Mark was pissed when he got back to the room after working out and found Lana gone. Even though the airport was probably still a disaster, she’d cut and run instead of talking to him. Frustrated but unsure what he could do about it, he’d called Gage who was now coming to pick him up personally. Mark had offered to rent a car but Gage said he had multiple cars Mark could drive while he was in Anchorage. Mark was grateful because renting a car for a whole month wasn’t in his budget. He made a decent salary but he hadn’t yet sold his D.C. townhouse, he had a fairly expensive car payment, and along with his love of travel, there had never been a lot left at the end of the month. He’d tried to save but living in the D.C. area had been expensive. It was one of the reasons he was considering a move.
He was outside when Gage arrived and Mark got in the big SUV with a smile, holding out his hand. “Hey, man. Mark Garrison.”
“Good to finally meet you in person.” Gage Caldwell shook his hand and pulled the SUV into traffic.
They exchanged pleasantries, talking about Mark’s trip, the earthquake, and the subsequent delay in getting to Anchorage.
“Lana’s probably already here.” Mark had told him about sharing a hotel room and the romantic dinner they’d shared. Joe had told him to be honest with Gage about everything going on while he was in Anchorage, so he figured this was part of it, even though he wasn’t holding out hope that he’d see Lana again.
“Is she important to you?” Gage asked curiously.
“I was hoping so, but I guess not.” He shrugged. “Besides, she’s from New York City and technically I still live in D.C. I don’t know where I’m going to end up, which makes it hard to start something with a woman.”
Gage glanced at him. “You never know what the future holds.”
“Very true.”
“And with the two of you working in relative close proximity for the next few weeks, anything could happen.”
“I probably won’t even see her. She’s dealing with Aaron Ferrar’s situation, and I’ll be on your security duty.”
Gage smiled. “For the most part, I need someone to keep an eye on things at the arena when I’m there and add a physical presence when I’m out and about. I can take care of myself, but it doesn’t look good when the owner of the Blizzard beats the shit out of an overzealous fan, so I’ll be paying someone like you to do that for me. My regular bodyguard is dealing with a death in the family.”
“Right. Does he have any idea when he’s coming back?”
“I told him to take his time. I’m sure you and I will get along well, and like I said, I can take care of myself. Which will give you a little time to go after your girl.”
“She’s not my girl,” Mark muttered.
“Not yet.” Gage chuckled. “Things seem to happen here. Sergei Petrov didn’t even make it through his first season without falling in love. I foresee another few guys falling hard and fast.”
“Lana’s special, but I don’t think she’s interested. That’s all. I’m sure we’ll run into her while I’m here and you’ll see what I mean.”
“If she’s worth it, it’ll all work out.”
“Tell me more about what you do.” Mark opted to change the subject; talking about Lana only frustrated him all over again.
“I inherited the Blizzard from my uncle, so this is pretty new to me as well. I did ROTC in college and then four years in the Marines before I went into the private sector and worked on Wall Street. I built my own fortune in technology and then inherited an even bigger fortune from my uncle. Divorced, single, and livin’ the dream.”
Mark laughed. “Sounds about right. I didn’t realize you’d served.”
Gage was quiet for a minute. “My love for my country cost me my marriage, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. My parents died when I was young and my uncle told me I had to make my own money before I inherited any of his, so I joined the Marines just to piss him off.”
“That’s sure a convoluted way to end up owning a hockey team,” Mark said, shaking his head. “Are you actually involved in the day-to-day of what goes on during the season?”
“I keep my finger on the pulse of everything that happens. I have to. Plus I really enjoy it, a lot more than being CEO of a tech company. I have people to run my other businesses, so I try to be as involved with the Blizzard as I can.”
“Well, I’m here for whatever you need.”
Gage nodded. “You came highly recommended by Joe and Chains, so I’m happy you’re here. Normally, Chains comes up to help out when Toby goes on vacation, but Chains has a family now and he can’t be gone for a whole month.”
“Understood.” I nodded. “You have anything specific going on while I’m here?”
“I’ve got a couple of events in the works, so you’ll be busy on and off. In the meantime, explore and enjoy as much of Anchorage as you’d like. There’s skiing, hiking, a lot of gorgeous nature to indulge in.”
Mark grinned. “Sounds like fun.”
Instead of heading home, they stopped at a steakhouse for dinner. “My housekeeper is off today,” Gage told him. “And the steaks here are amazing.
“Good, because I’m starving.” Mark sat down and perused the menu.
“Everything is good,” Gage said, sitting across from him. “I’m partial to the Prime Rib. And the baked macaroni and cheese is decadent.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Wine?”
“I don’t drink when I’m working.”
“You’re not working tonight.”
They chuckled together.
“Then sure,” Mark said. “Wine sounds good.”
They ordered and the waiter brought a bottle of red wine. Mark was more of a beer guy, but he also appreciated a good bottle of red.
“So, is it true there’s like twenty guys for every single woman in Alaska?” Mark asked as their steaks arrived.
Gage laughed. “Not quite that high, I think it’s more like ten to one, but yes, it can be a struggle to find single women.”
“That’s a bummer, but I’m guessing the same rules don’t apply to billionaires.”
“I haven’t gone out on a date in ages,” Gage said thoughtfully, lifting his wine glass. “I still occasionally see my ex-wife, and when that happens, it takes a while to get back out there.”
“You still hook up with your ex?” Mark asked in surprise.
“Probably not healthy for either of us,” he said, “but sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants. Even when you know it’s bad for you and the other person doesn’t return your feelings.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve been lusting over Lana for about two years. I thought she was finally interested last night, but then I guess I screwed up.”
“Maybe not,” Gage said. “That’s why you need to go after her, let her know you’re interested in more than just a hook up.”
“Easier said than done. You’ll see what I mean if you meet her.”
“If she’s working with Aaron while she’s here, we’ll definitely cross paths. He’s my starting goalie and I need him healthy, both physically and mentally. His divorce has been a nightmare and after he got hurt he spiraled.”
“That’s what Lana said.”
“There are quite a few single guys on the Blizzard, so just by virtue of hanging out with Aaron, she’s bound to cross paths with them. If you don’t stake your claim, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them took her off the market.”
Mark made a face, stabbing a piece of steak with his fork.
The last thing he needed was competition in the form of a professional hockey player.
“Thanks for the depressing visual.” Mark’s voice trailed off as Lana walked in with a good-looking blond guy. She was laughing up into his face as he held the door open for her and he took her arm as she stumbled over some invisible obstacle.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Mark looked at Gage. “Did you set this up?”
“Wha—” Gage’s gaze traveled to where Lana and the blond guy were standing and he smirked. “That must be Lana. Because that’s Aaron.”
“Son of a bitch.” Mark impulsively stood up, occupying the aisle and turning toward Lana and Aaron. “Hey, Lana.”