Slap Shot

by Rhonda Laurel

  “Oh.” She bit her lip.

  “I learned my lesson with her.”

  “And what was the lesson?”

  “I’m done with crazy actresses.” He grinned. “I think it’s time I broaden my horizons.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Just what the world needs. You casting a wider net on the unsuspecting female population.”

  “What I need,” he said, standing and moving closer to her, “is for you to accept the gifts. It would really mean a lot to me.”

  “I already told you why I can’t.”

  “What can I do to sweeten the deal?”

  Derek put his hands on her shoulders. She didn’t know if he was aware of it or not, but he was stroking her collarbone with his thumbs. How was she supposed to keep her self-righteous stance when he was pulling some kind of pied piper move on her? Because right now she felt like she’d follow him into oblivion. She moved out of his grasp.

  “I appreciate the gesture. Truly I do. But I’m trying to kick some bad habits and one of them is costly luxury items.”

  “OK. Let’s compromise. I’ll relent if you take this.” He handed her the small gift bag.

  “What is it?”

  “Open it and find out.”

  She reached into the bag and found a beautiful turquoise, soft-covered leather journal. “It’s lovely.”

  “Maybe you could jot down your thoughts or draw a turkey or something.” He shrugged.

  “OK.” She smiled. “I will accept this one gift.”

  “And.” He flashed her a big smile. “You have to attend my agent Luke’s party with me on Friday.”

  “You are unbelievable. I think you took too many hits on the ice.” She marched around her desk and plopped down in her chair.

  “Come to the party with me. I promise you’ll have a good time.”

  “Luke’s parties are star-studded events. I’m bound to run into people I would rather avoid.”

  “So what? I’ll be brave if you will.”

  “Am I going to get the hard sell until I agree to go with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Has anyone ever said no to you?”

  “Yes. My high school music teacher. She made a great case as to why she wouldn’t date me my senior year.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “I promise you’ll have a good time.”

  “We’re likely to be photographed.” She shook her head.

  “And?”

  “You’ll be flaring up rumors again.”

  “I don’t live my life according to the public’s perception of me. You should try it.”

  She knew he was baiting her, but it had been so long since she’d been out of the house. Her new modest budget didn’t allow for buying fancy clothes and partying. Not that she had many people left to party with these days. But she loved getting dressed up and dancing. She could normally put up a good defense to most men’s charms, but she softened when she was around Derek. That smile of his was the reason she’d stayed and had a working lunch with him after the bad scene with Phoebe.

  If they were seen in public together, the rumor mill was liable to fire back up. Paparazzi were sure to be near a party where a bunch of wealthy athletes were attending. But he didn’t seem bothered by it. So perhaps she should take a chance too.

  “OK. I’ll go with you.”

  “Great. What time would you like me to pick you up?”

  Oh no. If Derek picked her up, he’d discover where she lived. Moving in with her grandmother after returning the keys to Lamont’s condo was still a sore spot for her.

  “How about I meet you at the Slap Shot?”

  Derek gave her a strange look. “It’s no problem to pick you up at your place.”

  “I’ll already be in the city. I’ll just bring a change of clothes to work with me.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes. While you’re here, I’d like you to take a look at something.” She nervously moved the papers around on her desk looking for a catalog. “I found some really nice stemware that’s a little fancier than what you currently use at the Slap Shot. I think it will jazz the place up. That got me thinking about changing the silverware and china as well. These subtle changes will be the perfect complement to the new décor. I know it’s not what we discussed, but I got inspired.”

  “I’ve liked all of your ideas so far. Order whatever you want. I trust you.”

  “Also, I found some really nice table linens. Consider it a gift from me since I wrecked your birthday.”

  “Now it’s my turn to say you shouldn’t have.”

  “Jared already OK’d it and no one should have to spend their birthday arguing with Lamont. I’ve done it and it was terrible.”

