Page 46 of Masters of the Game: Colton
Lake looked at her questioningly and then said, “Please have a seat, Sherelle, and tell me what this is about.”
**
Typically, Colton didn’t go to the fitness center in the evenings, but he knew of no other way to work off his anger and frustration. How dare Kelly accuse him of sabotaging her business, deliberately or otherwise? And so what if they had been seen together at Coney Island? Hadn’t they agreed that what they did after hours was their business?
What riled him more than anything was her belief that he’d orchestrated the entire thing-her agency being selected and the two of them traveling to New York and LA together- just to sleep with her. How in the hell could she even think such a thing?
A couple of hours later, he had returned to his penthouse, taken another shower and was standing at the window, sipping a beer and looking out at the harbor. When his cell phone sounded, he knew from the ring tone it was Lake. Chances were he was calling to remind him that the Brothers Four would be flying to Philly tomorrow to pick up Hayes. Personally, he couldn’t wait to meet the kid and welcome him to the Masters family that he probably hadn’t known about. It had to hard on him losing both parents, and it would be important that he felt wanted and loved.
Moving from the window, he picked up his phone from the table. “Yes, Lake?”
“Colton, Sherelle just left my office, and she shared something with me that I think you should know.”
“What?”
It didn’t take Lake long to tell Colton everything, and he had withheld any comments and questions until the end. “Now I know where Kelly’s accusations came from,” he finally said.
“She’s heard about it already?” Lake asked.
“Yes. She heard two women talking in the breakroom and lit into me when I went to see her a few hours ago,” Colton said.
“She believed it?”
“Yes, she believed it.” Knowing Lake wouldn’t understand, he said, “She believes it because before she was hired by Masters Unlimited, our relationship couldn’t go anywhere because we wanted different things out of it. Believing I was the one who chose her for the location contract, she sees that as me manipulating things my way.”
“But you didn’t choose her. I did. You weren’t even a part of the decision. Why didn’t you tell her that?” Lake asked.
“She didn’t give me the chance. Now in a way, I’m glad she didn’t.”
“Why?”
“She should not have believed that gossip in the first place, Lake. Knowing that she did, proves she doesn’t trust me. You know of the problem I have with anyone questioning my integrity.”
“Yes, I know. We all do. But what that girl accused you of when you were in high school shouldn’t have any bearing on your relationships with women now, Colton. That was over fifteen years ago.”
“It doesn’t have any bearing on my affairs now. Unlike Cobra, I have no problem sharing a serious relationship with a woman.”
“Until they question your honesty and moral principles.”
“Yes, until then,” Colton admitted.
Lake didn’t say anything for a minute, then added, “I’ll notify Cortez. As our company’s attorney, he’ll know what to do. Thanks to Sherelle, we know Venters Consulting Agency is behind it. In the meantime, I’ll inform my executive team to remind everyone that although we promote positive interactionsamong our employees, we have a zero-tolerance policy for gossip.”
**
Wiping tears from her eyes, Kelly reached for the phone when she heard her brother Hansen’s ring tone. “Hi Hansen.”
“Do we need to talk, Kel?”
She rolled her teary eyes. Evidently, Monica had called him. “No.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
“Then maybe you ought to listen for a while, instead.”
“I don’t want to do that right now, either,” she said. “All I want to do is go home. My flight leaves first thing in the morning.”
