9. Lola

Lola

I leave for my flight to Vermont straight after the Halloween party, which annoys Levi to no end.

"Why would you do this?" he moans, gripping tightly to one of my arms. I'm still wearing my princess pirate costume—which was actually a hit—but I plan to change out of it when I get to the airport.

"Do what?" I ask, grunting and trying to heave my suitcase into the back of the Uber. The driver does not look amused by Levi's little show and clearly wants to get going.

"You did this! You made me like Alec, and now I don't know how to break up with him."

"So don't!" I say, heaving a sigh of relief when I'm able to get the suitcase in the trunk. I give Levi a look. Having a brother who works out might be more helpful if he actually used his superior upper body strength.

"Ugh, Lola," he grumbles petulantly, coming over to the window as I tuck myself into the backseat. "I can't believe you're choosing some hockey player over me."

"I am not choosing some hockey player over you," I say. "I'm choosing my career over you. When you burn out as a magician by twenty-seven, one of us will need a steady income."

Levi rolls his eyes but wishes me good luck. He stands in the parking lot of his apartment complex, staring after me as the Uber takes off down the street. I'm at the airport in record time, then standing in Burlington International Airport, my heart racing for no reason.

Except, I know the reason. It's because I can't believe I'm doing this.

I can't believe I'm standing in an airport in Vermont, chasing inspiration for a story.

Burlington, Vermont, is a beautiful city that gives me small-town vibes. Walking through downtown, I notice the architecture and write notes in my little notebook. I want my characters to end up here, walking hand-in-hand through these beautiful streets.

Then, I find a bookstore and walk through it. In the back of my mind, I know that the last thing I need is more books, but another part of my brain reminds me that supporting small bookshops keeps them alive. I grab a book I'm interested in, then grin, finding a few of my books on the shelves as well.

"Hey," I say, clearing my throat as I approach one of the booksellers. She's a young woman with a blue stripe in her hair. "I'm Lola Burke. I have a couple some books here. Do you mind if I sign a couple of them?"

She eyes me dubiously until I pull up my verified Instagram and hold my phone up to my face to prove my identity. With a nod, she finds a Sharpie and follows me to the other side of the store, where I pull out a few of my books and sign them, hoping whoever finds them will be happy about the addition.

"Hey," she says after a moment. "You look really familiar."

"Well," I laugh, finishing up my signature and blowing on the page for a moment before placing the book back on the shelf. "I am the author, and you're here in the bookstore, so…"

"No," she says, wrinkling her brow as she stares at me. "Are you on TikTok?"

"Oh," I say, red rushing to my cheeks. "Definitely not me. Maybe you're thinking of Heidi Crause."

"No," she says, her eyes still narrowed in on me like she's doing a close-up. "I definitely know Heidi Crause—the stuff that happened with her and Leo Biller is everywhere."

"Well," I say, trying to change the subject away from myself. "I don't think it's that bad. People in Hollywood fake their relationships all the time."

"He donated a kidney to her! That is such a weird thing to do when you're in a fake relationship."

"Oh, I didn't know that part," I say, clearing my throat. "Well, I was on Good Morning America like two years ago—"

"It's more than that—it's like—oh my god! Are you that chick from the hockey meet-cute thing? The one that's been all over social media? Yeah! I think I saw a TikTok of you screaming!"

"No, no," I say, sweating. "I don't even watch hockey."

"Weird," she says, still looking at me closely. "The resemblance is uncanny."

I don't respond. Instead, I buy a book, say goodbye, and hurry out of the store, not wanting to give her more chances to identify me.

***

The Vipers' stadium is smaller than the one in Las Vegas, but it fits with the rest of the town, featuring a brick exterior and tons of classic features. It reminds me of Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where I went not for baseball but to giggle and take pictures with Maisie while a baseball game took place below us.

I wander outside for a while, visiting all the vendors, until I realize I look out of place in my plain shirt and skirt. Everyone else is decked out in Vipers gear, though a few Maple Leaves jerseys are floating around in the crowd. I walk through the Vipers Den, the team's official gear store, but I can't bring myself to buy any gear with the serpent on it.

Just before the game starts, I see a little truck with Vipers and Maple Leaves stuff, and I quickly purchase a cropped Maple Leaves jersey, pulling it on over my white shirt. I hurry inside the arena with the rest of the latecomers, dropping a tip for the man playing his violin on the corner.

Even though this stadium is smaller than the one in Vegas, it's just as rowdy, with fans quickly filling the seats, hollering, and chanting along. I'm just about to take my seat when I realize I don't have anything hot to drink, and I'm going to freeze in this cropped jersey without it.

By the time I get back to my seat with my hot chocolate, the game is already in full swing, and it looks like the Vipers are already down two points. I shake my hair out and dig my earbuds out of my purse, finding the sports app Alec recommended and plugging it into one ear.

"…and it looks like Chambers' extraordinary performance from the other night was very short-lived."

"Yes, that shot goes long, and the Leaves easily recover the puck, taking it to the other side of the rink. We've got Eddie Harrison waiting—Felson shoots—blocked by Harrison! Vipers get the puck and send it back down the rink. Sinking down behind the net, going for the puck—oh! Chambers, with the body check, looks like he got him with the stick there—"

I flinch, seeing the bright red blood drip onto the ice from my spot in the stands as the players slam together against the wall.

Chambers, the player from the Vegas game, throws his hand up in the air, then skates to the side of the rink.

"Looks like the Leaves are going into a power play here. Let's see what they can do with this advantage."

"I'm not going to lie to you, Dave, given how the Vipers are playing so far, I wouldn't be surprised if the Leaves manage to score here and get this game even further out of reach."

"Felson shoots!"

"And—another wide shot from Felson. Harrison is lucky that puck didn't come his way—"

I zone out for a second, watching the referee as he spins around, avoiding the players with Olympic-level grace. He's right there in the action but manages to dash out of the way just in time, every time. Then, the sportscasters grab my attention again as the entire stadium erupts in cheers.

"Right out of the penalty box, Devon Chambers gets the puck, spins to feign a pass, and shoots the puck through his legs and straight into the net!"

"What a shot!"

"Chambers sure gave us an entertaining game against the Knights. Is that version of him coming out again here?"

"Chambers and Felson line up for the face-off…"

I watch with wide eyes as Devon Chambers rockets up and down the rink, his stick moving so fast that I can hardly keep my eyes on it. He scores twice more, and then, near the end of the game, he glances up in my direction.

I know I should look away when our eyes meet, but I'm a deer in the headlights. He raises one hand and gives me a two-finger salute from his helmet before jumping back onto the ice, stealing the puck, breaking away, and shooting the puck into the net in a one-on-one with the goalie.

Before I know what's happening, I'm up on my feet, cheering with the Vipers fans, which earns me some strange looks from other people in Maple Leaves jerseys. I can't help it—the grin on Devon's face is contagious. As I settle back into my seat and the cheering dies down, the sportscasters in my ear become audible again.

"Is Devon Chambers going to single-handedly save the Vipers' season?"