Meet Your Match (Kings of the Ice, #1)(7)

“Real genuine,” I mumbled under my breath.

It was almost disappointing, how much his profile confirmed exactly what I’d assumed about him. He was just another cocky playboy athlete with no concept of the real world.

Just like my ex.

James Baldridge had swept me off my feet so quickly it was dizzying. We were in our junior year of college, both drunk at a party when we stumbled into each other. The connection was instant, the sex was hot, and we couldn’t get enough of one another.

The more time we spent together, the more we started falling.

We were soul mates — at least, that’s what it felt like.

But we were complete opposites — him from a well-off family who spent their summers in the Hamptons with Livia’s, and me from a family of hippies who spent our summers tending to our garden. He was well known on campus, the best golfer on the university team and one of the best in the nation. He would go on to play in the PGA Tour, and no one doubted it — not then, not ever in his life.

Meanwhile, I was aimless, getting a communications major with no idea how I would use it. He had aspirations for a future in professional golf, while I was content to waste a day at the beach or volunteering at a local animal shelter.

But that was what I loved most about James. He made me feel safe to be exactly who I was, made me feel like he loved me for me. It was such a refreshing change from all the losers I’d hooked up with in high school and the first couple years of college. James didn’t play games. James showed me what a healthy relationship was. James was end game.

I didn’t realize just how much we didn’t mix — not until I was on his arm at his brother’s wedding.

I was underdressed, unimpressive, and so far from welcome it was painful. I could still close my eyes and feel those judgmental stares from every corner of the venue, how they assessed me and found me wanting.

The only thing that got me through that experience was knowing James loved me, regardless of my status. We were already talking about having a wedding of our own. We were solid. I believed everything he said to me when he swore it didn’t matter that we were different, that our families were different.

He loved me for me, and we were strong enough to weather any storm.

Except the very next weekend after his brother’s wedding, he broke up with me — and his parents made sure I understood why.

It had been two years, and still, my chest stung with the reminder of that heartbreak, of how I’d held fast to every memory of our relationship, and sobbed for a week straight before I finally shoved it all into a box.

I still had that box, though.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to let go of it, of him, entirely.

I was vaguely aware that it wasn’t fair to judge an entire class or system by the action of one jerk and his family, but since no one had yet to prove me wrong, I was steadfast in my beliefs.

And Vince Tanev was of the James Baldridge variety — that I was sure of.

I scrolled all the way to the top of his profile again, tapping on the little arrow that would take me back to my feed.

Except my nail hit the edge of my phone case, and my thumb dropped down on his profile picture instead — therefore, pulling up his latest story.

“Shit,” I cursed, clicking out of it before I even saw what it was. Panic zipped through me with mortification right on its heels.

And then I laughed out loud at myself, because the likelihood that Vince Cool ever looked at who viewed his stories was nonexistent.

But what if he did?

“Good morning, gorgeous.”

I jumped a little at the knock that came on my doorframe with those words, locking my phone screen and tossing it on my desk. Reya didn’t seem to notice as she slid inside the office with Camilla on her heels.

Reya and Camilla were the founders of Tampa Bae Babes. Both Cuban-American and born and raised in the area, it had started as nothing more than two best friends posting about the places they loved around the Bay. Reya had long brown hair, wide brown eyes, an athletic, petite body, and the kind of calm and inviting smile that could make you confess all your secrets. Camilla, on the other hand, was tall and slender like a model, with short hair angled at her chin, sharp facial features, and gray eyes that sparked with her goofy grin. Where Reya was calm and serene, Camilla was loud and enigmatic, the two of them together making the perfect storm.

Somewhere along the way, they’d become the number one source for locals and tourists, alike.

They went from only running an Instagram, to having real estate on every social channel imaginable, including TikToks that went viral without them trying, a YouTube channel with more views than any other Tampa-based outlet, and the podcast, which had crested half-a-million listeners at the end of last year.

Everyone knew the Babes. They weren’t just gorgeous, but funny and smart, too. They were like celebrities when they ventured out on the town, and one visit from them could catapult a local business overnight.

One area they were lacking in, however, was community wellness, which was a big reason why they’d pulled me on to work for them. Of course, they were also lacking in the sports arena, and according to their business strategy, that ranked higher.

“We have the opportunity of a lifetime for you,” Camilla said, clapping her hands like she was going to burst at the seams while she waited for Reya to tell me what this opportunity was.

“Your coverage of the Gibson Gala is our highest performing content of the week. The owners of all three teams have reached out to tell us how much they appreciated us being there,” Reya said. “They’ve had numerous sponsorship offers roll in, and they’re tickled pink.”