The Arrangement (New Hampshire Bears Novella) Read Online Free

five-five, but I like her petite frame. Her jeans are tight and her top is hugging her in all the right places. The girls I’ve been with were so much different. However, I need to remember what Gerald and Apollo told me: I can’t let my family down.
    I take a deep breath and make my way to her. Dacey raises her head, and I notice she checks me out before recovering with a simple smile.
    “Hey, Dacey.”
    “Vance.” She nods and opens the trunk. I load my bags in before getting into the car. “Do you want to go to your parents or one of your brothers?”
    “How about some food?” I suggest.
    “You just flew all the way from Toronto; aren’t you tired?” She backs the car out of its spot and heads toward the exit.
    “No, I’m hungry, and we need to talk.” I dread this, but we need to put everything on the table. I continue to chant over and over in my head what Gerald and Apollo told me.
    Be engaging, caring, and pay attention.
    “Where do you want to eat?”
    “Nando’s.” I smile at the name of my favorite place to eat when I’m home.
    “Okay.” She drives off toward Nando’s. “How was the flight?”
    “Good.”
    “And your last day of training?”
    “Good,” I say again.
    “Great.” She continues and we fall into silence until we arrive.
    Be engaging, keeps pushing through my head as we sit down and order our food. Dacey seems bored to tears and looks all around.
    Our food comes and we’ve still not spoken to each other. I’m screwing this all up.
    “Vance, what do you want to talk about? If you’re ending this, I’d rather you not do it in a restaurant.” Her voice is soft.
    “What? Why are you thinking that? I told you I’m taking this seriously,” I say firmly.
    “I just figured you thought it through.” Her cheeks are red.
    “No, we have time until the PHL Draft. We need to make this work.” I state the obvious.
    “I know. I’ve been in Vance classes for the past few days. And trust me, if one more person give me the sex talk, I may just lose my mind.”
    “Oh, trust me, I’ve been attending Dacey classes, etiquette classes, and more than enough talk about…sex.” I shake my head, thinking back to Apollo and Gerald’s talks.
    Dacey picks at her food. “This shouldn’t be so difficult, right?”
    I take a bite of food to delay my answer. “You’re right. It shouldn’t, but we haven’t had a lot of timer to make it easier.”
    “We’ve been arranged for eleven years.” She pushes her plate away from her.
    This is going horribly wrong, and I don’t know what to do. “Let’s just go.” I toss down my napkin since my appetite is gone. “Just take me to Apollo’s house.”
    Dacey says nothing else as she drives me to my brother’s. When she parks in front of his place, I look over at her, she’s staring forward.
    “I’ll call Mum when I get home. You don’t have to come to Aimee’s wedding either.”
    I remain silent as I get out of the car and grab my bags from the trunk. I watch her drive away, and I slowly make my way into the house.
    Leeza greets me and her smile quickly fades. “Apollo.” She calls for him and motions for me to come in.
    He comes around the corner and stops, dropping his head. “You obviously listened to nothing we told you.”
    “I did listen.” I throw my bags down. “She doesn’t want me. What the hell do you want me to do?”
    “Try harder.” Leeza stands next to him. “Where is she?”
    “Heading home, I guess. She said she was going to call her mum.”
    “Shit.” Apollo growls and grabs my arm. “Come on, we have time. Lee, call Aimee and get her to stall.”
    Apollo gets in his car, and like a Formula One driver, speeds like hell to Dacey’s apartment. He is mad, and I can it see all over his face. I know better than to open my mouth.
    We reach her place and make our way up three flights of stairs. Apollo knocks, and Aimee opens the door. I know her dirty look cuts right through me.
    “I have her phone, and