Jake deserves this. He deserves to end his college career with such a major win. He played brilliantly tonight, and I know he’s going to be equally brilliant in Edmonton.
As the buzzer goes off, the rest of Jake’s teammates fly off the bench and swarm the ice, and it’s pandemonium. The boys are overjoyed. Even Pedersen looks genuinely happy. Not in a smug ‘we won na-na-na-na-na-na’ way. In this moment, I can tell Daryl Pedersen actually loves his players and this game. He might play it dirtier than most, but he loves it just like the rest of us.
My phone buzzes again. I finish hugging Jake’s parents and then reach to check it. I assume it’s from my dad, but it’s a voice-mail alert. Which tells me the previous buzzing was a phone call. And either I’m hallucinating or that actually says ESPN on the caller display. Probably a telemarketer with one of those speeches—“Is your cable provider giving you all that ESPN has to offer?”
But a telemarketer wouldn’t leave a message. Would they?
“Guys, excuse me for one sec.” I touch Lily’s arm and walk several feet away to check the message.
The moment the caller says her name, I almost faint.
“Brenna. Hi. It’s Georgia Barnes. Sorry to call you on a Saturday evening, but I’m working late to organize my new office. I wanted to touch base with you now, because starting Monday I’ll be absolutely swamped. I got your number from Mischa Yanikov, the stage manager at HockeyNet. But let’s keep that between us, because I don’t know if grabbing your number off your résumé and giving it to a competitor was all that kosher. But it’ll be our little secret.”
My heart starts beating faster. Why is Georgia Barnes calling me? And what does she mean she’s at her new office? At ESPN? Does she work there now?
Her next sentence solves that mystery.
“Anyway, the press release hasn’t gone out yet, but I’ve officially left HockeyNet. ESPN made me an offer and, let’s just say I’d be stupid not to accept it. They’re letting me hire my own assistant, and I’d love for you to come in and interview for the position. If you do get the job, I’m aware you’re still in college, so obviously in the fall we would need to discuss a schedule that suits you better. Maybe this could be a work placement or—I’m getting ahead of myself. For all I know, you interview terribly and that’s why Ed Mulder let you go. But I have a feeling that’s not the case.”
Her confident chuckle makes me smile.
“Anyway, give me a call when you get this.” She recites her number. “I’d love to schedule an interview. I think you’d be a good fit for this position. All right. Talk soon. Take care.”
The message ends and I stare at my phone in shock.
“Everything okay?” Hazel comes up beside me.
“It’s fine.” I shake my head a few times. “It’s all good.”
All good? No. It’s better than I could ever imagine. I have an interview at ESPN to work as Georgia Barnes’s assistant. And Jake just won the national championship. This is the greatest day of my life.
All I want to do now is get downstairs so that mine is the first face Jake sees when he exits the locker room. I’m officially his groupie. But that’s okay, because he’s my groupie. We root for each other. We’re good for each other. And I can’t wait to find out what the future holds for us.
* * *
The End
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The Play is coming October 7, 2019.
* * *
The Chase
The first standalone book in the Briar U series is now available! Enjoy this excerpt from The Chase…
* * *
Fitz
* * *
“Dance with me?”
I want to say no.
But I also want to say yes.
I call this the Summer Dilemma—the frustrating, polar reactions this green-eyed, golden-haired goddess sparks in me.
Fuck yes and hell no.
Get naked with her. Run far, far away from her.
“Thanks, but I don’t like to dance.” I’m not lying. Dancing’s the worst.
Besides, when it comes to Summer Di Laurentis, my flight instinct always wins out.
“You’re no fun, Fitzy.” She makes a tsking noise, drawing my gaze to her lips. Full, pink, and glossy, with a tiny mole above the left side of her mouth.
It’s an extremely hot mouth.
Hell, everything about Summer is hot. She’s hands down the best-looking girl in the bar, and every dude in