Page 141 of Cold Feet
"Maybe that's your superpower," Cam suggested. "Making catastrophes look like carefully executed plans."
I snorted. "That's definitely my superpower. It's pretty much my entire job description."
"Well, that and distracting me from hockey," he countered with a wink. He whispered conspiratorially, rubbing the hem of my blouse between his fingers, "Is it wrong that I want to tear all your buttons off with my teeth?"
Before I could answer, my desk phone rang. Ryan Keller appeared on the caller ID. I answered, putting it on speaker. "Ryan."
"Lana! Is Cam with you? He's not picking up his phone."
"I'm here, Ryan," Cam confirmed, pulling a chair beside me.
"Holy shit I can't believe you two started this morning in full damage control mode and then managed to make all of America fall in love with you in the space of 45 minutes. I just got off the phone with Redline." Ryan's voice practically vibrated with excitement. "The deal is ON. They're over the moon about this whole situation. They're calling it 'authentic brand storytelling' and 'leveraging genuine emotional connection' and a bunch of other marketing buzzwords that make the money go up."
"They're not upset about the...arrangement?" I asked, professional caution still at the forefront of my mind.
"Are you kidding? They're claiming they knew you two were the real deal all along! Said the chemistry between you two was off the charts. This is their dream scenario – the bad boy reformed by love, the college crush that never died, the second chance romance. They eat this stuff up!"
Cam's smile was radiant. "So the contract...?"
"Is everything we asked for, plus a bonus if Lana agrees to appear in some of the campaigns as your 'inspiration'. They want to tell your love story through sneakers."
"What does that even mean?" Cam laughed.
"It means six million dollars and your handsome mug plastered on billboards all over the country, hell if I know. I'll email you the deal memo, but bottom line: this is the biggest endorsement of your career, Murphy."
Relief washed over me. The very deal that had started our fake engagement charade was now secured – and better than we'd initially hoped.
"And..." Cam prompted, something in his expression shifting.
Ryan's tone changed slightly. "And I'll be talking to Marcus this afternoon about the St. Pete offer. Montreal is pushing hard, especially now; we still need to see if the Slashers can even make the numbers work."
My stomach dropped at the mention of Montreal. With everything that had just happened, the offer was still on the table. Still beckoning with its millions and prestige.
"We're taking everything under consideration," Ryan continued. "I'll keep you both updated."
After ending the call, Cam turned to me, clearly seeing the concern in my eyes. "Hey," he said softly. "It's going to be okay."
I nodded, pushing down the anxiety that threatened to overwhelm the joy of the morning. "I know. I trust you. We'll figure it out."
The words came out more easily than I expected, and I realized I meant them. After everything we'd been through, I did trust him. I had to.
"I need to get to practice," Cam said reluctantly, glancing at his watch. "Dinner tonight? My place?"
"Perfect," I agreed. "Pretty sure I'll be working late anyway."
He stood, hesitating for a moment before leaning down to kiss me. It was a brief kiss, but filled with promise. "I'll text you the address – though you've been there once before," he added with a wink.
"I think I can find my way," I assured him, my face flushing slightly as I vividly recalled the night we'd spent together.
“Also, just me or was Zayne being really weird earlier.”“Oh no, not just you,” I laughed. “Totalweirdo.”
With one last smile, he was gone, and I turned to face the mountain of work ahead. The world now knew about us, and there was no going back. Whatever came next, we'd face it together.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of congratulatory messages, media and sponsorship inquiries, and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy in the midst of becoming hockey's hottest couple overnight.
Logan textedme:
LOGAN: Coco says she loves Cam but if he hurts you she'll help Zayne hide his body.
