Iris is Declan’s assistant-slash-bodyguard-slash-best friend. But I frown. “How is any of this helping me with what I’m trying to prove to Declan?”
“You’re here to learn about running a hockey organization, so Declan will hire you, right? I’d say you’re learning a ton of new, behind-the-scenes stuff.”
I snort. “How exactly does learning the lyrics to “I Gotta Feelin’” or how to skate on a rink with forty wiffle ballsbouncing around and not killing myself actually prove anything to Declan?”
“You’re learning about public relations, what fans respond to, ticket sales, what all has to go into a hockey game from start to finish.”
“I’m not doing any of that. That’s you, Nora, and Sutton.”
“Well, you’re definitely tuned into it because of Nora. But you aredoing it. Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean you’re not learning from it.” She sips then sets her cup down. “And look at all you’re learning about player relations.”
“Pulling Beckett and Lawson off of each other?” I chuckle. “Not sure I’m learning anything there except to keep them far apart.”
“I’m talking aboutyou.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re learning what all goes into keeping a player happy. Accommodations, communication, how important community relations are, practice facilities, coaching?—”
“We don’t have a coach.”
“Exactly.”
She laughs at the confused look on my face.
“You’ve only ever played for the Grays, and you were automatically the star and treated as such. People bent over backward to hold your hand and make you happy. Now you’re here and you’re seeing a different side to all of that.”
I definitely wasn’t automatically the star here.
“You think Declan will care about all of that?”
“If you can explain it to him. What you’ve learned. Why it’s important. How you can take this experience and use it for the Grays.”
I nod. “I think I can do that. This has definitely been…different.”
Astrid sips again. “Of course, you won’t have Nora there, making you a lot more tolerant and humble than you usually are.”
I narrow my eyes. “You don’t think I’m humble?”
She snorts.
I grin and sip my tea, deciding not to comment on Nora not being in Portland. Because that really makes Portland a lot less appealing suddenly, and Jesus, it’s only been a few days and we’re talking aboutPortland. My city. My goal.
“You’re really doing a great job selling this fake boyfriend thing too, by the way. Everyone’s completely buying it. It’s almost like it’s not fake at all,” my sister comments, in a tone that’s casual-and-totally-not-casual.
“Yeah, and you’re doing a great job letting the husband, who is only a convenience, influence pretty much every decision you make,” I say.
I sip.
She sips.
“We should talk about something else,” she says.
“Agreed.” My feelings for Nora are going to be way too apparent to my sister, and if I say them out loud, I’ll have to deal with what the fuck to do with them when this is all over.
“Have you talked to Mom and Dad lately?” she asks.
We discuss our family until it’s late enough for me to jog back to Perks and Rec and pretend I’d slipped out the front door for an early run right after Bruce unlocked it at five forty-five and went back to the kitchen.
