Page 26 of Overtime Goal (Buffalo Warriors Hockey #4)

riley

The next morning, we were sitting down to breakfast when my phone rang. It was on the nightstand in the bedroom, and since it was my agent’s ringtone, I ran through the French doors and scooped it up just in time.

Instead of saying hello, he snapped at me. “I assume you got there okay.”

“Yes, Frank.” Since he hadn’t wasted time on pleasantries, neither did I. “And I assume this must be important if you’re bothering me on vacation.”

When he spoke again, he sounded friendlier. “It’s my job to look out for you. It’s four o’clock in the fucking morning here, so of course this is important.”

My mind was already on high alert because when Frank said he was looking out for me, it didn’t always feel like it. “What’s going on?”

“Only an excellent opportunity to up your reputation several notches, and it’ll even be easy.” He snickered. “Hell, you may have a lot of fun.”

I brushed my hair back, then did it again. Whatever this was, there was no reason to bother me with it here. “You know I’m always up for that, but couldn’t this have waited until I’m back in Buffalo? Put it on my calendar, and we’ll talk about it when I get home.”

“It can’t wait because it’s happening tonight. I put it on your calendar before I called, so take a look.”

“What the fuck?” I opened the calendar app and saw an entry for eight p.m.: Dinner with Natalie Langdon, Passi verso il mare . Natalie was one of the most famous supermodels in the world. “Is this a joke?”

“No joke, kid. She just finished a shoot in Positano, and she’s leaving for Fiji tomorrow. Apparently, she saw you on the beach, and she’s a big fan. Her agent called me an hour ago.”

“Natalie Langdon’s a fan of mine? Why do I find that hard to believe?”

“She’s a big enough fan to jump through hoops to meet you, and her agent wouldn’t have been up in the middle of the night if this wasn’t important to her.

He said the paparazzi won’t give her any peace, so you’ll get a lot of coverage out of this.

And…” He snickered again. “If you play your cards right, you might even get laid. That would be a fantasy to fuel your lonely night jackoff sessions for a long time, screwing the hottest model in the world.”

Hmm. Me fuck Natalie? Not a bad thought. But as soon as I’d considered that, my stomach clenched. Just because I could do something didn’t mean I should. Besides, what the hell did Frank know?

“I can’t meet her for dinner,” I said. “I already have plans.”

“Reschedule. You’re going to be there for a month, and she’s leaving tomorrow. Whether you get her into bed or not, it will be good for people to think maybe you did.”

“Frank, I can’t do it.”

He scoffed so hard I pulled the phone away from my ear.

“Listen to me, kid. This is an unprecedented opportunity to put you on the map in a big way. You don’t want to be ‘one of the talented young players’ forever.

You want to be a star, a player the Warriors will offer a ninety-million-dollar contract when you come up for renewal.

So, you will go out with Natalie tonight, and I’ll hear no more complaining.

I can’t be your agent if you don’t trust me enough to do as I say. ”

I looked outside where Logan was waiting for me. “I hear you,” I told Frank. “I’ll try to reschedule what I have for tonight, but no promises.”

His voice went cold. “You will go out with her, or you’ll be looking for another agent. This is an easy PR opportunity for you, and you will take it. In the morning, I’ll check social media for the photos. And hopefully, you’ll call me up telling me what it’s like to fuck a supermodel.”

Shit. Would he really quit if I didn’t see Natalie? And why did he have to keep talking about fucking her? My dick, the brainless troublemaker, told me to shut up and go along with the program, but this was one time I wouldn’t let it win. “Like I said, Frank, I’ll try.”

“I’ll tell her agent you’ll pick her up at the Hotel Il San Pietro at seven o’clock. It’s not far out of town, but you’ll need a car. Your dinner reservations are at eight, so you’ll have time to get acquainted and drive back to town for dinner. Good luck, kid.” The line went dead.

Fuck me. How the hell was I going to tell Logan without having him assume the worst?

He’d almost freaked out over Giorgia, and I hadn’t talked to her for more than five minutes.

The idea of me spending the evening with a beautiful woman might drive him over the edge.

I wanted to be with him, so whatever happened, I wouldn’t be fucking Natalie.

Hopefully, I could find the words to make him believe that.

I went to the French doors and called out, “That was my agent. Don’t wait. I need to use the bathroom, and I’ll be out soon.”

He turned to look at me. “All right. Everything okay?”

“I think so. I’ll tell you about it when I get back.”

Going into Logan’s bathroom right then seemed weird, so I went to my room and used the one there.

While I turned things over in my mind, I splashed cold water on my face.

Frank had felt so strongly about this that he gave me an ultimatum.

Was he right? I understood how being seen with Natalie could be a boost to my image, but I wasn’t sure Logan would get it.

Even if he did, he might not believe things would stop with dinner.

Fuck this. I pissed, then washed my hands and looked in the mirror again.

Logan was my best friend, and as a professional athlete, he should understand my situation.

He must have had to go on arranged dates when he was my age.

Since I was a young player trying to make my way, I’d be stupid not to follow my agent’s advice.

Frank was one of the best in the business, and I didn’t want him to drop me, something Logan should also understand.

Fuck, the longer I waited to tell him, the longer I’d dread it, so I headed for the terrace.

But I didn’t tell him.

When I walked outside, he cocked his head. “What’s going on, babe? You look stressed.”

I gazed into his eyes, brilliant in the morning light, and remembered how my dick had looked disappearing into his mouth an hour earlier.

I couldn’t forget the choked sounds he’d made when he shot his load down my throat a few minutes later, how his body thrashed so hard I grabbed his hips to hold him in place.

