Hayes jumped in and tried his hardest to ease some of the tension in the room. “We didn’t plan for any of this. It’s clear that we were targeted by her.”
Coach James cleared his throat. “There’s a code of conduct and being photographed screwing the same girl is pushing it, even for the three of you. We’ve got pro guys knocking down the door to see how y’all are playing this year and you’re pulling stunts like this? You’ve never given me any trouble. That’s the only reason I don’t throw you assholes out of the program.”
“You’d throw us out for what we do in our sex lives?” Cash snorted. “Ridiculous.”
“No, you’re ridiculous!” Sam jabbed his finger in Cash’s chest. “This was probably all your fucking fault. Your brothers need you now more than ever and you’re just thinking with your dick, aren’t you?”
Cash’s grin was a warning. “Do it again and I’ll throw you out of that window, Sam.”
“Alright! That’s enough!” Deacon Holmes, the head of PR who’d spent way too much time with us since the beginning of our football career, stepped into the middle of the room and held up his hands. “This isn’t helping. I told you that you coming in here was a bad idea, Sam. You’re not helping. You should leave.”
Deacon was a pro baller turned suit after a knee injury took him out. He was just as big as Sam and had been meaner on the field so Sam didn’t intimidate him. When Sam stepped up to him he just smirked and nodded to the door.
“Fucking amateur hour.” Sam stormed out of the room but it did nothing for the tension still lingering.
Deacon turned his cold stare on us. “Now that he’s gone, let me tell you how fucking stupid this was. The NFL has changed and they’re not looking for drama. Teams are dropping players right and left for smaller things. You just made it that much harder on yourselves. Because of pussy.”
The woman who’d been silent in the corner so far cleared her throat and glared up at Deacon. She was older than us but probably a decade younger than Deacon and I would’ve sworn the poor guy’s shoulders inched up to his ears at that singular noise from her.
She stood up and walked over, cutting off Deacon. Sticking out her hand, she shook ours and gave us each a professional smile. “Kate McCain. I’m new at the firm but I have ten years of experience and I think I have an idea that could save your asses.”
“Kate,-” Deacon sighed and held up his hands when she gave him another dark look. “Fine. Go ahead. No one’s going to go for it, though. You don’t know these guys like I do. That’s what you’re missing with all your big ideas.”
Coach James rubbed his temples. “I need a fucking drink but since it’s not even noon yet, I’m going to go drown myself in a pot of the blackest coffee I can find. Fix this.”
“Right now people are seeing you as players who fuck random girls together. It looks unstable. Team owners aren’t going to want that. Not when it’s done publicly, anyway. This is all about perception. People are perceiving that photo as a smutty moment in a long line of smutty moments. We need to alter their perception. Instead of a photo of some weird group sex thing, it’s a stolen image of a loving couple stealing away at a party.”
Hayes cleared his throat. “Loving couple?”
Deacon snorted behind Kate but she ignored him. Her face lost all signs of softness as she leveled with us. “The Apex Three’s image has been shined and coated in a thick layer of good guy that has every NFL coach in the league licking their lips and dry-humping the air. Your sister being their open and adored girlfriend took them from bad boys to every parent’s dream for their daughter. Seeing the three of them so loyal and loving towards Savannah has put stars in everyone’s eyes.
“Right now, you three look like shit compared to them. You didn’t play last season, no one’s sure about how you’re going to play this season. You’re a wildcard. Except for you, Cash, but you’re not exactly a shining star with those tattoos and the bad attitude. This picture is just the shit sprinkles on top of the shit cake for you three. The only way forward is cleaning up your image. Change the lens that people see that photo through. It’s not raunchy sex; it’s true love that’s surviving against all odds.”
“No wonder Deacon doesn’t seem to like you very much.” I scowled at her with everything I had.
“You want us to pretend like we’re in love with her?” Hayes was kinder in his rejection of her idea, of course. “That’s your big idea?”
“Told you so.” Deacon rolled his eyes behind her back and leaned against Coach’s desk. “It’s a shit idea, Katie.”
“Don’t fucking call me that.” She took a deep breath and turned back to us, fire blazing in her eyes. “It’s the only way you’re going to clean up your image right now. Deacon’s big idea was to release a statement that you were victims in a cruel woman’s petty revenge plan and that you’re ashamed of your actions. You’ll do better in the future to represent your great state, blah, blah, and more blah. If you want to do that, go ahead. You’ll look like weak assholes who got bested by a girl. In this state? Go ahead and sign your career away. People react so kindly to PR apologies these days. Be my guest. I can move to a better PR firm tomorrow, and probably will. What willyoudo when you become a laughing stock who lost his talent to the guys his little sister bangs.”
“Jesus, Katie.” Deacon jerked to his feet and gripped her shoulders to ease her away. “There’s no reason to go for fucking blood. And for the record, you signed a year long contract. Unless you want to buy it out, you’re not going anywhere.”
It took all of my southern upbringing to not tell a woman to go fuck herself. I took several deep breaths and glanced over at my brothers. “Can we fucking leave now?”
Hayes was sitting up and looking torn, though. I could see the wheels turning in his head and figured he was about to ruin my plans to storm out. “What would we need to do?”
Kate smirked at Deacon and pulled out three matching folders. “Let’s go over it.”
12
***Cass***
In all my time as a student I’d never been summoned anywhere by anyone. I’d never gotten into trouble and I didn’t like the feeling, at all. Being summoned to Coach James’ office in the middle of the day by a PR team didn’t feel like a good thing. I couldn’t even pretend like it was going to be something good as I crossed campus and saw heads turn to follow me. It was like I was walking to my own execution and everyone knew.
Nothing improved when I got to the office and heard loud voices from the other side. I hesitated with my fist in the air, hovering in front of the door. I couldn’t make out the words but I didn’t get the feeling that they were good.
“Like a bandaid…” I straightened my shoulders and tightened my ponytail before knocking.
