Goddamn Damon, that’s who.
“Jesus Christ!” I yell, slamming my hands against my thighs. “This is ridiculous!”
A woman beside me jolts. She stares at me, mouth agape, but I don’t care enough to apologize for my outburst. She takes it as an excuse to start venting about how she completely agrees with me, going on and on about how these flight carriers are only out to get our money. I make a good attempt at pretending to listen, and when my phone buzzes, I use that as a way to excuse myself.
Please be Damon, please be Damon…
Of course, it’s not Damon. Why the hell would it be? Instead, the nameWestley Harrisonis displayed on my screen.
He doesn’t usually call me, especially during holidays, and seeing his name yanks me back to the present. Fuck. What’s going on? I accept the call and press the phone tight to my ear, ducking away to the quietest spot I can find.
“Westley,” I say, my voice in a rush. “What’s going on?”
A deep, nervous laughter meets my ears. “Why do you sound panicked?”
“Because you never call me, and in my experience, unexpected calls from my clients are a cause for concern.”
Someone else laughs and I recognize it immediately. It’s Vaughn. That they’re together isn’t surprising, considering the two of them are attached at the hip. Frowning, I tighten the hold I have around my phone.
Vaughn must be closer now because his voice is clearer when he speaks up. “Ellis! We’ve got news.”
“Good or bad?” I ask.
Silence. I can practically see both of them glancing at each other, having a quiet conversation in that cute little language that they share. They do that a lot.
“Depends,” Vaughn says. “I think you might call it good news, though I think we’re about to send a shitload of work your way.”
“What do you mean…?”
“We’re together.” It’s Westley’s this time, and there’s a slight tremor in his voice. “We… uh, it kind of just happened. Um. But,yes. We’re dating, Vaughn and I… and since you’re our agent, we thought you should know before anyone else does. Professional hockey players on the same team dating—that’d probably be quite a buzz, yeah?”
What the?
“Sorry, Ellis,” Vaughn says. “This is probably out of the blue. Neither of us saw it coming, either.”
I almost let out a loud laugh but thankfully hold myself back. Instead my mouth curves into a smile. “Yes,” I say softly. “Not what I expected you to be calling about.” Never mind that everyone around them already knew they’ve been in love with each other for the better part of a decade. Everyone else figured it out before they did. “That’s good. I’m thrilled for you guys. Are you going to keep it on the down low, or did you want to release a statement, or…?”
“No, no!” Westley grunts. “We’re not going to be hiding it, and we’re going to tell the team. But… no statements. We wanted to tell you though, in case word got out, and we’re sure it’s going to be a huge thing.”
“Don’t even knowwhyit should be a huge thing,” Vaughn grumbles. “Why do we have to go through all this fuss just because we’re two men?”
“Yes, you’re right,” I say. “Either way… however you two decide to go about this, I’ll support you.”
“Thanks, Ellis,” Vaughn says. There’s a humming noise of agreement from Westley. “Knew we wouldn’t regret signing on with you.”
“Aw, thank you,” I say, chuckling.
We talk a bit more. I ask them to tell me how it happened, and Westley lets out an embarrassed sound. He’s always been the more docile of both of them. On the other hand, Vaughn’s way too cheery as he tells me all about it. It’s a fast-paced story involving a lot of tequila, their hometown, and a game of truth ordare. I can’t help but smile as I listen to him. Their story sounds like it came right out of a goddamn hallmark movie.
And despite not being as chatty as Vaughn, Westley interjects some details here and there. God, they sound so happy. And because I have no willpower, my thoughts stray to Damon. He’s going to be thrilled by this news. I just know it.
And maybe Vaughn’s a mind reader because he’s the one who brings Damon up. He says, “By the way, heard you and Damon got stuck together because of a snowstorm. Glad you two didn’t murder each other.”
I huff out a laugh. “Nah.”
Westley says, “Damon doesn’t hate Ellis.”
“I guess you could say that.” Vaughn makes a sound that I can’t decipher. My best description of it is an aborted scoff.
