Benny’s and Roger’s quick nods proved they felt the same way. “The guy is a total douchebag, but he’s got deep pockets and he’s a huge Rays fan. The money Steele Industries contributes to the team is, well…Jesus. It’s significant. Ticket sales only account for about forty percent of our revenue. The money Charles’s business contributes helps bridge the gap so the Rays can compete in terms of players’ salaries, arena expenses, and so on.”
McKenna knew all this. “I get that.”
“It sounds to me like Charles has his eye on some rich, successful businessman he wants Lara to marry.”
“Sounds like a merger, not a marriage,” she grumbled.
Benny shrugged. “Whatever it is, Tank’s putting a wrench in those works, because Lara has set her sights on him.”
“I’m not sure it’s Tank specifically, as much as just a Stingrays star,” McKenna amended. “According to my sources, she’s also hooked up with a couple other players on the team.” Erika had been the one to mention that Blake had taken a few of his infamous “victory laps” with Lara, back before they got together.
“Yeah, I know her type. Regardless… If Tank’s off the market, it hopefully takes him off Lara’s—and by extension, Charles’s—radar.”
McKenna supposed that could happen. After all, Lara no longer went anywhere near Blake because he—and Erika—had made it clear, they were a rock-solid couple.
McKenna knew if she said no to this idea, Benny would drop it. But dammit, she was determined to prove she was a team player, someone willing to go the extra mile.
But more than that…she didn’t want to say no.
Which was the epitome of stupidity.
“Do we really think this step is necessary? The positive promotion has been working well. I’m not sure we need to go a step farther.”
Benny sighed and pulled out his phone. One of Tank’s former lovers had decided to get in on the “I slept with a bad boy” action by sharing an older video of the two of them frolicking in a hot tub in Turks and Caicos last summer. The video made the rounds back then, but it hadn’t hit the same viral status as the one from a month ago. In the woman’s video, she claimed Tank was the best lover she’d ever had, while also insinuating he was hung like a mule. TikTok—fucking piece of shit social media platform—had once again grabbed on and rolled with it.
“It’s an old video,” she pointed out, aware that didn’t make a damn bit of difference.
“It is,” Benny agreed, “but this is only going to encourage some women to try harder to catch his attention, and we can’t afford to let them. I get that he’s been toeing the line, but for how long? The guy’s track record doesn’t work in his favor, so we need to take him off the market. Now. Show them that he’s in a committed relationship, really sell him as head over heels in love.”
McKenna wanted to argue with that, but Benny wasn’t wrong. “How long would we have to fake it?” she asked.
Benny looked slightly surprised she was going for it. She was tempted to tell him to join the club because she was fucking shocking herself too.
“We’ve been charged with keeping him in line through the summer, so…”
“So I would fake date Tank Phillips for five months?”
Roger nodded slowly. “I know you weren’t a fan of the guy when this all started, but you seem to have gotten over that. It looks like you have fun with each other nowadays. At least, that’s what the pictures and videos and you two hanging out when we’re on the road suggest.”
She couldn’t debate that. She and Tank had started to gravitate to each other whenever they were in the same room together. Whether in team meetings or at game nights with their friends or when they were traveling, they were always sitting next to each other.
And if her feelings toward him were just friendly, she wouldn’t hesitate to say no to this suggestion because she had a lot of fun with Tank. But she was struggling to keep her thoughts in the professional realm because the guy didn’t just make her horny; he made her…fuck…happy.
Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Not since Eddie.
And while being happy should be great, it was also terrifying because it was proof she was not in control of her feelings in regard to Tank.
She couldn’t go down this road again, and yet, she didn’t seem able to stop herself.
She was an idiot, and she was going to pay the price for that.
“What do you say, Mac?” Benny asked, looking like a hopeful puppy dog.
Why couldn’t she just hate her boss like most normal people?
“Fine.”
