Breakout (A Dallas Demons Hockey Romance) (8 page)

“Kenley, he
told
me that he wants to be friends. Why are you refusing to let this go?”

“Not all men make a move right away,” Kenley says knowingly as she circles another display. “Look at Nate. He liked me but was too afraid to act on it at first.”

“Niko isn’t Nate.”

“No, he’s not. But come on, Lexi.
He held your hands to warm them.
If that doesn’t scream I’m interested I don’t know what does.”

“He was simply being nice.”

“Would you listen to yourself? Nobody is that nice!”

On some points here Kenley is making sense. But yet I know what he told Jake about not dating where he works . . .

“Niko made it clear he doesn’t date where he works.”

Kenley stops and stares at me. “To you?”

I swallow. “Um, no, to a guy in my department.”

“Well, what did you expect him to say? He just started there, Lexi. Do you think a guy like Niko, who by all accounts is a classy, good guy, would say to some random coworker that he’s hot for you?”

As I consider her words, I see my situation with Niko in a new light.

Could Kenley be right?

Could Niko be interested after all?

Then I remember what I said to him only a few hours ago at brunch.

About me not dating coworkers.

“Oh no,” I gasp. “I’m going to be sick.”

Kenley’s face fills with concern. “What? What’s wrong?”

I draw a breath of air as nausea fills me. “I messed this up. I completely messed this up.”

“Lexi, how is that possible?”

I draw a breath of air, trying to get the knot in the pit of my stomach to go away. “I told Niko I don’t date where I work.”

“
What?
Why?”

“Because I thought that’s what he wanted to hear.”

Kenley wrinkles her nose. “Okay, not the best thing you could have said to him, but that still doesn’t make this impossible.”

“Of course it does!”

“Not when two people like each other. You can only fight an excuse for so long,” Kenley declares. Then she flashes me a knowing smile. “And if he hasn’t asked you out by Casino Night, he will as soon as he sees you there. Because you are going to look
hot
that evening.”

“Kenley, I—”

Kenley grabs me by the shoulders. “Enough of this. You’re going to continue to get to know Niko and spend time with him. If nothing happens, so be it, but right now my gut tells me something is going to happen. Now are you going to continue to waste time, or are you going to shop for a sexy dress for Casino Night?”

I see the belief in her eyes, and I allow belief to flicker in my heart once again, too.

Kenley might be right.

Maybe our attraction is both ways.

“Okay,” I say, nodding.

“Finally.” Kenley turns her attention back to the rack and whips out a long, platinum, sequined maxi skirt, one with a high slit up the side. “This would be so chic with a black halter top. I’m trying this on.”

I nod, thinking it would look sophisticated and sexy on Kenley.

“And this,” Kenley says, grabbing a sequined, champagne-colored shift dress off the rack, “would be perfect for Holly. I’ll take a picture of it and see if she wants me to pick it up for her.”

Holly is Nate’s sister, who is a senior at Northwestern. And she’s going to fly down to attend Casino Night, too.

“I’m going to check out the necklaces,” Kenley says. “But would you please stop worrying and go find something beautiful to try on? Casino Night might be lucky for you, and I’m not talking about blackjack.”

I stand rooted to the floor, watching as Kenley goes off to the necklace display and begins studying all the glitzy pieces beckoning her attention. But her words stay stuck in my head.

Could Casino Night be my lucky night?

I wander through the boutique, once again trying to sort out my conversation with Niko and what Kenley’s interpretation of my situation is in my head.

And then I see it.

My dress
.

I move to the display in the corner of the store. On a mannequin I spot a gorgeous black dress. It’s short with spaghetti straps. The bodice is all sequins, and flirty tiers of fringe cascade down to right above the knee.

I pick up the hanger, and the fringe sways sexily back and forth. Excitement fills me as I take the dress and find a mirror. I hold it up to my chest, watching as the layers sway against me, and I love the way it looks without even trying it on.

It’s everything I want to feel on Casino Night. Classy and fun and flirty. I want Niko to see those qualities in me when I walk in the room wearing this dress.

I want him to want me
.

