Page 20 of Provoking the Punter

What the fuck had James been saying about him? “I gathered that from the little chat he had with me, but to be honest, I don’t think any of us would be happy if someone else came for our job.”

“I think it’s different for the quarterbacks. They always have a second and sometimes a third. For us, not so much. I think it was the way your trade happened mid-season.” Hulme spun the ball in his hands.

“Yeah, I’m not a fan of the way it was done, either.”

“You weren’t told ahead of time?”

“Nope. I went out for a few drinks for my birthday on Monday night, with the plan to take Tuesday off. On Wednesday, I was given the news.”

“What the fuck did you say to the coach?”

Garrett shook his head, but he couldn’t clear the instant memory of walking into the motel room and seeing Harrison lying naked on the bed. The skipped beat of his heart and the freefall of his stomach. If the wife hadn’t followed him in…

… he’d have still been fucked.

“You know what they say. Don’t get involved in another couple’s argument. After a few beers, I got stupid.” All he had to do was skip past that profile and pick a different one. But it had been close, and it had been a motel, and he’d thought the guy was passing through. He thought he was being smart.

Hulme winced. “I heard you weren’t drinking. Did you even try the gin last night?”

“The non-alcoholic version.”

“Jesus, you were at Bathtubs, and you didn’t have a drink?”

“I didn’t want to make another stupid mistake.” Apparently, it had nothing to do with alcohol and everything to do with his dick.

“From the look on your face, you already did.”

Garrett sucked in a breath and smiled as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Yeah, I didn’t try the gin.”

Only the owner.

CHAPTER

NINE

Caitlin pulled her notepad out of her handbag, then dropped the bag on the floor. Chester poured them both a glass of iced water and waited for her to begin. Usually, she called him, asked how dinner had gone, and he suspected the players were given feedback on their performance.

“How did it go? You’re not begging me to never send another one, so I’m assuming he survived?”

Their arrangement worked out nicely for both of them. New team members were seen by the right people, and one of their first duties was for charity. It looked good on paper. Not only that, but it gave the wealthy men and women in the city the feeling that they had an inside track on the team. And even if they didn’t follow football, it didn’t matter because football players had money and status.

“He was articulate and charming and asked all the right questions of the people there. Are you sure he plays football?” he asked with a smile.

She made a couple of notes. “Did he drink?”

“No. Had soda and lime all night, so it appeared to everyone else as if he was drinking. Afterward, he tasted my non-alcoholic gin. He chose the steak and ate dessert.” He offered the information, although she wouldn’t care about his meal choices. No, this was about protecting the team from scandal, and it seemed as though Garrett was on a very short leash, even if he didn’t realize it.

Chester leaned back. No, Garrett knew, and he was treading carefully, which was why there’d been fear in his eyes.

“I have to say, only having one player made the dinner more intimate. He made the effort to work the room while everybody was mingling before sitting. When there are a few of them, they clump together. Safety in numbers.”

“It’s easier to do individual dinners later in the season.”

“Come on, why are you so worried about him drinking? What’s the deal?” he asked as if he had no idea.

“Alcohol-fueled argument with the head coach of the Copperheads.”

Chester rested his elbow on his desk. “Really…” He couldn’t imagine Garrett getting into an argument with anyone. But then he didn’t know him, and one blowjob didn’t mean anything. “What’s the dirt?”

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