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"Jacob," he replies, his voice as icy as the rink. "Just the person I've been looking for."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I've been hearing some...troubling rumors."
Oh great, here we go—the canoodling rumor. Perfect. Just what I need after an already complicated evening.
I nod at my boss, trying to keep my tone light despite the I-could-strangle-you vibe radiating off of him. "You know, rumors are funny things. You ever play the game of telephone as a kid? By the time it gets to the last person, it’s always something ridiculous like 'Jacob’s dating an alien'."
But George isn’t buying what I’m selling. His stony expression remains, well, stony.
Then it hits me—a genius move.
"Speaking of relationships," I blurt out, surprising even myself. "Have you met Gabriella De Luca, our new head of PR?"
He blinks. "Of course."
"Amazing, isn't she?" I glance at the table over my shoulder. "Guess she told you all about our engagement, then?"
Insert pin-drop silence.
"Engaged," George muses, his eyes drifting over my shoulder towards our table. I follow his gaze, and there's Gabi, laughing with my teammates, looking as radiant as ever. "You're engaged. To Gabriella De Luca," he repeats, as if testing out the words.
"Yup," I confirm, putting on my best earnest face. "Just got engaged last week. We’re, uh, really settling down. Thinking about the future, you know—white picket fences, the whole thing."
George’s expression softens—just a smidge, but enough for me to exhale a little.
Family man, committed player—that’s the image flashing through his mind right now, and I can see him relaxing.
"Well, Jacob," he says, his voice considerably warmer, "I hope for your sake that you're serious about Gabriella. We value integrity on the Blades."
"Absolutely. I'm completely committed."
He nods, satisfied. "Good. Because rumor has it that she's quite the catch."
I give a charming smile. "She is. I've known the De Luca family all my life. Only made sense to make it official."
"Well then, I'll have to offer my congratulations. And perhaps we can schedule a dinner with our families soon?"
"Sounds great," I say, barely containing my relief.
As George walks away, I let out a long sigh and nearly grab someone’s drink off the table nearest me to settle my nerves. Crisis averted.
I make a mental note to make sure Gabi takes home two containers full of the best lasagna ever created and to thank her later for being such an amazing cover story.
After using the john, I walk back to our table, my teammates eyeing me curiously. "What was that all about?" Manning asks.
"Just some business stuff," I reply casually, taking a seat next to Gabi.
She gives me a knowing look and leans in close. "Ah, the business of scarcely avoiding getting your ass kicked by George Corso?"
"Hey, you've seen me fight on the ice. I can handle myself."
"I have a feeling George may be more intimidating than any opponent you've faced on the rink," Gabi teases back.
"He is." I reach for my water, taking a sip. "Which is why I'm working on a plan to make sure I never have to face his wrath again."
Gabi raises an eyebrow. "And what is this brilliant plan of yours?"
