Breaking the Ice (Timberwolves #1)

by Lizzy Ripp

  "Who's pretending?" Sasha joked.

  "Right?" Rhochelle replied." Anyway, he's super keen on securing mainstream appeal, which is where Cassie comes in," she said, gesturing to Cassie who shrugged her shoulders with a 'who me?' smile. "You know for that revenue. But he's also keen on reaching out to more niche celebrities," she went on, gesturing towards Sasha who practically foamed at the mouth at hearing the word 'celebrity' in relation to her.

  "And me..." Rhochelle said vaguely, "I'm in it for the super niche. I have a pretty big local following and my clients are right in his men's range bracket , so... Yeah," she said. "How is all this sounding to you?"

  "Um, great!" Sasha said, tossing her head. "I'm so like... flattered you thought of me."

  "Of course," Cassie said, laying it on thick. "You're like... Hugely up and coming as an influencer. I saw the way you played the media the other night and I was like... So impressed," she said. "Most of the girls I work with can't even command that much attention,” she smiled sweetly. "But oh my god, look at us rambling on. We haven't even gotten you a coffee yet."

  "Oh, no," Sasha waved a hand dismissively, still on a high from the praise. "I don't do coffee. Makes me bloat. It takes forever to go down and then 'poof'," she snapped her fingers, "There goes my prime posting window for the day."

  "Can't have that," Cassie said through her teeth. "Surely we can get you something though? A tea? Anything to celebrate?" When Sasha still looked unconvinced, she laid it on harder. "I mean, we could only do a sneak-peek preview group shot if all of us had the matching Starbucks cups, right?"

  Sasha nodded. "Oh my god, that's such a great idea. Okay, I'll just get a green tea," she said, rising from her seat and reaching for her phone as she went.

  "I'll go with you," Rhochelle said, snatching her arm before it could grab the phone. "I need a refill and besides, I have some hot gossip about a Goldman Sachs exec I've been seeing - I think you know him?"

  Cassie exhaled as the two of them moved towards the counter. That had been close. Keeping one eye on Sasha and Rhochelle, who was doing everything she could possibly do to keep Sasha's attention fixed on her, Cassie reached for the phone and cursed.

  Locked of course.

  She quickly tried all the usual lame passwords none of which worked and then her eyes drifted to the tattoo on Sasha's hand. She'd noticed it before - and hell, it was worth a try.

  BBYGRL she punched in and to her incredible relief - the phone unlocked. Thank god the line was long, she thought as she quickly opened Sasha's photos.

  "Ewww," she muttered to herself, scrolling through more dick pics than she would have liked - frankly one was too much - plus what looked like hundreds of duplicate shots for Instagram until she finally found the photos from the other night. She deleted them all quickly sighing in relief as they disappeared. They would still be on the cloud - but she hoped Sasha wasn't smart enough to realize that, and if she was, the second part of their plan would take care of it anyway. If they could pull it off, she thought, biting her lip and carefully placing the phone back as it had been just in time for Rhochelle and Sasha to sit back down.

  "I love your phone case," she said, pretending she'd been about to pick it up and examine it. "So many rhinestones."

  "I know, aren't they cute?" Sasha said. "They're all Swarovski."

  "Of course they are. Now, let's go ahead and get this done," Cassie said, beginning to primp as if for a photo. "Oh," she added. "Lame, I know but before I forget. They sent through an NDA - they don't want any of the clothing photos leaking before they secure the fashion week spot and they're making us all sign it. Rhochelle and I have already done it, but I brought one for you, too," she said with a smile. "Here," she added, digging into her purse and pulling out her monogrammed Mont Blanc. "Might as well do it now."

  "Sure," Sasha said - and as Rhochelle and Cassie held their breath, she did exactly what they had hoped - signed the NDA without pausing to read it thoroughly. Their eyes met as Sasha threw down a florid signature, victory in their faces.

  "Okay," Rhochelle said brightly. "Who's ready for this?"

  "I didn't bring my light ring - I had no idea we'd be doing a photo, so you'll have to Facetune, okay?" Sasha said, fixing her hair and pouting her lips as Rhochelle lifted her own camera.

