Chapter 4
Can you believe this guy? I asked over my wine glass. He gets kicked out of a bar and he stops to show off to fans. Im surprised he didnt start giving autographs or taking selfies.
Bec laughed. Bam isnt so bad. He just has a healthy ego. She leaned back on the couch and crossed her legs.
A very healthy ego, Ashley agreed. Shed recently joined Bec and me for our wine and movie nights.
I remember how nervous she looked at first. Dating Rapids players was all she and Bec had in common, as far as either of them knew. She and I bonded over a mutual love of lipstick. Now Ashley sat with one of my cats spread out over her lap, purring his head off while she stroked him.
Im not saying an ego is a bad thing, I said slowly. Im just saying hes going to have to reign it in, or hell get kicked off the team.
I paused while Bec raised her eyebrows at me.
Okay, Im going to have to reign it in, I conceded. I just hope I can, or itll be my ass out the door with his.
He has such a nice ass though, Ashley pointed out. Almost as nice as Chases.
Theyre both a nine, Bec said with a sly smile. But Hawks ass is a ten.
Yeah. I grinned. But, you know whose ass is an eleven though?
In unison, we all said, Ollie, and sighed before we broke into laughter.
Now theres a guy who should have a big ego, I said. He was almost too attractive for his own good.
Give him a year or two, Bec said. Hell catch up with the rest.
If he keeps being stared at and followed around like he is now, he will, Ashley agreed.
Do you think Bam was humble once? I found that difficult to imagine.
Not for a moment, Bec said immediately and with certainty. He was probably born bowing, or waving to his fans.
Ashley laughed. Or thinking up some kind of prank. Chase is just as bad. She made a face but I knew he didnt prank her. He wasnt that silly.
I hope they can contain themselves until Carson is happy with him. I grimaced. Hed be out the door before I could blink if he didnt. And me with him.
Bam is outgoing, but hes smart, Bec said. The game is everything to him. If he has to dial it back for a while, he will. She looked as though she was going to add something.
I waited. When she didnt elaborate, I made an out with it gesture with my fingers.
The guys listen to their coaches, she said finally. Sometimes they listen to each other. She looked apologetic.
Youre saying I have my hands full and Ill be lucky if he listens to a word I say? I asked. When she nodded, I grimaced. I guessed that much already. As long as he doesnt go out of his way to be a dick, we should be cool.
Everything was at stake here. Another team would likely pick him up if the Rapids dropped him. As for me, chances are I wouldnt be so lucky. Id have to lay down the law with him. Tell him whats what. If he was smart, like Bec said, hed understand.
Casper, my white, long-haired cat, jumped onto my lap as I was reaching to refill my wine.
Do you mind? I asked him.
He promptly curled up on me so I couldnt move.
I think hes trying to remind me that keeping pro ball players in line might be like herding cats, I said.
Bec snapped her fingers so suddenly Casper looked up in indignation.
Thats exactly what its like, she said. No wonder Carson picked you. You have years of experience dealing with stubborn creatures.
Casper looked indignant, but put his head back down and rolled so I could have the honour of stroking his belly fur.
Lucky me.
Ashley snorted. Stubborn is the word for them. They wouldnt be where they are if they werent.
Thats true, Bec agreed. She looked thoughtful. I suspected she was remembering how she and Hawk almost didnt get together because he refused to talk about his mothers battle with cancer. She was almost as bad though. Shed spent years hating him because he was a prick in high school.
If they werent the perfect example of love conquers all, I dont know what was.
Okay, Id add Chase and Ashley to that list. Her boyfriend slept with his girlfriend. According to Ashley, she walked in on them, in her bed.
Id be devastated if that happened to me, but together, the pair have moved past it. They bonded over a mutual dislike of cheating assholes, and the rest was history.
That was understandable, cheating assholes sucked pretty hard.
I might call on you for help with him, I said. You both know him better than I do. It sounded like Id need all the help I could get.
Anything to make this run smoothly. Bec topped up my wine and Ashleys, since she was the only one currently cat-free.
I appreciate that. I smiled and nodded my thanks. Hes big on helping out charities?
Bec nodded. All of the guys are. Thats one of the best things about them. They know how fortunate they are, and they want to give back to the community that supports them. It would be so easy for them to throw all their money at fast cars and big houses.
They have those too, Ashley said.
Yeah, Ive seen the houses they both lived in these days. My whole apartment could fit in their bedrooms. Neither Bec nor Ashley had a big head though. They were in relationships with guys who had more money than they knew what to do with. They could make excuses not to come here, to my small place, but they didnt.
Bec was the same sweet, savvy, smart woman Ive been best friends with forever.
Chase would be just as happy in a small farmhouse someday, Ashley said. The place were in now has security others dont, thats all.
