Page 43 of Zero Pucks Given
“Fine, I’ll go on three more fake dates with the pussycat.”
Hearing the nickname again made me want to reject the deal, but I swallowed my pride and nodded at Bob. “Send me the contract and I’ll sign it.”
Bob practically sighed with relief. “All right. We’re in business. Thanks for working with us on this, you two.”
“I’m just in it for the cross-promotion,” I said.
But as I shared one final look with Grayson before leaving the locker room, I remembered what I knew the moment I walked into the Frost Bank Center.
I would have said yes no matter what.
22
Josie
Our next date was on a Friday night the week after signing the new contract. Unlike the first contract, I carefully read all of the details and found a lawyer online who reviewed the entire thing for a flat fee. They gave me two small items to negotiate, and then the whole thing was done.
Three more dates with Grayson.
They could occur any time within the next 120 days, with a minimum of 72 hours notice prior to the date.
In exchange, the Surge social media team would repost three of my videos—to be agreed upon by both parties—between now and the end of the calendar year.
But as the date arrived, it wasn’t the social media agreement that excited me.
The San Antonio River Walk was a vibrant, tree-lined network of cobblestone paths and bridges winding alongside a narrow river in the heart of the city. Lined with lively restaurants, colorful umbrellas, and mariachi music drifting through the air, it was easily the second-biggest attraction in town behind The Alamo.
Our date was scheduled at a Mexican restaurant overlooking theRiver Walk. The team sent a driver to pick me up, but this time I was alone on the drive. No photographer or hockey players.
Grayson was waiting outside the restaurant when I got out of the car. He was wearing a Spurs cap pulled down low over his face, but I recognized the broadness of his shoulders and the way he carried himself with the confidence of someone with immeasurable fame.
“Too good to ride with us?” I asked.
“I walked. It’s a beautiful night for it.”
“It really is.” I noticed something on his cheek, so I lifted his cap a little higher. “Holy shit. Your face.”
“Weird way to greet someone, but okay.”
“Let me guess. You’re going to say that I should see theotherguy?”
“Youshouldsee the other guy,” he said with a nod. “His name is Alexei Karnapov, the center for the Ottawa Senators. He may have given me a black eye, but I knocked out one of his teeth.”
It weirded me out howhotthat was. I had never been attracted to bullshit machismo attitudes, puffing out your chest and getting into fights, but it felt different when Grayson described it. More real compared to the caricatures I imagined in my head.
To cover it up, I rolled my eyes. “That was a good fight. I especially liked how you scored the minute you were released from the penalty box.”
Grayson narrowed his eyes at me. “I thought you didn’t watch hockey.”
Shit. I hadn’t meant to let that slip.
“It was on SportsCenter,” I said.
He looked skeptical, but didn’t call me out on it, for which I was grateful.
We were escorted to a table outside, right against the railing that overlooked the River Walk. As soon as we sat down, Grayson removed the hat and placed it on the table, then ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m surprised they don’t have that photographer guy here,” I said. “What’s the point if they’re not documenting the date?”
