8. Oakley
CHAPTER EIGHT
oakley
“Okay, girl. Fill. Me. In. You were spotted with Corbin Shearer?” Jennie Rae asks. “You realize the gossip magazines are having a field day, right?" She waves her hand, barely containing her excitement. “Have you seen this?”
I shift uncomfortably, trying to play it cool, even as my mind races, knowing he can’t stand the sight of me.
She taps her phone with her fingertips and hands it to me. There are pictures of Corbin and me walking into the hotel. A selfie we took at the wedding and a candid of us dancing. But in big bold letters, it says, “Swipe to see the most shocking photos.”
Oh fuck.
“How did they get these pictures from street cameras?” I ask, shaking my head in disbelief.
“Gossip mags gotta have gossip.” She chuckles. “He’s a famous hockey player. I’m sure they pay big money for shots of him.”
The first photo is of me by myself in Corbin’s F-150 and is time stamped 12:06 a.m. It’s titled:
Why is she in a hurry to leave Corbin Shearer?
We can only imagine.
The next image is me at the bus stop, leaving his vehicle with Dixie.
A bus? Really?
The last one is him walking out of the police station.
Nashville Notes Hockey Star's Shocking
First Date Heist: Car Stolen!
This last headline makes Corbin sound like he’s a victimized virgin.
Corbin Shearer met his date in a jail cell and after a heated discussion, refused to press charges against her. Alone again.
It's the kind of attention I never wanted, and I’m sure he’s furious as I scroll through the site, looking at the photos of him labeled. Alone. Alone.
“We’re going out tonight to celebrate your freedom,” Jennie Rae cackles, tossing her purple hair back.
“I don’t have the money.”
She taps her lips with her pointer finger. “Yet—you don’t have the money yet. I’ll pay, and you can pay me back when you get married and receive your trust fund.”
Handing her phone back, I give her a tight-lipped smile. “Well, that might be a while. Plus, I don’t want to be the third wheel. You and Landon are so in love.”
“Don’t be crazy. Landon loves hanging out with you. Some of his friends are coming too.”
The door chimes and in walks one of her regular customers, Shane. He’s in here every four weeks like clockwork for a fade with it a little longer on top. He rests in the chair, as Jennie Rae checks his hair growth. After she finishes, she asks him, “Hey, Shane! Oakley, Landon, and I are going out tonight. Do you want to come?”
“Sure, where?”
“There’s a new swanky cabaret place on Stark Ave. Meet at nine?” she asks.
Shane quickly replies even though she wasn’t asking him. “I’ll be there. I can’t stay long though. Work is sending me out of town tomorrow.” Before he leaves, he gives her a hug and says, “I’ll see you two tonight.”
Great, now he thinks this is a double date.
Nine is early to arrive at a bar, but Jennie Rae and Landon want to arrive in time so we can snag a table. We see a four top and a two-person table in the back, so we scoot them together. Landon has two friends coming, then Shane said he would be here.
There are objects from movies all around the bar and behind us is a replica of the leg lamp from the Christmas Story movie. I know now why it’s called Reel instead, I lose myself in his stare.
He shakes his head slightly. Glasses clink and people chatter in the background, snapping me back to reality. I’m vaguely aware of phones videoing our exchange, so I play the devil. “Corbin, real men protect women, not throw them in jail.”