6. Evan
Evan
Mimi had to go to class the following morning.
I was supposed to have a goalie-only workout and then regular practice, but most of the team was still down with food poisoning, leaving me at loose ends.
I didn’t like the lack of structure, especially at the beginning of the week when we had games.
While I could recreate most of my workout at home, it wasn’t the same as spending the morning with the guys, who liked to rib each other.
Professional athletes were competitive, and that spirit pushed me harder than my work ethic alone.
So I was already on edge when Hugh Durant called me. “Hey, Evan, hi. How’s it going, my man?”
“Who are you?” I asked.
“I’m the man keeping this entire organization from crashing and bursting into flames.”
I rolled my eyes. Emmy had mentioned him yesterday. The way her nose wrinkled told me what her mouth wouldn’t—she didn’t like or trust the guy.
“Seriously, who are you? And why are you calling me? Who gave you this number?”
“Wow, tough crowd. I’m Hugh Durant. Lydia Breitbart of the Catters PR team gave me your number. I’m the risk management consultant my friend Gunnar brought in to handle this PR disaster with the priceless tapestry and the shrimp tower of death.”
He chuckled. I didn’t. I knew a few things from his comments: our owner, Gunnar, hadn’t hired him, and this guy was a blowhard so full of crap one of his ends would soon blow off.
The team name was Wildcatters, as in the prospectors who sought new oil wells.
The name suited Houston, especially since Gunnar Evaldson had made the bulk of his fortune in oil and gas.
But the name Wildcatter had a different connotation, and that was the one every recruit learned: a daring maverick who wasn’t afraid to take bold risks and to fight like hell for the greater good.
I identified with the second meaning; I wanted to be that person, especially for my teammates … and Emmy. I had to stop thinking about her.
“…Mimi.”
Fuck.
“You cut out. What was that again?”
Deep sigh. “I said, so you’ll take Mimi out on a date.”
“It isn’t enough for people to have seen us together Saturday and know she’s staying here with me?”
“No, because the museum curator is going to sue, and a third of the gala invitees are in the hospital. There’s really never been a shitshow of such magnitude.”
His cheerfulness in the face of the situation grated on my nerves.
“And why are you making these calls? Why not Lydia?”
“She’s dealing with another issue, and Gunnar’s still too sick to be reached.” He hadn’t wanted to tell me that. “That’s why I need you to take Mimi out. Make it look good so the focus stays on you two, not the rest of the situation.”
My phone beeped, and I said, with great relief. “Gotta take this.” My innate politeness led me to add, “I’ll see what I can do.”
I clicked off, more than thankful to get away from Hugh. “Hello?”
“Ev, I’m so sorry, but I need your help,” Mimi whispered.
Rising from my couch, I started toward the door, shoving my feet into my most comfortable pair of sneakers. “What’s up?”
“Reporters were waiting for me outside my class. It’s insane. My friends got me into another classroom down the hall, but the reporters surrounded my car. Normally, I wouldn’t back down, but one guy is pushy.”
I backtracked to the counter and grabbed my wallet and keys before darting toward the door. “Did he touch you?”
“Yeah.” Her breath whooshed through the speaker. It was creepy.”
The queasiness in my stomach shifted into a fiery rage in my chest. No one touched Emmy. No one scared her. “I’m on my way.”
For the first time in my life, I violated a traffic law.
I sped the entire way to Mimi’s location, which she’d pinned-dropped for me.
Because I had such an old car, I couldn’t call or text her, but this option was better.
The attention should be on me, not her. I could handle the pressure…
I hoped…but Mimi needed to focus on her classes, not whether she could cross campus.
I parked in the first visitor spot I found near her building and clambered out of my car.
The campus was pretty, but the heat wafted from the sidewalk upward, settling into the summer air sludge that I wasn’t used to.
I wasn’t sure how anyone ever got used to this wet-wool-blanket smothering sensation.
As I’d hoped, the reporters turned toward me as I called Mimi to let her know I’d arrived.
“Is it safe to come out?” she asked.
“Give me two minutes. I’m going to take care of this now.”
“Okay.” She blew out a breath. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Ev. I’m supposed to be the one leading, but I …”
“It’s all right. I’ve got your back, Emmy.” I smiled, liking my nickname for her more and more. It was private. Mine.
Her soft inhale told me she liked it, too. I hadn’t imagined her pupils blowing out yesterday when I called her that.
“Hey, guys.” There were five reporters, all young and all jockeying for a scoop. I need to win. I offered an amiable smile. “Heard you’ve been nosing around my girl.”
“So you two are dating?” one guy asked. I didn’t know the reporters by name yet. That was something I needed to remedy. “Emilia wouldn’t answer my questions.”
