Page 100 of Wild Catch
I flinch at that, and Dave notices.
“How about we go into the meeting room for a quick chat?” He extends his arm out for me to join him down the hallway. I do, wearing a tight smile as my coworkers keep teasing me.
“Y’all are gonna sell that magazine like hotcakes.”
“Right? I’m sure that will makeSPORTYincrease their sponsorship investment into the Wild.”
“Christmas bonuses, here we go!”
The chatter finally stops when Dave and I walk into the conference room and he shuts the crystal door behind us. I take the seat with my back facing the office, and Dave jogs over to take the spot across the table from me.
“As you can see, this is going way better than we expected,” he starts saying, lacing his fingers together. “It really is because of your commitment to the plan, and how consistently you developed it through our social media channels.”
“Thank you,” I mumble, squirming. These compliments feel like a too scratchy shirt.
“If you’re aware of this, why do you look like you just came from a funeral?”
Lowering my face, I lift one hand to rub at the ache forming on my temples. “I…” I obviously can’t confirm that one of the jokes came true—not that Logan’s in love with me, but the other way around. Or why that leaves such a bitter taste in my mouth. But I can admit to one thing. “I’m starting to feel like a fake.”
It hits me right here and now how true that is.
That’s another reason why these feelings make no sense. The relationship between Logan and I, if it can even be called that way, started under false pretense. For me to benefit from, actually.
“How so?” There is abject confusion in my boss’s voice.
“This is all a stunt, isn’t it?” I lower my hand and his eyes narrow. My face is probably still puffy from crying earlier. “One where I stand to benefit the most. I don’t think I’d feel so crappy about it if the benefits were more even.”
He tilts his head. “The benefits are more so for the brand than for you. What do you mean?”
“Um, wasn’t this all so I could replace Steve Boateng when he retires?”
Dave’s eyes bulge. “Wait, who said that?”
Now I’m the one whose jaw drops and eyes turn cartoonish. “You did!”
“No, no. I said this would definitely show your commitment to the organization, which can open doors?—”
“Dave!” I throw my hands in the air. “That’s the sole reason I’ve been doing all these wild things for! You know I dream about that position—” A sob interrupts me.
I smack both hands against my mouth. Dave’s expression is a mix of horror and shock.
“But Rosalina…” He swallows hard. “Promising something like that would’ve got me in trouble with HR. You’ll have to apply to it like everybody else.”
My voice is watery as I ask, “So what the hell have I been doing all this for?”
He opens and closes his mouth. And again. And when I’m sure he’ll finally say something, his attention drifts to the side and I feel the conference room door open.
“Rose, you left your phone in the dugout.”
Shit, it’s Logan.
My reflexes fail me and instead of hiding, I turn to him.
Sure enough, that’s my phone in its lavender case in his hand. But what strikes me the most is how he takes one look at my face and… his expression transforms, first into surprise and then into fury.
“What did you do to her?” he asks Dave in a menacing way.
“Nothing!” Dave squeaks out. “I, myself, don’t understand what’s happening.”
