“Oh yeah?” Nick presses a kiss to my temple. “What’s that?”
“Next time, you lock the door.”
His warm, rich laughter echoes out, filling me up inside.
“A lesson learned indeed.”
Chapter Eighteen
BEXLEY
Iwish I’d never started these.
Another week, another press conference.
It’s the thought that goes through my head as I answer another one of the questions lobbed in my direction. Sure, Dad told me I didn’t need to do these.
The need to prove myself to everyone though? I thought it would be a way to get in good standing with the fans.
A woman can only be asked so many times how the recovery of their star player is going without losing her mind.
Same as last week. And the week before that. And the week before that as well. The press doesn’t want to hear that. They want an underlying reason, something juicy, as to why Noah Fields isn’t recovering the way we’d hoped.
I guess it’s better than them questioning my abilities to run the team.I’ll take what I can get.
“Yes, Trent.” I point to the familiar face in the front row. When I first met him, he had salted-brown hair. Now, it’s completely white. I wonder if it’s the stress of this job. Even still, he’s one of the few people in here I don’t mind dealing with.Always fair and never spreading false rumors. The same can’t be said for a lot of people here.
“Care to comment on the latest story with Sports Refresh?” he asks.
“Story? I’m not sure what you’re referring to.” This is the first time I’m hearing of this. Based on the gleeful look that washes over his face, he knows it too. Shit. Wasn’t I just singing his praises and now he looks like the cat that got the canary.
“Their CEO has been asked to step down in light of using company money for extracurricular activities. Ones that are not family friendly.”
Oh for fuck’s sake. Of all things to land on my desk today of all days.
Sports Refresh is one of our biggest sponsors. Their logo is plastered all over the boards at the arena. Hell, I’m pretty sure their logos are all over the water bottles sitting in the locker room now. It might even be on the backdrop behind me. And this supposed “family-run company” has a cheating philanderer at the helm?
My day just got infinitely worse.
I straighten in my seat, my mask of indifference that I’ve learned over the years sliding into place. “As it is still a developing story, Trent, I will not comment until the full facts have been released. Thank you all for being here, but I have a meeting with our coach that I need to attend. Have a nice day.”
Grabbing my tablet, my eyes dart to the backdrop. I hate being right sometimes. The logo for our biggest sponsor is right there, mocking me.
These are the days I hate my job. As soon as I find out who kept this from me, they are going to hate their job too.
I do my best to walk out of the room at an easy pace, when all I really want to do is run down to my communications director and ask what the fuck is going on.
Throwing open the door, I see it’s one less thing to do because Cassie is already waiting there for me.
“Bexley, I can explain.”
“My office, now,” I grit out, stalking in that direction. “Not here.”
I don’t want any prying eyes or recording mics to hear this conversation. There has to be a reasonable explanation as to why I didn’t find out about this.
I make it a point to know everything that’s going on that could affect my team. Trades among other teams, coaching changes. Hell, even a change in equipment managers I like to know about.
Anything that will give me an edge on my opponent to do better in my job, I take it.
