Chapter 53
Bear
Coach swears at me for several minutes, before I'm allowed to go in the shower and change. I pack my things and make the trek to Evie's office.
Her door is open. She's on the phone and doesn't see me. I knock on the doorjamb to announce myself.
Her eyes snap up at me, but she keeps talking to the phone.
"Yes, you do that, thanks," she says. "Please call me any time."
She hangs up and waves me in.
"Can I sit for a minute?" I ask.
She nods. "I was talking to John— that's the club's manager. He apologized profusely and said he was looking into it already."
"I should probably apologize to him, too. It's not like we were using his premises as intended."
"Yeah, probably." She smirks. "How are you doing?"
"Coach Clark chewed me out." I snort. "But I expected that. Pen—"
Pen is scared, like I've been. She doesn't think I should let myself love her, because she doesn't think she can love me how I dream of. She doesn't know it's too late for that. I love her, and her love is all I want.
"I need to go to her," I say. "I need to go home and talk to my wife."
"Are you going to finally tell her all that the word wife means to you?" Evie gazes at me with tenderness in her eyes. "What you truly feel about her?"
"I have to. I wanted to wait until we knew her dad made it okay, but being caught on camera has a way to upend all plans."
She chuckles. "Yeah. It's been busy around here too."
"Do you think I can convince Selena and everyone else not to put this on Pen? I wouldn't want her to lose the job because of what we did before she was even hired."
"I'm testing the mood on that. So far, Selena seems both annoyed and amused by what happened. I don't know about Stacy, or what Mariana might think if we call her in about this. But we will try."
I run stiff fingers over my brow. "You know, I should be more embarrassed, but I'm not. I'm inconvenienced. Worried for Pen. For what it might do to us."
"Don't let it do anything to you and Pen.
I'm in PR, right? I'm telling you. This is the kind of thing that makes people curious, but the way it happened— how little is actually visible— it wouldn't do much of anything, if not for the morality clauses the league has in place.
And those are meant to make you guys look like good people. For their brand."
"What is this video making me— us— look like to the public?"
"Like a newlywed couple who can't get enough of each other. And you? Like a man who can't get enough of his wife."
I rub my lips together. That's not a message I need hidden, especially not now. Pen needs to know how I feel. It might help prove I don't need more than what we have. She and I together like this is everything.
I frown. "Some people will make a big deal out of it. On principle."
"Let them. In this, I think that old sentiment is right.
'All publicity is good publicity'. You weren't caught hitting someone in a bar.
You were caught in a private, sexy moment with your wife.
While managing not to actually show any, errr…
intimate bits… to anyone. Beyond the league's brand, plenty of fans will think that just makes you cool. "
I snort.
Evie smirks. "Don't get me wrong. This is a headache for all of us.
We all wish it hadn't happened, and there's no way you won't be fined for it.
Legal is getting involved, too, as this is a pretty bad invasion of your privacy— they want to know who did it too, and make sure the whole thing is handled properly.
But if you needed to get in trouble to tell Pen how you feel, then this is the least terrible way to do it. "
I let out the kind of scoff that carries some humor. "Oh, Evie. Thanks for that. But please tell me I can still get a suspension."
She sighs. "Ay, Leon. Do you want to be in more trouble than you are?"
"Of course not. But I need to talk to Pen face to face, and with her dad's surgery happening so soon…"
"All right." She shakes her head in mild disapproval. "I'll talk to Selena and everyone else."
"Thank you, Evie. And I'm sorry."
She waves a hand to dismiss my apology. "It's my job, but you're my friend, too.
That's why I won't scold you for going away.
The professional in me would suggest you stay for the meetings your agent and I are scheduling.
Me as a friend? I'll advocate for virtual calls.
Just make sure to get this thing with Pen right, okay? I want to see you both make it."
"Trust me, Evie." I stand and gaze down at her. "I want nothing more than that."