Page 21 of Ice Ice Maybe
Jing and I sprang from our seats, hugging each other as we jumped up and down, yelling in pure joy. Mitch had done it—he scored the winning goal for the Sea Lions. My crazy Zamboni kiss had worked.
As the excitement died down, I made my way over to Dad, hoping he was feeling better.
“We did it!” I said.
“Thanks to you,” he said, pulling me off the side. “I don’t know what you did, but it worked.”
I decided not to mention the kiss, although I had a funny feeling he was going to see a video soon, the source most likely being my mom.
“You’re welcome,” I said. “I’m always here for you, Dad.”
He nodded. “I’m glad to hear you say that because you’re going to have to take this show on the road.”
I blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”
He explained that the Sea Lions had a three-game road trip this week and that Nolan and I would join the team.
“Las Vegas, Nashville, and Tampa Bay,” he said. “I’ve already arranged for your tickets to the games, as well as the hotel room for each city. You’ll take the private jet, of course.”
I froze. “You mean hotelrooms, right? Plural?”
Dad’s expression tightened, a mix of resignation and determination crossing his face. “Look, I’m not thrilled about this either, but we need to be smart. You and Nolan will share a room.”
“Why exactly?” I asked.
“It’s the only way to sell this,” Dad said. “We can’t risk someone seeing you two sneaking in and out of separate rooms. The team’s staying at the same hotels, and hockey players gossip worse than your mother’s Bunco club.” He sighed, yanking ahand through his hair. “I’ve made sure the rooms have two queen beds, so it’s not like you have to, well,you know.”
The implications hung in the air between us.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said, his voice softening slightly. “This is our best shot at keeping up appearances and building the momentum we’ve started. I know it’s not ideal, but sometimes in business, like in hockey, you have to take risks to win the game. So, who’s going to break the news to Nolan? You or me?”
The question snapped me back to reality.
“I’ll do it,” I blurted, not wanting to imagine the awkwardness of my father having that conversation with him.
“Good,” Dad said with a grateful smile, then he turned to say goodbye to two of our VIP guests.
As the suite emptied and the excitement of the win faded, my stomach fluttered with a mix of anxiety and excitement. The thought of spending more time with Nolan sent a thrill through me I wasn’t entirely prepared for.
What would his response be when I told him the new plan? Would he be shocked? Uncomfortable? Or maybe interested? Knowing Nolan, he might laugh it off. And how would I handle sleeping in such close quarters with him, especially after that second mind-blowing kiss? It looked like I needed to do some shopping, because I wasn’t sure I had any pajamas that didn’t scream “I gave up on romance years ago.” That being said, why did I suddenly care what Nolan thought of my nighttime attire?
Chapter Seven
Nolan
I stepped out of the sleek black Mercedes Benz sedan that had been arranged by Mr. Dalton and gaped at the small private terminal before me. We definitely were not at the San Diego International Airport I was used to.
“Close your mouth, Zamboni boy. You’ll catch flies,” Zena teased.
I shot her a playful glare. “Sorry, some of us aren’t born with a silver jet in our mouth.”
“That makes no sense.” She rolled her eyes, but I caught the hint of a smile. “Come on, let’s get through security. It’s different from what you’re used to.”
We rolled our suitcases inside the sleek terminal, where a friendly security officer greeted us, checking our IDs with a smile. “Good morning, Miss Dalton.” He nodded at me. “Welcome, Mr. Reid. Please place your bags on the belt and step through the metal detector when you’re ready.”
The screening process was surprisingly quick and discreet—no lines, no chugging my water bottle at the last minute because it was one-eighth of an ounce over the limit, no awkward shoe removal dance. Within thirty seconds, we were through to the other side.
