Page 35 of Truth or Tequila (Grand Slam 1)

Chapter Fourteen

seb

“Put something on, asshole.” I grab a towel as I walk out of the shower and throw it at Dane who’s strutting through the clubhouse buck-ass naked. Sophie’s sitting across the room talking to our newspaper beat reporter, Ray Franklin.

“Why? You getting turned on, Seb?” Dane flings the towel back at me. “And since when do you come out of the shower with your boxers and T-shirt already on? Is there someone in here who you don’t want to see the goods?”

This is the first time I’ve ever come out of the shower wearing anything but a towel. It’s definitely because Sophie’s in the room. I mean, I want her to see all of me, but I was hoping for a more intimate setting.

Dane walks over to Sophie and Ray. “You got any questions for me tonight, Ray?”

Sophie turns around to see his naked crotch right in her face. I grab Dane by the arm and throw him across the room. “Put some damn clothes on,” I say, blocking Sophie’s view.

“Why? I can’t walk around free and easy because there’s another woman in the room now?”

“Walk around how you want,” I growl, “but you don’t need to get that close to her.”

“He does if I’m going to see anything,” Sophie says from behind me. “It’s kind of small.”

“Oh!” The clubhouse erupts in laughter.

“Good one, Sophia.” Manny, one of our pitchers, walks by and gives her a fist bump. He turns to Dane. “It is hard to see. Is it shy? Maybe it’s hiding somewhere.”

Dane flips him off and heads toward the shower. I turn back around to Sophie.

“Sorry about that. He’s an asshole.”

“Can I quote you on that?” Ray smiles at me. I know he won’t. He’s a good guy and a solid reporter. He’s an old-school journalist. He doesn’t spend time on clubhouse drama like some of the other reporters do.

“Sure. It’s not like it’s going to be breaking news or anything. You’ve been around long enough to know what Dane’s like.”

He laughs as he turns back to Sophie. “Is that the kind of sexual harassment you’re here investigating?”

She looks up at me and then looks back at Ray. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Ray.”

“C’mon, Sophia. You’ve only been here a few days, but I’m guessing you’ve already figured out that this place is as leaky as a colander. Everyone knows what you do for a living. It’s not that hard to figure out why you’re here.”

She glances at me again. She didn’t want me to hear that. I’m beginning to think Joe might be right about her, but for some reason, it doesn’t bother me at all. I want her to know everything about me—even the bad stuff.

“Off the record,” she says, turning back to Ray.

“Sure.”

“I’m not here about sexual harassment. It’s the sexual discrimination stuff. You’ve seen the stories. You even reported on it.”

“What Dane just did looked more like harassment to me.” Ray nods toward the showers.

“I’m not talking about Dane and his little penis parade—”

“Oh God,” Ray groans. “Can we please go on record just for that last statement? I’ve got to quote ‘little penis parade.’”

“No, we cannot,” she laughs, “but if you ever write a book, feel free to use that as the title.”

“That’s a best seller, right there,” he nods and looks around the room to make sure no one’s listening. “So you’re here for the Liza Murray thing? That someone asked for her to be removed from the clubhouse?”

I’m trying to act uninterested as I get dressed at my locker, but I’m not doing a very good job.

“I’m here to make sure the organization’s putting its best foot forward in every area which includes rooting out discrimination of any kind.”

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