Page 58 of Penalty Shots

"It means you'll need to behave. No more gut checks and face high fives," she explains.

I look at Redmond, whose black eye still sports a slight greenish-yellow tone, though it's mostly healed. I was proud of that hit.

"Sorry, mate," I say to him.

His eyes flit to me then back to Rina like he knows something that I don't know.

"Ok, so what do you want us to do? Serve at the soup kitchen in cute aprons and chef's hats? Plant a community garden?" I ask, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Rina's desk and resting my head against my hands interlocked behind it.

She crosses the room and leans back against it, facing me.

"You'll need to go on a double date," Rina says blankly.

"Ex-squeeze me?" I say, dropping my arms.

Redmond now comes up next to her and throws an arm around her shoulders. She slides out from under him and sits in the chair behind her desk.

I'm still staring at Redmond's arm, wondering how and when I'll get the chance to break it for touching her.

"Yes, you'll bring your girlfriend. And the four of us will have dinner at Velvet + Vine downtown."

Girlfriend?Mygirlfriend. The one I don't have.

I squint at her, trying to get a read of this situation. "My girlfriend?"

"Yes," she says, eyes flitting toward Redmond. "Since she'll be in town tonight—we can go eat after the game. I've already made the reservations."

"Alright, then," Redmond says, checking his phone. "Sounds like a date. I gotta run now. That's my agent."

He answers the call before even leaving the room but quickly disappears into the hall, leaving Rina and I to stare at each other.

"What the actual fuck is happening?"

Rina crosses the room and closes the door. Then she turns back to look at me.

"I've spoken to Zara Blaise's people, and she needs to distance herself from some bad publicity. They've agreed to work with you."

I rub my jaw, "Zara Blaise… as in the international pop star?"

"Yeah," she says.

When I look at her like I don't speak English, she adds. "You signed off on the plan, Keelan. Don't make this hard."

I let out a short, derisive chuckle. "I'm sorry, how did me agreeing to date someone turn into the four of us merrily breaking bread together?"

"It's for the cameras. You know how these things work. Zara knows, too."

"Ok, that's all fine and dandy, but why are you agreeing to have dinner with Redmond?"

"Because… if I agree to give this marriage a try, Redmond will drop the freeze on our accounts, and we'll go back to how we were going to proceed with this divorce. Quietly and amicably."

"He's blackmailing you, Rina. You don't see that?"

She stops me. "This is a win-win for everyone. You being seen with Zara while having dinner with Redmond will take all the heat off your little viral fight and show the fans that you guys have moved on."

My foot is bouncing aggressively at my side. And I reach into my pocket, on instinct.

When I don't find what I'm looking for, I tap my finger against my thigh.

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