Page 20 of Fake-Off with Fate (Love in Maple Falls #1)
JAMIE
A heavy sense of dread hangs over the room as the town council meeting comes to an end. It’s clear everyone is anxious, and I feel compelled to speak up. “I know this is a troubling situation, but Maple Falls is tough, and everyone is so community-minded. I know we will prevail.”
Councilman Mitchell responds, “It’s all well and good for you to think that, but it’s not your town.”
Dale interjects, “It is our town, Councilman Mitchell. My guys are going to live here for several months while we train and get through the season. That gives us a significant stake in a happy outcome for Maple Falls.” He adds, “The last thing we need is having to find another arena at this late date.”
Mrs. Fishman bats her eyes at me and asks, “Are you going to be for sale, Jamie?”
“I … um … rather …” I don’t like the way she’s looking at me—like I’m the biggest and gooiest chocolate chip cookie she’s ever seen, and the bakery just announced I was the last one left.
Before I can answer her, Dale says, “All of my single players will be participating in the auction, Mrs. Fishman.” He glances at Ashlyn before adding, “Bidding will start at five thousand dollars. ”
Undeterred, Mrs. Fishman winks at me. “Good thing I invested in bitcoin back when it was only dollars.”
As everyone stands up to leave the meeting, there’s still a sense of unfinished business in the air.
Troy walks up to me and says, “I’m going to promote the heck out of this bachelor auction.
We should be able to get a lot of wealthy women and celebrities to come for the publicity alone.
We really can’t have the season upset by having to relocate everyone. ”
Even though the thought nauseates me, I tell him, “Sounds good.” Now that Ashlyn is pretending to be my girlfriend, I’m hoping she’ll bid on me. I’ll give her whatever amount of money she needs to make that happen.
“What about you, Dale? Are you going to get in on the action?” Troy asks.
My coach tips his head from side-to-side uncertainly. “I wouldn’t mind doing it, but I don’t want to be the only guy there to go for twenty bucks.”
Troy laughs. “If that’s all you get, then I’ll up the bid to forty.”
Dale rolls his eyes. “Thanks. That’ll do wonders for my ego.”
After saying goodbye to the council members, Ashlyn joins us. “I’m going to stay and draft an article for the newspaper. Is there anything you all would like me to add regarding the Ice Breakers?”
“Just make sure to mention how happy we are to be in Maple Falls,” Troy tells her. “And that we’re excited to do whatever is needed to save our town.”
Nodding her head, Ashlyn turns to me. “Do you want to stay and help, Jamie?”
“You bet he does!” This comes from Dale. “Our captain will be happy to lend assistance. Isn’t that right, Jamie?”
Ashlyn glances at me out of the corner of her eye so I nod my head to let her know I’m good with it.
After Troy and Dale leave, some guy wearing a sweater vest storms over to us. Beads of sweat dot his forehead like he just ran a mile. “I don’t know what you’re up to, Ashlyn, but I know something is going on here and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”
Ashlyn glares at him menacingly, before saying, “Bite the wall, Phillip.”
“Well, I never!” he responds.
“There’s a reason for that,” Ashlyn murmurs. Then she turns her back on him and asks me, “Should we sit down?”
“I’m going to stay, too,” Phillip says.
Touching Ashlyn’s arm to get her attention, I suggest, “Let’s go somewhere else. I’ll drive.”
“I’m going to call the mayor!” Phillip shouts. But neither Ashlyn nor I respond. We simply walk out of the room.
Once we’re in the hall outside, I ask her, “Who was that guy?”
“Phillip Bane, my father’s assistant,” she hisses.
“He’s pretty intense.”
“He wants to be mayor after my dad’s term is up and he’s afraid I’m going to be competition. As if I would ever want to be the mayor of Maple Falls.” She clearly finds that prospect distasteful.
As we exit the building, I point to my car parked by the curb. “Should we have lunch in town?”
