Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
I immediately stop swirling the wine, and when it settles, I take a big sip to bring the level down a little. “You know how I first met him?” I ask Aiden.
He shakes his head.
“He was banging some woman at his apartment and the damn headboard was knocking against the wall and I could hear her screaming. I went over to his place and gave him a piece of my mind.”
Aiden’s mouth falls open. “Seriously?”
“Yup,” I say with a giggle, and that’s totally the wine, as I’m not a giggler. “I called her Screaming Barbie and she didn’t like that at all.”
“Barbie, huh?”
“He had a type and I watched them come and go from his place. Let’s see…there was Screaming Barbie, and Ditzy Barbie, and Fashionista Barbie. Oh, and Carbie Barbie.”
Aiden lets out of bark of a laugh as he throws his head back and his wine sloshes over the edge of his glass. Luckily it just splashes on his pants and not his white recliner. “You’re making that up?”
“I am not,” I say indignantly, my head already swimming a tiny bit from drinking so fast. I take another long swallow. “But I guess his type has changed now, huh?”
“I’d say so,” Aiden says on a low chuckle. “What are you going to do?”
“Well, I’m going to continue getting drunk with you, since we already started, and I deserve it after this shit Reed’s put me through.”
“And tomorrow?”
“And tomorrow I’m going to go knock some sense into Reed. Or maybe I’ll tell him I slept with you and he’s absolutely right. That you’re the guy for me.”
“Thatta girl,” he praises me with a laugh, holding his wineglass up in a toast. “But I think you’ll get better results with just knocking sense into him.”
I raise mine in return salute and then I smile at him. “Thanks for being a good friend, Aiden. I know this can’t be exactly easy advising your ex-girlfriend on her current romantic troubles.”
“My pleasure, Josie,” he says and his smile drifts away. “And again…I’m sorry for hurting you. It was the last thing I wanted to do.”
“It’s all right,” I say, brushing off his apology.
“No, it’s not.”
“Actually,” I tell him with a sober look. “It’s all right, Aiden. Because I think I’m right where I’m supposed to be, and with the man I’m supposed to be with.”
He nods with a wistful smile. “Agreed. But if he hurts you further, I’m so going to kick his ass, and then I’m going to sweep you back off your feet again.”
I laugh at his jest, although I know there might be some slight truth to it. But the thought of Aiden and me together is implausible.
There’s only one person for me, and I just need to make sure Reed knows that I wouldn’t change a thing about him, nor could I ever want anything more than what he gives me.
Chapter 27
Reed
“And on this page here,” Stacy says as she points to a place on the document. I scribble my signature and she flips the page, pointing to one last place I need to sign. “And right here.”
I scrawl my name for what seems like the hundredth time and she flips the thick contract back into place. Looking to me with a bright smile she exclaims, “Congratulations, Reed. You are now the primary spokesperson for Fast Advantage Sports Shakes.”
I grin back at her. “Why, thank you very much, Miss Nichols. It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”
Stacy throws back her head and her blond curls bounce as she laughs at me. “We make a good team.”
That we do. Stacy Nichols has been my agent since I entered the NHL. She’s brokered some amazing deals for me and has made me a very rich man. She’s also made a shit pot of money off of me too.
“What time do I have to take you to the airport?” I ask her.
She stands up from my kitchen table and rotates her neck until I can hear the bones cracking. Stacy was a college and professional women’s basketball player before she turned sports agent. While she has an athletic build, she is also quite voluptuous and drop-dead gorgeous to boot. Her sex appeal, though, hasn’t seemed to have hindered her playing in a man’s world of sports entertainment. She represents a few other Cold Fury members as well, and we all love her for what she’s done for us professionally.
“We’ve got about another hour before we need to leave. I’m flying to Pittsburgh to sign Arturo Rodriguez.”
“You’re kidding me,” I say with surprise as I push up out of my chair. I walk to my refrigerator and pull out two beers, knowing that Stacy won’t say no to one.
“Incredible, right?” she says with a laugh. I hand her her beer and she twists the top off, setting the cap on the counter.