed it to me. Cam just grinned at me over Shelby’s head. I posed them in front of the giant Slashers logo on my wall, and snapped a few pictures, Shelby in the middle, with Cam and Zayne on either side.“Would you mind taking one with my phone too?” she asked, digging into her purse. “And is it okay if I post it to Instagram?”Just as I was about to answer, Zayne jumped in. “Just give Lana your number and she can send it to you.”What had gotten into him?“Sure,” I agreed. “These turned out great, I’ll just text them to you. The guys, uh, have practice starting in a few minutes.”
“Wow, thank you,” she said. “Look, I know things are crazy around here this morning. Would it be easier on you if I came back next week?”
“That would be great,” Zayne nodded. Cam was doing everything he could to keep a straight face.
“Do you mind?” I said. “I hate to have you come back, but things are a bit chaotic this morning since the presser. How about we get you scheduled for next week. I’ll arrange for you to watch a practice, or we can bring you to a game if you’d like. I’ll set up some interviews for you with a couple players.”
“That would be amazing,” she said. “I’ll get out of your hair this morning.
“Thanks,” I said, walking her to the door. “Katie – would you please get Shelby set up for a meeting next week? I’m going to attend a practice with her and we’ll arrange a couple of player interviews.” I tossed my phone to Katie. “Will you also please text her the pics we just took while I finish up here?”
“Sure thing, boss,” Katie replied. Shelby thanked me, Cam, and Zayne again and gave a little wave as she disappeared through the door of my office.
Zayne nodded at Cam, "We've got practice. I’ll see you down there."
My email pinged from Katie, and I instinctively glanced at my computer screen. The subject line read: "MEDIA ROUNDUP – MURPHY/DECKER."
Moment of truth. I clicked.
The email contained links to dozens of articles that had appeared in the last hour:
"Fake Fiancée, Real Feelings? Inside the Love Story Melting Hockey's Heart" –People
"Heartbreaker Off the Market: Cam Murphy and Lana Decker's Second Chance Romance Stuns NHL" –ESPN
"PR Genius! Lana Decker's Masterclass in Crisis Spin" –Forbes
"Hockey's Hottest Power Couple: Ten Years in the Making" –Hockey Week
"Murphy's Montreal Momentum: Will Love Keep Him in St. Pete?" –The Athletic
Cam leaned over my shoulder, reading along with me. "Hey, look at that. Forbes thinks you're a genius."
"Forbes thinks this was some elaborate PR strategy," I corrected. "They have no idea the last few days have been completely reactive crisis management."
