Page 40 of Knot Your Rebel

“I’m getting you a job. They have an opening, I vouched for you, and so did Gunnar… and Tate, about giving you the chance to audition for it.”

I stop and peer intently at her. “Wait, I have to audit… Tate? Why is Tate trying to get me a job?” How does he know I don’t have one?”

She gives me a coy grin. “Gunnar may have gotten some confidential information out of me last night when he was charming me with his bedazzled dick.”

My eyes widened. “Seriously? A bedazzled dick?”

She grins widely. “From what I hear, several of the alphas on the team have their own shiny peens. You’ve seen Tate’s… tell me, does he have one, too?”

Before I can conceal my answer, she reads it plain as day across my face. “Oh, my god. He does. Your mate has a bedazzled peen.”

“Nova… keep your voice down,” I scold her, looking around to make sure no one is listening in on our not work appropriate conversation.

“Rebel… babe… chill out.” It escapes my notice that we’re on the third level by the time we are walking through the glass doors to the developmental office. “I bet it was one of those weird initiation things or maybe it was a bet? He didn’t divulge all the details… or maybe he did and I just wasn’t paying attention?”

“So, you were dick drunk?”

She giggles, not even having the slightest desire to look ashamed. “Something like that.”

The sound of her hand on the door is loud as she knocks. “Come in.” An older woman’s voice comes from inside the office.

“Ready?” Nova smiles at me, trying her best to boost my confidence.

I scoff. “Could’ve been more ready…”

“Oh, come on. You’ll do great.” The door creaks open as she pushes it inward, entering the office.

She stands briefly, proving good manners were drilled into her at some point. I know that all too well. “Good, Nova, please come in. Is this the friend I was speaking with you about yesterday?”

My eyes widen as I look at Nova. Seriously, girl, is the statement I’m trying to convey with a lift of my brows.

I enter the spacious office before me and plaster a fake smile to my face. Behind her wooden-top desk, the woman sits in a leather chair. She’s wearing a casual outfit of a blush blouse under a silk sage scarf, paired with a pair of dark wash blue jeans. I can’t see her shoes from where I’m standing, but I imagine they’re also the casual route.

“Come, come. Sit, please.” Her smile is pleasant. Her long ebony hair hangs in curls, shaping her face, and if I had to guess, she’s probably in her late thirties or early forties. Egg shell blue glasses with diamonds shade brown eyes lined with bits of gold flecks.

Her nails are painted in the same light pink blush color as her blouse, and it makes me wonder if her toenails are the same color.

“Yes, Ms. Peppertree, this is my roommate and best friend, Rebel Davis. She’s proficient in skating, knows some of the members already, and I think she’d make a great fit for the crew.”

My eyebrows squish together, and my eyes form what I can only imagine look like deep blue slits. This is so bizarre. What the hell is going on here?

The crew? Wait, doesn’t the crew only hire new ice help in the summers? Like… there’s a big audition and shit, no? My eyes ping pong between the two of them as they chat like I’m not in the room.

“Well, Rebel. It’s nice to meet you.” She stands, a hand outstretched to shake mine.

“You as well, but… isn’t it too late to be looking for ice crew members? If I recall correctly, auditions happen in the summertime before the pre-season games start, no?”

Her smile brightens. “So, you do know a little about the job. I was beginning to worry that Nova here was BS-ing me, saying you knew what we do.”

I chuckle. “I’ve been with this one for years. I’m used to her antics by now.” It’s true. My best friend may be the biggest weirdo I’ve ever met, but dammit, she’s my weirdo, and people can fight me if they disagree.

“Let’s have a look at you.” She gestures for me to stand up, and I spin on command like a puppet trying to get picked for the pageant. All those terrible beauty pageant competitions from when I was younger flood my mind, and I can’t manage to stop the cringe that slips out. Back when my parents still liked me. Back when we were still a family and not the misfit island of toys we’d been at the very end.

“You certainly are gorgeous. Now, if you can skate as well as Nova says, I’m sure you’ll be perfect. Those boys certainly like eye candy. It’s the whole look, but don’t touch, thing, I think. They always seem to want what they can’t have.”

I frown at her comment. “What do you mean by that?”

“On page four in the contract you’ll sign, there’s a no fraternization clause. Now, if something happens. Say you find your mate on the team, we obviously can’t stop fate like that, but we would ask you to keep your affairs… how do we say this… private? Will that be a problem?”

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