2. Sloan
Sloan
I let out a long sigh as I take my seat behind my desk. I don’t want to finish this marketing campaign. This client is a complete jerk and he doesn’t care about his company. He wants to micromanage everything I do and it’s grating on my nerves.
“Why do you look so annoyed, babe?” Jude drops into the chair on the other side of my desk and watches me.
We’ve been dating for almost six months. I met him at work and we hit it off almost immediately… before I knew he was my boss’ son.
“I just… I don’t like working with this client,” I sigh as I pull up the files for this project and scan the work I’ve already done.
“Do you want me to talk to my dad about it? I'm sure he could put someone else on it. The Bradfords are known to be a pain to work with. I'm not surprised they’re giving you trouble.”
“No, nothing like that.” I wave my hand through the air like I'm erasing this conversation. “I don’t want to bother your dad or be put on a different assignment. I'm just venting.”
“He wouldn’t care, Sloan. He likes you and you do great work. He always gushes about how he can give you any assignment and know it will be handled perfectly. You submit work on time and it’s always more amazing than everyone else.” He smiles sweetly at me.
“Which is why I don’t want you to say a word to him.” I narrow my eyes on him, trying to convey how much I want him to keep his mouth shut.
Jude has a history of trying to fix things that aren’t broken. He’s sweet in how he wants to make my life easier, but we can't all work for companies our fathers own and get special treatment.
I'm not saying Jude hasn’t worked to get to where he is today, because he has, but he gets to pick his assignments and he always picks the easiest ones. Life is just all around easier for him.
“Fine, babe. My lips are sealed.” He makes a motion like he’s zippering his lips shut and throwing away the key. I want to roll my eyes at him, but I end up chuckling at him. He’s adorable and he cares about me. How can I get annoyed with him?
“Thank you.”
“Oh! I wanted to know if you’re free on Friday night.”
“I think so. What did you want to do?” I glance up at him before turning my attention back to my screen.
“Well, I know sports aren’t really your thing, but my dad got some tickets to a Philadelphia Pythons game. He said we could have them. They’re amazing seats.”
“That’s… hockey, right?”
“Seriously?” He bursts out laughing. Though I'm not into sports, Jude loves them. “Yes, it’s hockey. They’re unstoppable so far this season. The seats are right at the glass. It will be so much fun. Are you in?”
“Sure. That sounds like fun.” I attempt to keep my voice happy and not sound bored. Nothing sounds worse than watching a bunch of grown men hitting a piece of plastic with a stick.
Actually, being cold while watching a bunch of grown men hitting a piece of plastic with a stick sounds much worse.
We settle into our seats and Jude hands me a hot chocolate. Though I'm opposed to the cold, I love hot chocolate and will take any excuse to drink it.
I wrap my hands around the warm cup and breathe in the delicious scent. There’s so much noise around us, but being right against the glass makes you feel like you’re not surrounded by thousands of fans.
“Isn't this exciting?” Jude is practically vibrating with excitement.
“Yeah, I can't wait to see the game.” I smile like I actually give a crap, but I don’t.
“Who’s your favorite player on the Pythons?” Jude stares excitedly as players start skating out onto the ice.
I frown at my boyfriend. Days ago, I asked if the Pythons were hockey. Why does he think I’d have a favorite player if I wasn’t sure we were even discussing hockey?
“Oh, I don’t know,” I murmur.
The men who take the ice are huge. Their uniforms cover the padding they’re wearing, making them look even bigger. I watch as some of them drop to their knees and begin doing weird things.
“Um… what are they doing?” My brows furrow as I watch them.
“They’re stretching.” Jude chuckles and shakes his head. “I guess it looks a little weird if you’ve never seen it before.”
“More than a little weird.” I grin, unable to tear my eyes away from them.
Jude chatters on and on about hockey. I tune him out and nod my head every once in a while. I don’t care about hockey or the players. I'm only here because Jude was so excited about coming. If I could get away with reading while the game was going on, I would do it.
One of the players draws my attention more than the others.
I don’t know what it is about him that makes him stand out more than the rest, but he does.
I can't see his face with the helmet on his head. With the way he’s positioned, I can't see the name on his back either. I just know there’s something familiar about him.
He climbs to his feet and skates in my direction. He goes directly to another player on his team and crashes into him. The man shoves him and he chuckles, wrapping him in a hug. Their relationship is interesting, almost like two brothers I used to know.
The referee blows the whistle and the men all take their places for the face off.
I keep my attention on the two men who were messing around with each other.
The way they work together is mesmerizing.
It’s like they’re one person in two bodies.
Like they’ve been working together since the day they were born.
They pass the puck back and forth, dodging players left and right. They move effortlessly; with a finesse you wouldn’t expect from a hockey player.
The man who took the puck in the faceoff zooms past me and spins away from an opponent. My attention snags on the name stitched into the back of his jersey and my eyes widen.
J. Robinson.
It can't be, can it? My brain whirls with the possibility. Sure, they played hockey in high school, but I didn’t think they were good enough to play professionally. I thought it was just a sport to occupy their time and use up their energy.
I'm lost in thought when a body slams into the glass in front of me. I jump back and shriek as I come face to face with the boy I never really got over… only he isn't a boy anymore. Cody Robinson is all man.
His eyes lock with mine and I see the second he realizes who I am. His mouth falls open and he goes to say something I'm sure I won't be able to hear, but then Jax nudges him and motions to someone on the ice.
Cody skates backwards, never taking his eyes off of me. The noise around me seems to fade as we stare at each other. It’s like we’re in our own bubble and nothing or no one can break it.
Another player nudges Cody and forces him to break eye contact with me. As soon as the connection is lost, the sounds around me begin to return. It’s like all of my senses return and I'm aware of where I am again.
“Wasn’t that awesome?” Jude turns my head to face him. Excitement is lighting up his features, making me frown.
“Yeah, so awesome,” I grumble under my breath, barely able to resist rolling my eyes.
“That was amazing. I should’ve warned you.
Sometimes the players get slammed into the wall and if you aren’t paying attention, it’s startling.
Jax and Cody are the best though. They’re my favorite players on the Pythons.
I can’t believe we were just that close to them!
” Jude drapes his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close.
He presses a kiss to my temple and chuckles.
I'm barely paying attention to him. I'm too busy staring at the boy I fell in love with years ago.