  "Of course," Rhochelle agreed - and the three of them took about twelve photos in a row. "Anyway, I won't be posting these," she said as they finished up.

  "What? Why not?" Sasha asked, her smile confused. "I thought you said..."

  "Yeah, about that," Cassie said, getting up abruptly from the table, Rhochelle leaping to attention behind her. "Deal's off. Whatever notoriety you want, you'll have to suck it out of someone else."

  Sasha, still seated, looked from one to the other, baffled. "Okay, what?"

  "This," Cassie said, snatching up the paper. "Has nothing to do with a designer. It has to do with those sneaky photos you took of Julia and your... god I don't even know what, is he your ex now? Daniel DeSoto. It's a binding, completely legal NDA, stating that you'll be liable for penalties up and including over a million dollars if you publish those photos on ANY platform. And just so you won't be tempted," she said, smiling coolly at her, "I've gone ahead and erased them from your phone anyway."

  "What?" Sasha shrieked, leaping to her feet and unlocking her phone, scrolling through to find out it was true. "You can't do that. That's..."

  "That's life," Cassie shrugged. "Sorry you suck at it. But don't worry. I'm sure you'll find some other way to screw your way to the top. Ready?" She asked Rhochelle, who was smiling at Sasha, looking perhaps a little sorry for her.

  "Yep," she said. "Sasha... You brought this on yourself. Just... Be better. Okay?" Then, looping her arm through Cassie's, the two girls headed out into brisk autumn day, leaving Sasha Lux sitting alone in Starbucks, trying to piece together just what exactly had happened to her in the last half an hour.

  Cassie and Rhochelle, meanwhile, were trying to contain their glee as they walked across the street, Rhochelle digging out her phone to text Yaro two words.

  "Mission accomplished.”

  —

  Julia took off from the office early to give herself time to decompress and go over her potential interview questions one last time before her appointment at twelve. She sat nervously in the window of a coffee-shop across the street from the Sports Tonight office building, giving herself pep-talk after pep-talk and trying not to think about the possibility that a single mouse-click from Sasha Lux could bring this dream - so close to becoming reality - crashing down around her ears.

  She was just in the middle of reciting the names of the Sports Tonight anchors she admired most in her head when a knock at the window she was sitting beside nearly sent her flying out of her chair. She looked up and to her surprise, saw Yaro's face on the other side.

  She couldn't help the smile that sprang to her face at the sight of him, nor the wash of relief his presence brought. It was like coming in from the cold to a toasty fire. He grinned at her through the glass and then rushed off through the door. Before she knew it, like a dream, he was seated across the table from her.

  "What are you doing here?" She laughed. "Aren't you supposed to be at practice?"

  "I told them I'd be a little late. I had to see you one last time before you go in."

  "Why?"

  He paused and took her hand, his lips brushing against her knuckles, sending a chill down her spine.

  "I wanted to tell you… You don’t have to worry. About anything. And I don’t want you to ask me how I know. You’re just going to have to trust me.” She narrowed her eyes, her gaze confused. But she smiled and shrugged her shoulders with a small laugh. “Okay. I trust you.”

  “That’s good,” he said. “Because I need you to trust me one more time, okay?”

  She smiled again. “Okay.”

  He took a deep breath. “Trust me, when I tell you how amazing you are," he said. "You are the most beautiful person I've
ever known - inside and out. You make me laugh, you make me think... You make me want to be a better man."

  Julia bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears that threatened to brim over and ruin her mascara. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked as if she wanted to speak, but before she could reply, Yaro went on.

  "I realized something today, after you left," he said, his fingers intertwining with hers, his thumb stroking the back of her hand gently. "I realized how much I want to be the kind of man who deserves you. Because I love you, Julia," he said simply, his eyes locked on hers, a small smile playing across his lips. "And I couldn't let you go in there without knowing that. Don't cry," he added, with alarm, lifting his hand to catch the tears trembling on her lower lashes with his finger. "You'll go all panda-eyed."

