CHAPTER 11 #2
And there it is, the thing I feared the moment Gretchen sauntered in here with that smirk on her face.
“Wait, what is that?” Maple asks, sitting taller now.
“No.” I shake my head. “Absolutely not. Not happening.”
Gretchen eyes me. “Everyone already signed off on it.”
“That’s fucking great for them, but it’s not their life or their decision and it’s not fucking happening.”
A PR relationship?
That’s just asking for fucking trouble. They’re always messy. Someone ends up getting hurt, and I haven’t seen one where it’s rolled out smoothly in both parties’ favor.
“You don’t really have a choice in the matter,” Gretchen says. “So let’s not make a big deal about this and just lay down the guidelines.”
“Hold on, what are you talking about?” Maple asks, her eyes searching both of us.
I can’t do this to her.
I don’t know her really well, but what I do know from the short amount of time I’ve spent with her is that she doesn’t have a thick skin.
She takes everything to heart, and there is no way in hell that she’ll be able to handle something like this.
Jesus Christ, when I came here today, I was going to talk about shutting down the entire account because of how it took off; the public is far too fascinated by one picture.
So rolling out a PR relationship seems like the last thing we should be doing, especially with highly sensitive Maple.
Gretchen turns to Maple and says, “A PR relationship would be alluding to a romantic relationship between you and Graydon for the public eye. It’s beneficial to both parties.”
“You want people thinking we’re in a romantic relationship?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“No,” I reply. “Once again, not happening.”
Maple’s eyes shoot to mine and grow insecure in a flash, the pain I saw just a few moments ago reemerging all over again.
It’s not like that, Maple. I’m protecting you.
“He’s right.” She clears her throat. “Not happening. I don’t want to make him uncomfortable, and clearly, I’m not the type of person he’d want to be seen with in a romantic sense.”
Actually, she’s exactly who I would want to be seen with romantically.
Blond hair. Beautiful eyes. Killer ass. Dimples that will bring you to your knees. Cute and innocent but also feisty. If I were actually on the hunt for a relationship and I weren’t so fucking annoyed with the entire situation that I’m in, I’d ask her out. But that’s not the case.
“Oh stop, you two look great together.” Gretchen waves her hand in dismissal. “But listen, we have to go about this in the right way.”
“We’re not going about this,” I say. “There’s no point in adding the burden of a PR relationship. I don’t see how this will favor the team by any means. If she were a well-liked celebrity, sure, that makes sense, it’s done all the time, but she’s just a zookeeper.”
Maple’s eyes fall to her lap as she says, “He’s right. I’m just a zookeeper.”
My teeth grind together, because once again I’ve made an insult that I apparently didn’t know I was making.
“That’s the brilliance of it all,” Gretchen says. “There’s relatability there because she’s not a celebrity. Trust me, by just scrolling through the comments, we can tell that this will be a big win for the team, especially if we get her involved at training camp and have her attend games.”
“Um, not that I want this to happen, but there needs to be something for the flamingos too,” she says.
“Of course. That’s why he’ll be attending all the fundraising events as previously discussed. Also, Welcott was telling me that he’s so enthralled with the potential of this that if it goes well, he’ll be making a sizable donation to your cause.”
Of course he would.
I drag my hand over my face. Jesus.
“Who is Welcott?” Maple asks, looking between the two of us.
“The owner of the Foghorns,” I answer, knowing that there is no chance in hell I’ll be able to get out of this now.
When Gretchen said, “front office,” my initial thought was that it was just PR and marketing. I had no fucking idea this went all the way up to Darby Welcott.
“Oh, he’s…he’s aware?” Maple asks.
Gretchen nods. “Very aware and loving it. We’ve already seen an uptick in follows on the team account.
Therefore, we’re riding this, but like I said, we need to be careful.
We need to go at this slowly, not confirm or deny anything, continue to post from Flock and Tackle and keep followers on their toes, feeding them what they want, and then when the season starts, possibly go public after she attends one of your games. ”
No, I will not let this happen. There is so much that comes with a PR relationship that will hurt her, that will mess with her mind. I might be an asshole, but Maple…she…she deserves so much more than being roped into a shitstorm like this.
I shake my head. “This is so fucked up. She should be able to live her own life. She shouldn’t have to—”
“How much of a donation?” Maple asks, her eyes landing on Gretchen.
No, Maple.
A slow smile pulls on Gretchen’s lips. “I’m not sure, but he said significant since he knows what he’s asking of you. I do believe he’ll want some form of acknowledgment, like a building named after him, but no, I don’t know how much.”
Maple looks out toward the zoo, clearly considering this.
She can’t be serious.
I don’t think I can back out of this, and they can’t force someone into pretending to date me for good press, but her choice forces my hand.
“Maple, this is ridiculous,” I say. “You realize what they’re asking of us?”
Her eyes land on me, and her expression is devoid of all emotion. “I understand.”
“Okay, so then, tell her no, and we can just…we can figure out something else.”
“Why would she want to figure something else out?” Gretchen asks. “This will bring awareness to the flamingos, secure fundraising, and, if all goes well, procure a significant donation from Welcott. It’s a win-win for her.”
“She’s putting her personal life on hold. She’s putting herself in the public eye.”
“She did that the moment she created the Instagram account. I think she’s aware of what’s going on.”
“That was supposed to be a friendly thing. That wasn’t supposed to pick up so much steam.”
“Well. It did, and here we are. So what do you say, Maple?”
“She’s not going to—”
“I’m in,” Maple says, not looking at me, causing Gretchen to nod.
What the fuck?
“Great, I’ll get some NDAs prepared and sent over to you to sign electronically. Let me know if you have any questions.” She stands. “Until then, keep doing what you’re doing. Please no public appearances until this weekend at the fundraiser. Maple, do you have a dress to wear?”
“Yes,” she says, almost looking insulted.
“Great. No PDA, no answering questions from press, and please continue to post pictures, but nothing that looks like you’re dating just yet. Keep it platonic. We’re edging the public, don’t forget.”
She pushes her chair in and then offers us a wave before taking off without another word. When she leaves, I turn to Maple and ask, “What the hell?”
She takes her time standing and winces with every movement. She heads toward the door, so I pop out of my chair and grab her by the wrist. “Maple, I’m talking to you. You’re just going to agree to that?”
She glances over her shoulder, her eyes darker than usual as she says, “Yes, I am.”
“You realize what you’re agreeing to, right?
This isn’t just some social media posting.
This will get real, and it will flood your life.
The press will be unstoppable, and you’re going to be torn apart online because the public will be relentless.
They’ll say things about you, make up lies, pick apart your life, your appearance, the way you act and present yourself.
You’re opening yourself up to the public in a way that you’re not ready for. ”
Her eyes slowly lift to mine, the blue swimming with unspoken emotion.
She wets her lips and says, “But I’ll be able to help the flamingos, so I guess it’s worth it.
” Then she moves away and pushes the door open.
She glances over her shoulder and asks, “You coming? Or are you skipping your duties for today?”
Irritation plucks up my spine as I head in her direction.
This is not over.
I will not let her do this.
I will not subject her to public scrutiny.
And I most certainly won’t allow her to attach herself to me, someone who…who…doesn’t deserve to have someone like her at his side.