Page 62 of Wild Catch
“PR. Later,” I toss over my shoulder, skidding around the corner.
I haven’t the foggiest idea what this is about, but I’m sure this is life giving me a lemon—and it will go on my resume and help me make the case for a promotion.
After passing a couple of people in the corridors and excusing myself from chatting as gently as I can, I finally get to the public relations area. I make a beeline for the cubicle that looks like a little garden, with tiny potted plants and flowers hanging from the plastic walls of her mini office. But she’s not at her chair. What the heck?
“Looking for Audrey?” one of her coworkers asks from the cubicle across from hers. “She’s in the meeting room with Logan Kim.”
I turn into a statue.
Logan Kim? Why him?
“Thanks,” I say at the same time as my brain clicks into place.
So this isn’t an opportunity forme, but for the publicity stunt we’re doing.
I walk into the meeting room in a more dignified way. Audrey sits across the table, facing the door. She’s as elegant as always, with her fancy-looking clothes that she thrifts for a fraction of their original pricing, impeccable makeup, and blonde hair in gentle waves. Opposite to her is Logan in his gym clothes, a sleeveless black shirt that clings to his torso, and blue sweatpants. The guy is too massive for the tiny conference chair, and it squeaks in a terrifying way as he turns to look at my entrance.
He has his hair tied in a bun and it annoys me. The stubble in his face and his hair partially obscuring it often make me forget how ridiculously handsome he is.
I know I’m frowning now but I don’t care. “Am I right to understand that thisSPORTYopportunity is actually for Logan?” I ask.
Audrey motions at me to take the seat next to him and I do. I’m annoyed at his face, not at him.
“Actually, it’s for both of you,” she starts, lacing her fingers together above the table. “Like we expected, the internet is still buzzing with the two of you and I pitched the concept of a joint feature toSPORTYMagazine. The players and the social media managers who turn them into stars.”
She makes an arc in the air with her hands as she says the title like she’s picturing the byline already. I turn to Logan just as he’s doing the same, and we share a smirk.
“Of course,” Audrey continues. “This will have the added spin of a budding workplace romance and all that. We’ll make it tasteful.”
Logan puts a fist against his mouth, elbow on the table. For a second I suspect that he’s trying not to laugh, but when I pay closer attention he seems to be thinking about this.
“I assume you first have to call your agent to clear it, right?” I ask, offering him an out.
His eyes shift to me without him moving his head. I can’t help but feeling like he’s assessing me until finally, he mutters, “I do, actually.”
“Great.” Audrey pushes away from the table. “I understand that this is making you waste valuable training time, but if you can call him now and give me a confirmation in the next few minutes, I can get the ball rolling with the magazine before the season gets even deeper.”
Also before Logan trades to a different team, which she doesn’t know about.
It’s the main reason why I figured he needs to discuss this with his agent. It takes a hot second to arrange these promos, no matter how speedy Audrey may want to be, and Logan might be gone before the campaign is scheduled. And then I’ll also lose my chance of having aSPORTYfeature under my belt.
I follow Audrey out of the meeting room, sighing, and she immediately zeroes her emerald eyes on me. “What’s up with you?”
“Hmm?” I trudge along with her to her cubicle. While she takes her chair, I lean back against her desk right beside her.
“You look bummed and I thought you’d be excited about this.” She tilts her head. “Why’s that?”
“It’s just…” I shrug, trying to play cool even as I squeeze the edge of her desk harder. “I feel kinda guilty. It would be different if this all wasn’t fake and temporary.”
“So like, you wish you were dating Logan for real?” One of her eyebrows rises.
“No!” I whisper-shout, then check to see if anyone shows signs of paying attention to this conversation. I lower my voice just in case. “What I mean is that it’s weird to be getting this opportunity on something that isn’t real. Half of the staff knows the truth but the players don’t—heck, even Hope doesn’t. It’s almost like cheating and… and you know how I feel about cheaters.”
“Wow, okay. These two things are nowhere near the same realm. Your work and the way Ben Williams treated you has nothing in common. Because that’s what this is: work.” Her eyes narrow slightly. “Unless you start to feel something for your performance partner.”
I scoff. “Please.”
“Or him for you.”