  She made a sound, halfway between a laugh and a sob, shaking her head at him in disbelief. For one sudden, agonizing moment, Yaro thought she was trying to find a way to let him down easy, to tell him it was too soon, they were too different, something was wrong.

  But she didn't. She simply smiled. "I love you too."

  Yaro fought the urge to stand up and cheer, instead settling for giving her a kiss full of all the things he didn't know how to say in words. It was the kind of kiss that changes lives - and it changed both of theirs for the better, right in that instant.

  Their eyes met after their lips separated and Julia reluctantly whispered, "I have to go."

  "I know," he said, smiling and standing, offering her his hand. "I'll walk you up."

  He walked her up to the stairs, the two of them in blissful silence and then he let her go, watching her square her shoulders and climb the stairs to the office lobby with all the confidence she deserved. She turned to look at him at the top and mouthed it again. ‘I love you.’

  He gave her a smile and a wink, mouthing back, ‘You can do this,’ before turning on his heel and floating away back into the real world.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  “DID SOMEONE ACTUALLY pick up that cake I ordered, or…?"

  "I got it, bro. Chill," Jonathan said, bustling into the private room of D'Orecchio restaurant at eight o'clock that night. "I went by right after practice. Should be fresh AF," he smiled as he put the box carefully on the side table provided which was already laden with several bottles of wine and Champagne.

  "And I brought these!" Cassie said, bounding into the room behind Jonathan with a bunch of brightly colored 'CONGRATULATIONS' balloons full of glitter, tucking them into the corner with excitement and dropping a kiss on Jonathan's cheek as she did so.

  "Awesome," Yaro said, "Those are great. You guys get here together? Can we call it official now?"

  Jonathan reddened, but Cassie just stared at him, nonplussed. "Mind your business," she said as she poured herself a glass of Cab Sauv.

  “Am I late?” Another voice called from the doorway as Rhochelle appeared with a small box tucked under her arm.

  “Not at all,” Yaro said, giving her a big hug and taking the box from her to put on the side table. “What’s this?”

  “Oh, I just thought I’d get her a little something as a congratulations. Not every day you get your dream job, you know,” Rhochelle smiled. “And are you sure it’s not weird that I’m here?”

  “Absolutely,” Yaro said firmly. “She’ll be psyched to see you.”

  He flipped open the card to read what was scrawled within: “Congratulations! P.S., Sorry I showed up to bone your date. Won’t happen again. Xoxo Rhochelle.”

  “Aw. That’s sweet,” he laughed. “What’d you get her? Which you shouldn’t have, by the way,” he added. “You’ve done so much already.”

  Rhochelle shrugged. “It’s nothing. Just a nice planner. Since she’ll be a hotshot sports correspondent now.”

  Yaro beamed proudly. “Yeah, she will,” he said. Julia had called him immediately after the interview, her voice bubbling with excitement. It had gone perfectly, she’d said, and they’d offered her the position officially at the very end. She’d been absolutely over the moon - and Yaro, having already heard from Rhochelle and Cassie that morning, was unreservedly ecstatic for her. He’d immediately started planning a surprise dinner to congratulate her, inviting everyone who, unbeknownst to her, had helped make everything possible.

  She thought she was simply coming for a quiet celebratory dinner with Yaro at his favorite Italian restaurant in the city - and she was due to arrive in about ten minutes. It had been a whirlwind of a day, but a great one. Especially since he’d made a major decision, one which he had yet to share with Julia.

  What nobody at the gathering knew - not even Julia at this point - was that it was a celebration of more than just her promotion. He'd decided sometime over the past week, while he and Julia had been living in domestic bliss, that it was time for a change in his life. Her words, her love, her support and her encouragement had all given him a push - the push he'd needed, without really understanding how much. He realized he'd spent his whole life living for other people - his parents, his coaches, his teammates. It was time, he thought finally, to take a chance and do something just for him.

  Suddenly his phone buzzed, bringing him back to the here and now.

  'Nearly there! Cab is stuck in traffic. See you in five.'

  "Okay, everybody got a drink? She's almost here," Yaro said, assembling them all towards the back of the small room, facing the door and hailing their waitress to bring Julia straight through when she arrived, alerting them with a text when she was on her way. It seemed he'd just got everyone all lined up when suddenly his phone buzzed again with the waitress's warning.

