Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
~DANNY~
“Your girl was on fire tonight,” Nick tells me. We’re sitting at The Backwoods, enjoying a round of drinks. Jase and August are supposed to join us at some point.
Mac bailed on me; she’s hanging out with Cassie. She told me quickly after the game that she ended up telling Cassie about us. I’m kind of relieved that she told her. It makes me think that Mac is accepting that it’s actually real and actually happening. Consequences be damned, I want this woman.
“Please don’t call her my girl.” I look around to see if anyone heard him.
“Relax. We’re far enough away from the team that no one can hear us,” he explains. “Do you think it’s weird that she doesn’t go out with the team much? I mean, it might cause them to realize something is happening.”
“I don’t know. I know she hangs out with them quite a bit when they’re away,” I try to reason. “Maybe they think that’s okay. Cassie isn’t here either, so maybe no one thinks anything of it.”
“Maybe.” Nick shoots me a shit-eating grin. “Either way, I hope no one figures it out.”
“Gee, me too,” I say, rolling my eyes at him.
“Oh, come on. I’m just giving you shit. It’s fun.”
“I’m so glad I can humor you.” I take a swig of my beer and change the subject. “Did you get everything you need for the article? I’m hoping to have it over to Cromwell within the next day or so.”
He nods. “I did. Did Martin not tell you that he was hoping to have a meeting with the Cromwell’s to show them the article?
He wants to be involved in the decision about what gets published and all that shit, it being his paper and all.
” Nick huffs. He’s not the biggest fan of Martin, but I’m not really either. He’s kind of weasel-like.
“For what the old man is paying him, I would think he would just happily take whatever it is we’re offering.”
“Apparently he doesn’t see it that way.” Nick finishes his beer and pours another one from the pitcher before topping off mine. “Are you finally ready to share that draft you sent me the other day?”
“Yeah, I think so. What did you think of it?” I ask him. I’m hoping it was okay. It took me a long time to even get that draft out.
“I thought it was good, man. You wrote about her very honestly. I was actually kind of surprised because it wasn’t overly glowing about her. But it was positive.” Nick sips on his beer.
“So, you thought I did a good job hiding the fact that I’m banging her?”
He snorts. “Yeah, I thought you did a good job of hiding that information. But you know I figured out you were banging her, so…”
“I hate you sometimes. You know that, right?” I say, shaking my head.
“You did good, Danny. You did right by her and the team. I think Cromwell and Martin will be happy with it,” he says, trying to reassure me. “When does she get to read it?”
I sigh. “I’m not sure. I haven’t asked that question yet. I want to show her an advanced copy, but I’m not sure that I should. I want to get the okay before I do.”
He nods. “Yeah, I get it. You wouldn’t let anyone else read an article you wrote about them, so why would you do it with her?”
“To put her at ease,” I explain.
“Do you still think she’s jumpy about having you write this article?”
I haven’t asked her that question in a while. “I don’t think so. I think we’re on better ground now.”
“Sexy ground,” he replies with a laugh.
“Uh-huh” is all I say.
“What are you gonna do when this article is done? Are you going to go public with the fact that you’re dating her? Say you fell in love with her while you were writing about her or some bullshit like that?”
I shrug. “I actually hadn’t thought about it. I guess I need to start, though. We can’t hide this for much longer. Someone is going to wise up to it.”
“Yep, the truth always has a way of coming out.”
“Thank you, Batman.”
He narrows his eyes. “I don’t think that’s something Batman usually says, fucker.”
“I’ll figure it out,” I tell him.
“Does she get a say in this?”
“Yeah, we’ll figure it out. I just want to make sure that when we make decisions, she doesn’t get hurt in all this.”
He nods. “I hear what you’re saying, but when you’re making all these decisions for the greater good, make sure you include her. Girls like that shit.”
“Girls like what shit?” August asks as he joins us at our table.
Jase is with him too. They’re both holding tumblers of amber liquid.
“Hitting the hard stuff tonight?” I ask them as they take their seats.
“Gotta celebrate the victory with the good stuff,” Jase says, raising his glass like he’s toasting even though no one proposed one.
“So, what are we saying girls like?” Augusts repeats his previous question.
“They like it better when you don’t talk about your issues with your daddy all night long,” Nick says.
I shoot August a sympathetic smile. I don’t dare make fun of him for it because I know all too well my issues with my father and how they fucked things up in the past.
August just shoots him the finger. “What’s going on, Danny boy? Are you getting some ass?”
“Nah, I’m not getting any ass,” I say, hoping he plays it off. I don’t dare look in Nick’s direction. I know it will cause some suspicion.
“Then what are we talking about?” he asks.
“Just the article and how it’s done, and we can meet tomorrow to go over it,” I say.
“Martin is being a pain in the ass about it.” August takes a sip from his glass. I get the feeling this isn’t his first drink of the night. “Apparently not as big of a pain in the ass as Mac is. How was it interviewing her? Did she ever become a decent human being?”
“Yeah, she did. Interviewing her wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” I say, trying to keep it light.
