Again.
The thought made him feel sick.
‘Oh, well isn’t that just the freakin’ cherry on top … ’ exclaimed Bernie, throwing his hands up in the air and bringing Ward back into the present. ‘And after all of the good work she did. Jesus, do you have any self-awareness at all? Are you able to even fathom that your actions have consequences?’
‘Of course I do,’ he retorted, jumping out of his chair defensively. ‘I just couldn’t stand by and let her be roughed up like a ragdoll, OK? She doesn’t deserve that, don’t you get it? She’s special, Bernie. She’s—’
Emotion was thick in his voice and Ward’s impassioned reaction was not lost on Bernie, who had known his client for more years than he could honestly remember. And now recognition dawned.
‘Aw crap,’ Bernie said, shaking his head. ‘Why didn’t I see this before? That’s it, isn’t it? You have something going on with Hannah? This is all some crazy love triangle shit, isn’t it?’
Ward squared his shoulders and jutted out his chin. ‘No, there’s nothing going on, it’s just … I didn’t want to see anything bad happen to her, OK?’
But Bernie wasn’t buying it.
‘You know I’ve known you way too long, right? You’re a skirt chaser.Everyoneknows you are. And this just solidifies your image. Bad boy womaniser – getting involved with another guy’s girl. That’s what working with Hannah was supposed to turn around, but you dragged her right into it, huh? Knight in shining armour, my ass.’
He opened his mouth to defend himself and also to insist that Hannah hadn’t done anything wrong, hadn’t crossed over any professional lines and she shouldn’t be blamed for anything, but Bernie cut him off.
‘You know, everything I arranged for you was contingent on you turning things around. Your recovery, getting off the pills …’ When Ward looked up sharply, his agent shook his head. ‘You think I didn’t know about the pills? That’s part of it too but only a part. Getting you back on track was also tied to the public deciding you aren’t an asshole – that you don’t have anger management problems, that you aren’t a toxic knuckle-dragger. And for a while there, I thought you truly were turning things around. But now you have successfully managed to throw away everything in a matter of minutes by kicking the ass of a pro golfer … a PGA champ in the prime of his career … and it seems becoming involved in some imbroglio with the publicist I arranged for you. Who quits after you pick a fight with her boyfriend on the red carpet! Who knowswhat the hell else is going on, what else could come out … ’ Bernie paused, catching his breath, as impassioned with rage as Ward had been on the TV a moment ago. ‘Man, you know you and I go way back,’ he continued, ‘but I just don’t know anymore. After all this, don’t expect Panthers’ management to welcome you back with such open arms anymore – Craig Sumners is already in my ear. This kind of stuff is bad publicity. He’s not happy. No one is. They will likely buy out your contract because they have to, but don’t expect to be a part of the squad ever again.’
At these words, Ward’s face fell.
Could his career really be over this time? This kind of stuff was right up Jefferson Prince’s alley, after all…
He shook his head. ‘Sumners is not going to cut me now,’ he started, thinking if he put the words out there, he could make them true. ‘Not after that big public welcome home.’
‘He might not have a choice,’ Bernie replied darkly. ‘He and Prince might be OK with this kinda macho bullshit but the sponsors won’t. And you know no one else is going to touch you either. There’s not going to be a team out there willing to take on a player so volatile and unpredictable – no one wants their brand hurt by a loose cannon.’ He sighed once again and looked at Ward, his face finally softening. ‘And really, man, when that happens … ’
‘What?’ Ward barked, trepidation in his voice at his agent’s tone.
‘Then I’m going to have to take Hannah’s lead. You’ve become a lot of work lately. And eventually, a guy like me has to question if the juice is worth the squeeze.’
Chapter 63
HANNAH
Hannah was sick of explaining. She was exhausted from having to repeat the same story over and over. And especially weary from having to plead her case with every higher-up in the New York office. To say nothing of the fact that she was utterly mortified at having her private life thrust out into the open yet again.
No matter what she said, or what explanation or viewpoint she provided, no one at Lotus HR was going to take her seriously now. Not after what had happened before with Rob. This was just another example of her messing up – a walking case study of hownotto be a public relations professional. It was mortifying.
The day after, Hannah was told to stop everything she was doing for her current portfolio and instructed in no uncertain terms, that she should stay entirely out of the public eye nor speak to any member of the press. The firm’s damage control and crisis management arm had gone into overdrive, trying to clean up what had happened, which included putting her on a leave of absence for an undetermined amount of time and informing Ward and his agent that the company was severing their contract.
All in all, a nightmare.Now, she was huddled in a pair of cotton pyjamas on Courtney’s couch under a blanket, all the blinds shut tight in the apartment to keep out the light of day and mute thesounds of the street below, where millions of happy New Yorkers went on about their days, their lives not in shambles and their futures bright.
Her phone buzzed again, and she glanced at the screen. Private number.
She knew Lotus wouldn’t mask its identity if someone from HR was calling to deliver a verdict.
That meant press, she thought,or Ward. Or Rob. All of whom had been calling and messaging relentlessly in the aftermath and whom Hannah did not want to talk to right now. Or ever.
But a troublesome thought played at the edges of her brain.
Hannah knew she would survive if she never spoke with a member of the press again. She also was perfectly fine with keeping Rob in her rear-view mirror for the rest of her life. In fact, if she never had to lay eyes on him again, she would consider it a success.
But Ward … A fresh ache settled in her chest when she imagined never speaking to him again, or seeing him again, or hearing him complain or tease her … or laugh.
Even though she was still spitting feathers with him for his part in her latest humiliation. Hannah kicked the sofa with her sock-clad foot and threw her head under the blanket as if doing so would make her problems disappear. But if anything, the darkness under the covers amplified the confused thoughts that ran rampant through her mind.