  “It wasn’t a total loss. I got to put Brayer in his place.”

  “This is all becoming a lot more complicated than I expected, but I believe the end result could be fantastic. I don’t know how far you’re willing to go with this.”

  He looked at her. “All the way.”

  “OK then,” she said quietly.

  Charisma couldn’t help looking at the way Derek’s jeans clung to his ass and thighs for dear life as he walked out of her office and down the hallway. Her skin still tingled where he’d massaged her shoulders for a few moments. Images of Derek hot, sweaty, and naked flashed in her head. She walked over and turned down the thermostat to her office so she wouldn’t overheat.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Charisma fumbled with the earring for the third time, trying to get the trembling in her hands under control. What had she been thinking, accepting Derek’s invitation? Simple. She hadn’t been thinking. He’d charmed his way past her guard. And it was too late to back out now.

  They were bound to be the talk of the party, since news of their fake affair was still circulating. Derek didn’t seem to care. In fact, he’d called her twice to make sure she hadn’t changed her mind. She was bound to see some familiar faces tonight. The fake friends who loved to hang out with her when she was dating Lamont. Once she and Lamont broke up, she couldn’t find a single person who wanted to be within a hundred mile radius of her. A few of these “friends” even tried getting their hooks into Lamont, despite the information that came to light about their troubled relationship. And then there was Lamont. What if he showed up? He wasn’t a client of Luke’s, but that never stopped him from showing up somewhere he didn’t belong. From what she’d heard from the few people who would still gab with her, Lamont was hoping Luke would take him on as a client now that Seth had retired. Another thing to worry about.

  She put the earring down and took a deep breath. She needed to look polished tonight. Classy. Elegant. Dignified. Maybe she should focus on her hair and makeup. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to go for a straight or curly look. The four dresses on the bed weren’t screaming “wear me,” and she’d run out of her favorite lipstick and hadn’t realized it. She had less than an hour to make a miracle happen and get on the road to Philly to meet Derek at his bar.

  Frustrated, she went downstairs to get something to drink. She wouldn’t dare sip or eat after she finally decided on what she was wearing and got dressed. She also wanted to make sure her grandmother was settled for the evening before she left. Charisma found her in the living room exercising to her Granny’s Groove aerobics tape. Since she’d been living here, she’d seen another side of her grandmother. People in the family didn’t give her enough credit. She was still sharp as a whip and very active for someone of her age, keeping busy with her hobbies and caring for the great grandchildren in the family.

  Charisma leaned against the archway. “Grandma, I’ll be leaving soon. Do you need anything before I go?”

  “Where are you off to?”

  “I told you that Derek the hockey player invited me to a party.”

  “I didn’t think it was this week. He just asked you the other day.” She frowned. “You should never accept a date the same week a man asks you.”

  “I know, but he was out of town. He droppe
d by Jared’s firm earlier in the week with the invite.”

  “There are those obnoxious little cell phones everyone insists on using twenty-four hours a day. He could have called.” Grandma continued with her stretches.

  “I get the feeling this was an impulsive thing on his part.” Charisma glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the living room. “I have to meet him downtown in an hour.”

  “Wait a minute. He’s not coming to pick you up?”

  She shook her head. No way was she telling Derek she lived with her grandmother. “I thought it would be better to meet him at his restaurant because it’s closer to the event.”

  “You’re not going anywhere young lady. If he can’t pick you up at your house, he doesn’t deserve to go out with you.”

  “Grandma, that’s not fair!”

  Grandma cut off her exercise tape. “If you want to go out, call him and tell him to pick you up here or be prepared to crotchet with me on the couch tonight!”

  Feeling like a teenager, Charisma whipped out her phone and scrolled for Derek’s number. With any luck it would go straight to voicemail.

  He answered on the second ring. “Hello.”

  “Hello, Derek. It’s Charisma.”

  “Yes, I know.” He laughed. “You’re not backing out are you?”

