Page 126 of Puck with Karma
“Good God, that’s enough.”
A woman steps from behind all the hulky players. She is dressed to the nines and means business. I think I remember her from when me and Karlsberg got into another fight. She chewed my ass then.
“I can’t wait until you retire and go away,” she teases Van before heading straight for me. “Xander Hamilton.” She eyes me up and down. “I never imagined you’d become my PR problem, yet here we are.”
I lift an eyebrow in amusement.
“How am I your PR problem?”
“You’re here to sign your contract with the New York Sliders.” She says the name of the team with pride. It is obvious that she loves working here. “My name is Leyla King, and I come into play when damage control needs to be done. Don’t make me work overtime,” she warns.
“I don’t even know what that means,” I shrug in fake confusion.
“Dude,” Van pops next to me. “Make no mistake, Leyla will kick your ass and laugh about it. Don’t fuck up.”
“You dragged me all the way here to warn me about the PR person? I haven’t even signed on the dotted line.”
That would be because I only recently learned it was a done deal. There is no doubt I will sign, and they know it.
“The documents have already been sent to your agent and legal team. And you only have until midnight tonight to sign,” Leyla informs me in a dramatic fashion. “This is a preview to what it means to be a New York Slider.”
“That’s why you’re in this locker room. Your new home away from home,” Van adds in his goofy way. “You are here for your initiation.”
I look at all the faces staring at me, and stop when I reach Noah. He looks sad, like he is not part of the group, and he wants to be really bad.
“Go call Abby,” I bark at him before I change my mind. “Tell her to make it happen for you.”
He looks too close to tears for comfort.
“Go!”
He takes off in a run, never looking back.
“Hello,” Van taps me on the shoulder. “Are you paying attention?”
“Yeah, Van. What the fuck initiation?”
Leyla is now grinning, like she knows that what’s about to happen, I won’t like.
“Karaoke night,” Van announces. “Sliders style. We choose the song.”
He pauses for dramatic effect.
“You sing it.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Quite the challenge.”
“On Facebook live,” he continues. “It’ll be to declare your love for your woman.” He throws his thumb back toward his buddy. “Bran did it. He was our guinea pig. Now, it’s your turn.”
I look at Abby’s brother, and hate the obnoxious smile he’s sporting, even though it should be funny since he has no front teeth.
“Welcome to the Sliders.”
Chapter 36
Abby
My cell phone ringing makes me jump out of my skin. I look around the hotel suite, trying to locate it. Me and Xander have been staying here for the last ten days, and, despite it not being our place, it feels like home. I love living with Xander. That’s surprising considering how much I had been looking forward to my independence prior to me getting the job in Minnesota.
