Page 24 of Matched with Her Athlete Boss
Meg smiles. “It may hurt my pride a bit, but any publicity is better than none at all. And seeing real life couples with potential matches gives people hope that it will work for them too.”
“Understandable.” I shift to put my ankle up on the other knee, trying to get comfortable in this very uncomfortable chair. “My agent, Dave, said you had a proposal for me. Is it different for me since I’ve never been enrolled in your program?”
With a small smile, Meg nods. “There will be at least eight daters who will be matched up. I’ll ask that you be willing to film promos and take a few pictures for our marketing efforts. But your teammate thought you’d be a for sure yes.”
I frown. “Let me guess. Carson?”
“Carson and Ruby are good friends of mine.”
Shaking my head, I say, “I don’t know if it would be a good business move to trust him.” I laugh, reinforcing the joke.
“He was very serious about the possibility of you helping us out.” Meg kept her smile locked on me for several moments before turning a few pages in front of her.
“Okay, so what is it you’re proposing? Is there a script we’ll have to follow or anything?” My stomach clenches as I’m nervous about whatever it is she’s going to say. I almost hope for lines because then I might not choke when the cameras are pointed toward me.
“No script. This will be true filming, awkward moments and all. I’d rather give the truth about what this process is like so others can relate.”
“I doubt many people will care about a hockey player in this town.”
With a small smile, Meg says, “Don’t underscore your worth or my research, Trey. You are one of the fastest rising hockey stars in the NHL right now. Your jersey has been sold more than any other Breeze member to date. Everyone I’ve reached out to has given you glowing praises. So, I think you’d be perfect to represent our company.”
Kenzie shifts, as if she’s ready to be out of the room.
“And Kenzie, from what you’ve shared in your form and what I was able to recover from your account, I think you’d be a great asset for this project. You’ve been through the matching process and can give a real-life example of trying again.” Meg's expression turns pleading and Kenzie squirms more.
Something tugs at me to comfort her in some way, but I’ve never been good at that kind of thing. My whole life has been all about, “Being tough, staying strong, and don’t let the emotions get to you.”
“What are the specifics of this? Is there a set number of dates and a time frame for it?” Kenzie asks. For someone who was so gung-ho to avoid dates two days ago, she’s giving this some serious thought.
“In a perfect world, I would love to have this work for you in a matter of weeks. If you’re up on a billboard talking about our company and then a month later you’re at a press conference saying you’ve found the person you want to spend your life with, I think that would be a pretty great investment.” Meg smiles and turns toward the walkie-talkie, as if she had dog-like hearing, because I haven’t heard a peep from the baby in the next room. “I think the goal is to have you go on at least four dates with people you’ve matched with and see where we stand from there.”
Could there really be a woman in the computer system that would be okay with my line of work and not just there for the limelight? Someone I could love completely and build a family with?
It’s worth a shot.
“Well, I’ll give you a tentative yes, pending the contracts,” I say. “And nothing can be done during training and games, should this last into the start of the hockey season.”
I turn to look at Kenzie, curious about her answer. She notices both sets of eyes staring at her and sighs. “I’m going to need some more time to think about it.”
“Understandable. Please let me know if there’s anything you need in the meantime.”
All three of us stand and walk toward the lobby.
“Oh, I forgot,” Meg says. “They’ve talked about a prize for couples who’ve found their match, but I’m not sure what that is. A private donor is funding that part, but it’s worth giving it your all if you decide to do go for it. Finding a significant other and a cash prize would be worth it, right?”
“If my luck could swing that way, it probably would,” Kenzie says dryly.
The monitor crackles and the baby starts crying. “Okay, team. I’ve got to run and get SJ, but it was so nice meeting both of you. I hope we get to know each other better over the next few weeks.” She smiles and then hurries back into her office.
I turn to study Kenzie’s expression and smile when I see she’s basically zoned out.
Waving a hand in front of her face, I say, “Anyone home?”
She swats it away and comes back to the present. “Stop. That’s exactly what my brothers do.” Without saying anything else, she stomps toward the door, and I almost feel the floor shaking in her wake.
Once we’re outside, I practically have to jog to keep up with her strides. The woman can move.
“What are you thinking?” I ask, trying to look her in the eyes.
