I tuck the jersey into the crook of my arm as I text the crew downstairs to prep a third mic.
“Oh, Zach and I had another idea. Let’s expand the ‘Date a Hockey Player’ to be part of a weekend extravaganza that will include an All Goalies game.”
“Oh, I love that!” I flip open my tablet and start taking notes.
Zach grins in response to my excitement. “We know it’s last-minute, but we can leave that part out of our announcements until we have an official event name.”
Ideas flash through my mind, causing my fingers to fly over the virtual keyboard on my screen as I take notes. I stop tapping when an idea hits. “What if we called it ‘Fire & Ice? Then we can add whatever events we want and make it a full-blown extravaganza.”
Rebecca snaps her fingers and points at me. “Yes! I love that.” She glances at Zach. “See? I had a feeling she’d be as excited as we are. Zach thought you might get overwhelmed making changes like this right before the announcements.”
I shake my head. “Not at all. Things move and change fast in PR. Either you adapt or get caught with your pants down.”
While Zach tries to hide his grin, Rebecca bursts out laughing. “I couldn’t have said it any better myself.”
Once we reach the staging area, I hand my tablet to one of the crew so I can pull on the jersey Rebecca had given me in the office.
A small gasp escapes my lips as I unfold it.
Rebecca gives me a semi-apologetic smile. “I wish I’d thought of this sooner, so we could have done something cute for your jersey like you did for Zach and me. But I figured this would work for now, and I don’t think he’ll mind.”
She smiles and shoots Zach a knowing glance as I slip the jersey over my shirt. The hem falls just above my knees, making me glad I wore leggings today. Otherwise, I’d look like a baggy mess. Tingles dance through my body.
I can’t believe I’m about to walk out on the ice, in front of a packed arena and every player on the team, with the name ‘Pierce’ branded across my shoulders.
Chapter Twenty-Four
WADE
I shift my weight from side to side, scanning the rest of the team as we stand in a circle at center ice. Spotlights dance all around us, except for the middle, where the Sun Kings logo—a blazing sun wearing a crown—remains dark. No idea what’s about to happen because all we were told was to stay at center ice until instructed otherwise.
This must be Bree’s design to make a proper show out of tonight’s events for the fans, and for us, apparently. If we were communicating like we used to, I’d know. But we haven’t talked since the evening she kissed me, despite my text asking her to call me so we could talk. She reassured me that everything was fine, adding a ‘really’ at the end of her reply with a promise to chat soon.
Yeah, nothing’s fine anymore. She’s avoiding me.
I get it. She’s embarrassed. I am, too, to be honest. Not because she kissed me, but because I should have just told her how I felt instead of backpedaling and letting her friend-zone us again. Now I’m worried that if we don’t talk about this soon, she’ll do something impulsive like run away like she did in Texas.
A sour taste fills my mouth. Probably a good thing that several states separate me from Langston. If he lived closer, I’d likely be suspended from the league for inappropriate behavior by now, or worse. I still can’t let that go. Not completely. What that asshat did to her…
The lights snap off, and the arena plunges into near darkness. I swear I can hear my own heartbeat over the crowd. The crescendoing notes of the song“Radioactive”fill the stadium until the bass kicks in, vibrating the place as if the ice has a pulse. Low lighting snaps on to reveal fog snaking across the rink, swirling with a life of its own.
The logo flickers and then…boom. Projected from above, flames burst out and dance around it, making center ice appear on fire. Gold and red blaze everywhere, bathing us in the onslaught as pyrotechnics explode from the nets on both ends of the rink, causing us to squint.
I raise a hand like I’m waving at the sun itself.
Totally radioactive.
The fans lose it.
Sudden bright lights illuminate the rink near the Zamboni door, where a red carpet covers the ice. Bree’s voice carries through the speakers, presenting Rebecca and Zach as they step into the spotlight.
And then Bree walks out. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome! I’m Bree Sutton, head of PR, and your Sun Kings have not one, not two, butthreesurprises lined up for you!”
Caught up in the hype, the crowd goes bonkers again.
With the biggest grin splitting her face, she pumps her fist in the air, daring them to get louder. And I’m totally enrapt. I’ve never witnessed her operating in her element, and she’s incredible. I can’t tear my eyes away as she makes a full circle, her full attention focused on the fans.
As her back comes into view, the shouts and cheers fade, leaving only the sound of my blood rushing through my ears.
