Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
“Give you a ring?” Zoey questions. “Is that English?”
Ariella closes her eyes. “I think it’s British, I was watching The Crown yesterday.”
I chuckle at her and see her cheeks turning pink when the memory of her on the desk in the hotel comes back to my mind. “Okay, well, ring me up,” I joke, then look at Zoey. “Nice seeing you again. Next time you are at the game, let me know.”
“Will do.” She smiles at me. “The pleasure was all mine,” Zoey says before I turn and walk away from Ariella, not wanting to walk away from her at all. I take two steps out of the restaurant and dial her number; it rings three times before she picks it up.
“Hello?” she asks, her voice filled with confusion.
“Just wondering if you put in the right number,” I say, walking to my SUV. I’m not chancing that she put her number in my phone by accident and I have to go another two days without communication.
“I think I know my own phone number, Jaxon,” she jokes with me. “I’ll call you as soon as I drop off Zoey and it gives me the ETA to your place.”
“Do you want me to wait and go with you?” I ask her, sitting in my SUV, looking in the rearview mirror to see if she is going to come out of the restaurant anytime soon.
“I think I’ll be okay.” She laughs. “But I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Where are you staying?” I ask her.
“Why?” she quickly counters.
“I’m just wondering.”
Her voice goes low. “I came to see you unannounced; I’m not going to stand you up.”
“Fine,” I give in to her, starting the SUV, “I’ll see you in about an hour.”
“Sure.” She disconnects as I pull out of the restaurant parking lot.
Calling my father right away, he answers after the first ring. “You’re on speakerphone,” he warns me right away. “I’m with Nico and Becca.”
“Oh, good,” I say, thinking I’m going to hit two birds with one stone.
“How was the meeting?” my father asks.
“Good,” I reply. “I’m not going with him, but I can see how good he is.” I lie through my teeth.
“What? Why?” Becca asks right away.
“I don’t know, Aunt Becca,” I say right away. “I’m sure he’s good at what he does, but I don’t think we mesh well together.” Plus, he fucked Ariella and now every single time I see him I am going to want to throat punch him.
“Okay, valid,” she responds, “but you know Erika is done at the end of the month and you’ll be agentless.”
“Maybe my father can do it,” I quip, trying not to laugh. “He can be my dada ger.” Nico and my father both burst out laughing. “Is there anyone else you would recommend?”
“No,” she replies, “we are bringing Spencer in to take over the hockey side.” She sighs. “I still have a couple of clients I keep and, well.” She trails off before she says, “I’ll keep you on my roster.”
“Baby, you are supposed to be stepping back, for the last twenty years,” Nico reminds her.
“I have him, Ralph, and this dinosaur,” she states, pointing probably to my father. “It’s fine, as long as he doesn’t go and start fighting, or go off the deep end by getting arrested with a kilo of cocaine in his trunk. I think I will be fine.”
“Is there anyone else out there you think I would be good with?”
“Spencer is the best.”
“Is he really?” I say, making her laugh. “Maybe it’s just me, then.”
“It’s definitely you,” Nico jokes with me, “everyone else loves him.”
“Yeah,” I retort, stopping at the red light, “who?”
“That’s strictly confidential,” he says.
“Okay, well, I’ll let you guys go,” I tell the three of them.
“I’ll see if I can send you a list of names and we’ll get you someone,” Becca adds. “We are bringing in this new agent, but I don’t really know her. I’ve heard good things about her though. She’s going to be working with a couple of agents to get her feet wet. Why don’t we see how she is? Then if everything goes well, we can set up a meeting with her.”
“That sounds like a plan, thanks, Auntie Becca.” I disconnect as I arrive home.
Pulling my phone out, I text her.
Me: I just got home, so you can come over at any time.
I press send and see the three bubbles come up and wait in the SUV until she answers.
Ariella: Just dropped Zoey off. Should be there in twenty-seven minutes, depending on traffic.
Me: Sounds good. Are you hungry?
Ariella: I’m not eating until tomorrow morning.
I laugh as I get out of the SUV and head inside. Turning off the alarm, I walk to the kitchen where I take off the tan suede jacket and toss it on one of the stools before going to the fridge and nervously opening it, only to close it and then go into the living room. I sit on the couch, turning on the television and my leg starts to shake, so I get up and decide to open the windows and hear the ocean.