I blush again. I’ve never felt this way before. Yes, I’ve had boyfriends in the past—way
, way in the past
—and of course I’ve had sex. But everything with Niko is different. There’s a maturity between us. We’re so on the same page in life—starting our careers, wanting to build our professional lives with TATS. We share the same dry sense of humor, the same obsession for random pop culture facts, the same passion for hockey. I love his sensitivity and the way he’s representing himself to others. He’s thoughtful and gentle, yet stands up for what he wants. And his looks and sexiness is simply the icing on the cake.

He’s a good man. The kind of man every woman should want in her life.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror, clutching this beautiful dress to my chest. I imagine walking into the event, and Niko seeing me from across the room. And maybe this moment will be what pushes us from coworkers to something more.

Determination fills me.

I want this good man to be
my
man.

And perhaps Casino Night will be the night that everything changes.

Chapter 12

The One Online Dating Service Profile Question:
How long will you wait for a guy to make the first move?

My write-in answer:
When it’s a guy like Niko, I’ll wait however long it takes . . .

I’m in such a good mood this morning it’s stupid.

It’s Monday, the week before Thanksgiving. And this year, I feel like I have so much to be grateful for. I swipe my ID badge against the employee entrance of TATS, and I feel so blessed to be walking through these doors, even if it is at the early morning hour of seven o’clock.

And today I’m editing my first
Demons Magazine
show.

I feel electricity shoot through me as I open the doors. I met with the producer, Mike Sullivan, last Friday. We went over the four segments of the show, how he wanted it laid out, and the music he wanted. My job is to take the video segments and polish it up to create the actual TV show.

I’m editing my first show
. The moment is so significant in my career. If I do it well, they’ll keep me around, and quite possibly create a position for me. Or at least enough work that I can pay my bills without dipping too much into my trust fund.

Of course, the other part of my feeling of gratitude is for Niko.

We stayed up late talking last night, and I know he said he doesn’t date coworkers, but like Kenley pointed out, I’m wondering if that is true.

Or if I’m changing his mind about that.

I move down the hallway toward my cubicle. Nobody is here yet, and I’m meeting with Kimberlee Shelton in an hour. Kimberlee is the new host of
Demons Magazine
. She was hired this past summer, and she wanted to meet with me to discuss how she wants to be edited for the show.

I frown for a moment. I’ve seen Kimberlee’s work so far this season, and I can’t say I’m a huge fan. Sometimes she fawns over the players and tries to sound hip, like answering the question for them because she knows them so well. And prior to getting this job? She was a contestant on a reality TV dating show. Not exactly stellar reporting credentials, but sadly, I know this is how TV can work. She’s gorgeous, has been on a top 10 TV show,
boom
, she lands an on-air gig.

I turn the corner. I instinctively glance at Niko’s office. And to my surprise, the light is on, and the door is open. My heart does a little dance, and I see that he’s working at his computer. I rap the frame of his doorway, and he turns around, his face lighting up when he sees that it’s me.

“Hey, just in time,” Niko says, getting up from his chair. I step inside his office, and he picks up a Starbucks red cup and hands it to me. “By the way, you need to tell me what your drink order will be after the holidays are over.”

My heart holds still. “After the holidays?”

“Yeah. Gingerbread won’t be around forever, you know.”

Now my heart is pounding. Yes, I know that could mean nothing, but the expression in his gorgeous blue eyes tells me he means more, even if he isn’t acting on it.

“Hmmm,” I say, taking the cup from his hand, “I’ll have to consider that one, Niko. Some answers only come with time.”

He studies me for a moment. “Yeah, I think you’re right about that.”

There’s this undercurrent between us, and it’s raw and electric and it’s all I can do keep myself from kissing him.

I clear my throat. “So why are you here so early?”

Niko rubs his hand over his face, his fingertips slowly grazing across his stubble. “I woke up early and couldn’t get back to bed. So I hit the gym and then came over here to catch up on my music cue sheets from the road.”

I nod, knowing the sheets are logs of all the music used in a show and legally have to be done to compensate composers and publishers.

“What workout did you do?” I ask, taking a sip of my latte.

“Boxing. I like to work the bag, spar, jump rope. Other days I lift.”

Okay, the image of Niko boxing and punching is way too hot for me to handle at this time of the morning.

Right. I can’t handle this image at any time.

