Page 7 of What if It's Us

Her offer of my dick.

Because that’s what’s happening here.

Layken Ollenberg is offering the contents of my dick to Marlee Remington, the woman I’ve been crushing on for years.

Because that’s not embarrassing as hell.

Fuck my life.

“Just giving you something to think about.” Layken winks and then Griffin spins his wife in the opposite direction after heeding the look I try to give him without Marlee noticing.

“Wow that’s…” Marlee starts, looking a bit taken aback.

“Sorry about that.” I shake my head, more than a little perturbed with Layken. “You don’t have to say a word. She’s just messing around.”

“Right. Yeah.”

I spin us in the opposite direction and try to—at the very least—keep our conversation going so this doesn’t get awkward. “For what it’s worth though, I think it’s great that you want to be a mother. You’ll be a great mom.”

“Yeah. I don’t know. It was just an idea.” She shrugs her shoulder. “I mean, yeah, I want to be a mom. It’s just…I know it can be a lot. I’m still thinking about it.”

“Definitely a life-changing decision.” I nod. “I get it.”

“Yeah.”

We continue dancing through the rest of the song though admittedly now my mind is reeling. Hers must be too because an awkward silence falls between us.

I have to admit, offering to sperm it up for Marlee Remington wasn’t exactly on my life’s Bingo card, but if anyone is going to offer to help give her the baby she so badly wants, I’ll be devastated if it’s anyone but me.

CHAPTER TWO

MARLEE

“Eeek!” I throw my arms around Blakely Rivers, my very best friend. “I’m so excited that we’ll get to see more of each other!”

“Right?” She hugs me back, grinning from ear to ear. “I feel like I finally made it, you know? I’m going to be in the press room! No more community hockey games or Little League baseball. I’m covering the big leagues now.”

I give Blakely a high five before we both sit at a small iron table outside Harold’s Hotdog Diner. “Yeah, you are. And you’re going to be so damn good at it. And the guys are seriously so great. They’re going to love you.”

“Meh. It’s okay if they don’t.” She shrugs, smirking. “I’m not afraid to press them on their weaknesses and really dig into the meat of the game. I love the thrill of hockey and it’s been one of my dreams to have a job like this, but I’m not going to get all soft on them in the press room.” She lifts a finger. “Especially just because I’m a woman.”

I lean forward across the table, my brows arching. “The only female reporter in the room, might I add.”

“Damn straight.”

Smiling, I take a deep breath and release it as I lean back in my chair. “Seriously though Blakely. I’m so glad you’re going to be closer to me. I feel like I need you now more than ever.”

She cocks her head. “What do mean? You seem to be thriving here. Are you not loving Anaheim?”

Blakey Rivers and I met in our freshman year of college when we were paired together as roommates. She was studying sports journalism and I majored in sports management. Blakely was on scholarship at Portland University playing hockey for the Portland Storm and she was good at it.

The best, actually. Team Captain and all.

But playing forever wasn’t her passion.

She wanted to be a sports journalist and travel the world watching professional sports teams while learning the ins and outs of what made those teams tick.

More than that, though, she was my very best friend from day one on campus. As an only child to a single mom, life was lonely at times, but once I met Blakely all that changed.

---