Page 117 of Finding the Forward: Part Two
She nodded and typed something on her phone. “Got it. Given that Chet Chesterton is holding a press conference from jail, I’m guessing it’s him who outed him.”
Jonas sucked in a breath. “Chet knows. Fuck.”
“That fucking asshole,” I muttered, my hands fisting.
AJ gave Jonas a look. “Do you think this is related to Bunty telling Grif he needed to drop the lawsuit against Chet, because Cal and Bertie are buddies and it’s making poker night awkward?”
“What?” Kylee pulled over a chair. “I need to know everything, and I needed to know it an hour ago.”
“Bertie?” I looked at AJ.
“Bertie Chesterton, Chet’s dad. One of my dads sometimes goes to that poker night. Cal Daughtry is awful at poker. Oh. Huh, I wonder how much Cal owes Bertie.” AJ texted someone.
I looked upBertie Chesterton, trustee, NYIT,on my phoneand showed it to AJ.“Albert Chesterton?”
“Yep.” AJ didn’t look up from his phone. “Why?”
“The trustee that’s giving my department problems about my research is namedBertie.” My hands shook. That made sense–and I hadn’t realized Chet’s father was a trustee.
“Bertie’s giving you problems about your research?” AJ gave me a look, then returned to texting.
“For all I know, the haters, the threats, the person who got Samantha to destroy my research, were all orchestrated byChet.” Considering he knew how important my research was to me, that tracked. My belly churned.
After all these years, Chet still wouldn’t let it go.
Though he’d been quiet for some time. It must have been me dating Grif that set him off. Because apparently, I couldn’t have nice things.
“Makes sense. Grif wasn’t succumbing to his demands,” Jonas agreed, giving my hand a squeeze. “So, he took to the internet and stirred shit. When that wasn’t working, he got his dad involved.”
“That’s pretty much how Chet operates. Make trouble, get daddy to bail him out, repeat,” AJ replied, eyes on his phone screen.
Kylee gave us a look. “Chet,what?Though I remember that Chet wasn’t happy Grif was dating Verity.”
We filled her in on everything, including my history with Chet.
Her phone rang, and she took it. “He what? He’s not allowed to hold press conferences without a written script, a teleprompter, and a chaperone. No, Cal’snotan appropriate chaperone. Handle it. I don’t care if you have to drag him away. I’ll be there as soon as I handle things here at the hospital.” She ended the call, exuding anger. “Mr. Longfellow is giving a press conference. The game isn’t even fucking over.”
Jonas turned on the TV. There stood Mr. Bunty Longfellow, the general manager, addressing the press. A man, possibly even older than Mr. Longfellow, hung behind him in a very expensive suit, head bald and gleaming.
“Cal and I are sad to do this. But we’re a family, and we don’t tolerate dishonesty,” Mr. Longfellow told the reporters. “The termination is effective immediately and we’ll recommend that he not be permitted to play for any PHL team.”
Kylee grimaced, a manicured hand covering her face. “He did not.”
“You’re buying out his contract?” a reporter replied.
Mr. Longfellow shook his head. “Termination, not buyout.”
Dean’s cozy scent soured as he scowled at the TV. “They can’t fire him. Especially without a test. Suspend him while it’s sorted, but not fire. It’s the law.”
“I’m on this.” AJ grabbed his phone and stormed out of the room in a cloud of alpha indignation.
Jonas looked like he’d explode, anger wafting off him in spicy mossy puffs. “Not how this works. I’m texting our union rep.”
Kylee got on her phone again, expression livid. “I said get him off the mic right now or so help me, you won’t like the consequences.”
“Can you even legally fire Grif Graf, given the way contracts are now structured? This isn’t the old days,” another reporter said on the TV.
“This came down from both the Daughtry family and one of the other owners. Between his lawsuit and that model he’s seeing, I don’t think Grif’s PHL material.” He shrugged. “It was a mistake to bring him on.”
