10. Axl

ten

Axl

“Over here!” Sophie waves from the nearly empty airport parking lot as I pull in right at sunrise. She’s wearing cotton candy pink from head to toe, with cuddly-looking sweatpants and a matching hoodie, making her look casual as she waits for me.

Casual and maybe a little snuggly.

I throw my truck into park and grab my backpack, strapping it on my shoulder, and jump out while tossing her a silent wave. The sky is clear, despite the fall season, which is displayed so well on the multicolored trees to the south of the airport. A large commercial plane waits near the building, parked by a ramp, but I head to the little jet out in the center of the parking lot.

I’ve never flown on a private jet before. I’m most excited about the convenience of not having to go through the main terminal and security, even though Mapleton’s airport is tiny with only one gate. It makes me think about my dreams of reaching the NHL and having enough money to do all the things I’ve always wanted to do, especially traveling. Someday I’ll have so much money that I’ll have my own plane parked out here, and a whole staff of people willing to wait on me.

“Are you ready for this?” Sophie calls out, breaking my thoughts. Even in the morning without makeup, Sophie looks radiant. The rising sun catches her smile enough to light up her whole face. I must say, if I have to pretend to date someone, it definitely pays to work with someone this gorgeous.

“I am ready, and good morning,” I say as our steps sync up, striding forward to the small plane. “Are you ready?”

“I think so.” Her brow is serious as she tugs a full-sized rolling suitcase forward.

“Let me get that.” I reach out instinctively, latching my hand around the handle. For a moment our hands brush each other’s, sending a tingle up my arm. Unprepared to feel shivers, I blink until they simmer, and then I throw on a teasing smile. “This is all for one night?”

“In a sense.”

“What do you mean in a sense? It either is or it isn’t.”

“I came prepared with a dress for tonight, shoes and that whole thing, but I also brought street clothes in case we do anything else, and clothes for tomorrow and snacks.”

I wince and bite my lower lip. I’m not sure I can handle another one of her dresses. It’s hard to think about anything else when she’s dressed up. One thing I never counted on when I agreed to this whole thing was how hard it would be to not feel a magnetic attraction to my fake date. I lower my gaze to the ground and focus on my walking as it’s a decent distance to the plane. Of course, I hadn’t known before we started who I’d be matched up with, but if I give Coach credit for anything, I’d say he’s excellent at hiring people. One of the bonuses to fake-dating someone who lives in a different zip code is when all this is done, we’ll more than likely never see each other again, and all this attraction can be left to simmer.

When we reach the bottom of the steps, a man and woman are standing by the open door. Both are wearing blue avian-style clothing and greet us with too-large-for-this-early-in-the-morning smiles. “Morning,” Sophie rings out while motioning to me. “This is Axl, and he’s flying with us on this trip.” She dips her head in the opposite direction, saying, “This is William, my favorite pilot, and Skye, our flight attendant.”

“You’re a flight attendant, and your name is Skye?” I smile at the lady, who simultaneously reaches forward and takes the handle of Sophie’s bag. She has a perfect hair bun pinned on the back of her head and a cherry-red smile.

“I didn’t even have to make that one up.” Skye motions smoothly like every flight attendant does, inviting us into the plane. “Go ahead and get comfortable. I’ll be right up, and we can take off as soon as the plane is secured.”

Sophie takes several steps ahead of me, ascending the steps, before tossing a look over her shoulder. “You coming?”

“Yeah.” I struggle to make my legs move. This whole event is surreal, and I want to absorb everything. There’s a private jet waiting for me to ride in it. I can’t believe this is how some people live. “Do you always travel like this?” I drag my legs up behind her, slower than my normal pace, looking at everything with care. There are three rows of seats with a wide leather recliner on each side, and it has a brand-new plane smell. Not that I’ve ever smelled a new plane before, but it couldn’t be any other smell.

“I do, and yes, I know how lucky I am. I flew commercial and even rode a bus for a lot of years.” She crosses the aisle, plops down into the first recliner, and immediately straps her seatbelt and kicks up the footrest. “You can sit wherever you like.”

