I’m doing both.”
His humor cut through the tension as everyone laughed.
“We’re just working out the communications strategy,” Breck
said. “We’ll meet with the media this morning. Cody will apologize.”
“He will?”
“He will,” he said grimly.
“Great,” she said. “Then hopefully the media will leave me
alone.”
“Are they hounding you?”
“They were outside my condo this morning and they’re hanging
around outside here too.”
“Yeah, I saw them this morning.” Breck nodded. “We’ll deal
with them.” He paused. “Nicole, we think you should take some time off.”
“What?” She gazed back at him. “Take time off?”
“Yeah.” He grimaced. “You know. Just to let this die down.”
“Are you firing me?” she asked slowly.
“No! Of course not. We just thought, for your own sake…”
“Things are really busy right now.”
“Yeah. Things are always busy, though.”
Damn. They wanted her out of the way and she couldn’t blame
them. She was letting down everyone. Her heart clenched. “So you’re paying for
my trip to Hawaii?” They all burst out laughing and she gave a crooked smile.
“I guess that’s a no.”
“You know,” Matt said. “If we could finish that trade deal
and announce it, that would take a lot of the attention off this.”
Trade? They were making a trade? “Are you trading Cody?” she
asked eagerly.
They all frowned. “Uh. No,” Scott said. He rolled his eyes
and she knew he wanted to say more. “We need more offensive power. This is all
hush hush,” he added and she nodded. She knew better than to repeat anything
she heard, whether to players, the media or her friends. Sometimes that was
hard, since her best friend happened to be married to one of the players.
“Go home,” Joe said. “Take a week. This’ll all have died
down by next week.”
It was tempting. The thought of facing the players made her
insides burn. Not only Cody, but Tyler, whom she’d gone out with once and
probably was never going to again. And the rest of the players. She’d only
dated one other player on the team—the other guys she’d had relationships with
played for other teams—but she counted some of those guys as friends. Facing
any of them was going to be embarrassing after what Cody’d said. And with a
sinking feeling, she realized it was going to be embarrassing facing anyone
who’d seen that little comment by Cody, and that was going to be a lot of
people. Sure, she could take off and go into hiding. But she was going to have
to face people some time.
“I think they’re suspending him for his own protection,”
Scott said wryly. “His own teammates are pissed at him. Your brother plays here
this week. Some of the other guys you’ve…” His voice trailed off.
Nicole kept her chin lifted and met his eyes. She knew he’d
been about to mention the other guys she’d dated who might come to her defense
and try to retaliate against Cody on the ice the next time they played the
Caribou. The organization had to be annoyed at being put in this position and
it was all because of her and her dating history. “I’m sorry,” she said, her
heart heavy.
“Don’t apologize,” Breck said. “Cody’s the one who crossed
the line.”
Their support of her meant a lot to her, but even so, she
knew she’d brought this on herself. This was hurting not only her, but also the
team and the whole league. And probably her father, who apparently cared more
about image than he did about her. Merde.
* * * * *
“I feel like the team slut.”
That evening, she and Taylor lounged in the great room of
Taylor and Fedor’s gorgeous Calhoun Parkway home.
“You’re not a slut,” Taylor said. “More wine?”
“Yes, please.”
Taylor plucked her glass from her hand and glided over to
the bar where a wine bottle sat in a bucket. The pot lights above the bar
illuminated her long blonde hair into gleaming waves of gold down her back.
“Are you going to take
His humor cut through the tension as everyone laughed.
“We’re just working out the communications strategy,” Breck
said. “We’ll meet with the media this morning. Cody will apologize.”
“He will?”
“He will,” he said grimly.
“Great,” she said. “Then hopefully the media will leave me
alone.”
“Are they hounding you?”
“They were outside my condo this morning and they’re hanging
around outside here too.”
“Yeah, I saw them this morning.” Breck nodded. “We’ll deal
with them.” He paused. “Nicole, we think you should take some time off.”
“What?” She gazed back at him. “Take time off?”
“Yeah.” He grimaced. “You know. Just to let this die down.”
“Are you firing me?” she asked slowly.
“No! Of course not. We just thought, for your own sake…”
“Things are really busy right now.”
“Yeah. Things are always busy, though.”
Damn. They wanted her out of the way and she couldn’t blame
them. She was letting down everyone. Her heart clenched. “So you’re paying for
my trip to Hawaii?” They all burst out laughing and she gave a crooked smile.
“I guess that’s a no.”
“You know,” Matt said. “If we could finish that trade deal
and announce it, that would take a lot of the attention off this.”
Trade? They were making a trade? “Are you trading Cody?” she
asked eagerly.
They all frowned. “Uh. No,” Scott said. He rolled his eyes
and she knew he wanted to say more. “We need more offensive power. This is all
hush hush,” he added and she nodded. She knew better than to repeat anything
she heard, whether to players, the media or her friends. Sometimes that was
hard, since her best friend happened to be married to one of the players.
“Go home,” Joe said. “Take a week. This’ll all have died
down by next week.”
It was tempting. The thought of facing the players made her
insides burn. Not only Cody, but Tyler, whom she’d gone out with once and
probably was never going to again. And the rest of the players. She’d only
dated one other player on the team—the other guys she’d had relationships with
played for other teams—but she counted some of those guys as friends. Facing
any of them was going to be embarrassing after what Cody’d said. And with a
sinking feeling, she realized it was going to be embarrassing facing anyone
who’d seen that little comment by Cody, and that was going to be a lot of
people. Sure, she could take off and go into hiding. But she was going to have
to face people some time.
“I think they’re suspending him for his own protection,”
Scott said wryly. “His own teammates are pissed at him. Your brother plays here
this week. Some of the other guys you’ve…” His voice trailed off.
Nicole kept her chin lifted and met his eyes. She knew he’d
been about to mention the other guys she’d dated who might come to her defense
and try to retaliate against Cody on the ice the next time they played the
Caribou. The organization had to be annoyed at being put in this position and
it was all because of her and her dating history. “I’m sorry,” she said, her
heart heavy.
“Don’t apologize,” Breck said. “Cody’s the one who crossed
the line.”
Their support of her meant a lot to her, but even so, she
knew she’d brought this on herself. This was hurting not only her, but also the
team and the whole league. And probably her father, who apparently cared more
about image than he did about her. Merde.
* * * * *
“I feel like the team slut.”
That evening, she and Taylor lounged in the great room of
Taylor and Fedor’s gorgeous Calhoun Parkway home.
“You’re not a slut,” Taylor said. “More wine?”
“Yes, please.”
Taylor plucked her glass from her hand and glided over to
the bar where a wine bottle sat in a bucket. The pot lights above the bar
illuminated her long blonde hair into gleaming waves of gold down her back.
“Are you going to take