Page 9 of The Publicity Stunt

"I'm so sorry," she says and laughs, covering her mouth with her napkin. "I don't have time to watch sports, and I don't think I've ever watched a hockey game in my life. I grew up in a small town in Texas, and the only reason we had a football team was, well, because it was Texas."

He smiles, and she's surprised to see he has all his teeth. Nice teeth, too. The only thing she does know about the sport is how many players lose their chompers for the love of the game. "I'm from Texas, too. Where are you from?"

"Enderlin."

"I'm from Brunsville. It's, like, fifty miles south."

The man seems friendly enough, and she realizes he's already inhaled half his steak. Every bite of his matches at least three of hers. She doesn't feel so much like a pig now.

"Yeah, I've been there. It's much larger than Enderlin," she says.

"What year did you graduate?" he asks and shovels a forkful of potatoes into his mouth.

"I finished school on the road, but I would have graduated seven years ago if I'd stayed."

His eyes widen as he lowers his fork. "You're twenty-five?"

"Twenty-four. I was the youngest in my class. Let me guess... you thought I was younger?"

"Older, actually. Don't you write your own songs?"

"Every one of them."

He chews thoughtfully. "You seem to have more life experience than a twenty-four-year-old."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-one."

"You two have so much in common already," Nia says with a smile.

Narrowing her eyes, she looks over at her rep and lifts her water glass. "The only thing we have in common is that we come from Texas. The second largest state by population in the United States."

"No, I agree with Nia," Neo says. "You two would make the perfect couple."

Bri chokes on the water she attempted to drink. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I second that," Kace says and waves his steak knife in a circle over the table.

"Okay, so we had an idea," Nia says, "and we'd like you to hear us out before dismissing it."

Neo nods. "You two already made a splash when Kace went to the opening concert in Texas. People have claimed they overheard him talking about how attractive and talented you are. And how much of a bastard your ex is."

"The shit about her ex was Brett, not me," Kace clarifies. "I didn't know much about Erectile Dysfunction at the time."

A flush creeps up her neck, and she can't look at Kace. Not only is he handsome, but he finds her talented? Not just talented, but attractive, too.

"We all agree her ex is a bastard," Nia says.

"I made the mistake of listening to his most popular song. What did you see in this guy, anyway?" Kace asks. "Can't make a decent song to save his life, and he's obviously an idiot."

Her eyes flash up to his, and Nia holds out a hand to her. "Bri-"

"I didn't know you were a music expert," Bri says, ignoring Nia. "What label do you work for?"

How dare a man who glides around on skates for a living judge someone else's creative outlet? Sure, she didn't love Easton's music, either, but there's no way this Godzilla in front of her would have the guts to get on stage and sing songs he's written. To show the world such a personal side of himself.

"I'm not, but I know what sounds good and what doesn't. You sound good. Great, even. A dying donkey sounds good compared to that guy. Plus, he's so scrawny. I thought cowboys were supposed to have muscle from, you know, working on a farm."

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