10. Chapter 10

With her arms wrapped tightly around my waist, I drove through Sunnyvale's campus.

Typically, I would drive my bike as though I were racing down a speedway, but with Ashlynn straddling me, I felt like I had precious cargo that needed to be protected. The feel of her arms around my body had my adrenaline pumping. It was so wrong for me to offer a ride, but when I spotted her walking alone, I didn't think. I just somehow drove over to her and needed to help her out.

However, something told me that Ashlynn could handle her own.

When we finally arrived at the arena, I parked the bike and helped Ashlynn down. She took my hand effortlessly, and I swear, I felt my breath hitch. No other woman has ever made me feel anything but turned on, except with Ashlynn – something is different. From the night we first met, I've had this urge to be near her. I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since then, and it is driving me crazy.

"Thanks for the ride," Ashlynn said, her smile starting to falter. "I mean, for driving me to the arena," she corrected herself.

It was cute how her cheeks turned a rose color when she was embarrassed. Or maybe it was heat from her desire for me. Yeah, I'm going to go with the second option.

We walked side by side into the arena. There were only a handful of vehicles parked in the lot, and the inside of the arena was almost deserted. Most of the employees didn't come in on Sundays unless it was important. I guess fixing my image with the Hawks was important today.

When we finally arrived at the offices where Sawyer and the rest of the public relations team worked, I noticed Ashlynn grow rigid beside me.

"You okay?" I whispered, as we stepped into the offices.

"Yeah, I just…" she trailed off, as Sawyer emerged in the doorway.

Sawyer was very attractive, with curly blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a lean figure. Seeing her, I instantly thought of Topher and wondered if there was something going on. I guess I would have to work on that mystery later.

"I'm so glad to see you all. We have a lot to discuss," Sawyer announced, clapping as she welcomed us.

I wanted to ask Ashlynn what she was going to say, but I didn't want to put her on the spot. She seemed nervous.

We followed Sawyer into her office, and she had a dozen papers scattered around her desk.

"Please sit. Jodie is on the phone and will be with us shortly," Sawyer informed us, as we sat in two white leather chairs facing her desk.

Jodie was the public relations manager, and Sawyer worked directly under her. Both women were fantastic at their jobs and kept the Hawks mostly out of trouble. Well, they did a great job of cleaning up our messes.

"So, what do you need for me to do?" I asked, jumping right into the topic at hand. If we got this taken care of quickly, I could still make it to the gym to get in a workout with the guys.

Sawyer narrowed her eyes at me, and I instantly wanted to sink into my chair. "Logan, I need to remind you that my job is to help the public's perspective of the Hawks and the players. What you have done with your antics has made my job increasingly more difficult." She rubs the bridge of her nose and attempts a calming smile. I can see that she is stressed, and I can't help but feel guilty knowing I made her job more difficult.

Jodie rushes into the room, dressed to impress in a black pencil skirt and a white button-down blouse. Jodie is always the picture of professionalism, and even on a Sunday, she looks like a powerhouse.

"Thank you all for coming in on a Sunday. Coach Carl was adamant that we take care of this immediately," Jodie began, moving to stand behind Sawyer. She glances at Ashlynn and smiles. "Ashlynn, we have a lot to show you about this company and what we do, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. However, what you are going to see today will be more training than anything you could learn on any given day. We are in crunch mode," Jodie states quickly.

The woman is talking a million miles a minute, and I try my best to keep up.

"I have found several options for you, Logan," Sawyer begins, her tone serious. She starts handing me papers as she speaks. "First, we have some community service opportunities to get you out in the public working on cleaning up parks and roadways. The paparazzi would be notified of your whereabouts so we could get good coverage." I take the paper and see images of people smiling as they pick up trash. Nope, not for me. She hands me another paper as I hand the first one to Ashlynn. "Next, we have a local Boy Scout troop that you could work with to help at camp-outs. We have a local charity that could use your help to teach kids how to skate once a week. Finally, we have an option of you working for the hotel to repair the damages you caused. These are the best options out of everything we have found," Sawyer finishes with a huff.

I sort through the papers as Ashlynn leans in close. She smells like vanilla, and I am reminded of how that scent enveloped me the other night.

"Anything that looks promising?" Jodie asks.

My mind reels from all of these options. None of them are what I want to do, as they take away from hockey. With school and practice, my schedule is already jam-packed, but now, I have to add one more thing to my list. I know I shouldn't think that way. I put myself in this position, but still, it sucks.

"I would like to know more about the charity," I say, handing Sawyer back the paper with the charity organization. Out of everything, this is the only one that doesn't suck the most. I guess it could be cool helping little kids learn how to skate.

Sawyer beams, and Jodie looks like she is about to jump up and down with excitement. "I'm so glad that you picked that one. I think that will be great," Sawyer says.

Jodie moves from around the desk. "Ashlynn, now that we have that settled, let me show you to your office," she insists, gesturing for Ashlynn to follow her.

Ashlynn moves to stand and glances at all of us. "My own office? I thought this was an internship?" she questions. I can tell she is feeling uneasy, and I desperately want to reach out and hold her.

"Well, your father felt like it would be good for you to have your own office…" Jodie begins as she starts walking out of the office. "Come on."

"Okay," Ashlynn agrees, taking her time to leave the office.

As I watch her go, I can't help but feel like my role this semester is going to be more than just fixing my image but helping Ashlynn find her way at Sunnyvale, too.