“Oh,” I say, trying not to think of what his abs and biceps would look like if he were to take off the navy V-neck sweater he’s wearing.

“Do you like to work out, Lexi?” Niko asks, sitting back down at his desk.

“I love yoga,” I say. “And barre work. I go to a studio that has those classes, and some dance, so I usually do all three. Then weights at the gym.”

“Well rounded,” he says, grinning at me.

He reaches for his coffee, and once again that tattoo peeks out from underneath the sleeve of his sweater, teasing me.

“What does your tattoo say?” I ask, curious.

Niko takes a sip of his coffee and places the cup back on his desk. He pushes up his sleeve further to reveal all of it, and heat surges through me when I see the beautiful Greek letters tattooed across his gorgeous olive skin.

“
Γνώθι Σαυτόν
,” he says softly. “Know thyself. I never want to be anything I’m not so this is my reminder to live my life my way.”

I connect the meaning to his past, his fight to be his own person despite what his family wanted him to be, and how he stayed true to his dreams in spite of it.

“It’s you,” I say. “I love the meaning behind it.”

“Thank you,” Niko says, and much to my disappointment, he tugs his sleeve back down again. “So today’s your big show edit. Nervous?”

“No,” I say honestly. “I know I can do this.”

Niko flashes me a bright smile. “I love your confidence.” His eyes sparkle. “However, I’ve seen the previous shows so you have every right to think you can do them better. I doubt you’ll misspell a Russian player’s name in graphic, which I saw last week.”

I cringe, and Niko laughs.

“How did that even happen?” I ask, incredulous that kind of mistake made it on air.

“Welcome to TV,” Niko quips.

“Well, not on my watch,” I say firmly.

“You have two things in your favor,” Niko says. “First, you care. Second, you love hockey. That wouldn’t get past you.”

“You’re forgetting one more thing.”

Niko raises his eyebrow. “That you can spell?”

I laugh. “No.”

He flashes me that grin, the one that reveals his dimple, and,
oh shit
, it’s hard to keep my pulse under control when he does that.

“Okay, so the third element is not spelling or the ability to check it.”

“Third,” I say, pausing to take a sip of my coffee, “I take pride in my work. I’m a professional, and I care that it’s right. And how I perform reflects on both you and Ryan. I would never let either of you down.”

Niko’s expression grows serious. “I don’t think you ever could do that, Lexi. In any way.”

I feel my breath catch in my throat. I love the way he’s staring at me with such complete faith in his eyes. Kenley’s advice flashes through my head, and I know we’re more than coworkers here. I know it.

Niko clears his throat. “So I can’t do lunch today because it’s game day.”

“New York,” I say.

“Right. But if you are game tomorrow, we could have lunch. Depending on your schedule.”

Happiness fills me. “I’m editing a high school basketball show, but I think I can tear myself away for a few minutes to eat.”

And I’d work late for hours on end if it meant spending time with you
.

“Perfect,” Niko says. “So lunch it is.”

I smile. “Well, I’ll let you get back to those music cue sheets,” I say, nodding in the direction of the computer screen.

Niko groans. “A necessary pain in the ass.”

I laugh. “And thank you for the latte.”

“Don’t forget to pick your new flavor,” Niko teases.

“I won’t,” I say, walking out the door.

I grin as I head toward my cubicle. More than ever I believe Kenley’s words. There
is
something more than friendship between us. The hurdle of not dating a coworker can be cleared, I know it. It might take time for Niko to see that, but I’m more than willing to wait.

So I’m editing my first show today, I’m having lunch with Niko tomorrow, and I can’t help but think my life is more than perfect right now.

This is hell
.

I glance over at Kimberlee, who is running her fingers through her platinum-blond locks, ones that she has told me no less than five times she just had a Keratin blow out done to make it extra gorgeous. Oh, which is why she was two hours late for our meeting this morning—she was able to “squeeze” in this appointment, and she knew it was a priority over our session because she’s on-air
talent.

“Make sure you keep the close up shots of me,” Kimberlee says, taking a sip of her Starbucks drink. “And if you need help understanding what to do, I have a DVD of how I like to be edited. You know, from my days on
Rate Me to Date Me!
if you need help.”

