Chapter 6 #2
McKenna frowned, mentally replaying what Tank had said. Obviously she missed something, and she would have to listen to that part of the interview again.
Roger leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’ve spent the last couple of hours combing through the comments attached to the photos and videos of you and Tank online.”
McKenna picked up a pen from her desk, tapping it nervously. She’d read most of those comments as well. “Okay,” she said, uncertain where Benny and Roger were going with this conversation.
She’d seen some of the comments from fans about her and Tank making a cute couple, as well as those from women who’d been somewhat cruel about her not being hot enough to keep a guy like Tank interested.
McKenna had to admit some of those hurt, but she’d shaken them off and moved on because it wasn’t like she was trying to keep Tank interested anyway.
Or at least, that’s what she was desperately telling herself.
“James was impressed with the two of you at the gala.”
McKenna glanced from Roger to Benny, confused by her boss’s abrupt change of subject.
“I’m glad.” McKenna and Tank had spent a good twenty minutes in conversation with the president of the team and the Stingrays Foundation Director Gigi Romero, the night of the fundraiser.
Tank had been his most charming, and she’d been pleased by how well the two of them had managed to work together to entertain sponsors and fans alike.
Benny had assigned her to make sure Tank didn’t say anything wrong, so she’d done her best to set him up with safe topics.
And the clever man caught every pass she fired at him, taking the puck and slamming it into the net.
On top of that, their sense of humors seemed to work in tandem, so they were able to weave funny stories or lob cute one-liners back and forth.
At one point, Gigi had been laughing so hard, she had to grab a napkin from a passing server to wipe tears from her eyes.
“Do you remember when we first started making our plans to salvage Tank’s reputation?” Roger asked, once again switching topics.
She was going to get whiplash if they kept this up.
“Yes.” It had only been five weeks ago.
“I think it was you who said it would be easier to repair Tank’s reputation if he was in a relationship,” Roger said.
She thought back. “Yeah. I did say that. But Tank still isn’t interested in dating either one of the women in the video. And as far as I know, he’s not seeing anyone at the moment.”
“What if he was in a relationship?” Roger asked.
“Tank doesn’t date. He told me that point-blank.
He has zero interest in a serious relationship.
” McKenna had been slightly disappointed—yet unsurprised—when he said he didn’t have any plans to change his single playboy status until after he hung up his skates.
Of course, she’d wanted to kick her own ass for that feeling.
Because she shouldn’t give two shits about Tank’s relationship status.
“He said he wasn’t interested in dating either of the women from the video, and we all agreed that was for the best, but Benny and I were just talking, and we think maybe we should revisit that idea.”
She frowned.
Benny leaned back and crossed his arms. “We think Tank should be in a committed relationship.”
“With who?” she asked.
Benny leaned back, not answering, while Roger fidgeted with the cuff of his shirt.
“With me?”
“The comments, Mac, about you and Tank,” Roger said. “Overall, they’re very positive. Lots of people remarking that the two of you make a cute couple, how you seem to be a good influence on him. A steadying one.”
McKenna remembered how she’d blushed when she saw that cutest couple hashtag on the mom’s video of Tank chasing her around the Pee Wee team’s rink. “I’ve read the comments too, Roger, and there are just as many negative ones.”
Roger looked uncomfortable; he obviously knew which ones she was referring to. “There are always going to be haters, people who exist solely to tear others down. But the truth is, there were a lot fewer of those than the positive ones.”
McKenna hadn’t really kept count or done a tally. Mainly because once she’d read a half dozen of the comments cutting down her appearance, she’d started skimming as a way of preserving her feelings.
“So how would this work?” McKenna wasn’t sure why she was pursuing this line of conversation.
“It obviously wouldn’t be a real relationship,” Benny said. “Hollywood puts together fake romances all the time, either for promotion or buzz or to do exactly what we’re attempting to do—repair reputations.”
“That’s true.” She suggested the relationship idea back at the beginning of all this because she was certain it would be the quickest way to clean up Tank’s relationship.