Ashlyn shakes her head. “The council members are probably spreading the word as we speak. I don’t want to have to answer a bunch of questions until people read the newspaper article.”
“I have frozen meals at my place,” I tell her. “How does that sound?”
“Disgusting. Why don’t we get takeout from the Glass Olive? Their eggplant parmesan is the best I’ve ever had.”
I open the passenger door for Ashlyn. Once we’re both inside, we look up the menu for the restaurant. After calling in our order, I ask her, “How are you feeling?”
“Terrified,” she confesses. “I so badly want to call my dad for advice, but I know he’ll come running. ”
I reach out and give her forearm a brief squeeze of encouragement.
“Your dad couldn’t do anything that you’re not already doing.
” I itemize, “You located the boundaries of the disputed land, you’ve held an emergency meeting to let the town leaders know what’s going on, and you’ve put the ball in motion for a bachelor auction.
You’ve done a lot, Ashlyn. You’ve got this. ”
She looks over at me with gratitude. “I couldn’t have done it without your help. Thank you.”
I hate having her think I’m the good guy here, so I tell her, “Dale was already making me do the bachelor auction before you asked.”
Her eyebrows nearly hit her hairline in surprise. “So you’re not doing it so I’ll pretend to be your girlfriend?”
I shake my head slowly. “You don’t have to pretend to be my girlfriend anymore if you don’t want to.”
“Why did you confess this to me?”
“I … well …” Why does this woman make it so hard for me to think clearly?
I finally manage to tell her, “You’re an impressive woman, Ashlyn.
You’re trying to help your parents and your hometown, and you’re doing it all selflessly.
” I add, “I’d like to be your friend, and I don’t think friends should lie to each other. ”
“No one should lie,” she says. Then out of nowhere, she asks, “Are you still in love with your ex?”
I should tell her that I’m not. After all, how could I love someone who treated me so badly? But I can’t seem to utter those words. “We were together for three years. That’s a long time to care about someone.”
“But she left you,” Ashlyn says, like I need reminding.
“She did. But the truth is that I probably didn’t make as much time for us as I should have. It takes two to have a successful relationship.”
“So, you do love her? ”
Shrugging, I tell her, “Part of me will always love her. But that doesn’t mean I want her back.”
“Love is complicated, isn’t it?” Ashlyn asks. “I’m sorry you’re going through such a tough time.” She actually sounds sincere.
“Thank you. Now let’s go get our lunch so we can get back to my place and write this article.”
Once we have our food, and are on the way to my temporary home, Ashlyn asks, “How are you doing with the bears?”
“The mama and the baby are fine, but the papa hates my guts.”
She giggles. “You’re going to need to let him know you’re not a threat. The way you scream when you see him probably has him on edge.”
Turning into the driveway, I tell her, “I don’t scream.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I made a loud noise like I was told to.” Her smile is so endearing, I can’t help but relent. “Fine, I screamed. But you’ll have to agree, that is a loud noise.”
After putting the car in park, I turn off the ignition and pick up the bags of our food. “You ready to go?”
“Oh, I’m ready. The question is, are you?” She jumps out of the car like there’s no potential threat lurking.
I open the driver’s side door slowly before joining her. Looking around, I say, “It looks like the coast is clear.” Then I practically run up to the cabin.
Ashlyn takes her time.
“Hurry up,” I tell her nervously. Just because we don’t see the papa bear doesn’t mean he isn’t waiting behind a tree. Or, god forbid, hiding in the branches above, primed to drop down like some crazy ninja bear.
When Ashlyn finally joins me on the porch, she says, “You really aren’t suited for life in small town Washington, are you?”
“There’s not much I can do about it now,” I tell her. “I’m stuck here during the season, so I’m going to have to make the best of it.” That’s when I hear the papa bear announce his presence. Instinct takes over and before I can stop myself, I scream once again.
It’s a good thing nothing more than friendship can ever happen between me and Ashlyn, because at the rate I’m going, I probably don’t have a man-card left.