Page 96 of Double Pucked

Oh, shit.

This is going to be worse than bad.

Trina purses her lips together. Ryker stops pacing and sets his hands on the counter, like he’s going to rip it out from the floor.

“Well, I did a little digging about the guest. And want to know what I found out?”

No, just no.

“So this woman whowonthe tickets to hang out with Chase Weston and Ryker Samuels, and is nowsupposedlydating Weston?”

“Supposedly. That’s a fighting word,” Bryce says, clearly amused by his guest.

“So, on Friday night she goes to the game. The next night, she’s at the dog park with him. A couple days later, she’s hanging out with theotherguy at her bookstore and then the library, and then she goes to a wedding with Weston tonight? Something is sus. I mean, earlier in the week she was clearly posting pics on Samuels’ social feed?”

“Wait. Wait. I have to ask, how is she clearly posting pics?”

She sighs likec’mon. “He didn’t even have social beforehand, and then there’s a shot of him at her bookstore, along with team shots and so on? She’s got to be some kind of image consultant for Samuels, for sure,” she says, and I wince.

Way to hit the nail on the head, though of course Trina’s so much more.

“All right, so your conclusion is?” Bryce asks.

“She’s a prop. She’s an engineer. She’s a provocateur. Because she’s also a, wait for it, fake date.”

Trina’s breath comes sharply.

“No way is she his real GF. Guarantee it’s fake,” my former girlfriend says.

Trina swallows roughly, then drops her head in her hand. I rub her shoulder. Ryker lets go of his irritation long enough to smooth a hand over her back.

“And you’re sure because?” Bryce asks.

“Weston is a pro athlete. No way did he go from VIP night to suddenly saying she’s his girlfriend. The only logical answer is she’s posing as his girlfriend all while she’s managing Samuels’ surly rep. And together that tells me she’s some kind of puppeteer. Pulling all the strings. She’s up to something. If it looks like a stunt, talks like a stunt, and quacks like a stunt, it’s a stunt. She’s running some sort of great experiment too and I have a feeling what it is.”

“What is it?”

“Well, I have a little more intel,” she says, sounding like the cat who ate a box of canaries. “I spoke to her ex a week ago…”

Trina gasps, then presses her lips together even harder, as if she’s holding back tears. “Sweetness,” I say gently, trying to make her feel better during what’s sure to be the worst part.

Then, Jasper’s voice fills the room. “She was mocking hockey when she broke up with me. She hates the sport! Every time I watched a game she was insulting it. Now she’s spending all her time with pros? She’s up to something. She’s always up to something.”

“You ass,” Trina seethes, and I want to wring that guy’s neck all over again. He might have laid off her if Abby had called him yesterday, but this was a week ago.

“So this proves what?” Bryce asks.

I don’t have to see Abby to know she’s drawing a deeply satisfied breath as she says, “I’ll be waiting to see what her endgame is. Launching a PR company? Announcing her own podcast? Because this is how you do it. With something bold and public, and with two celeb studs at your disposal. I mean, they were useful to me. I dated both of them during my How Many Boyfriends stunt earlier this year.”

I hiss.

Ryker slams a fist against the counter.

Trina breathes fire.

“Oh, damn!” Bryce calls out with a cackle.

“Either way, girl, if you’re listening, let’s do something together! We can conquer the world. Find me and we’ll join forces.”

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