Shit, I can’t tell him about Natalie yet. There’s nothing to gain by spoiling the entire day.

“It’s Frank,” I said, reaching for my coffee. “He’s up to his usual bullshit. Okay if I tell you about it later? I’m hungry.”

“Sure.” He stared at me for a few seconds, then smiled. “I thought we could hang out here this morning and swim. What would you think about taking one of those walking tours of the town this afternoon? Maybe we could have dinner down there too.”

“Maybe. It sounds good.” I picked up my cornetto and bit off half in one go.

I’m a fucking idiot. Goddammit. I’ll tell him as soon as we get in the pool.

I didn’t tell him in the pool, or when we ate leftover steak and salad for lunch, or when he read and I flipped through Italian TV channels.

My heart had been slamming around in my chest all day, and I couldn’t concentrate on anything.

Instead, I kept glancing at the clock, dreading the moment I’d have to break the news.

Logan set his book down, and after checking his phone, he got up and stretched. “We should get cleaned up if we want to make that tour.”

Fuck! I couldn’t put it off any longer, and my stomach twisted as I cleared my throat. “For sure. But I have something I need to talk to you about first.”

Logan tilted his head. “What’s going on?”

I took a deep breath, but the knot in my stomach still didn’t budge. “It’s about when my agent called this morning. Natalie Langdon, the model, is here in Positano tonight, and he set up a dinner with her.”

Logan’s entire body stiffened. “And you said yes.”

“I didn’t have a choice, Logan.” My voice was weak, so I tried to sound more confident. “I told him no, but he gave me an ultimatum: ‘Dinner with Natalie, or find another agent.’”

Logan's jaw twitched, and he nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the floor. “Right. You said no because having dinner with a supermodel is such torture.”

“Come on.” I stood and walked toward him, but he took a step back. It felt like a punch in the gut. “It’s only PR,” I said. “You know how this shit works.”

“Yeah, I do. But I thought—” He gave a bitter laugh. “Never mind. You should definitely go. It’ll be perfect for your image, and that’s the most important thing.”

His sarcasm cut into me, but I kept my voice calm. “I don’t want to go. I’d rather stay with you and have dinner together.”

“Right.” He crossed his arms, and his voice was harder when he added, “I’m sure spending an evening with one of the world’s hottest women is the last thing you’d like to do. She is hot, right?”

“Logan—”

“No.” He held up a hand, his eyes on fire. “Don’t bullshit me. You were practically drooling over that woman at dinner the other night, and you looked like you were ready to jump Giorgia yesterday. Don’t pretend you’re sacrificing anything by going out with Natalie fucking Langdon.”

“You’re not listening to me.” I hated the pleading tone in my voice, but I didn’t want to fight with him. “It’s one dinner. Not a date.”

“It sure as hell is a date. Call it what it is.” He fixed me with an icy stare. “You’re going out with a woman, and it isn’t hard to imagine what will happen. I’ve known you too long to think otherwise.”

“Logan, stop.”

He let out a sharp breath. “Do whatever you want, but like we agreed the other day, don’t lie to me about it.”

“I’m not lying. I don’t want to go.”

“Then why are you?”

“I told you, my agent?—”

“Your agent gave you an ultimatum because he knows how much you’ll love this. He wants the paparazzi all over it, and he probably hopes you’ll start up something and keep hooking up with her when we get back home. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be the envy of every player in the league.”

“That’s unfair.” My voice had gotten louder. “You’re twisting everything I say.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Am I? Or are you pissed off because I’m calling you on your bullshit?

I haven’t even mentioned how you’ve known about this all fucking day.

Goddammit, you knew about it when we made plans this morning.

But I haven’t brought that up, and I won’t even say what that made you, but let’s just agree it doesn’t involve telling the truth. ”

“I couldn’t decide how to tell you, and I was trying to?—”

“You’ve been talking all day. All you had to do was speak up when we were making plans.”

“Like that would’ve made any difference in how you feel?”

“At least I wouldn’t feel played.”

He’s lashing out. I can’t argue because he’s right; I should have told him this morning.

My hands curled into fists at my sides. I was vibrating with a mix of frustration, sorrow, and guilt. Logan was hurting, and once again, it was my fault. I took a steadying breath. “Please don’t be like this. Don’t act like it means more than it does.”

A flicker of pain flashed across his eyes before he masked it again. “Right. It means nothing. My mistake. We’re just buddies, and this is none of my fucking business.”

The air in the room was thick enough to choke on, and I tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t involve yelling at him.

Before I could come up with anything, he turned and walked away. “I’m going to shower,” he called back. “I don’t want to miss the tour.”

“I’ll get ready too,” I said.

He stopped but didn’t turn to face me. “No. Stay here and get ready for your date. I’m sure it’ll take some time to make yourself presentable for Natalie.”

“Logan!”

“Don’t forget to shave down there. You’re getting a little bushy.”

“The fuck?”

“See you later. Probably tomorrow morning, right?”

He didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he stomped to his room, his footsteps heavy with anger and hurt.

I sank back onto the couch, and the crushing weight of regret pinned me in place. As nice as it would be to meet her, the last thing I wanted was to spend an evening with Natalie Langdon. I didn’t want to hurt Logan, and as I sat there alone, I wondered if I could ever fix the damage I’d done.

A few minutes later, he came back out. His hair was still damp from the shower, and he’d put on shorts and a polo shirt. He didn’t speak as he walked toward the door.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” I asked.

He stopped and turned, then pressed his lips together and shook his head. “Oh, I’m sure you will. Have fun tonight, Riley.”

With that, he was gone.