Page 56 of Married As Puck
He leans back in his chair, watching me with an intensity that makes my skin tingle. “Play dress-up for me, Sparks. You know what I like.”
I roll my eyes, but the heat in his gaze makes me twirl anyway. The salesgirl hovers nearby, clearly trying not to squeal at the sight of Cameron Gray in her store. I’m hyperaware of the way people’s phones lift, the whispers following us, but Cameron doesn’t care. He’s grinning like he owns the place, like he owns me and I’m just realizing that I actually do not care.
By the time we leave, hand in hand, I know the media will eat it up. And sure enough, by lunch my phone is blowing up with notifications—photos of us laughing, him holding a dozen shopping bags, me leaning into him like a real couple.
Hockey Star’s Wife Charms in Designer Dresses.
Sports gossip headlines everywhere.
However the good mood from the weekend doesn’t last. Because at work, my arch nemesis made a pact with the gods of hell to frustrate my life.
We’re halfway through the presentation when Miranda’s voice slices through the air.
“Excuse me, Brie.” She leans forward with that polished smile that makes me want to throw something. “Are you sure those numbers are correct? Because…” she lets out a dainty laugh, “I’d hate for us to embarrass ourselves in front of the executives with miscalculated figures.”
My pen stills in my hand. I can feel the eyes of the room shift to me, waiting for a stumble. I look right at her and smile sweetly. “Yes, Miranda. I’m sure. Unlike some people, I check my work thoroughly.”
A low chuckle ripples around the table. Miranda’s smile flickers, then tightens again like she’s stapling it to her face.
“Oh, well,” she says airily, flipping her hair back. “I only ask because, you know, last quarter you—”
I cut her off before she can drag out one of her little anecdotes. “Last quarter you submitted a report with the decimal point in the wrong place. It took me half a day to fix your mess before it went out to clients. I didn’t mention it then, because I didn’t think embarrassing you in public was productive.”
Gasps echo softly across the table. One of the execs actually raises his eyebrows, biting back a grin.
Miranda’s face flushes pink. “That’s not what happened,” she snaps, voice tight.
I lean forward, still smiling. “Isn’t it? Should I pull up the file?”
Her mouth opens, then snaps shut. She darts a glance at the boss, then back at me, trying to recover.
“This is really unprofessional. You’re making it personal when all I care about is the company’s reputation.”
I don’t even blink. “And yet you’ve interrupted me three times today alone. If you truly cared about the company, Miranda, you’d let me finish so we could all get on with actual work.”
A few people murmur their agreement. The smugness drains from her face, replaced with something uglier—anger.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she hisses, though her voice carries enough for the table to hear. “Just because you’ve been given some tiny little project doesn’t mean you suddenly matter. You’ll crash and burn like you always do.”
That does it. I set my pen down, deliberately calm. “If I crash, at least I’ll be standing on my own two feet. Not clinging to other people’s work and passing it off as mine.”
The room goes dead silent. Miranda’s jaw works like she’s chewing glass.
And then Mrs. Randolph slams her folder shut. The sound makes everyone flinch.
“Enough.” Her voice is clipped, commanding, final. She looks right at Miranda. “Brie will handle this project, as assigned. You will not interfere. And you—” her eyes narrow, sharp as a blade, “need to learn some grace. Try acting like a lady in this office instead of a playground bully.”
Miranda’s face goes scarlet. She drops her gaze to the table, lips pressed so tight they’re almost white.
I resist the urge to grin, but I can’t stop the flicker of satisfaction that curls in my chest. Finally.
But the victory tastes sour that evening.
On my way out, I freeze by the glass doors of the lobby. There’s Miranda—pressed against Cameron’s teammate, the one they call Jack, their mouths locked together like they’re starving.
My stomach drops in surprise and dread and a lot of questions run through my head.
How the hell do they know each other? Does anyone else know about this?