I zero in on her Starbucks cup and notice first, her perfect French manicure, which unlike my nails—battered by keying all day—is utterly flawless and that her cup is marked up as “Non Fat, ½ Splenda, ½ Raw Sugar, ½ Equal, 2.5 shots espresso, 2 pumps sugar-free Vanilla latte.”

Of course.

“I’m going to give you a great edit, Kimberlee,” I say, forcing a smile on my face.

Kimberlee wrinkles her delicate nose. “But you’re new at this.” She tosses her golden mane over her shoulder and stares at me. “I can’t afford to look bad,
Lex.
”

I clench my teeth. “I promise you, nobody wants you to look good more than I do. That’s my job, and I assure you, the show is going to be great.”

I glance past her to the window in the editing suite, and amazingly, there has been an endless parade of men walking by ever since Kimberlee arrived.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes and bring up something I want to show Kimberlee on the screen.

“There’s one thing I’m going to edit here,” I say, going to the time code I had jotted down earlier, “You mispronounce Nate Johansson’s name here. It’s YO-han-son. Not JO-han-suhn.”

And how the girl got this wrong after working on the show since August is baffling.

Kimberlee is fishing through her Elizabeth and James bucket bag, not even glancing up at me.

“Um, we’re not in Sweden,” she says, annoyance creeping into her voice. “The American way to pronounce it is the way I said it.”

It’s all I can do not to burst out laughing.

“And Nate and I are buddies, actually,” Kimberlee continues.

“Are you now?” I say, as I can’t wait to see where this is going.

Kimberlee retrieves her lipstick and expertly swipes it across her pouty lips, giving them a fresh coat of a perfect nude shade to compliment her faux-bronzed skin. “Yes. At one time, I had my eye on him, you know, but it’s best not to get involved with anyone on the team since I cover them.”

Yes, and him being madly in love with Kenley might have been the bigger issue, but hey, whatever.

“Right,” I say. “Now, back to his name. I can’t let that go on the air like that. It’s my job to catch errors, and I have to disagree with you, his name needs to be YO-han-son. That’s how the game announcers pronounce it.”

Kimberlee shoots me a look. “Nobody cared before, and I’m
right.
”

I resist the urge to smash my head into the editing keyboard.

“Well, I’m passionate about hockey, and I care that this show is right, so I’m going to edit that part out and let you do a voiceover for it. If you can do that this morning with Corey in audio, that would be awesome. I’ll leave the feature intact, but I’m going to clean up his name in the intro.”

Kimberlee snaps the top back on to her expensive lipstick case, and I know she is mentally snapping my head in her hands.

“Well, you’re the
editor
,” she says. “So I’ll go do that with Corey now if you
insist.
”

Fantastic. I finally get to work on my dream show, and every week I’m going to do battle with a reality show castoff who is here simply because she’s hot and knows somebody. Not because she knows hockey.

“Now, I need to run,” she says, scooping up all her stuff and standing up. “I’ll do that voiceover, but then I have some work to do in the field. And I have a
very
important meeting at the arena today.”

She looks down at me, a superior smile playing at her lips. Kimberlee is begging me to ask her what, so, since I had to be firm about the editing, I play along.

“Oh, what’s that?” I say, shifting my gaze back to the screen in front of me and adjusting the volume on her voice, which is too low at the moment.

“A meeting with Niko Xenakis.”

Now she has my full attention. “Oh?”

Kimberlee nods. “Yes. I want to meet with him to get some storyline ideas, and nobody knows that better than the producer.”

If you were a reporter worth a crap, you’d already know the storylines
.

“Niko would be a great source,” I say honestly.

“Yes, and he’s hot, don’t you think?”

I feel my face grow warm. “What?”

“Niko’s a catch,” Kimberlee declares. “Players are off the table, but
Niko
isn’t. And he’s the fish I intend to reel in.”

She marches toward the door, her thigh-high black-heeled boots clicking against the tiles.

“Oh, Lex, have a good day.” She pauses and whips out a bottle of perfume, spraying it on her slender neck. “And make me look good. Niko’s watching.”

Kimberlee turns on her heel and flounces out the door, leaving a trail of expensive perfume in her wake.

And my stomach in knots.

Kimberlee is after Niko.

Jealousy consumes me as I stare at her image on the screen. Not that Niko would want her, of course.