And a view of the bay that people would kill for, I said with a sigh. It was hard not to be a tiny bit envious. And probably have.
Like anywhere in Australia, Storm Valley had its criminal element. Some powerful families had homes and influence here. I tried not to wonder too much about what business Carson Thomas did behind closed doors to make him a billionaire. As far as anyone talked about, he made his money in real estate. Anything beyond that was both none of my business and another reason he wasnt my type.
A view which were too busy to stop and look at, Ashley said.
I arched an eyebrow at her, but she just smiled back.
Personally, if I lived in either of their houses, Id get nothing done. Id stare out the window all day. Probably just as well I had a view of a car park out mine.
So anyway. I gave Casper a scratch under his chin. I need to contact a few charities and see what they have planned for the next month or so.
I had some contacts in several, having worked with them when I worked at Laceys, in their publicity department. It blew my mind I worked in an office so close to Ashley, but barely knew her, apart from exchanging smiles as we walked past each other. Different departments didnt interact as often as they probably should. If they had, we could have been besties long ago too.
Im happy to give you, and Bam, publicity on my blog, Bec offered.
I grinned. That would be awesome.
I can fix him up with a new suit, Ashley said. Mint green is out already. Black is back to being the new black. Or the old black. Or something. She frowned and shrugged, but she was holding back a laugh.
Black is always the best, I said. Although my black t-shirt and dark blue jeans were currently getting covered in white cat fur. I was almost certain Casper took pleasure in spreading his fur far and wide. I should adopt more black cats. Their fur wouldnt show up on my clothes as much.
Bam looks good all dressed up, Ashley said. She gave me a speculative look.
They all look good in a suit, Bec agreed. Especially Hawk.
Not that youre biased, I teased. I had the funny feeling that, for some reason, Ashley was trying to draw my attention to Bams good looks. He could be the hottest guy in the world and I wouldnt be into him. He was a player with a capital P.
Not biased at all. Bec grinned. She looked like a woman who was head over heels for the guy. Honestly, I think she fell in love in high school and never stopped. She would deny that strenuously, but I knew her too well for that.
No one could deny they were meant for each other.
Im starting to think we should set Grace up with someone, Ashley said to Bec. There was a guy in my old building. The lead singer in some band. He seemed nice.
I held up a hand, palm out.
Casper gave me a dirty look because I stopped stroking him.
Hard pass on being set up, I said. The last time anyone did that, he wouldnt say no to a second date. I had to block him and hope he never found out where I lived.
Sorry about that, Bec looked regretful. He seemed so nice. I mean, until he was arrested for assaulting a guy at work.
You can pick em, I joked. I dodged a bullet with that one. Maybe a literal bullet. Hopefully the guy was getting the help he needed.
Usually I can, she said. I can tell a sleazeball a mile away. She wrinkled her nose.
Harvey Danbury? I guessed.
The reporter was infamous for following famous people around, waiting to take an embarrassing or compromising photo, or to get someone to spill everything about them. If one word in three was actually true in the articles he wrote, Id be surprised.
Bec and Ashley both told me about run ins they had with the man. I knew to be on my guard, with my new job, in case he came sniffing around. I suspected it was more a when than an if.
With the video of Bam doing the rounds, Danbury would smell blood in the water. He could ruin what good I might do with Bam. No way in hell I was going to let that happen.
Him and others, Bec agreed. When I worked at the National Daily, the office was full of them. Money was so much more important than integrity and honesty. She made a face. I dont miss working there.
You do seem happier working on your blog, I agreed. She didnt need to worry about money these days, but she wouldnt stop working just because her boyfriend was loaded. Neither would Ashley. Theyd both probably be bored out of their minds if they did. No doubt I would be too.
Im much happier, she said. The boss is nicer too, and doesnt come on to me all the time.
I laughed. Thats a bonus.
It really is. She downed the last of her wine and stood. I should probably get going, its getting late.
Me too, Ashley looked down at the cat on her lap. Karma didnt look like she was ready to move any time soon. If shell let me.
Stubborn as a Rapid. I gently pushed Casper off my lap. He gave me a dirty look, but slinked away toward my bedroom. Id pay for that later when I had no room to roll over.
I stood and shooed Karma off Ashleys lap. She gave me the same look as Casper and followed him. Yeah, Id pay later all right.
See, youre just the person to deal with stubborn creatures. Bec grinned and pulled out her phone to order a cab.
Ill remember that when I need to update my resume. I walked with them the handful of steps to the door.
If this went badly, I might need to do that all too soon. Bam Clinton better get ready, because I wasnt going to let him ruin this for me. No way. Whatever it took, Id lick him into shape. He wouldnt know what hit him. He might be stubborn, but so was I.
I closed the door behind my friends and got ready to wrestle some cats. After I cleaned all the fur off my clothes.