Page 28 of Press Your Luck

"This kind of publicity is exactly what we need right now.”

What?My jaw clenched as I fought to keep my temper in check. How could he be so excited about this? Didn't he realize how invasive and humiliating it was for me?

"Fantastic?" I was unable to hide the bitterness in my voice. "Todd, that story is a lie. Max and I just had one beer together, and then I went to my room. Alone. Nothing happened."

"Of course.” His tone belied any concern that the story wasn’t true. I hated how cavalier he was about my personal life. "But you have to admit, it's got people talking. And that's not a bad thing, right?"

"They should be focusing on our team's performance, not some made-up scandal."

"Ah, but that's where the magic of the media comes in. They'll focus on whatever sells and gets clicks. And right now, that's you and Max."

I took a deep breath, reminding myself that Todd was my boss and I couldn't afford to lose my cool. "But selling and clicks help the media, not us.”

“It does if it means people come to the games. I know as an owner and coach, we’re both new to the team and are still gelling, but with the losses, we need something to bring in fans.”

Ugh. “I want to set the record straight.” I worked to sound calm and collected. "There's no truth to those rumors."

"Of course not. But if it brings in fans, no harm, no foul, right?”

"Todd, this is my reputation we’re talking about. My career." My voice cracked in frustration.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I thought maybe he finally understood how serious this was for me.

"Naomi, you have to look at the bigger picture." Todd’s voice suddenly became serious. "With the team's losses piling up, we need something to lure fans to the games. And this type of gossip? It's titillating. It could do just that."

"Titillating?" I scoffed. "You really think people will come to watch us play because they might catch a glimpse of me and Max in some sort of... romantic tryst?"

"Yes. Ticket sales are up since the story broke. And just wait until you hear this—there are even fans rooting for the relationship between you and Max. They're speculating on when you two will get married."

My jaw dropped as I processed what he was saying. It was one thing to be caught up in a whirlwind of rumors and gossip, but to have strangers actually invested in my love life? That was a level of scrutiny I'd never experienced before. It was creepy.

"Marriage?" My mind raced with the absurdity of it. "Todd, none of this is even real. Max and I had one beer together, and now people are planning our wedding? This is insane."

"Maybe so. But it's also the world we live in. Like it or not, your personal life has become intertwined with your professional one. And sometimes, that can work in our favor."

I took a deep breath. As much as the swirling rumors and unwanted attention made me uncomfortable, I couldn't let them distract me from what really mattered. My players were depending on me, and I owed it to them—and myself—to give this job everything I had.

"Alright.”

“Remember, you're a trailblazer in this industry, and that comes with its own set of challenges. But I have no doubt that you're up for it."

Hanging up the phone, I was grateful to have someone like Todd in my corner, believing I was a capable coach. But I realized that Todd didn’t understand how it was for me to be constantly scrutinized and judged, both for my gender and for my personal life. If I was going to survive in this world, I had to learn to navigate these storms on my own.

Then again, I suppose he had his own issues to deal with. He was a businessman, after all. He was looking at the bottom line. He’d hired me and the team to do a job, which in my mind was to coach hockey, but in his, it was to make money. If hockey didn’t bring the fans in and instead gossip did, so be it. It was up to me to change things.

Why didn’t the other coaches have to go through this? When I scrolled through my sports news feed, I didn’t see anything except hockey-related content about them.

Thinking of other coaches brought the image of Pierce into my head. After our hookup, I'd been angry with him, but also mortified by the way my body had responded to him. It was like a betrayal, as though my own flesh had turned against me in the heat of the moment. Every touch, every kiss, every whispered dirty word had sent shivers down my spine, leaving me breathless and desperate for more.

"Damn alcohol," I muttered to myself, trying to convince myself that it was the only reason I'd let my guard down that night. But deep down, I knew it wasn't the booze that had made me lose control. If I was drunk, it wasn’t on vodka. It was on Pierce. There was something else at play, some hidden force that drew me to him. Despite my best efforts to keep my mind on my work, I couldn't stop thinking about Pierce Jackson and the things he did to me on that conference table.

The man was an enigma, infuriating and intoxicating all at once, and yet, there was some magnetic pull that left me unable to resist. I wouldn’t go as far as to say he was endearing, but he’d somehow managed to worm his way into my thoughts, occupying space I shouldn’t let him move into. If I wasn’t careful, he’d become another obstacle I'd have to overcome.

I remembered I’d wanted wine and again headed to the kitchen, trying to shake off the memory of that night. I shouldn't be thinking about Pierce. I made my way to the fridge, deciding to add ice cream to the list of items I would consume to comfort myself. Just as I reached for the freezer door, the buzzer to my apartment rang, startling me.

Ugh. Reluctantly, I abandoned the ice cream and wine quest and walked over to the door, opening it to find Analyn and Ruby standing there, both smiling brightly. In Analyn's hands was a beautifully wrapped box adorned with a shiny bow.

"Hey, Naomi," Analyn said, her smile faltering slightly. "We just wanted to come by and apologize for... well, you know."

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