Page 47 of Hearts on Ice
“She wants to fire you?” Her voice rose, incredulous.
“She said they’re thinking about it.”
She touched his arm lightly. “I’m sorry, Deck.”
He waved a hand. “Not the end of the world. Just frustrating, you know? They brought you here knowing we had history, and now they want to, what? Judge us because we can’t forget that history?” He wished he felt as nonchalant as he sounded.
She frowned. “This isn’t about history. I thought we’d talked about that.”
“Sure, but what I’m saying is that they knew we had a connection and now they’re mad about it.”
“They’re just shocked. I’m sure they’ll come to their senses. They wouldn’t throw out years of your working together because our picture was on social media.”
“I wouldn’t think so but she sounded pretty upset at the idea of Josh and Lexi being aware of our relationship. I don’t think they’d be thinking of that anyway, but maybe.”
“I mean, who knows teenagers? I’m sorry, though.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
She nodded toward the phone in his hand. “I’m sure she’s not the only call you got.”
“Ah. No. Julia called and said the rink is overrun with reporters, so I thought I’d talk to you about what you think is best. And Mom called, Evan, Meghan, and a bunch of numbers I don’t know.” He looked at her. “You?”
“Dozens and dozens of calls. Including my mother.”
“Your mother.” He looked her in the eye. “Are you calling her back?”
She shifted her gaze away. “I mean, maybe? But not right now.”
“Should we go meet up with the reporters at the rink? Or just make ourselves scarce?”
“Like we planned to do before all this?”
He nodded.
“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. I feel bad leaving Julia to deal with all that on her own, but she already told them we weren’t coming by today, and I feel like if I go by, that’s just going to cause more problems. I mean, don’t you think? I’m not trying to get out of facing them, answering questions or whatever.”
“What would you say to them?”
He dragged his hand over his face. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
She cocked her hip and angled her head to look at him. “You should figure that out before you ride down there like a white knight.”
“How did you know what to say? Yesterday?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I have some experience talking to the press, so I know how to tell them stuff without really telling them anything, you know?”
“I mean, I guess.” He didn’t have that ability, and he wasn’t good at thinking on his feet. “So we stay away?”
“I say we take off and leave the phones behind.”
“Geez, wouldn’t that be tempting?”
But he didn’t know if he could dare leave his phone behind. Right now he wanted to throw it out the window as it buzzed again with another incoming call.
“Let’s go get your clothes. We’ll put the phones in the console on silent and try not to think about it, go somewhere out of town, for a hike or something.”