Taking the recliner opposite hers, I’m more intentional as I feel how nice the leather is and notice the ample room to stretch out. There’s even a cup holder ready for a beverage and a large TV screen in front of me. I’ve never experienced anything like this, and I blink several times, hoping I don’t wake up. “We travel all the time,” I say, finally breaking my speechlessness, “but this is not the kind of traveling we do. I could get used to this.”

“I’m sure if you keep working hard, you’ll get one of these someday, too.” Her expression is thoughtful, not at all something you’d expect from someone who lives this lifestyle.

“That’s the plan.” I inhale, taking in the scent again, as everything in this plane feels and looks brand new. “I love playing hockey, and it’s definitely my dream job, but I’m ready to see the world.”

“You like to travel?” She pivots in her chair, getting a more direct glance at me. “What is your dream place to go?”

“I don’t know if I have just one, but I’m more about doing outdoorsy things since I spent my life inside an arena. I want to swim in all the oceans and hike secret trails in foreign countries that only the locals know about until I’m so tired I fall asleep in the middle of the forest in a hammock. Then after I wake up, I’ll head back to some renovated castle I’ve rented for my stay.”

Her gaze stares off above my head, and her voice wafts out a little dreamily. “Wow, you have thought about this, haven’t you?”

“Haven’t you?” I pull my brows up, as I can’t stop thinking about what my life will be like when I finally get ahead.

“No.” She wags her head back and forth. “I just work, and before last week, I spent all my free time running after Rocco and his intense schedule. I guess I have time for a hobby now that I’m single. All of those things sound amazing, actually.” Though her words end optimistically, her gaze lowers to the ground.

My heart twists the same way it did when I first heard about her ex cheating on her. She looks so broken, and as much as I hate this charade, I do feel bad. I know exactly what it feels like. “I’m sorry about what you’re going through. If it’s worth anything, I’ve been there, and it gets better.”

Lines of contemplation stack on her forehead. “You were cheated on?”

Holding my breath, I pause. I can’t believe I’m admitting this, and it seems like another lifetime ago, but in an odd way I’m hoping to cheer her up by offering the hope that life moves on and it’s not worth dwelling on the losers who hurt you. “It was in high school by my first girlfriend. She had a side guy for quite a while, but I didn’t see it because I was so busy with hockey.”

“That stinks.” Her breath blows out. “How’d you find out?”

“I was supposed to leave for a weekend hockey tournament, but a forecasted storm ended up shutting down all the highways, and the bus couldn’t leave. I was relieved because I hadn’t had much time to spend with her, and as soon as I had the word, I rushed over to her house without calling.” I glide my hand over the soft leather armrest, feeling silly to find comfort in something so trivial but it helps me to get the words out. “All I wanted to do was surprise her, but instead I caught her with him.”

“Ah, that’s exactly how I found out!” Her voice ticks up before our gazes connect on a level of comradery. “Did it feel like you died?”

“Nope.” I wag my head, fully remembering the very real pain. “It felt like my heart was ripped out, but I was fully alive and living through the pain. It was the worst thing I had ever experienced, which is why . . .” I pause, realizing how I’m sharing all the things I never tell anyone.

“Why what?” She leans closer, nervous anticipation spiraling out of her eyes.

I scratch the back of my head, wishing I had kept my mouth shut. I need to start taking Bill’s advice more seriously. “Ah, why . . . I never dated after that.”

Her brows spring up. “You haven’t had a girlfriend since high school?”

“Nope, and don’t plan on having one ever again. I’ll stick to hockey.”

Before Sophie replies, Skye peeps her head in from behind the curtain. “The captain is ready for takeoff. Is there anything you need before we taxi?”

“I’m good.” I shake my head, returning my gaze to my side of the plane, glad for the interruption. I sure wasn’t expecting to spill all my secrets first thing in the morning. This whole trip has me acting totally different than my usual self. “No, thank you.”

“I’ll have a pillow, blanket, and some carbonated water,” Sophie rattles off like it’s the most normal thing in the world to have people fuss over her. Skye crosses the cabin to the closet while we taxi. I ponder that it sounds normal because this really is Sophie’s life, even if it’s mind-blowing.

