I chuckle and nod. It’s not the first time I’ve heard that, and it probably won’t be the last. “Glad we can entertain you.”
She says nothing and brings me over to meet the director and the kids who will be in the shoot with me. They’re decked out in their hockey gear and head out onto the ice.
“So from what I’m told, I’m just teaching them how to play?” I ask the director.
He nods. “You got it.”
I sit down and tie my skates, looking up every time I think I hear someone coming, but it’s never Saige or Joran. I sigh. This is a problem. I figure I should get this commercial over with and go back to the hotel. Maybe I should pick up a girl tonight to channel these feelings that are consuming me. At this rate, Saige is gonna become a distraction, not a source to help my game.
I skate out to where the three kids are and fist-bump them all. I push the puck around with my stick and one kid tries to steal it and I laugh, following him. Instinctually, I give him some instructions on his footwork. The other two kids come over and I show them a drill to work on their back skating.
I swear it’s not more than twenty minutes when the director calls cut. I feel like we barely even got started.
“Whoa, you’re awesome,” Gia says when I get off the ice. “Really good with kids. Got any?”
I laugh. “No.”
The director has me do two more scenes with me skating through the rink and stopping quickly to hold up the sports drink. Then one more where all the kids are around a table with a pizza, drinking the same drink. I fist-bump the kids, tell them they did a good job, and head back to my locker room. There’s still no sign of Saige or Joran.
Gia opens up my locker room for me. “Change into the bag marked ‘wardrobe number two.’ There’s a robe in there to wear out if you prefer. I’ll be back in five.”
I open the bag and find a pair of boxer briefs and a robe for the locker room scene. Since I’m by myself, I take off what I’m wearing and use a Sharpie to sign the jersey, leaving it across the back of the chair.
I’m pulling on the boxer briefs when the door springs open. I turn to find Saige there and freeze. Her gaze roams down my body until it lands on my dick. She fixates there enough that it twitches as if to say if she keeps looking, I’m gonna be hard in five seconds flat.
“Saige?” I say.
Her eyes flick to mine. Her cheeks flush as though I just said the dirtiest words to her, which makes my dick think it’s definitely time for him to show himself in his full glory. I hurry and slide the boxer briefs all the way up before I embarrass myself further.
“I’m sorry.” She turns and slams the door.
I stand there trying to calm myself so I don’t go out to shoot the rest of this commercial with a fucking hard-on.
Chapter Twelve
Saige
I strip my arm out of Joran’s after he leads me into some supply closet. “What are you doing?”
“I thought we could have some fun while Aiden’s filming the commercial.” He leans toward me, and I put my hand on his chest.
“Did you miss the part where I have to snap some candid pictures for his social media?” I step back, but his hands land on my waist, tugging me closer to him.
“Do you really? Who cares? All the women want is to see him half naked.” He bends over to get to my neck, and I shove him off me. His back hits a metal rack and a bottle tumbles off the shelf to the floor.
“How about you try taking my profession seriously?”
He laughs and holds up his hands. “I do. I do.”
“Then why would you think I was here to make out with you in some disgusting closet rather than take pictures for Aiden?”
He looks at me long and hard. “What’s up with you two?”
I can’t help but get an uneasy feeling, so I shift my weight from one foot to the other. “Exactly what do you think?”
“Do you like him?” His eyes narrow the slightest amount.
“No.” I should’ve been crossing my fingers, but even if I did like him, there is no chance for Aiden and me. There’s no way I’d put myself in that position again.
“Come on. He’s a big shot hockey player, flying you all over, putting you up in hotels. I see his social media accounts… I assume it’s you he’s exploring cities with.”
I cross my arms. “Do I like him as a person? Yeah, he’s really nice. And oh yeah, he calls me more than you ever do. Speaking of… why are you here right now, Joran?”
“Because it’s a shoot that I arranged for him. A sponsorship.”
I roll my eyes. “Do you go to all your shoots with your clients?”
“The ones where the girl I’m seeing is there, yes.” He crosses his arms now.
“So a few dates, a few phone calls and texts, and now we’re dating?”
He steps toward me. “What would you call it?”
“I’d say that you asked me to your boss’s house on New Year’s Eve, followed up with a few lunches and a hockey game, and now you think I’m screwing your client, so here you are to make sure I’m not.” I jut out my hip.
“You’re wrong.”
I shake my head, ready for this to be over anyway. “Regardless, we should probably end this. Whatever this is. I’m too busy to be at your beck and call. Plus, I want a guy who would’ve picked me up at the hotel today to bring me here.”
“Why, when you could come with Drake? I wasn’t anywhere near the hotel.”
I huff and stare at him. “One day, some woman is going to twist your world up and you’re not going to know what to do about it, but I’m not that woman. So.” I pat his suit-ladened chest. “Have a great life.”
I open the storage closet and walk out, sucking in a deep breath. I feel as if a fifty-pound weight has been lifted off me as I walk down the hall to the ice rink. I end up off to the side and I snap a few pictures from far away as Aiden’s having pizza and drinks with the kids. He’s adorable the way he ruffles their hair and laughs at whatever they’re saying.
Gia comes by and says it’s time to go, but he takes the time to sign things for each of the kids before heading back to the locker room to change.
I feel good about dropping Joran. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s definitely not relationship material. The end of us was inevitable anyway.
Before heading to the locker room, I stop at the refreshment area and take a cookie, needing some sugar in my veins before I have to confront and deal with whatever this is developing between Aiden and me. We can’t do anything about these underlying feelings. I know men like Aiden, and he’s a prime candidate to hurt me. What is it that they say? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me? I learned my lesson with Jeremy, and I’m not a fan of repeating my mistakes.
I grab a Diet Coke and head back to the locker room. I’m hoping Joran doesn’t return to set anytime soon. If not, things will be awkward.
Maybe I’m too wrapped up in my mind with what just happened with Joran, but I open the door to Aiden’s locker room without knocking and all I see are naked body parts flashing before my eyes. Legs, thighs, hands, arms, stomach… oh shit, is that? I blink. And stare. Yep, it is. I’m staring directly at Aiden Drake’s dick and I’m not diverting my gaze. It’s like I can’t control my eyes.