Right?
Chapter Six
“ANYWAY, THANKSfor coming in,” Jess said, reaching out to shake Jackson’s hand. “It’ll be a good segment to run during the game coverage tomorrow.”
Jackson smiled back at her. “Sure, it was fun.” He elbowed Aubrey in the side, lowering his voice to a tease. “The guys’ll be jealous I got to watch part of the show in person.”
“Youwerepart of the show,” Aubrey pointed out, rolling his eyes. With the Kraken in town to play the Hawks, they’d taken the opportunity to have Jackson come in to pretape an interview with him and Nate.
Jackson turned a facetiously patient smile on him. “I was a prop to use in your ongoing banter war,” he corrected, “but that’s all right. I had a good time, and I think I even helped Donut take you down a peg or two.”
“Youtry fighting a battle on multiple fronts,” Aubrey faux grumbled.
Jess laughed and waved them off as she disappeared down the hall.
“But seriously,” Jackson said once she’d gone out of earshot, “is it always like that between the two of you? Because you give off enough sexual tension to power a small country.”
Aubrey twitched and automatically checked over his shoulder. Kelly had snagged Nate the second the interview was over, and Aubrey didn’t want him overhearing anything. “Shut up,” he hissed. Then: “How would that even work?”
Jackson opened his mouth to reply, but as they passed a conference room, a high-pitched giggle cut him off. He raised an eyebrow at Aubrey, who shrugged.
Together they peered into the conference room, where Nate was sitting—still in his suit—next to a dark-eyed toddler who had two hands over his mouth.
“I don’t believe it,” Nate said. He had one of the old-style interview mics they never used anymore and was using it as a prop, Aubrey guessed, to interview the kid. “Tell me really. What’s your mom’s favorite sport to watch on TV?”
“Pillow fights!” the kid exclaimed through his giggles.
“That’s not a sport!” Nate protested.
“Yes!” said the kid, nodding emphatically now. Apparently he didn’t like to be called a liar. “Her favorite is Shady Godiva.”
Shady Godiva. Aubrey watched Nate mouth the words and come to the obvious conclusion that the kid hadn’t made that up.
“I have obviously been watching the wrong sports all my life,” Jackson murmured.
Aubrey stepped on his foot. “Don’t be such a horndog.”
In truth, he was impressed he managed to say anything. His brain was still stuck on howcutethis was.
“What about you?” Nate finally asked, recovering from his shock. He didn’t seem to have noticed Aubrey and Jackson yet. “Do you have a favorite pillow fighter?”
More emphatic nodding. “Lynn Somnia.”
Jackson had his phone out. “I don’t know whether I should be recording this or googling ‘pillow fight league.’”
Actually, recording it probably wasn’t a terrible idea—they could save it for a show with an unexpected break… assuming they could get this kid’s parents to sign off on it. The problem, of course, was that in order for Aubrey to suggest that, he’d have to reveal himself to Nate, and….
Jackson looked up from his phone, glanced at Aubrey, and winced. “Dude. Literal heart eyes right now. Take it down a notch, you’re at work.”
“I can’thelp it,” Aubrey hissed furiously, very tempted to clutch his face.
“Lynn Somnia, of course,” Nate repeated, completely engrossed in this fictional interview. Aubrey wanted to die. “She sounds pretty great. Do you have any pillow-fighting tips?” He held the mic to the kid’s face.
Before the kid could respond, a voice from behind Aubrey made him jump about three feet in the air. “Oh, hey, Aubrey, have you seen Nate—”
Aubrey whirled around, his finger instinctively to his lips. Kelly was behind him, wearing a bemused expression.
“What?” she said quietly.