“I hope you don’t mind.” Sophie retrieves her blanket and pillow from Skye. “I’m going to nap. I haven’t been sleeping at all these last few days.” She positions the pillow behind her head, tugging it back and forth to shimmy it into the perfect position.

Skye returns behind the curtain, and we take off. I’m left alone with my thoughts, the strongest being, What a life. I’ll do anything to get this life.

“Axl,” Sophie’s voice calls me to look back over at her. Her eyes are wide and honest as if I can see directly into her soul. “I’m sorry about that girl. She was a fool for cheating on you.” I lower my gaze, ready to give a rebuttal when she beats me to it, “I know this whole thing is a little weird for us both, but I’m glad you’re here.”

My heart ticks up a notch before I look up. She closes her eyes and rests her head back against her pillow again. Soon, her shoulders are rising and lowering in steady restful breaths. She looks so peaceful and beautiful. I bite the inside of my cheek, forcing down my thoughts from going any further than that. I can admire a beautiful woman, but it has to stop there.

I don’t date.

“You’ve been really quiet.” Sophie lowers her phone, staring at me from her spot in the back seat of our car. It’s not Uber, or even a cab, but a private car that picked us up right on the tarmac. That part I almost expected. But the part that made me look twice was the driver had Sophie’s iced coffee order already in her cup holder. Yes, there is an even cooler part—a bottle of my favorite electrolyte-infused water was in mine. I didn’t even know she knew what I drank, but she shrugged her shoulders and said her agent had done some internet snooping on me when she set up everything. I can’t believe people live like this.

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be quiet.” I blink a couple of times. “I’m just absorbing this lifestyle of yours, and it’s hard to wrap my brain around it.”

“I can see that.” She quietly sets her phone next to her, clearing her hands. “If you would have told me even three years ago that this would be my life, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s crazy how fast you get used to it and how fast you forget to appreciate it. It took me working my butt off through all of my teens and most of my twenties to get to this point. Prior to this, I spent my time touring radio stations for morning shows, and through all that, I always needed my parents’ support and a few waitressing jobs on the side.”

Thankful that she was opening up about her private life after everything I spilled out on the plane, I lean closer. “How did it change?”

“What do you mean?” Her brows furrow together. “How did I get my big break?”

“Yeah. For me, I have my eyes on the NHL because that means better pay, better endorsements, better interviews, etc. I’m sorry, I don’t follow pop music, so I’m not really versed on your career. Was it like one song that changed everything?”

“I wish.” A sarcastic chuckle blurts from her lips. “I got up, did the grind, and made a little bit of progress each day. Maybe I made one new fan at the radio station I was at that day, or I was able to share my music with someone I waited on at my night job. It slowly accumulated. After I had a decent number of fans, I was able to get a better production company and a better PR company. That took all my profits and more, but it kept the momentum going. When I started dating Rocco, things fell into place because I started getting free PR just by being next to him, but again, that had a downside, too. Once they are in your private life, they never leave.” She turns her head toward the window, her brows rising. “Here’s the hotel. My manager booked us rooms at the same place the dinner is at.”

My mind replays her words. She just admitted her career took off from being with Rocco, which is the exact same thing the coach set up for me. Maybe Coach is right, and this will help me to launch my career. Now that I think about it, talent might not be enough anymore. It seems like everyone needs a platform of some sort as well, and this could be the break I’ve been waiting for.

“Yeah,” she says, stealing my attention back. “We won’t have to hurry to leave, and we’ll have plenty of time to relax. My manager usually books me some time at the spa if it’s open, and I requested one for you, too.”

“Nice life.” I sigh and set my jaw while I gaze out the window, anticipation fluttering through my gut at all the lifestyle upgrades I’m getting this weekend just by being with Sophie. It’s a whole other class of treatment.

Someday .

But maybe if Coach is right, that someday will come sooner than I thought.

I haven’t worked this hard for all these years to quit now, and I’m closer to my dreams every day. If acting like I’m dating Sophie makes me more likable, and if it helps the team, I’m going to give it my best performance and treat it like it’s my one shot.