Page 126 of Stick Side
“Okay. Let me see that,” Shawna said as she plucked the phone right out of Melody’s hands.
Melody heard the telltale whoosh of a message being sent before her phone was handed back to her. Shawna then whipped out her phone and began typing at a rate Melody imagined only Shawna and professional coders could achieve.
“Okay,” Shawna said after a moment. “He was smart and made it a private video requiring an encrypted link in order to access it.” She paused for a beat and tilted her head in thought. “Not that I would actually mind if it did get out.”
“From a professional team marketing perspective, I should say,” she was quick to add. Shawna sighed, some sort of PR details no doubt whizzing through her mind. “God . . . If this got out, it would break the internet.”
Melody couldn’t help but agree. Ignoring his recent foray into a media circus not of his own creation, Ben was already a handsome, charming, and well-liked player. Add displays of emotional vulnerability like this and he became darn near irresistible. And not just to her, apparently.
“We would make an absolute killing if he let us raffle him off for a charity auction,” Shawna thought out loud, at least one foot always in her work world.
Shawna cursed and shook her head as though to clear it. “The man is either as dumb as a doorknob or he trusts you one heck of a lot.”
“I vote for option number two,” Annie opined.
Shawna lifted her shrewd eyes to meet Melody’s still-bemused ones.
“Doesn’t he know how much money you could make if you sold this shit to a tabloid?” Shawna remarked.
Melody winced at the mention of a tabloid in connection to Ben. She knew that scandal was as good as over now, but she hated the way the Hargraves story had pulled her out of her blissful romantic bubble and made her question not only Ben, but also herself and their long-term viability as a couple.
To Shawna, Melody replied, “I would never violate his privacy like that.” Melody punctuated her words with a slightly indignant huff even though she was aware Shawna knew her well enough to realize she wouldn’t sell Ben—or anyone—out like that.
“Of course you wouldn’t,” Shawna acknowledged as if it were a given. “That’s why you attract dreamboats like Ben, while I attract cocky douchebags who are really only interested in one thing.”
“Are you looking to settle down?” Annie piped in curiously.
Shawna waved the question aside. “No,” Shawna said with a dismissive shake of her head. “I’m quite pleased with the D-bags for now. They do a great job of delivering on what I’m looking for at present.”
Melody quirked a brow. She would have to circle back to that.
“Would you really sell something like this to a tabloid?” Annie asked Shawna as she polished off the last of her umbrella drink.
“Oh, I would think about it,” Shawna responded with no small bit of bravado. “Personally and professionally, I would definitely think about it.”
“So, what are you going to do, Mel?” Annie asked delicately.
Both ladies knew how hard she’d taken the recent media hoopla. As much as she cared for Ben—and the depth of emotion he was able to pull from her still shocked her—she wasn’t sure she had it in her to live in the spotlight. And, as this past week had proven, if she was going to be with Ben, his spotlight would spill over onto her as well. And she really didn’t know if she could live like that.
“Well,” Melody began cautiously, “I’ll definitely reach out. An overture like this deserves a thoughtful response at the very least.”
“Agreed,” Shawna said. It really was incredible how she could imbue a single word with such gravitas.
Melody flicked curious eyes Shawna’s way. It was clear her friend had an opinion on all of this, but Melody could tell she was going to keep her thoughts to herself and let Melody find her own footing.
If only her relationship with Ben didn’t feel like a walk through shark-infested waters. She would get in touch, even meet him in person as he’d requested. After that, she just didn’t know.
Chapter 64
Melody
“I’mgladwewereable to make time to do this,” Eric said as they rounded the curve of one of their favorite walking trails.
Melody smiled up at him over the lid of her to-go cup. “Me, too.” The weather was a little brisk, but her tea, coupled with their movement, was doing a good job of keeping her warm.
“I feel like I’ve barely seen you lately,” Eric lamented as he moved over to make room for a runner.
Melody shoved down the guilt that his words triggered. Between her relationship with Ben and the team’s travel schedule, they’d definitely seen each other far less than normal, and never alone, just the two of them, like this.
