Provoking the Punter

Chapter 9

CHAPTER

NINE

Caitlin pulled her notepad out of her handbag, then dropped the bag on the floor. Chester poured them both a glass of iced water and waited for her to begin. Usually, she called him, asked how dinner had gone, and he suspected the players were given feedback on their performance.

“How did it go? You’re not begging me to never send another one, so I’m assuming he survived?”

Their arrangement worked out nicely for both of them. New team members were seen by the right people, and one of their first duties was for charity. It looked good on paper. Not only that, but it gave the wealthy men and women in the city the feeling that they had an inside track on the team. And even if they didn’t follow football, it didn’t matter because football players had money and status.

“He was articulate and charming and asked all the right questions of the people there. Are you sure he plays football?” he asked with a smile.

She made a couple of notes. “Did he drink?”

“No. Had soda and lime all night, so it appeared to everyone else as if he was drinking. Afterward, he tasted my non-alcoholic gin. He chose the steak and ate dessert.” He offered the information, although she wouldn’t care about his meal choices. No, this was about protecting the team from scandal, and it seemed as though Garrett was on a very short leash, even if he didn’t realize it.

Chester leaned back. No, Garrett knew, and he was treading carefully, which was why there’d been fear in his eyes.

“I have to say, only having one player made the dinner more intimate. He made the effort to work the room while everybody was mingling before sitting. When there are a few of them, they clump together. Safety in numbers.”

“It’s easier to do individual dinners later in the season.”

“Come on, why are you so worried about him drinking? What’s the deal?” he asked as if he had no idea.

“Alcohol-fueled argument with the head coach of the Copperheads.”

Chester rested his elbow on his desk. “Really…” He couldn’t imagine Garrett getting into an argument with anyone. But then he didn’t know him, and one blowjob didn’t mean anything. “What’s the dirt?”

“That’s it. Which means it’s definitely not it.”

Chester leaned forward eagerly. Caitlin always had the best gossip. She worked PR for the team, and she seemed to know everybody and everything that went on in the city. She didn’t just have her finger on the pulse, she had her hand wrapped around the still beating heart.

This time it was he who had the inside information, and it was killing him not to share. She should know Garrett was blameless, but that would mean outing him. And he couldn’t do that.

He didn’t envy Garrett at all. He was carefully crafting the rope that would end up hanging him. If he came out, there’d be a small amount of shit, but it would fade away. If he waited, and the scandal hit him, it might be a career-ending shitstorm.

He was going to have to talk some sense into him.

Which meant he needed to make sure they talked. It was pretty hard to talk with your mouthful of dick. But Garrett could listen with his mouth full.

“Did he say anything to you?” she pressed.

Chester sagged. It looked like he wasn’t going to get anything from her. “No, I’m just the delightful host.”

“I’m going to have to talk to him again. He needs to know it’s better to sort these things out fast. Or at least have a plan in place.”

“He’s barely been here a week. Maybe give him a chance to settle in and trust some people… like his teammates. Perhaps, he’d be more likely to confide in them?”

She pressed her lips together. “There’s always a couple who think they can push through everything on their own, but it’s much easier if they just tell me and I can make things happen.”

That’s because some people have never had anyone to trust and help them.

Since he needed to talk to Garrett, he might as well pretend to be doing it for good causes and earn himself some extra points with Caitlin. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Ply him with alcohol until he talks?” She smiled.

Chester laughed. “Aside from that.”

“The trouble is when everybody keeps reciting the same thing, it means they’re sticking to a script, which means they’re covering something up.”

“And you can hear the clock ticking.”

“Exactly.” Her gaze narrowed. “I think you can, too.”

Did she suspect that he knew something? Well, he did, but she wasn’t supposed to know that. There was no clue he could give. He couldn’t say, “why don’t you look into the Copperheads’ coach?” Anything he said would end up exposing Garrett.

“I think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he’d drunk too much. From his behavior last night, it appears he had the wake up call he needed.”

“That doesn’t mean I’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Chester suspected Garrett was the least of her worries, given the things that he heard about some of the players. “How is James taking it?”

She gave him a tight smile. “He’s a professional. And he knows it’s a business. On that note, I want to arrange for some photographs to be taken of Grayson having dinner with his wife.”

And she wanted to use his restaurant as the setting. It wouldn’t be the first time. “What did he do?”

“He needs to clean up his family-man image. Dinner with the wife and an outing with the kids. If it’s a problem for you…”

That meant Grayson was screwing around. Some people were fucking stupid. “It’s never a problem, Caitlin. As long as you give me a heads up because I don’t want a scene, either. It’s bad for business.”

She nodded, and ripped a piece of paper off her pad with the date and time. “A window table might be best?”

“I will make sure nothing impedes the photographer’s view of the happy couple.”

“Let’s hope they look happy.”

“Is it that bad?”

“It’s not great. I’m paddling like a duck on this one, so I do not need Stevens exploding behind me.”

He wanted to reassure her, but he wouldn’t break Garrett’s trust. And he couldn’t exactly call up and ask for permission. “Did you talk to the PR people at the Copperheads?”

“Do I look like an amateur? That’s why I’m sure something is up, even they recited the same lines.”

“I don’t have any contacts in Oklahoma City.” That wasn’t completely true, but he doubted the people he knew could be much help. “None that would be useful, anyway.”

“I know you are in it for the charity and connections, not the football players.”

That had been true until last night. Now he was interested in one football player.

Chester put his hand over his heart as though offended. “I love a man in tight pants as much as the next straight woman or gay man. However, I couldn’t care less about the pigskin being thrown around.” He woke up his laptop and turned the screen. “The final amount going to the charity. I think we can safely say that the people with money are not sick of the dinners. Also, Stevens made more than the standard donation recommended.”

“I should be thrilled, and yet I’m suspicious.”

“Because he’s not the troublemaker you were expecting?”

Her pause was enough of an answer. “I shouldn’t judge when I don’t actually know him, especially when half the stories told are fake.”

Chester lifted one eyebrow. “Only half?”

“And you’ll never be sure which half if I’m doing my job.”

“Go and finish saving Grayson’s marriage.”

Caitlin shook her head. “I’m prolonging it until the end of the season.”

“That’s grim.”

“That’s business.”