Chapter 10 – Hook & Hold
Mandy Pulling The Strings
December
Mandy
Wow! That conversation with Melly went smoother than I expected. I thought I'd get a full tantrum out of her. Honestly, I'm disappointed. I do enjoy a bit of drama.
I stretch out on the hotel bed after putting my plan in motion. Jaxson's passed out beside me, drunk again. He's wasted most nights now, slurring, stumbling, out long before the late news. I wouldn't be surprised if he takes a shot before he even steps onto the ice these days. He starts hitting the bottle the moment he gets up. Right now, he's snoring heavily, completely unaware I'm even here. Some days, I have to sneak into his room because it feels like he's avoiding me, and I can't have that. I've worked too hard to let anything, even him, get in the way.
Earlier, on the hotel balcony, I slipped away with his phone to take care of a few… necessary tasks. When he's that far gone, unlocking it with his thumb is child's play. He didn't even stir. I sat in a chair and flipped through his contacts, deciding where to strike first.
My opening move was Melly’s dad, Gord. I edited his contact, deleted his real number, and replaced it with one of the burner phones I picked up for this purpose. A few taps later, a fake text sat ready to send in Gord's firm tone. Stern disappointment, with just enough bite to sound authentic. I even threw in a curt, "We don't want to see you at Christmas." Then I marked Gord's real number as spam and blocked him.
Next was Melly. Same process. Swap her number with another burner I bought. And while Jaxson sleeps a mere ten feet away, I send her a carefully curated message to her real number from his phone. The fake Christmas text. Aimed for maximum damage. Short, cold, it will land like a slap. Once it sends, I block her real number and mark it as spam so that none of her calls or messages will ever reach him. Not that they ever try anymore.
I leave the burner phone number in her contact field, unblocked, so that Jaxson will think nothing is wrong, if he even notices or cares. Next level genius. And, if he does text her, the messages will come to me! And Melly will be shut out entirely.
Then I dug through his apps until I found that annoying auto-message Jaxson set up to drip-feed Melly every morning. It took me thirty seconds to deactivate it. No bounce backs, no alerts, nothing but silence. He won't realize anything is wrong until it's far too late.
Once all call logs were cleared, backups wiped, and all traces of what I'd done were gone, I called Melly from his phone. By the time she picked up, the fake Christmas text had already simmered nicely. Twisting the knife was delicious.
Everything I told Melly? Lies. Complete fiction. I paid for the tacky gifts I sent her myself, after cancelling the diamond bracelet Jaxson had ordered for her. I'm already working on securing my spot for Christmas in Palm Springs with him and his family.
And the best part? We're not even in Palm Springs. I followed Jaxson to his last game like all the other puck bunnies. But unlike them, I have a goal. He sat alone in the corner at the afterparty, drinking himself sideways, while he ignored me all night. Just beforepassing out, his eyes finally land on me. That's the only time he reaches for me now, when he's too far gone to know better. Rod hauls him back to his hotel room and unceremoniously dumps him on the bed. I smile sweetly and offer totake care of him. Rod practically flees the room, relieved I'm there to take him off his hands.
As I unbutton Jaxson's shirt, I laugh at how easily things have fallen into my lap. When I first saw Jaxson on the ice, I knew he would be mine. Teresa, my best friend, pointed out he was married and, at the time, was aloof. But the more games I showed up to and put myself in front of him, flirting, the more he watched me. At first, it was just subtly, but then I noticed him eyeing me more and more. Once Rod pulled Teresa and me into his circle, Jaxson loosened up almost overnight.
That first night with Jaxson was a little touch-and-go until I got enough shots in him. I stayed sober, of course. He loosened up, and while it was a sloppy encounter, it didn't take as much effort the next time.
I practically lived and breathed the team after that. Sticking close by, making myself useful when I could, and soon, Jaxson and I became a hot item. I managed to keep other women away from them. It was easy if you were as experienced in manipulation as I am. A bit of intimidation, combined with being sexy, worked wonders. Keeping the girls scared off while seducing Jaxson was child's play. But it seemed he was still hung up on his wife, so I had to work hard to keep him occupied, showing up everywhere he was.
You'd be amazed at what you can learn when you stay quiet and listen. His actual PA, Mrs. Baker, was only hired after those paparazzi photos I arranged outside Jaxson's hotel room hit all the headlines. His PR team practically forced him into taking her on—damage control and all that. Cost me an enormous amount to get that photographer in the right place at the right time, but it was worth every penny to drive another wedge between Jaxson and his wife. She needs to get with the program. He's had an upgrade. Me.
Now Mrs. Baker is off sipping cocktails on a two-week Christmas cruise with her new husband, which means even if Melly tries to reach her, she can't. Not that she even makes the effort—at least not now. So I generously step in while Mrs. Baker's gone. I don't think Jaxson's thrilled about it, but oh well. He needs one, and now he has me. Everything's lining up perfectly.
Even if Jaxson doesn't bring me to Palm Springs with him, I'll follow. He's not getting rid of me that easily.
I know it's complicated, but hey... what else is a girl to do to keep her man?
I smile blissfully and curl up to Jaxson, pulling the cover up over us. "Good night, my love," I whisper as I kiss him while he sleeps.
Jaxson
"What the heck!" I exclaim as awareness creeps back in. My arm is tangled in long hair, a warm body pressed against me.Melly?I force my eyes open. My stomach drops.
Mandy.
I groan as I ease myself loose from her, scrubbing my hand down my face in frustration.
Did I let her in my room again?
When I opened the marriage, I fantasized about nonstop sex. Quick hookups, stolen moments, bathroom quickies, fast thrills, a little chaos to spice up my life. I imagined laughter and heat and bodies pressed together in dark corners, maybe a few hotel-room encounters after games. Nothing serious, nothing messy, just easy excitement.
Instead, it's exhausting. Most of the time, girls barely say hello before their hands are out. Drinks, meals, gifts, favors. They don't care about me. In a bar, men with money or fame blend together, and girls hunt perks, not people. If I hesitate for even a second, they move on to the next target. I learned after the first few times that it didn't matter in the end whether I played Daddy Warbucks, because they had their agenda, and it wasn't always me.
Mandy was the only one who started off differently. Flirty, sexy, interested in me. Our first time together was a little awkward because I'd only ever been with my wife. I had to get a little tipsy to be with Mandy. After that, it got easier. Didn't have to get as wasted with her.