  “N-no,” she stammered. Did he sound like he’d be disappointed? “I was thinking it would be better if you picked me up here at my grandma’s house.”

  There was a pause. She held her breath, waiting to hear laughter or some acerbic quip about why she lived with her grandmother. Looked like she’d be working on that blanket after all. Finally Derek broke the silence.

  “Of course. I apologize for that. I should have insisted on it when we talked the other day. I can be there within the hour unless you need more time.”

  “No, that’s fine.” Charisma looked at her grandma and widened her eyes. “I’ll be ready.”

  “And he will come to the door like a gentleman. This isn’t curbside pickup,” Grandma said as she walked past, headed for the kitchen.

  Derek overheard her and laughed. “Your grandmother’s right. What’s the address?”

  “I’ll text it to you.” Charisma disconnected the call, and her fingers flew over the virtual keyboard. She pressed send then went into kitchen. “Grandma, Derek will be here in an hour and he will be coming to the door to get me.”

  “Good.” Her grandmother poured a glass of lemonade then took Charisma by the arm and led her to the steps. “Now come on, you have an hour to look beautiful, not that you need it. But let’s get to it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m going to help you get ready. We can throw a few curls on that head of yours, and I have a diamond necklace your grandfather gave me for an anniversary that you can wear. It’s not that gaudy, eye-blinding junk you wore when you dated that idiot Lamont, but it’s elegant. Hopefully there’s something in your closet that covers all your bits or we’ll be forced to go into mine.”

  “OK.” Charisma gulped. “Or maybe I could call Dana or Melina and see if they have something I can wear.”

  “You ladies today don’t know the art of respectful sexiness. There’s a way to make a man’s mouth water without showing him the goods.”

  Charisma hugged her. “Thanks, Grandma.”

  “No thanks necessary. I’m determined to help you know your worth.”

  * * *

  Derek slid behind the wheel of his Aston Martin and punched the address she’d given him into the GPS. But first he’d make a pit stop. A quick call to his favorite florist and they were more than happy to put a flower arrangement together for him. Wanting to make a good impression, he knew he needed something great to get him out of the doghouse with Charisma’s grandmother. The bouquet looked great, but just to be sure he’d win her over, he visited the Belgium chocolatier next door and got the biggest box they sold. Her grandmother was right. He should have insisted that he pick her up at her home. The last thing he wanted was for the Reed family to think he had poor manners.

  He thought about his decision to ask her out while driving to her place. He was accustomed to being raked over the coals about his love life, but the media weren’t being as kind to her. They cast the events as if Derek the rascal was at it again, while Charisma, just barely surviving from her public drama with Lamont, was a professional gold digger who’d moved on to another sport to land another man. It didn’t matter that Derek had gone on record to refute the story.

  The GPS announced he’d arrived at his destination, so he parked in front of the house. It was a lovely, picturesque suburban home. He could imagine Charisma, Jared, and Morgan running around the yard when they were kids. Flower arrangement and chocolates in hand, he bounded up the stairs. He could see his reflection in a decorative ornament hanging on the door, so he ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his tie. He then rang the doorbell. He hadn’t been this nervous about a date in a long time.

  Charisma opened the door and she looked stunning.

  “Hi, Derek. Right on time.” Charisma gave him a nervous smile.

  He stood there for a moment, unable to speak. He’d seen her dressed to kill before, but she looked different tonight. She looked sexy in the understated plum-colored, spaghetti-strapped dress and pair of strappy heels. Her hair was pinned up with sparkly jeweled barrettes, and her makeup was more subtle than she normally wore it. Still at a loss for words, he held the flowers up like an idiot.

  A voice came from inside the house. “Is that your young man?”

  “I think so, but he hasn’t said a word yet,” Charisma responded.

  “Oh. Sorry.” He shook his head. “These are for your grandmother.” He handed her the bouquet and box of chocolates.

