Page 89 of Chips & Checks
“I’ll catch you up right now,” Dante snaps. “I’m glad you’re both here, we need you to put the proper PR spin on this situation. Most of the team wants to back upthis guy”—he points to me—“after he punched Chadon camera multiple times.”
“Oh, I have the perfect solution. How fortuitous.” Renee brandishes the file she’s been holding under one arm, though I didn’t see it until now due to the angle of her body. “I’m herewith my report on the HR investigation. Annette is here to correct me if I misspeak.”
“What report?” Dante makes a grab for the papers.
Renee deftly sidesteps him and passes the folder to Sergio instead. “The report on Chad Hawthorne. Violet came to me at the beginning of the season. Bowen, too. He witnessed multiple incidents of inappropriate behavior, and Violet has continued to document more of them throughout the season. I’m prepared to share some of them with you now.”
As Annette takes a seat, Renee scoops up the projector for the remote and walks back across the room to turn off the lights. “Bowen, would you please be a dear and pull down the projector screen?”
I leap to my feet. “Yes, ma’am.” I’d do anything she asks if she’s about to do what Ithinkshe’s about to do.
Renee opens the door. “Chad, come on in and join us.”
Chad swaggers into the room, his face split in a shit-eating grin even though it’s still swollen from where I hit him the other day. He sneers at me. “I’m ready to give my testimony.”
“Sit down,” Renee urges him, her voice sticky-sweet. “We’re going to watch a little video first.”
Chad’s eyes shift from her face to Dante’s. “Video?” he repeats.
“Take a seat,” Renee insists. “I want to review the footage from the hotel.”
His swagger returns. Chad pulls a chair from against the wall and drags it over to mine. He gives me a little wave with his fingers. “Bye-bye, baby Bowie,” he whispers. “We’ve all seen that viral video. I can’t wait until they release your ass. Better yet, send it up to Topeka.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. He’s right: the video from the hotel has almost two million views. And without knowing the context or hearing the audio, it looks bad for me. But surelythat’s not what Renee’s going to show. We’ve all seen that. Even I can acknowledge what it looks like.
From behind Chad, Renee catches my eye and gives me a small nod. I sit back. Nothing to do but watch, anyway.
Renee cues up her film and hits play. It’s from the hotel, all right, but it’s taken from a different angle than the one everyone’s memorized. For the first few seconds, it shows the empty hallway of the hotel from up high, like it’s mounted on the ceiling. The image is a little dull and fuzzy, but when Violet steps into view, she’s unmistakable. The elevator door opens just as she’s about to pass them, and Chad steps out.
I saw enough the other night to make my blood boil, but having to watch Chad drag Vi into the alcove, pin her to the wall, and trap her there makes me want to kill him. I can see the fear on Violet’s face before his broad shoulders partially block the view, and the moment when she panics and drops the ice. I can’t make myself look away.
My jaw grinds. My fists curl. Every muscle in my body screams for action, for a do-over—let me go back to that night, five minutes earlier, and I’ll end it before it starts. I won’t stop at one punch this time. Watching her body recoil, watching that smile fall off her face, replaced by something terrified and tight—it guts me.
I’d never seen that look on her before. I never want to see it again.
She was alone. And scared. And still trying to handle it with grace.
I hate this fucker so much.
“That’s not what it looks like,” Chad says. The video’s still playing, but Renee pauses before the rest of us show up.
“What would you say happened, Mr. Hawthorne?” she asks. Working with Dante has given her an unflappable edge.
“I was asking her why she’s been avoiding me,” Chad lies. “It’s like she doesn’t care about my injuries. Like she wants to sabotage my play. You can ask the team doctor. I’ve already complained about it.”
I’ve heard that an angry honey badger can tear off a lion’s balls with its bare paws. I’m tempted to emulate that persistent little beast right here and now.
“Did you? That’s interesting.” Renee pushes another button. The video restarts… this time with audioandcaptions. This time, she lets it play all the way through to the punch.
And then it happens.
Chad’s voice echoes off the walls.I’d have you crying on my cock in five minutes. You’d be begging for more, stuffed so full you couldn’t even walk straight…Coach blanches. Sergio slams his palm flat against the table. My stomach flips. Across from me, my agent’s face goes pale.
“Jesus Christ,” he mutters, pushing his chair back like he can’t physically sit through this. “You let that happen to a team staff member?”
“Un-fucking-believable,” Sergio breathes, visibly shaking. “That’s not flirting. That’s verbal assault.”
“And sexual harassment,” Renee adds calmly, though her eyes burn. “Multiple counts. Not to mention intimidation and inappropriate contact. If Violet presses charges, you’re looking at criminal consequences.”
