“What?”
“You know what you just did, right?”
“Yeah.I ignored him.”
“No,” she drawls out.“You issued a challenge.”She's smiling wickedly.
“I know you've been out of the dating game for a while, but I didn't issue a challenge—”
“You absolutely did.By not shutting him down, you essentially said you're open for business.”She shakes her head slowly.“He's going to take that and run with it.”
“Let him run.I'm sure I'm faster on land.”
Kinsey squeals, but I remain tight-lipped.It's not her fault that this is the most excitement she's seen in all her years being here.
“Oh.This is happening.”
“Nothing is happening,” I emphasize again.“He's my patient.Nothing can happen.”
“Nothing until you accidentally brush his dick while you’re working on him.”
I roll my eyes.“Please.I will remain professional.”
“Right.Because hockey players are famous for restraint and long-term decision-making.”
“I’m just taping his thigh, not trusting him with my future.”
She pulls out her phone, already typing.
“What are you doing?”I ask.
“I'm telling Wes.He's going to lose his mind.”
“Don't you dare—”
“Too late.Sent.”She grins at me, unrepentant.“He says, and I quote, 'Tell Ally that hockey players are emotionally stunted man-children, which...”She stops reading and frowns.
“Which?”
She drops her phone.“Sound about right for her.I'm sorry,” she says quickly.“That's a joke, but it didn't land.You know Wes.He's terrible with jokes.”
“That’s funny, considering his biggest emotional breakthrough was adjusting his foot two inches when he goes up to bat.”
She frowns, then sighs.“Okay, yeah.That one I’ll give you.He did call it a ‘breakthrough’ for like a month.But that still doesn't change the fact that Jay is clearly going to push those professional boundaries of yours.”
“Then I'll push back,” I say firmly.“I know what guys like him are like, and I'm not going to fall for the charm just because he suddenly decided I'm worth the effort.”
“Sounds like you've got it all figured out.”
“I do.”
Kinsey studies me for a moment, then shakes her head, muttering something inaudible.
When she turns back to her laptop, I lie down and stare at the ceiling.
I can be professional with Jay Cross.
I repeat the words in my head until I believe them.Or, at least, I hope I do, because I can’t seem to stop thinking about how Jay knew my name.