“Mac isn’t that bad,” Jase chimes in, defending her. “She just doesn’t like when you treat her the way Danny boy did in the beginning. Otherwise, she’s a good player and a nice girl.”
I look over at him and grin. I must be looking at him like that a little too long, because Nick kicks me under the table. I turn away, catching August watching me.
“Anyway, regardless of the fact, my father has a soft spot for her too. Seeing as he picked her to be captain, fresh out of college and all.”
“People weren’t exactly clambering to come to this team,” Jase points out.
“Don’t I know it,” August says, shaking his head. “Don’t print any of this shit, but we’re doing better than I thought we would be. Now if we could just get the city of Tampa on our side.”
“There were more fans there tonight,” Nick points out.
“That’s what the article is supposed to help with, I guess,” I say.
I want to roll my eyes. The only good thing the article did was get me Mac.
But honestly, if we really sit and think about the idea for too long, it makes you wonder how words on the page can make a city get behind a team.
I’m not sure it’ll work, but I have to try to help.
Martin is getting a hefty sum for it, and it will hopefully help out the team to an extent.
“You okay, Danny?” August asks me, nailing me to the spot with his stare. “Are you not believing in the cause that you so happily championed that day in my dad’s office? Or has the lovely captain gotten to you?”
“Nah, I believe in it. And I’m not under anyone’s spell.”
“I didn’t say spell. Did I say spell?” August says, chuckling as he looks around the table.
“No, you certainly did not say spell.” Jase snickers along with him. He stares at me for a minute before looking away.
I freeze and wonder if he’s put two and two together. If he has, I’d never know it. Jase is the strong, quiet type. He doesn’t say much, just watches and assess things. He knows more than he says, and right now, I’m wondering if he knows about Mac and me.
Him being a coach on the team, I would certainly hope not, because Jase could get her in all kinds of trouble with Coach Watts and the Cromwell’s.
I look over at August. “Do you think your dad is going to have me write more articles? Or will one do?”
“I’m not sure. I guess it depends on how well this one does. If it does well, he might want you to do more than one. I guess it also depends on what Martin wants and if he wants more money.”
“That cum sucker? He’d take money from a child in the street,” Nick says, rolling his eyes, not bothering to hide his disdain for our editor.
“Nick,” I say in warning. I know he’s had a few and is working on his third or fourth drink, but I don’t want him airing any dirty laundry that he shouldn’t be. Either about our editor or what’s happening with me.
August grins, and I wonder if he’s figuring things out. He leans in closer to Nick, a shit-eating grin on his face. I worry he’s about to ask Nick something he shouldn’t. I quickly change the subject.
“I think it’s going well. Things are going to turn around for the Blaze, and then you won’t have to worry so much about the perception of the town.”
“That we are,” August says. “I’m going to get another round.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jase says before following August to the bar.
“Keep your fucking mouth shut,” I say quietly to Nick.
“What? I didn’t say anything.”
“You’re walking a dangerous line. You’re going to blow our fucking cover.”
“What fucking cover?” August asks. He looks intrigued as he sits down.
Jase is still at the bar. He must be bringing the drinks back to the table.
“The cover of Danny’s mystery girl,” Nick says. “The one he’s fucking. He thinks I know who she is, but I don’t.”
I mentally cross my fingers, hoping that it helps.
“Why the secrecy with your mystery girl?” August asks.
I sigh. “Because I suck at relationships, and once people realize who my father is, it fucking sucks even worse,” I tell him. It’s not a total lie, because that’s happened many times before. I just hope he buys it.
Jase returns from the bar and hands August his next drink.
He takes a sip of his new drink. “I know exactly what you’re talking about,” August says.
It’s then that I feel bad. He thinks we’re bonding right now, and I’m just trying to cover shit up with a lie.
“I once had a woman tell me she could date me or my father. And the really fucked-up thing about it isn’t what she said, it’s that he would have done it. ”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, bro. I don’t doubt that my dad would do the same thing.”
Jase doesn’t seem to react to what I’ve said. I have no idea what his family life is like. He doesn’t say much. But he seems to buy the shit I just said as much as August has. I look over at Nick and he winks at me. I hope that worked for now.
“Hendrix did well tonight,” I say, turning to Jase to change the subject.
“She did. She’s a great find. I’m glad she’s in our net.”
The change in subject works. We spend the rest of the night talking about the game and the team. I try not to react too much when they get to Mac.
“She’s got a lot of promise if she can keep that attitude in check,” August says with a chuckle. “But you know all about that.” He turns to me.
“I do?” I ask, surprised.
“You started shit with her in the pressroom after our first home game,” he reminds me.
I could never forget that night. It was the first time I saw her fire. The first time I realized this woman is something special.
Nick, god love him changes the subject to the NBA finals game that ESPN is talking about. Thankfully it works and there is no more talk of Mac or the team. I don’t miss the way that August looks at me a little too long sometimes. But I try to keep my cool and not draw any extra attention to myself.