34. Harper
34
HARPER
“ W hat the fuck were you thinking?” Issy hisses as she pulls me into the kitchen after surprising her with a runaway groom on her doorstep.
“I was thinking of what was best for my client and bringing him somewhere the media wouldn’t look for him,” I whisper yell at her so Pierre and Felix can’t hear us arguing. I knew she was going to be upset, but honestly, I thought this was the best solution because everyone knows they don’t get on, so why would Pierre hole himself up at her place?
“In my home.”
“It made sense in my head, but I see now, in practice, it might not be such a great idea,” I tell her.
“I can’t believe you did this to me,” Issy says, shaking her head.
“I had no choice.”
“And why should I do this for him?” She glares at me.
“For closure. Because I don’t think you have ever gotten over his betrayal, and I don’t think you will ever be able to move on until you do,” I tell her.
Issy looks at me as if I just slapped her in the face. “Don’t you hate him?”
“We’re friends now,” I tell her, which was not the right answer judging by her face. “Honestly, it’s going to be the best therapy. Face your fears.”
“You’re asking me to shock therapy myself with my ex while he is hiding from his ex because she’s been boning his boss.”
“I can tell you it’s not a visual you would want to see,” Pierre says, stepping into the kitchen and interrupting our conversation.
“This is a private conversation,” Issy snaps at Pierre.
“About me,” he argues.
Felix walks in behind his brother. “Sorry, I couldn’t stop him,” he says, giving me a guilty look.
“He’s your client, why can’t he stay with you?” Issy asks me, which is a valid point.
“You’re going to have to get used to me being around you, Issy, seeing as my brother is dating your best friend.”
“No, I don’t have to.”
“I’m also going to try to get picked up by The Mavericks.”
“You’re doing what?” Issy gasps then turns to Felix. “I didn’t think you ever wanted to play on the same team as him. You said he was too competitive against you.”
Way to throw Felix under the bus, Issy.
“I push him to be better,” Pierre argues.
“You bulldoze over him because your fucking ego is uncontrollable. And it looks like nothing has changed since college,” Issy yells at him.
“My life has blown up. I was supposed to be getting married this weekend. My career is circling the drain over this. Everything I have worked for could vanish,” Pierre yells at Issy, who angrily folds her arms in front of her. “Please, Issy, give me one week and then I’ll be out of your hair. I promise,” Pierre pleads.
Issy’s brows pull together. “Can’t you go back to Quebec with your mom?”
“She’s stayed in Italy with my sisters, they are having a holiday,” he explains.
“I don’t feel comfortable,” Issy states.
“I promise you won’t see me. I’ll stay in my room,” Pierre tells her. Issy shakes her head, not looking convinced at all. This was a stupid idea. Why in the hell did I think this would work? But I do believe Issy and Pierre need to hash things out. “Fine, I’ll play hardball then. I thought my agency would try to help their client get out of a contract and find them a new one. That’s what managers do, don’t they?”
I look over at Felix, grimacing at his brother’s words.
Issy looks like she wants to throat-punch Pierre. I wouldn’t blame her.
“One week and then you are fucking out of my house.” She points her finger at him, then turns on her heel, and starts to leave the room.
“Oh, one more thing,” Pierre calls out to her. Issy stops and turns around, and I can see how angry she is. “I need to go get Frankston.”
“Frankston? Who the hell is Frankston?” Issy asks.
“My dog.”
Her brows raise. “Your dog.”
“He’s my baby, I can’t leave him,” he tells her.
“And you want to bring him here, to my home?” she asks him.
Pierre nods. “He’s house-trained. He’s a good boy.”
Issy stares at him as if he’s lost his mind. “Fine, but if he destroys anything you are paying for it.”
“Promise.” He grins.
“Why am I here at the butt crack of dawn?” Meadow asks, walking into my home, sipping her chai latte. “And why the hell are you back in the city? Aren’t you supposed to be in Italy screwing the kid?” She stills. “Don’t tell me you and the kid broke up, ‘cause I was rooting for you two.”
“The kid?”
“That’s what I call Felix in my head,” Meadow states.
“He’s a man, I can assure you.”
“I’m sure he is.” She smirks.
“Anyway, no we haven’t broken up,” I tell her.
“Thank goodness, I like you two together, he makes you less bitchy. Must be the good sex,” she states.
“It’s ...”
“It’s mind-blowing, I think you were going to say,” Felix calls out as he grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator in the kitchen.
Meadow smirks. “Maybe I need to date an athlete, they seem to have stamina.”
“Focus,” I tell her. “And yes, they do. Have you heard of Pierre St. Pierre?” She shakes her head. “He’s Felix’s brother. Hottest player in the league at the moment.”