  With muffled laughter and much shushing, the four of them waited in excited silence until they heard Julia and the waitress at the doorway.

  "It's just through here," the waitress said, motioning Julia forward.

  "Here? Are you su-"

  "CONGRATULATIONS!"

  Julia shrieked in surprise at this shouted greeting and the number of party poppers that accompanied it, her face completely shocked. Yaro smiled smugly - he loved pulling off a good surprise.

  "Oh my god, you guys!" Julia said, her eyes tearing up. "You did NOT have to do this!"

  "Of course we did!" Cassie said going up and hugging her friend tight, smacking a kiss on her cheek. "'Cause you killed it girl! How amazing are you?"

  Julia blushed scarlet. "It was a really good interview," she said. "They were especially interested in my work at Lights in the Dark. Apparently they had people in the crowd who were bawling like babies at my speech," she said, shrugging shyly.

  "I can't believe I missed it," Yaro said, dropping a kiss on her head. "From what I hear, it was phenomenal."

  "It was," Cassie confirmed.

  "I cried," Jonathan admitted with precisely zero shame.

  "It's true, he did," Cassie added. "I saw."

  "That's fantastic," Rhochelle said, patting Jonathan on the shoulder. "No toxic masculinity for you. Well done."

  Jonathan shrugged, embarrassed.

  "You guys are fantastic," Julia said, looking as overjoyed as Yaro had hoped. "I honestly don't know what to say. This has been an absolutely incredible day. I just gave my notice and I'll be starting on-air in two weeks’ time. It's..." she shook her head, overwhelmed. "It's just a dream come true."

  "Sounds like an occasion for Champagne if ever there was one!" Cassie said, popping open the bottle with an easy, steady hand that left both Yaro and Jonathan's eyebrows shooting skyward, impressed.

  "Please," she said, catching their gaze. "You think I don't know my way around a bottle of Champagne?"

  Rhochelle extended a glass "Fill 'er up, please! Oh, I'm sorry, what am I saying? Julia, let me get you a glass girl."

  "Sure," Julia giggled, accepting the full flute Rhochelle passed her way. "Thank you."

  "We've bought a couple gifts for the modern working girl here," Cassie said, gesturing to the table behind her to the side table and the scattered presents that adorne
d it. "But first, we wanted to give you something extra special from all of us."

  With a solemn expression she laid a bundle of papers on the table before them. Julia frowned.

  "What's this?" She asked, as she picked it up to read it. Her eyes skimmed over the legal jargon, her mouth moving as she read and her eyes growing wider and wider as she realized what she was reading, giving a little gasp of amazement as she caught sight of the signature at the bottom.

  "But how did you -?"

  "It was Yaro's idea," Cassie said.

  "But Rhochelle and Cassie pulled it off," Yaro concluded, giving credit where credit was due.

  "And I approved from afar," Jonathan added. Cassie shook her head, rolling her eyes.

  "You guys..." Julia said, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't know what to say."

  "Don't say anything," Rhochelle said. "Except more wine!" She laughed as she hugged Julia, followed by Cassie, and soon everyone had piled on for a group hug that left Julia laughing and crying simultaneously.

  When they broke apart, everyone moved to the table - but Yaro took Julia's hand before she made a move.

  "Just going to steal this one for a minute," he said.

  "Yeah go on, lovebirds," Jonathan said as the two of them disappeared into the hallway.

  Once they were alone outside the private room, Julia fell into his arms. "Thank you," she murmured into his chest. He held her tight, stroking her hair.

  "You don't need to thank me. It's the least I could do after everything you've done for me."

  "What have I done?" Julia asked, looking up at him with those wide brown eyes, so deep and dark he almost felt he could dive in.

  "You saved my ass from career suicide," he said. "And then you inspired me to start a new one."

  "What do you mean?" She asked, gazing up at him.

  "I'm leaving the League. I'm going to retire and make art. I might fail," he laughed. "But for the first time in my life, I'm not afraid to try. Provided one thing."