If she was being completely honest, she still felt that way.
The positive promo campaign was a race run in inches.
Putting Tank—one of the most popular Stingrays players with the fans—in a relationship would garner a hell of a lot more publicity.
And if they controlled the narrative, it would be good promo.
“You know exactly what we’re up against here, Mac. And you’ve proven you’re well-versed in how to spin things. Plus, public perception of you is very positive.”
“It is?” she asked.
Roger grinned. “You’ve got a girl-next-door kind of appeal that’s going over big with the fans.”
She wrinkled her nose because she and Roger had become good enough friends that he knew how much she hated being referred to as sweet.
“If you don’t want to do it, Mac, then obviously, the conversation is over,” Benny said, reassuring her this would be her decision.
McKenna, unable to turn her marketing brain off, started thinking the situation through. “We’d have to put a romantic spin on it. Especially considering the dust hasn’t fully settled on that viral video.”
Roger nodded in agreement, and she could practically see him playing through scenarios, the same way she was.
“You spend a hell of a lot of time with the team, traveling to away games, so it would be easy to play it off as your friendship blooming into something more after Tank turned to you for advice.”
She chewed on her thumb nail as she considered that.
Then she did a mental headshake, shocked she was even contemplating taking part in the idea.
This was the kind of stuff that happened in books and movies, not in real life.
“Is it against the rules for the two of us to date?” she asked, unwilling to do anything—real or fake—that might put her at risk of losing her job.
Benny shook his head. “There’s no workplace rule against relationships between players and team management. We’ve had a few former players marry women who worked in the administrative offices over the years.”
“Tish and Bobby.” Roger started naming some of those star-crossed lovers from the past. “Dennis and Mina. Evelyn and…” He snapped his fingers, thinking. “Dammit, what was the name of that right winger she eloped with? The guy who was only here one season.”
“Rick,” Benny replied.
There were times when Benny and Roger reminded her of some old married couple.
The two of them had worked together for nearly ten years, and during that time, they’d developed a kind of hive mind.
Most of the time, it amused her, but today…
today, she couldn’t concentrate on anything except the thought of dating—fake dating—Tank.
“You know, it was actually James who planted this relationship seed, though I didn’t realize it at the time. He stopped by the office to chat a few days ago, and as we were recapping the gala, he said the two of you made a formidable couple,” Benny said.
She frowned. “Formidable?” That didn’t sound flattering.
Benny must have heard her tone, because he chuckled. “It wasn’t an insult. You calm Tank down, in all the right ways. You know how he usually is, always showboating or swaggering. His behavior at that fall fundraiser was abysmal.”
McKenna couldn’t argue with that. Between Tank’s two dates, the champagne guzzling, and the completely inappropriate dancing, he’d made a memorable—though not positive—impression that night.
Roger grimaced, clearly remembering the same things they were.
“This time, though, he was charming and entertaining, and you were the perfect companion. I watched the two of you all night, Mac. You were a well-oiled machine, working well together. I swear, I think more fans and sponsors talked to Tank than any other player. Because for the first time ever, he was approachable and friendly, and having you there helped.”
“I got a call from Charles Steele yesterday,” Benny added.
McKenna held her breath nervously, concerned. “Tank and I didn’t go anywhere near him that night,” she said. “I swear. I was very careful to keep them apart.” She’d intended to give a wide berth to Lara as well, but the woman had cornered her before McKenna realized she was even there.
Benny nodded. “I know, Mac. And while you didn’t talk to him, that doesn’t mean the man wasn’t watching. I think he was counting on Tank to make an ass of himself, and he was ready to pounce when that happened. Instead, Charles begrudgingly admitted he was impressed by Tank’s behavior.”
She released her breath, her shoulders sagging in relief.
Benny rubbed his chin. “The man is aggravatingly old school. He doesn’t have any kids of his own, and Lara’s an only child. Apparently, he considers himself the patriarchal head of his family—which means he pulls strings when it comes to marrying off the women in his family.”
McKenna’s eyes narrowed. “I suddenly hate Charles Steele.”