  Charisma smiled. “How beautiful. She’s going to love this.”

  “And this is for you.” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a single red rose.

  “Thank you.” She turned around. “Grandma, I’d like to you to meet Derek Popovich. Derek, this is my grandma.”

  He flashed his best smile at the elderly woman. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Reed. I can see where Charisma gets her looks. I hope you like Belgium chocolate.”

  “Oh, my.” She giggled as Charisma handed her the items. “I love good chocolate and good-looking men. Charisma, get Derek something to drink.” She turned back to Derek. “You can stay for a moment before you take my Charisma out?”

  “Yes. I’d like that.” The nervousness Derek felt began to fade away. He was determined that by the time he left, Grandma Reed was going to be his new best friend.

  Charisma balked at how quickly Grandma Reed’s stance on Derek changed once he came through the door with flowers, expensive candy, and flirty words. But she’d forgive the blatant attempt to butter her grandmother up because he looked so good in that black suit. It fit him like a glove. She could see the definition of his arms through the jacket, and the shirt hardly concealed the six-pack abs. Stylish, well-dressed, and dashing were all good words to describe Derek. But sexy and dangerous also came to mind.

  Despite the fact that she wanted to remain in the room and be nosey, she obeyed her grandmother’s request to get refreshments. Grandma didn’t mince words, so there was no telling what she would say to Derek before Charisma returned to the living room. She went into the kitchen and put the flowers in one of the nice vases from the cupboard and filled it with water. Satisfied with the arrangement, she retrieved the pitcher of lemonade, the most potent thing they had in the house, from the fridge. She put it on a silver serving tray with some glasses and marched back into the living room. Derek and her grandmother were sitting rather cozily on the couch chatting. Charisma poured everyone a glass of lemonade and took a seat in the armchair across from the couch. She always felt comfortable sitting in it. It had been her grandfather’s favorite chair.

  “So you’re the one responsible for turning my family into raging hockey fans?” Gr
andma said to Derek.

  “I’m the culprit.” He laughed. “Seth and I are good friends. I met your grandsons, Jared and Robert, through him, and we became friends too.”

  “You’re a friend of Seth’s? That’s a ringing endorsement if there ever was one. He’s wonderful and he loves my Morgan something terrible. He’s the only man on the planet that could convince her to have four kids.” Grandma went over to the mantle and retrieved the picture of Morgan and her family. “Don’t they make a fine family?”

  “Yes, they do. I’m teaching the boys how to play hockey. Connor has a real knack for it, but I think Seth’s discouraging it.” He grinned.

  “Seth wants to make sure one of his boys will carry on his legacy.” She patted his hand. “I’m sure some day you’ll be looking for your kids to follow in your footsteps.”

  Derek cleared his throat. “I’m too busy with hockey and my bar to think about things like that yet.”

  “I read your bio on your team’s sports Web site. You were born in Russia?”

  “Yes. My family moved from Moscow to the United States when I was three.”

  “I used to know a charming Russian man named Boris. He used to read me love poems by Alexander Pushkin. Muse was my favorite. You remind me of him. He was gorgeous. He had that black, luscious wavy hair and these intense eyes. One time—”

  “Grandma!” Charisma almost choked on her drink. “We have to go. We’re bound to hit traffic.”

  “Charisma’s right, Mrs. Reed. But I wish I didn’t have to. It’s been such a pleasure chatting with you.” Derek held out his hand and helped her up. “I promise she’s in good hands with me. I will have her home at a decent time.”

  “I appreciate that, Derek. My baby has been having an awful time lately, and I think she needs to take it easy, whether she wants to admit it or not.”

  What were they, sixteen? Charisma went over to the rocking chair and retrieved her wrap and purse. The end result of grandma’s makeover wasn’t one of her normal lavish get-ups, but she still felt good. All was well until the doorbell rang. From the chatter she could hear on the porch, it was her cousins Melina and Dana.