Romancing the Grump (Appies, #4)

by Jenny Proctor

Summer is already on the bus when I climb back on with my food, Felix and Alec right behind me. This doesn’t surprise me—I saw her in line ahead of me, talking to Malik the entire time—but I’m still disappointed to see her sitting at the small table in the back, looking over a folder of paperwork with Malik, a half-eaten burrito sitting beside her. We used to eat inside, an effort to keep the bus from smelling like whatever it is we’re eating, but with the Appies’ growing fame, hiding out on the bus has become a lot easier. Especially when we’re traveling, and we don’t really feel like dealing with people and attention. Admittedly, that’s pretty much how I feel all the time, but even the guys like Eli—who has the biggest online following and thrives in the spotlight—need a break sometimes. Last I heard, Malik was trying to convince Larry, the Appies’ owner, to approve a new standard of travel for the team, using chartered flights instead of the buses we’ve been using for years. Private charters are how teams get around in the NHL, so it’s not unheard of, and with how much the Appies are making, between sold-out games, a huge uptick in merch, and bigger corporate sponsors, it seems like a logical next step. Not because we deserve the luxury any more than we did before, but because of things like this—because of how hard it’s getting to travel normally. We’re recognized almost everywhere we go.