Chapter 15 Cole
Cole
“Nervous?” Cassie asks me.
“I got hit in the face last night with a puck going one hundred miles per hour. So, no, having a check-in meeting with my agent isn’t enough to make me nervous.” I fix my eyes on her expression, which is a little too casual. “How about you?”
We’re waiting by the elevators at the Legacy Sports office. It’s the type of corporate place I usually avoid like the plague when I’m able to. It’s all sleek and shiny, with huge glass windows that look out over the city gleaming in the winter sun.
“Nope.” She hits the elevator button and takes a sip of her iced coffee. “I mean, a bit. You might have noticed I’m sort of Type A, and I like to do things well.”
I snort. “Yeah, I noticed. Just a bit.”
Things have actually been going pretty well between us lately.
By which I mean I haven’t started any shit that she needs to hit damage control on.
In the other way, things aren’t going well. The way where I try (and fail) to ignore how the sight of her smile is basically enough to get me hard. The way where I can’t stop thinking about how her lips felt under my thumb that night on the hotel roof.
We’re both very fucking carefully not mentioning that.
We step into the elevator. In this enclosed space, I’m hit with her scent again…
that sweet, summery smell of orange-blossom.
I trace her reflection in the mirror wall of the elevator.
Her hair is up in that shiny brown ponytail.
Fuck, would it feel good wrapped around my fingers.
Her skirt is all professional and work-appropriate, but I can’t ignore how it clings to the perfect curve of her tight ass.
Today, she’s wearing lavender heels. It’s become my favorite guessing game. Also, my most pathetic. Wondering what brightly colored shoes she’ll show up in each day.
She’s beautiful. So beautiful it makes me stupid.
The doors slide open, thank god. I follow Cassie into the main office, a sea of desks and people in suits.
My phone buzzes, and I quickly check it.
NOAH
I’m having a recurring dream where I get called up, then play so badly that the NHL commissioner bans me from the league. And then I’m suddenly in my high school math class except I’m in my boxers and everyone is laughing at me. And then all my teeth fall out.
That’s normal. Right?
Oh god is it not normal???
I slip my phone back into my pocket, making a mental note to call Noah when I get home tonight.
I’ve been mentoring Noah for a while now—really, he’s more of a friend than a protégé at this point. The young star of the Nor’easters’ minor league team is one hell of a hockey player. But the kid’s got an anxious streak that I’m trying to help with.
Cassie nods her head. “Come on, let’s go find Rick.”
But as we’re passing by a desk, the guy behind it slides out in front of us on his swivel chair. His blond hair is gelled back, and he’s wearing a puffer vest.
He basically looks like all the sports execs I hate having to deal with.
“Well, well, well,” the guy says, smiling unpleasantly at Cassie. “Look who’s taking time away from babysitting to actually come into the office.”
“Hi, Spencer.”
Her tone is still sunny, but there’s a taut pull underneath it.
Spencer’s eyes travel over to me. He sticks out his hand. “Nice to meet you. Huge fan. You’re having a great season, Mr. Taylor.”
Suck up.
I take his offer of a handshake and grip his hand just enough to crush his fingers a bit, enjoying the grimace on his face. “Nice to meet you too.”
Cassie looks like she’s trying not to laugh as Spencer retrieves his hand, shaking it slightly.
“What are you working on, anyway?” she asks him.
“The Novotny account. We’re trying to negotiate the performance bonus structure in his entry-level deal, but the team rep isn’t having it. It’s a total bitch. I can’t even figure out how to get them to sign off on the numbers.”
I watch Cassie’s face as she thinks for a moment. “Who’s the contact?”
“Harper.”
“Harper’s a nice guy, he just distrusts agents,” Cassie says. “He likes to get some face-to-face time with the player. Bring the client on a call to make sure expectations line up, and he’ll move faster after that.”
Spencer looks suspicious. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I had to deal with him once for Rick, and we ended up having a long chat about his bad experiences with shady agents.”
My mouth twitches upward. Holy shit, Cassie really knows her stuff. And not just the dry facts of the situation. She has all the interpersonal relationship parts of the agent business on lock.
I guess I’m not the only one who opens up in the presence of her warmth.
“Why would you help me?” Spencer asks, folding his arms.
Cassie shrugs, as if she hadn’t ever considered not helping him. “I know we’re gunning for the same job, Spencer. But if I can ever help an athlete get a better deal, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Spencer looks annoyed for a second, then yields, scribbling a note of what she said.
“You two!” I look up to see Rick in his office doorway, waving us over. “Come on in.”
“Have fun in there, Kristy Thomas,” Spencer calls after us.
Cassie smiles back over her shoulder. “You know, if you make The Babysitter’s Club references to make fun of me,” she says, voice singsong, “that only tells me you know way too much about The Babysitter’s Club for a straight guy in his twenties.”
“My little sister watched it!” Spencer yells after her, red-faced.
Inside the office, Rick sits down behind the desk and waves for us both to take a seat. He pulls off his glasses and tosses them down on the desk. “So. Talk to me. I haven’t heard any complaints from the team’s front office, which is positive news. How’s the supervision assignment going?”
“Good,” Cassie answers. “Really good, actually.”
Rick exhales with a hard sigh of relief. “That’s what I like to hear. You think you can keep this up until the trade deadline is over? If the team is really pleased with Cole, we might even be looking at a good extension before he hits free agency.”
Cassie nods brightly and starts going over upcoming schedule details with Rick.
Maybe Cassie is certain we can keep this up until the trade deadline.
But another three months of being this close without touching her again?
That will take a miracle.