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Patrick, who was also reading over my shoulder, bumped me. “On account of all the professional ice golf you do.”
“Hockey is not ice golf—” I started. “Actually, it totally is. My bad.”
This was even worse than I’d thought it would be. I knew Shane had been trying to help, but my “insider” knowledge didn’t include the basic names of players. Or even how to play. He clearly had some hockey knowledge—I brushed away the thought before it even fully formed. Iwasn’t going to involve him in this. It was risky enough with him knowing who I was.
Heidi read the panic on my face. “This is good. This is fine,” she said. “You’re their fake goalie. You stand in front of a lace cage to block projectiles, right? That’s all a goalie does.”
I let out a breath. “There’s got to be a little more to it. Have either of you ever been to an Avs game? I thought I was the only one in Denver who hadn’t.”
Heidi and Patrick exchanged glances. “It’s difficult to avoid but totally doable,” Heidi confessed.
“I, for one, am not ashamed that I don’t support my city’s cold stick battles,” Patrick announced.
“God, I don’t know if I can do this,” I said.
“Sure, you can,” Heidi said. “You tell Melon that you’ll already be there practicing in the morning, and he can just meet you there for the appointment, whenever it is. Then you’ll have all the time you need to win them over before he even gets there. Have you ever been to the Family Sports Center? That’s where the Avs practice. I only know that because my brother used to go to camp there. It’s massive, like Disneyland for the sportsball crowd. Super easy to lose people in a place that big.”
“Even if I were as cool as the real Indiana, I don’t know if I could do this. I don’t know anything about sports.”
“Hey,” she said softly and put her arm around me. “You don’t need to. You just need to understand the tech part.” She shook my shoulder a little. “Don’t you see, Ana? This is it! This is your chance. If you win this account, which youwill, then you’ll not only be getting the promotion you deserve, but you’ll be saving Melon’s job! There’s no way he won’t love you or at leastbe forever grateful. You said it yourself; youarethe real Indiana. You can do this in your sleep. I have full confidence in you.”
Patrick put his arm around me on the other side. “And if they hate it and Melvin fires you, you didn’t want to keep this up forever, right? Go bigandgo home, that’s what I always say.”
Heidi swatted him. “Just put together an amazing pitch, and the rest will follow.”
I relaxed into them. “Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you two, even if you lie to make me feel better.”
“Okay.” Heidi sat up and clapped her hands. “Now I want to hear a little bit more about this troll town house and why Patrick wants people to buy it.”
“I also want every detail about this,” I said. Bless Patrick’s heart for helping Kelli’s studio, even if it was for selfish reasons. I really did have the best friends.
Chapter 10
Early the next morning, my doorbell rang. It was Shane.
“Hey,” he said, smiling. “Your apartment is on the way to the airport, so I thought I’d stop by.” It absolutely wasn’t. “And, you know, catch a look at the new fam.”
I let him in, still wearing my leggings and an old concert T-shirt. At least I’d run a comb through my hair and added mascara. He leaned in for a quick hug, then went to the tank. “You weren’t kidding. Tadpole Town is hopping.”
“Yep,” I said, coming up behind him. “I got to witness their births, and the whole thing was actually pretty cool. So thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone.”
“Anytime. Actually, I have another push for you, if you’re up for it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Next time I come to Denver, maybe you can show me around a bit.”
Hope blossomed in my chest. “Do you have plans to come back soon?”
“Well, Melvin is going to need to come back to Denver quite a few times to get this deal through, right? And, for reasons I’m starting to understand, Apollo doesn’t want him traveling without someone to show him around.”
“An escort.”
“Gross. No. Like a…”
“Warden?” I suggested.
“Like a guide, okay? Aguide. And pretty much no one wants to do it except, now, me. So I can come visit. Visit Denver, I mean. And I’ll brush up on myMario Kartto give you some real competition.”