Just then, Emmy strode toward me, but she faltered at the photographers milling around me. I held out my hand and she clasped it. The raging beast in my chest simmered down as I tugged her closer so that she was nestled into my side.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
The reporter puffed out his chest. “Charles Nolte. With the Chronicle.”
“Well, Charles. Here’s the deal: Emilia is more than capable of answering questions herself, but neither she nor I appreciates you putting your hands on her.
That’s not just crossing a line; that’s blowing up any sense of decorum.
Which is why I’ll be letting the PR team know about this, and they’ll handle it—and you—appropriately. ”
Charles stuttered; Emmy shifted. I kissed her temple. “We really hit it off, but we’re new, still getting to know each other. What I can tell you: we’re happy, and we’re seeing where this goes.”
“She just fell into your arms at the gala, did she?” another of the reporters asked.
I grinned. “Best save of my life.”
They chuckled.
I glanced down at her, glad to see humor in her gaze.
“Now, I need to get my girl a big coffee so she can study.” She beamed as if I hadn’t noted her coffee addiction that morning.
“So why don’t you give her and the rest of the students space to focus on their coursework.
I’ll set aside time before and after the game this weekend to answer questions. ”
I turned the two of us toward my Jeep and turned on the air conditioner to full blast the moment I started the car. “I don’t know how you handle the heat.”
“I don’t. It’s gross.” She bit her lip, and I sat back, no longer trying to flood my face with cold air. These summer days were brutal.
“I had no idea you were so assertive,” Mimi said.
“Is that a bad thing? I told you I’d handle it, so I did. Right?” I shifted, feeling antsy as concern bubbled up.
“You did. Better than I would have been able to, and I was so impressed, Ev.” She offered a soft, sweet smile. “Thank you.”
“Nothing to thank me for. You’re my girl, after all.”
She stared at me for a long moment. The slender column of her throat convulsed. “Right. Your girl. Because Hugh suggested it.”
I shifted my hand so that I could touch her chin and bring her eyes back to mine. “No, Emmy. Because I want you to be.”
She stared at me for a long moment. I waited.
Many emotions flitted across her face, concern lingering.
“I hope you mean that because I have to tell you I’ve already gotten used to you.
” Her teeth sank into that plump lip that stared in my dreams the last few nights.
“And I really like this new reality with you in it.”
Our coffee date went well, and two reporters had followed us, no doubt to add these photos to their story. I probably should have put on a better outfit than my joggers and T-shirt, but I’d been in a hurry to get to Emmy the moment she called.
We sat at a table, and she drank some fancy iced chocolate-and-coffee drink while I had an iced green tea.
“Do you actually like that?” she asked.
I shrugged. “It’s good for me.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Well, it’s what I’ve got.”
She held out her drink, wiggling it a little. “Try mine.”
I leaned closer across the small table. “You’re a bad influence, always getting me to break the rules.”
She leaned closer, too. “That’s because rules are guidelines, Ev. And you deserve more fun, a little less structure in your life.”
I frowned. “Structure can be fun.”
“If you’re building block towers, sure. But I’m talking about the real world with all its mess. That’s the one we live in, and we can’t control each aspect. Some of the best experiences come from not doing what you’re told.”
“Like what?” I took a sip of her drink. It was delicious, and I wanted more. Instead, I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Like…my major. I thought I wanted to go into publicity to help Naomi run her store. But then I learned about crisis management. I could make a really big difference to companies and their employees’ lives by doing that instead.”
I frowned. “That’s not the only reason.”
She blinked. “What?”
“You hesitated. That’s not the main reason you switched majors.”
She dropped her gaze, a frown marring her brow. I waited. I was good at waiting. She sighed. “If you take another drink of my coffee that we both know you want, I’ll tell you.”
Didn’t have to ask me twice. I sucked down a big gulp, enjoying the richness on my tongue.
She stared at me for a long moment before she cleared her throat.
“Right. Yeah. So. Crisis management suits me. It’s because of how I was raised.
” She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth.
“My mom was…chaotic. Naomi mostly took over, but when our mother showed up, everything got more difficult. So I learned to manage situations. Smooth things over between Mom and Naomi, find ways to keep our mother from showing up places that’d embarrass Naomi. Stuff like that. It just clicked.”
She shrugged as if she hadn’t given me a lot of information to sort through. But I could tell Emmy wasn’t comfortable with all she’d shared, so I said, “I’ll think about that.”
She winked as she took another sip of her drink. “Good.”
We chatted about her classes and my plans for tomorrow, while a few people asked for my autograph and photos. Emmy dutifully snapped shots while I smiled.
After the fourth round, she gathered her belongings. “Time to get you home if we want to stick to your meal plan regimen.” I glanced at the gigantic clock, shocked to see that two hours had passed. Talking to Emmy had been so easy.
“I’ll call my sister in the car. I’m sure she and Adam are feeling better, which means I should be able to move in with them soon.”