AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Preferably with a rock on my finger.
Not that it has to be like a big ring. I don’t care. I’d take a pebble Logan found in a stream mounted on a ring. I’m after the man—not his money or anything else.
“Hey, Boss!” Eli appears in the doorway with his usual bright smile, wearing his skates and practice jersey.
Okay, THIS is what I’ll miss.
“Hey, Eli. What’s up?”
“I’m here to steal you.”
And before I can respond to this, he’s in my office, pushing me in Fancy Chair out into the hallway where Van is waiting, arms crossed over his chest.
“Let me guess. If I try to escape, you’ll—”
“Sit your butt right back down in that chair,” Van says.
With a sigh, I lean back and decide to enjoy the ride. Secretly, I’m kind of delighted the guys are doing something for me. The exec upstairs may not appreciate my work, but it’s nottheirappreciation that really matters. (I mean, except when it comes to making a living wage.) The players are the ones who mean something to me.
Eli pushes me into the elevator and then down another long hallway leading to the rink.
“I’m not sure wheeled chairs on ice are a good thing, my dudes,” I say, clutching the arm rests while the chair bumps along the rubber floor in the tunnel.
“Don’t worry,” Van says. “We’ve got you.”
But my stomach still flutters with nerves as Eli removes his skate guards and then pushes Fancy Chair out over the ice. It’s a weird feeling, but Eli manages to glide me out to the center, illuminated by a spotlight. The light makes it hard to see anything outside the circle of light, and when I shade my eyes, I can just make out the rest of the guys on the bench.
Eli pats me on the arm and says, “Stay.”
Like I have any choice. I think trying to get out of this wheeled chair on ice would result in me getting laid out.
Plus, I’m kind of excited to see where this is going. It’s totally bringing back the vibe from the night of Logan’s first game, when he said “I love you” and then had this whole (terrible) dance choreographed with the guys.
When “Paper Rings” starts playing again, I’m grinning from ear to ear. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t hope Logan was somehow involved, hiding in the crowd on the bench to surprise me.
But as the guys skate out and start in on a just as terribly choreographed dance, I don’t see Logan. Still—this is adorable, and I’m totally trying and failing to hold back tears. This gesture means everything. It’s a fitting way to end my time here.
I mean, watching Alec dance terribly while obviously thinking he's amazing is perfection. The song switches to an old throwback song that’s suddenly trending again on TikTok: “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer. Just this week, we did a video montage of fans kissing with the kiss cam, ending with Eli and Van surprising Alec by kissing both his cheeks at the same time.
It was, if I say so myself, genius.
The guys head back to the bench, and I squeeze the arms of my chair, practically squirming with anticipation. And then they’re skating toward me in a line.
Alec is first, and as he nears me, he lowers a knee to the ice, gliding to a stop in front of me with a pink rose. Another nod to that same day.
“Boss, will you marry me?” Alec says.
My heart starts thudding. Not because I think Alec means this. But because it’s starting to feel a lot like the lead-in to a real proposal. Especially considering the episode of “The Office” Logan and I streamed together in our respective cities. This bears an eerie similarity to Michael Scott’s proposal to Holly.
Could it be?
“Sorry, Ego. You’re not my type.”
He clutches his chest like I’ve shot him, then hands me the rose and skates off.
Nathan is next. His long hair is braided and pinned up in a way that makes him look like a viking. “Marry me?”
“Despite your hair, I’ll have to say no.”
