Page 92 of Hot Puck
Now, instead of sneaking in a tug session with my wife as inspiration making me feel guilty, I can do it with the knowledge that she’s probably—hopefully—doing the same.
Nat
I have never considered myself a coward. I would even go so far as saying I’m fearless.
But even I have to admit my belly has been yellow in recent weeks.
Six weeks to be exact.
Six weeks since I got the show of my life and saw Chase—my husband—in all his spectacularly naked glory.
And obviously my cowardliness has started to attract the attention of others because right now Oakley is in my office, a scowl on her face, hands on her hips.
Everything about her posture says she’s here to do battle.
Except in the minute she’s been in the room she hasn’t said a word. Not one. She’s just stared at me through narrowed eyes.
And I’m starting to squirm.
Again, not something I would have done before now.
“Are you here to just stare at me or are you working up to whatever it is you want to yell at me about?” I ask, the urge to stand strong, but I keep my seat.
She might be one of my closest friends, one of a few I can be vulnerable in front of, but I’m not ready to admit anything to anyone yet. I’m barely acknowledging my lack of spine to myself.
The only response I get is an arched eyebrow.
With a sigh, I lean back in my chair. “Come on. I don’t have all day to play charades or guess what or whatever the hell this is, Oakley.”
“Sorry I’m late! I had to pee!” Cami rushes through the door, her rounded belly barely noticeable to anyone who doesn’t know she’s pregnant. “Oh, I’m not the last one here!” She grins.
“Nope. That’s me.” Blake rounds out this little pow-wow I wasn’t warned about. Closing my door behind herself, she heads for my desk.
I watch as my three best friends—my business partners—line up, shoulder to shoulder on the other side of my desk. They’re a unit. It doesn’t escape me that normally I’d be standing right next to them.
“Okay. What’s going on?” I lean forward, press my forearms to my desk and eye each of them. “I’m unaware of a meeting…”
I let the words hang to see if any of them picks them up but all I get is varying degrees of emotion.
Oakley seems the most irritated. Blake is more disappointed, I think. And Cami? Well, she isn’t angry at all. If I had to guess I’d say she was happy with the situation. Whatever the hell that is.
“Out with it!” I tip my chin up, ready to take whatever they throw at me.
“You know what I’m going to say.” A flash of disappointment fills Oakley’s gaze before she goes on. “I don’t need to tell you what your role in this organization is.Youchose it.”
“General Manager. And yes, I chose it. And I’m doing it.” I indicate the papers spread out on my desk.
“No. You’re hiding behind paperwork to avoid a certain player.” My gaze darts to Cami. “You forget, I might not be here day to day, but I have insider knowledge neither of these two get.”
She grins. Actually grins!
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I try the ignorant route, it seems the best course of evasion at the moment.
“Ha!” Blake points a finger at me. “You may as well have said, yes, Cami, you are correct. I am avoiding a certain player.”
“How do you figure that?”
It’s Oakley who answers my question. “Because you didn’taskwhat she was talking about, you said you had no idea.”
