Page 131 of Mr. Charming

“No.” I shake my head, and she tilts hers.

“I told you that you couldn’t fight it, and I don’t have a lot of choice. I’m probably going to be fired if I don’t anyway.”

“Fuck, Tedi, I hate this.”

She picks up my plate, reaches over me to put it on the nightstand, and climbs into my lap. “Listen, the minute I went to your hotel room in Anaheim, I knew a decision had to be made with my job. When I was reading your journal, I saw how stupid I was for not going to Nashville. I was so hell-bent on being independent and not needing anyone that I just threw us to the wayside, expecting us to survive. There’s no reason I couldn’t have found another job. I’m a talented woman.”

I laugh, and she does too.

“And the same applies now. I found my love of working in the hockey industry because of you, doing your social media and all the Florida Fury players. So it was a natural progression for me to get to the national office, but I can find another job in a different market. You can’t. You have a few years left, maybe more if you keep working out like you are.”

I smirk, my hands falling to her hips.

“So, I’m going to follow you. That is, if you want me to.” She raises her eyebrows.

My hands glide up her body until they’re cradling her cheeks. “I don’t want you to have to make that sacrifice.”

“I’m not. You trump it all. I want this more than I want anything else. And I’m confident I’ll find my footing and the place I’m supposed to be. But I don’t want any of that if I don’t have you.”

“I’m prepared to retire,” I admit, and I am.

She laughs and shakes her head. “And I would never be able to live with myself. Plus, I’m invested now. I’d like nothing more than for Bud Caldron to eat his fucking words.”

Fuck, how did I ever get so lucky to get her?

“Are you sure?”

She inches forward on my lap, and even through my sweatpants, I feel the heat of her bare center. “I’m positive. Now, kiss me so I can go eat my mediocre bagel. And don’t take that as I don’t appreciate you getting it for me. You’ll understand when you have a New York bagel.”

I’m not an idiot, so I do what she says, and I seal our future with a kiss.

Sixty-Three

Tedi’s Journal Entry

Present day

Chicago

* * *

To my older self,

* * *

Well, we’re unemployed. I sure hope you’re reading this and saying it was the best decision we ever made. Although I’m not worried. Jobs will come and go, but Tweetie is our forever. Tell him hi from past me. LOL! Mr. Herington did offer to let me finish out the season, but I didn’t want all the politics and bullshit, so I declined. I’m ready for our new adventure anyway. I think maybe I’m ready to leave sports and venture into another area entirely. Maybe help small businesses. Who knows? Now we just have to figure out where Tweetie will land, but there’s still a lot of the season left. Tell him he better have won the Cup because I want to shove that trophy down Bud Caldron’s big mouth.

Sixty-Four

Tweetie’s Journal Entry

Present day

Chicago

* * *

To my teenage self,

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