“I don’t even remember his last name now…” I tell her when I notice her phone is already in her hand, thumbs typing away.
“Found him! His name is Preston Lawrence. He’s a defenseman for the Warhawks. He could really use a cut and a shave, but he’s not bad looking from what little I can see of his face.” Turning her phone’s screen around, she shows me his photo.
“Eh. Christian said he doesn’t date, even if I could figure out a way to meet him.”
“Again, you’re not actually going to date the man, just pretend. And if Christian doesn’t like him, then Preston probably feels the same, right? Maybe he would be willing to play along. You know what they say: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“That guy looks scary, Audrey. Even Christian is terrified of him.”
“Scary? Really? That’s hot,” she whispers. “Let’s look at some videos of this guy in action.”
Once she finds a few videos, Audrey comes around so we can both watch on her phone.
Hit after hit, I can’t help but wince at the force with which the big, hairy man runs people into the boards.
“Jeez,” Audrey says. “This guy is a violent beast.”
“No wonder Christian is worried about surviving the finals. He may have to face that dude in seven games! Do you know how many times he’ll probably hit him?”
“A lot I’m guessing.”
“Yes. And you think I can just walk up to this guy and say, ‘Hey,you don’t know me, but could you pretend we slept together?’ I’m sure he’ll get right on board with that.”
“I mean, you don’t have to pretend if he’s willing...” Audrey teases with a grin.
“I’m not going to sleep with some random guy just because Christian broke my heart!”
Shaking her head, Audrey clicks her tongue. “I knew that pretty man was too good to be true.”
“He was. And I was stupid to think I could be enough for him. Have you seen me?”
“Yes, Elle, and you’re beautiful.”
“I’m twenty pounds overweight and have only been called cute by the guys I’ve gone out with before Christian. He told me he thought I was hot, and I stupidly believed him. He probably tells every woman that to sleep with her.”
“Ah, Elle, the man is gorgeous and rich. I don’t think he has to spew any lies to get women into his bed.”
“You know what I mean.”
“What I’m trying to say is that while Christian may be a manwhore, I don’t think he would’ve given you compliments that he didn’t mean. There was no reason to when women throw themselves at him.”
“I guess so,” I mutter. “I just—I thought I was special because Christian Riley wanted me. I know I shouldn’t put my worth on what one man thinks, but I did. He made me feel more confident because I thought that out of all the women who wanted him, he chose me.”
“And he did. You just weren’t the only chosen one.”
“Yeah. Bastard.”
“If you want to get back at him, show him that you’re not wasting a second crying over him and that you’re already moving on.”
“With his enemy? Right. That will be very believable.”
“Hey, all you need to say is that you and the caveman ran into each other and bonded over your shared hatred. Then, the next thing you knew, he was offering to make your toes curl to help you forget the jerk.”
“I wish forgetting Christian was that easy. Do you know how many incredible nights we had over five months? It’s not fair that he’s also good at sex as well as being pretty and one of the fastest guys on the ice.”
Audrey flops down into her chair with a sigh. “No, it’s not fair. He should share his knowledge with the rest of the male population.”
“He should. But no, he’s a selfish bastard who keeps all the good stuff to himself so that no other man can ever live up to him!”