“She means hottest as in one of the best, not looks wise,” Felix adds. I roll my eyes at him. “Fine, I’m going, see you when I get back,” he says, leaning down and placing a kiss on my temple before walking out the door.
“That was cute. Where the hell is he going at this time?” Meadow asks.
“Running around Central Park with my brother,” I say, shaking my head.
“He’s already in with the family, you’ll never get rid of him.” She smirks.
“Anyway, Pierre was supposed to get married this weekend, in Italy,” I explain to her.
Meadow’s eyes widen. “Is that whose wedding it was? I couldn’t remember. Wait, you said was supposed to get married.” I nod. “Shit, tell me everything.”
“Pierre is now one of our clients,” I explain to her.
“He is?”
I nod. “You and I will be handling this. It’s a delicate matter.”
“He was caught boning one of the bridesmaids?” she asks.
“If only, unfortunately, I had the misfortune of being there with him when we found his fiancée getting screwed in the villa’s gardens by none other than Bill Reeve.”
“He’s like sixty-something.” Meadow gasps.
“And a billionaire. A supposedly happily married, billionaire who owns Pierre’s team.”
“And a villa in Tuscany.”
Huh? “What did you say?” I ask.
“I remember seeing an interview with him walking around a villa in Tuscany.”
“No. Kitty couldn’t possibly be getting married in his villa? That’s messed up.” I gasp.
“Would save a heap of money. Maybe Bill offered, and Pierre thought sure, why not. Everyone loves a bargain,” Meadow adds.
“That’s messed up.” I quickly type away on my phone searching for images of Bill’s home. “You’re right,” I say, turning my phone around and showing her the images. “That’s where we just were. If he offered her his villa this affair must have been going on for ages. Like you plan weddings years in advance, don’t you?”
“I think so,” Meadow adds. “So, Kitty Hutchinson is a gold digger. Don’t tell me she banged him in exchange for using his villa?”
“People have done worse for less,” I add.
Meadow plays on her phone. “She probably did it for a Birkin, too. Why else would a young woman be banging a senior citizen when she has a young, hot, hockey player in her bed,” Meadow states. “Knew it,” she says, turning her phone around. “A year ago, she showed off buying herself a Birkin bag. That bag isn’t cheap either, it’s like seventy grand. Oh, and only recently, she talked about getting a Ferrari with the money she makes from modeling. We know she isn’t that in demand.”
“You think Bill’s being buying her all that stuff?”
“Unless Pierre has been. I don’t know how much hockey players make.” Meadow shrugs.
“I asked Felix earlier, he said between five to twenty million a year for the elite ones,” I tell her.
Meadow whistles. “Who knew those hockey men were so cashed up? So, it makes no sense why Kitty would throw it all away for some old guy?”
“I had to go through Pierre’s messages last night on the plane, he gave me access to his phone to deal with it. Kitty is a bitch. The things she was saying as she was melting down were horrendous. I sent a message back saying to tell everyone there was a family emergency, and he had to go back to Canada, or he would release the footage he had of her and Bill. She really lost it, but she seems to have kept her word judging by the media posts that are now coming through.”
“At least she’s got some sense,” Meadow says.
“Now we hope Bill has the same kind of sense and lets Pierre out of his contract. He wants nothing to do with the team, but he still has two years left. While we were on the plane, he spoke to his lawyer and agent and told them he wants them to pay out his contract and let him be a free agent. He wants to stay in New York with his family,” I explain.
“Seems fair, but is it doable to let him out of his contract?” she asks.
“It is if Bill doesn’t want his wife to find out about his little side piece,” I tell her.
“You don’t think the wife already knows? These billionaire men are going to do whatever the hell they want.”
This is true. “I’m hoping she doesn’t, so we have leverage.”
My front door opens, that must be Issy and Pierre. Moments later, they both appear, stoney faced with cups of coffee in their hands.
“Morning,” I say cheerily. They both grunt at me.
“Hi, I’m Meadow, second in charge of The Rose Agency. Sorry to meet you under these circumstances,” she says to Pierre, who gives her a nod.
“Have your lawyers heard back from Bill’s lawyers?” I ask him.
“Not yet,” he says, shaking his head.
“Looks like Kitty is playing nice and has kept to the script. You’re just going to have to stay low, so the media doesn’t find you here. At the moment, they think you’ve gone back to Canada,” I explain to them.
“Aren’t they going to question why she’s not with me?” Pierre asks.
“We can say she is dealing with the wedding stuff,” I advise.
“Won’t they see Pierre’s family traveling around Italy?” Issy asks.
