Breakout (A Dallas Demons Hockey Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

I say, picking up my bag out of the guest chair and casually slinging it over my shoulder. “Denise stared with Kevin in that really awful movie Wild Things , and as such, has a Bacon Number of 1, because you score a point if you work directly with Kevin.”
    Niko laughs, his deep voice echoing through the deserted lobby, and I find myself laughing, too.
    “ Touché ,” he says. “I should’ve known not to tangle with you on all things Kevin Bacon. Seems like it’s a losing proposition on my part. However, I don’t think I’m losing at all by getting you as an editor today. And if your editing is equal to your knowledge of Bacon numbers, I’m in more than capable hands.”
    I bite my lip. Now I want to do well for two reasons. To hopefully put myself in a position to work here someday, but I don’t want to let Niko down, either.
    “Let’s head back,” Niko says, nodding in the direction of the hallway.
    “Sounds good,” I say, falling into step with him. “And Niko, I can’t even begin to thank you for this opportunity. You don’t know anything about me—”
    “Not true,” Niko says, pausing to hold the door open for me to walk though. “I know you’re passionate about hockey. You can edit, and apparently from the people who are currently employed here, you know more about the Demons than the entire editing staff strung together. Come on, Lexi. You’ve seen the opens on air. They’re shit.
    “It pisses me off as a producer to have an uninspired video to set the table for that night’s game,” Niko continues. “So I’m not exactly going out on a limb here to get your help. My first game as a producer is tomorrow. And quite frankly, I’m relieved you’re going to give me my open to my first show as opposed to these guys here who’d rather be working on football or basketball.”
    I hear the intensity shift in his voice. Niko’s determined to crush this show tomorrow night, from the first second of his telecast, which will begin with the open I create for him today.
    “I’m honored you’re trusting me with this,” I say honestly. “And I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to give you one kick-ass intro to your telecast.”
    Niko stops for a second. “I know I have nothing to back this up on, but I believe you.”
    My heart jumps when I see the intensity in his striking blue eyes. He feels it, too. That we know nothing about each other but there’s this gut sense between us an—
    Niko clears his throat and resumes walking, and I try to reset my brain to the Dallas Demons and editing again.
    But now the Dallas Demons to me doesn’t necessarily mean Harrison and Nate anymore.
    It means Niko.
    We head back to the production wing, and I’m still drinking in all the sights around me. Each hallway is dedicated to a different sport, and right now I’m walking along walls painted like football fields.
    “All right, here we are,” Niko says, leading me to an office and opening another door for me, “the editing suite.”
    Anticipation zips through me when I step inside. It’s dimly lit, and I see the state-of-the-art editing machines in front of me. I see a picture of the team celebrating a goal frozen on the screen of the Avid machine, which is the editing equipment for video.
    “Do you have After Effects?” I turn to Niko. “That is a killer program. I can layer all kinds of special effects into the video with that.”
    Niko grins at me. “Yes. So why do I feel like I’m Santa and I’ve given you the best present ever ?”
    “You have!” I cry enthusiastically.
    I drape my coat over the back of the chair and drop my bag on the floor.
    “Ready?” Niko asks.
    You have no idea how ready I am for this, Niko .
    “Yes,” I say, nodding.
    “Okay, let me grab a chair and I’ll show you how stuff is filed.”
    I sit, and Niko takes the chair from the computer desk behind us. I scoot over for him and he moves next to me.
    “I went ahead and found those clips you talked about