Page 69 of Provoking the Punter

She was silent for a couple of seconds. “Were you at Bathtubs last night?”

“Yes, there were about six of us.”

“Someone photographed you leaving.”

“Fuck… Sorry.” Fuck. He wasn’t sorry at all. “Who followed me?” He wasn’t a star player. Nobody gave a fuck about him.

Until he fucked up.

He should have left with the others, ordered a ride, and gotten dropped off at Chester’s place. Or Chester could’ve come to the hotel, the same way they’ve been doing for weeks.

“That doesn’t matter now. What matters is that people have seen a photo of you kissing another guy, and they know Coach Harrison is separated, and they are speculating… Add in the other rumors before he was married….”

Garrett slapped the steering wheel, then tipped his head back and scrubbed his hands over his face.

He was done. He couldn’t see a way out of it. He didn’t want to deny it. Or pretend it wasn’t him in the photo and that nothing was going on.

“So what now?” His voice sounded broken, even to his ears.

“We stick to the game plan. You never mention Coach Harrison. Not in passing. Not in denial. Nothing. What you can talk about is your new boyfriend.”

“So I’m going to have to come out publicly.” He couldn’t start dating and let people assume. That’s what he’d been hoping for. He didn’t want a fuss. Chester didn’t want a fuss.

“At this point, yes. What that looks like we will discuss today.”

How the fuck was he supposed to sit through a review of yesterday’s game knowing that everybody had seen the fucking photo and had heard the Harrison news and was thinking the worst of him? “Are you at least going to tell the guys that I had nothing to do with Harrison?”

“I’m about to have that conversation with Emilio.”

Great, just great. Because what he really wanted was everybody talking about his sex life. This was why it had been easier not to have one; then there was nothing to talk about and no rumors.

Now it’s all they’d be talking about.

Not how well he played.

Just where he stuck his dick.

“She did it deliberately. She released the news to get back at me.” That she’d chosen to release the news the same day he’d played his first game with the Troopers couldn’t be a coincidence.

“You don’t know that,” Caitlin said.

“You didn’t see her face. She fucking hates me.”

“That doesn’t explain the photo of you and Chester.”

Garrett pinched the bridge of his nose. He was not turning up to training with red eyes, like he’d been crying all night, or was on drugs. “Do you want me to come up when I get there and skip the weights?”

“That’s a good idea. I’ve already assembled the current commentary on the issue.”

“Thank you.”

“And Garrett, I’m glad you came to me.”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you who I’m seeing.” Until last night, they hadn’t even agreed they were dating. Where did this leave them?

“And if not for the Harrison situation, I would agree with you. For the moment, I think it’s best you tell me everything.”

Garrett considered last night’s events, knowing she didn’t literally mean everything.

---