“I’ve asked them not to share anything online until we have sorted all this.”
“This buys us some time. Don’t you think they are going to have questions if I’m released from my team?” Pierre asks.
“My hope is you can get signed with The Mavericks. Felix has gone for a run with my brother to get him on board to help convince our father who is on the board of The Mavericks to push for a deal with you, but we can’t do anything until we find out what is happening with Bill.”
“Fucking Bill,” Pierre curses.
“Okay, say this all works out. Don’t you think they are going to wonder why Kitty hasn’t moved to New York?” Issy asks.
“If Bill agrees and lets me go, I’m happy to say I got cold feet and that I think Kitty and I are better off as friends,” Pierre states.
“Women will crucify you. Actually, everyone will. The golden boy persona will be tarnished, which will make it hard for your sponsors, which could mean they drop you, and once that starts happening, it’s all downhill,” Meadow explains.
“I’m going to be crucified either way,” Pierre says.
“Not if you tell the truth. I’m surprised Bill didn’t respond straight away to your request which is a fricken nice request. I think he thinks he has you over a barrel and that you won’t blow up everything,” Meadow states.
“You think?” Pierre asks Meadow.
“Men like him think they hold all the power in the world because of their money. He knows you do not want to ruin your career. He knows how much your image probably means to you, and I bet little miss gold digger is in his ear telling him, he’s Canadian, he’s too nice, he’s not going to do shit.” Meadow is making solid statements. “The question is, how far are you willing to go?”
“All the way. I want out,” Pierre says confidently.
“Think about this, Pierre, don’t let your anger or revenge sway you. This could mess up your career,” Issy warns him.
“And what happens if Bill decides he’s going to punish me and make me stay playing for his team? Two years of utter hell, I will give him my worst, I will not let him win any silverware. Me playing shit is going to ruin my career also,” he explains.
“We need to speak to Jackson and find out if his wife knows about his affair?” Issy asks me.
“Already on it. He said he should have something to me by lunch,” I tell her.
“You sure about this, Pierre? Because once this gets out your world is going to implode,” Issy warns him.
“I will go anywhere in the world as long as I don’t have to stay there,” he tells her.
“Right. Okay. Guess we wait and see if Bill is going to come play,” Issy states.
“Pierre, if you need my plane to get your dog you can use it,” I tell him.
“Harper,” he says my name, “I … I don’t know what to say.”
“Thank you is a good place,” I tease.
“Of course, thank you. I don’t know how I’m going to repay you for your kindness.”
“There’s one condition,” I say.
“Anything,” Pierre answers quickly.
“Take Issy, she’s been working hard, and I think she needs to get out of the city.”
“No,” Issy shouts at me.
“Yes,” I say.
“Fuck you, Harper. I agreed to him staying for the week, and I agreed he could bring his dog there, but I am not jumping on the plane and going to pick it up. You have just increased my workload,” Issy declares.
“That’s my condition,” I tell her.
“That’s not fair. You’re being a real bitch you know,” she yells at me
“I know.” I grin.
“You can work from the plane,” Meadow adds.
“Stay out of this,” Issy snaps at her.
“I can rent my own, Issy, you don’t have to come,” Pierre says.
She throws her hands up in the air. “How am I now the bad guy? This is so unfair. Come on, let’s go get the fucking dog and whatever else you need from your home,” Issy grumbles as she stomps out of my home.
“She did not look happy about that,” Meadow says.
“That’s because there is serious unfinished business between the two of them.” I chuckle.
“Wait, what between Issy and Pierre?” Meadow asks.
“They were childhood sweethearts until he was an asshole and cheated on her in college.” Meadow rolls her eyes. “The first time she saw him again after he broke her heart was at her father’s funeral.”
“Shit. That’s years.”
“Yep. I mean, I’ve only just made up with him. We were all friends,” I add.
“Wow.”
“Pierre’s sisters think he’s still in love with Issy, and when we spoke at his wedding, he couldn’t stop asking questions about her,” I tell her.
“You think seeing her again after all these years has reopened something?”
“Yep.”
“You’re playing fucking Cupid, aren’t you?” Meadow asks.
“No Cupid, but I think they need to talk through it. It’s been over ten years. She hightailed it to London after finding him with another girl. She then blocked him everywhere and completely scrubbed him from her life.”
“Shit.”
“Right. So, I don’t know if she can move on to find happiness because she hasn’t dealt with her feelings for him.”
“And you think now is the right time as his life and career are slowly imploding?”
“What’s one more thing added to the chaos.” I chuckle.
“They are either going to fall in love or she’s going to murder you,” Meadow teases.