“You talk about showing up for my daughter, well now’s the time, Madden. You better find a way to shift the media’s attention.”
“I know how high the stakes are.”
“Do you though, Phillip? Because I’m not sure you thought through the consequences of your actions.” He runs a rough hand through his hair. “I should have said no. I shouldn’t have allowed this.”
“With all due respect, sir, Tally and I are both adults?—”
“Don’t,” he snaps. “Don’t tell me you can make your own choices. She’s my baby. You knew you’d be under a microscope. You said it yourself, your job was to protect her and show the hockey-watching nation that you’d grown up and changed, that you could handle the responsibility of dating your coach’s fucking daughter. Instead, you’ve turned her into the worst kind of gossip. How do you think it will affect her job prospects when she’s splashed all over the internet like this?” Vander Zee looks like he’s two seconds away from punching me in the face.
I wouldn’t stop him. He’s right about all of it.
“I will fix this, sir.”
“You better, or you’ll be uninvited to family dinner next weekend and you’ll be warming a bench in Winnipeg next season. If they’ll even take you. Get the fuck out of my office.”
I feel sick all over again as I push out of his chair. What if I ruin her future? What if he does trade me? I need to make this better.
My next stop is Hemi’s office again.
She and Hammer are sitting at her conference table, heads bowed. Dallas is lounging in the executive chair behind her desk.
“Close the door,” Hemi says without looking up.
“Want me to leave, honey?” Dallas asks.
“No, actually. You’re good at cleaning up messes, so you might have something valuable to contribute.” She closes herlaptop. “Judging from your expression, your conversation with Vander Zee didn’t go as well as planned.”
“Not really, no.”
“You did make it look like you had sex with his daughter in a public bathroom,” Dallas says, unhelpfully.
“Thanks for the reminder I didn’t need.”
Dallas ignores my angry glare. “You should tell the media the truth.”
“And embarrass Tally more by telling the world she got her period in a restaurant and bled through her dress?”
“It’s a hell of a lotlessembarrassing than everyone believing she got screwed in a public bathroom after a nice meal, isn’t it?” Dallas picks up a crocheted peach from the basket on Hemi’s desk and rolls it between his fingers. “And you can helpfully point out that while in the past you made some choices that had questionable consequences, you sure haven’t made a habit of it in the past few years. You could also mention that you’re a grown-up, and that your goal was to protect your girlfriend from embarrassment, but thanks to the way things get twisted around, she’s forced to endure more of it instead. Also, no one wants to talk about periods, even though they’re part of life, so shoving that at the media will shut them up real fast. Women are badasses for dealing with that every freaking month.”
Hemi and Hammer clap.
Dallas grins.
After a moment, Hemi clears her throat. “Dallas makes a good point. If you run with the truth, they will back off, which is what we want. A ruined dress is a whole lot more appealing than a ruined reputation. Plus, it paints you as the boyfriend who literally gave his girlfriend the shirt off his back to save her from the humiliation the media is happy to shower her with.”
“This could work,” I muse. “Whatever I can do to make it easier for Tally. How soon can you get me an interview?”
Hemi reaches for her phone. “I can have someone here in half an hour.”
“Make the call. That will give us enough time to prep.”
Hemi secures the exclusive interview.
“Anything I need to know about the journalist?” I ask once she’s off the phone.
“She went to Tilton and her brother plays pro hockey in Chicago. She’s been following your story and is on our side, so it’ll be a fair interview.”
Connor appears in the doorway, hand poised to knock. He rests it on the jamb instead. “I’m glad to see you’re still alive.” His gaze falls on me. “My wife would be exceptionally sad if Vander Zee unalived you to death for having sex with his daughter in a public bathroom.”
