The Penalty Box (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #3)(13)

I ran a hand down my face. Charlie had never been on my radar as a potential date. We were about as opposite as they came. “I don’t know.”

“She’s already in the know about this situation. She understands what’s at stake. We wouldn’t have to involve anyone else in this. Plus, she knows a lot of the players and their wives, and she knows the culture. She could handle this.”

The thought of the two of us pretending to be in love was laughable, except I wasn’t laughing. “No one will buy this.”

“You’d be surprised.”

I shot out of my seat to move to the window. I tried to imagine pretending we were together. Charlie was cute with her wide brown eyes and messy curly hair, but she had always just been Krista’s PA. I wasn’t sure I could think of her as anything but that. “What would we tell people?”

She hummed. “You’d tell people you had an on-again, off-again relationship that you kept private and quiet because of her position here. And that you both realized you were in love.”

I snorted. “Yeah, okay.”

“People have secret relationships all the time.”

“She’d have to move in with me?”

“Charlie is respectful of people’s boundaries and space. I think out of anyone, she’d be the easiest to live with.”

“What about asking Mark if I could sit the year out?”

“That will never be on the table. Trust me on that.”

“What did Mark say when you told him I was engaged?”

“He seemed cautiously optimistic. Mica, I really think this is your best chance.”

I stared, unseeing, out the window. Did I have a choice? I wanted to keep my home and keep my team. This situation might blow up in our faces, but I needed to give it a shot. “Fine.”

Krista stood up and moved to stand beside me. “I need to know that you can do this. You need to sell this, Mica. Take the lead on this.”

I looked down at Krista. “How do you expect me to do that?”

She sighed. “Charlie, in the two years I’ve known her, has never had a relationship. I’m not even sure she’s had time to go on a date.”

That shocked me. I tried to imagine Charlie dating anyone, and I drew a blank. Still, how did anyone not date for two years? “Really?”

“You’re way more experienced than her. So, you’d have to be the one to step up and sell your relationship to the world.”

This whole situation was too bizarre. The idea of trying to be publicly romantic with Charlie felt wrong on so many levels. I had no idea how we’d make it work. “Got it.”

“And behind the scenes, I’m going to need you to take care of her.”

That statement alarmed me. “What does that mean?”

She pinned me with a look. “We’re asking her to give up her home, move into your place and deal with a lot of scrutiny from your corner of the world. Be respectful and mindful of how much that will cost her.”

“Is that your nice way of telling me not to be an asshole?”

“I’m suggesting you two try to figure out how to become friends. Otherwise, it will be a long year for both of you.”

I sighed, but didn’t answer. I didn’t need any more friends.

“You think you can pull it off?” she pressed.

“I can try.”

“Your future depends on it.”

I hated this plan so much. “Now what?”

“Now we talk to Charlie.”





Chapter 5





CHARLIE





I walked down the hall towards Krista’s office. I paused in the doorway when I saw Mica standing at the window with his back to me. My eyes traveled over the T-shirt that stretched over his broad shoulders. His tight butt looked fantastic in his jeans. Whatever the man wore, he looked good.

Had he told Krista about last night? I pulled my eyes off him to look at Krista. She had a serious expression on her face. If the big bastard had spilled my secrets, I would kill him.

“Come in, sweetie.” Krista motioned me further into the office.

I moved closer to give Krista her coffee.

“Have a seat,” she encouraged.

Tiny alarm bells tingled in my spine. I glared at Mica’s back before slowly lowering myself into the seat across from Krista. “What’s going on?”

Mica turned around, his arms folded across his chest. Our eyes met.

What did you tell her?

“Charlie, we’re having trouble finding someone for Mica to marry.”

Some tension in my body eased. This meeting was about Mica and his problems. “Okay.”

“It’s a logistical nightmare trying to find someone willing to play this part without getting wrapped up in this fake relationship.”

I thought about all the pretty smiling faces we had researched yesterday. Some of them were virtual strangers to Mica. Krista and I had already discussed that going from strangers to husband and wife would be Mica’s biggest challenge. “What can I do?”

“We are thinking of looking closer to home for Mica’s wife.”

She needed me to sort through his long history of puck bunnies and past dates. This conversation was about doing online research. “That makes sense.”