Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Dane
Not only has Monica taken over the counter of my hotel bathroom with cosmetics and hair products, but she left a cloud of hair spray and stank it up with her perfume.
I just want her to leave me alone, but she talks nonstop. Last night, when I was texting Josie from my bed, Monica chattered about herself the entire time. She’s twenty-three, but it feels like I have a teenage girl attached to my hip.
“You know that plan I was telling you I came up with to turn around your image? I got it all written up and we can go over it on our next flight. It has nine actionable steps for you.”
I slide on my suit jacket and shake my head. “My image is fine. I’m going to catch the bus.”
Since the second I woke up this morning, I’ve been ready to get on the bus to the Seattle arena where we’re playing today. After several days of having Monica around, I look forward to any break I can get from her.
She picks up an obnoxiously large handbag and says, “Okay, I’m ready.”
I wasn’t waiting for her. Still, she follows me, her tall heels clopping on the tile of the room’s entryway.
“Your job is to play hockey. My job is to take care of your image for you. Some of these things aren’t that big, but we really need to get some distance between you and the incident with the fan that blew up on social media. I still can’t believe Josie let that happen. I mean, she’s--”
I give her a pointed look. “How many times do I have to tell you not to mention my girlfriend?”
Monica scoffs. “I’m here because of her incompetence. I can’t do my job if I’m not educating you on her mistakes.”
I step onto the elevator, my aggravation rising fast and hard. “I’m not interested in your education. If you have to follow me, fine. But do it silently.”
“Dane.” She gives me a hurt look just as my teammate Dalton pushes the elevator doors open so he can step on.
“Morning,” he says to us.
“Morning,” I grumble.
The ride to the main level is silent and awkward, Dalton motioning for Monica to step off first and giving me a look when her back is facing us. I scowl back.
“I need coffee,” Monica says brightly. “That coffee in our room was a joke.”
I see the bus parked outside and head toward it, walking past her.
“Dane!” she calls after me. “Can’t you at least come with me to get coffee?”
“I think you can handle it.” My tone is clipped with aggravation.
She closes the distance between us, her heels clacking on the floor once again. This time, she speaks to me in a low tone that only I can hear.
“We’re supposed to be a team. We can have disagreements, but we need to do that privately. In public, we need to be a united front.”
I huff out a single note of laughter. “I already have a team, and you’re not on it.”
I stalk off in the direction of the bus. Josie was right. Monica is un-fucking-bearable. It’s so obvious what she’s trying to do. From her skimpy pajamas to her pouty expressions, I know she wants to get closer to me than Josie is.
There’s no chance of that. At least half of my shitty mood is due to being apart from Josie. I miss her, but I’m proud of her for quitting her job and standing up to her aunt.
Thinking of her makes me take out my phone and send her a good morning text. She’s been busy the past few days, working on stuff to open her own business.
I feel a stab of irritation when she doesn’t respond immediately to my text. She’s become my person, and I’m not used to having to wait to talk to her. It’s irrational. I didn’t want to be tied down until I met her, and now I’m salty over not seeing her for a few days.
As soon as I sit down on the bus, my teammate Aaron flops into the seat next to me.
“Check this out. Amara drew all over herself with markers.” He holds up his phone and I see a photo of his young daughter wearing just a diaper, blue, red and purple marker scribbles covering her all over. Even her face has both cheeks and her chin covered.
“Oh, shit.” I laugh at the image and Aaron grins, as amused as I am.
“Elena said it took her forty minutes to scrub all of it off.”
“Damn. You’re gonna owe her a nice date night after this trip.”
He looks at the photo of his daughter again, his expression soft. “She’s a trip, man.”
Monica gets on the bus and scans faces, looking for me. I slump down in my seat, hoping to avoid her.
No such luck. She finds me and heads my way, giving Aaron an apologetic look. “Hey, can I steal that seat from you?”
“Don’t move,” I tell him in a low tone.
Monica gives me an aggravated look. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
She huffs out a sigh and walks toward the back of the bus. Aaron looks over at me, a brow arched in amusement. “Guess the new girl’s not working out so well?”
“It’s fucking ridiculous. I’m going to talk to Coach about it. She ruins my vibe.”
Aaron scoffs. “Surely you can figure it out.”
I shake my head. “There’s bad blood between her and Josie. She got a promotion that should’ve gone to Josie. For some reason, she hates Josie, and she’s trying to get her claws into me.”
Aaron lowers his brows, looking serious. “How can anyone hate Josie?”
“Beats me. Might be that Monica’s just immature. She’s only twenty-three.”
My phone buzzes with an incoming text and I take it out of my pocket.
Josie: Good morning! How’s it going with the hellbeast?
Dane: Sucks. And I miss you.
Josie: I miss you too.
Dane: You should fly here for the game tonight and stay with me after.
Josie: I wish I could, but I’m going to look at three office spaces today with the realtor and this evening I’m having drinks with a client of mine from JG that I’m trying to get to follow me to my business.
Dane: It’s not an attractive male client, is it?
Josie: No one compares to you.
Dane: That’s what I like to hear. What about tomorrow? Can you fly to Nashville for my game?
Josie: If I can get a late afternoon flight.
Dane: You’ve got my credit card to pay for it. I don’t care how much it costs, just get there.
Josie: Okay. I can’t wait to see you.
Dane. Same here, babe. I’ll work on getting Monica a separate room.
Josie: Or not. She can listen to us going at it, I don’t care.
Dane: She’s a boner killer. I’ll get rid of her for the night.
Josie: I have to take a shower. See you tomorrow night. xoxo
Dane: See you soon, gorgeous. Have a good day.