As soon as I got home last night, I texted both Mike and Tony, letting them know my thoughts on including Danika at our meeting, since this concerned her, too. They agree and expect her in our meeting this morning. I can tell Dani’s nervous, so I try to distract her and keep us in our bubble for as long as we can.
Needing to stick to my usual routine, Dani and I are up and out the door a little after six. Harlow greets us as we approach my office. “Morning, Luke. Danika, it’s a pleasure to see you today.”
“I wish it were under different circumstances,” Dani admits, though she says it with strength and determination.
Harlow nervously laughs. “I can see that. But things have a way of working out. I’m sure the two of you will get through this just fine.” Then Harlow pats Dani on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, dear. Your secret’s safe with me. By the way, I’m a huge fan of your work. I had no idea you were Charlotte Ann.”
“Thank you, Harlow. That’s kind of you to say.” Dani’s shoulders relax a bit, and I loosen up as well.
Harlow always knows just what to say. She turns her attention to me and winks before saying, “Luke, you have a talented lady here. Treat her right.” I shake my head.
“Thanks, Harlow, you know I will. You should’ve seen her in action this weekend with her fans,” I state honestly. “This woman’s a force to be reckoned with. She makes our hour-long meet and greets look like child’s play. She was at it for hours on end and never broke a sweat.”
“From what I saw on television, you have yourself quite the fan base as well, Luke.” Instantly, I feel my ears heat and roll my eyes in disagreement.
But Dani adds her two cents before I can brush it off, “Maybe if he wasn’t such a hot commodity, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” I can tell from the tone of her voice she’s teasing, but with the instant nodding of Harlow’s head, I see she might have a point.
“Luke’s a talented coach, but let’s face it, he’s easy on the eyes. The women at that book conference were bound to notice him.” Harlow then looks to me. “No offense.”
“How the hell am I supposed to take that?” I ask honestly. Seriously?
Harlow swats her hand in the air dismissively. “Oh, Luke,” she states just like my mama would say, Bless Your Heart. I don’t miss the tone. I’m not being a dumbass. I seriously don’t know what I did that caused such a shitstorm in the media. I was just being helpful. Sure, I could have kept my shirt down, but it was the only way I could prove I wasn’t the cover model. I look nothing like that guy. Obviously.
“Luke,” Dani catches my attention, “she didn’t mean to offend you. But no one’s blind in this room.” Like that’s supposed to help the situation.
I drop the subject and to Harlow, I ask, “Did Mike or Tanya happen to mention where our meeting is this morning? I haven’t checked my email yet and want to make sure we’re on time.”
“They’ll be in Mike’s office at seven thirty,” she states, getting the point I want to drop the subject.
“Thanks. I’m going to get things set up for the coaches meeting and delegate some things I wanted to cover with the offensive line, since I’m unable to attend the meeting this morning.”
I walk toward my office, and Dani follows. “Mind if I set up shop at your conference table?”
“Not at all. Make yourself at home. Sorry, but I have to get a few things done before the coaches meeting that starts in twenty minutes,” I offer as I start up my laptop and pull up the list of things I’d created last night before going to bed, while Dani got some words in.
“No problem. You don’t need to entertain me, Luke. I know you have a job to do.” She pulls out a notebook and her laptop. Sets some pens on the table and settles in to get to work, while I do the same.
I focus my attention on adding some things to my list and making sure there’s enough details in my instructions so the other coaches can easily lead the meeting I’m missing. After I finish that, I shoot off a few emails and respond to the giant pile stacked in my inbox.
Soon there’s a knock at my open door, and I glance up to see Tyrell Yates, our defensive coordinator entering the room. He greets me with, “Hey, Casanova. I hear you’re moonlighting as a model these days.”
“You can’t always believe what you see on TV,” I deadpan.
“So… You’re not dating the sexy romance novelist?”
I glance at Dani who covers her mouth, doing her best not to laugh at the ridiculousness of Tyrell. He’s been a good friend for years, but he’s been known to have a one-track mind and doesn’t pay attention to my glance at the conference table.
Tyrell walks to my desk, his back now completely to Dani. “So, what’s the deal, Romeo? Are you dating this girl or not?” He runs a palm over his chin and looks to the ceiling, as if he’s suddenly in deep thought. Whatever it is he’s thinking, he’s concentrating harder than necessary. Completely entertained by this, I remain silent.
Tyrell mistakes my silence for a denial and looks me square in the eyes. “Okay, hotshot. Tell me this. If you’re not dating her, can you help me get her number?” His eyes waggle, baiting me for a response.
And I don’t disappoint. I bolt out of my chair and stand to lean over my desk. The thought of Dani dating anyone but me makes my blood boil. “Uh… that would be a hard no.”
A mischievous grin forms on his face, and he taps his chin, pretending to think. “Is that a hard no, as in you’re not dating her, or a no as in you’re not helping me get her number?”
The jackass has the audacity to look innocent, but the twinkle in his eye tells me something more. I lean forward and practically grit out a response through clenched teeth, “That would be a no, as in you’re not going to date her. Ever.”
Still feigning innocence, his grin widens. “Now why would you say a thing like that?”
“Because she’s not available,” I blurt out in a rush.
He shrugs. He fucking shrugs. “Does that go for just me, or everyone?”
“Everyone,” I spit out. What the fuck is he doing? He’s my friend. Or at least he’s supposed to be. Why is he acting as if he’s going to make a move on her?
“Good.” Tyrell smirks.
“What?” I ask, suddenly confused.
“Good. Because you need to go into that meeting you’re about to have and claim her as such. Don’t back down and don’t take shit from anyone. The minute I saw you on TV, at a romance conference of all things, I knew she had to be something special.”
“Okay…” I draw out, still not following where he’s going with this.
“You get your ass into that meeting and make them spin things the way you want them. Claim her as yours and don’t let anyone take that away from you.”
Dani then clears her throat. Shit. For a second, I’d forgotten she was in the room. Tyrell and I both turn our attention to the sound. Her face is flushed, obvious embarrassment written all over her face. Fuck. I can’t do anything right.
I clear my throat to swallow my emotions. “Um… Tyrell, this is…” Fuck, who do I call her? Dani? Charlotte? “Um… my girlfriend…” I look to Dani, hoping for guidance.
She stands and closes the distance between her and Tyrell, reaching out her hand to shake it. “Thanks for the support. I’m Dani Fallon, but most of the world now knows me as Charlotte Ann.”
Tyrell’s eyebrows pinch together in confusion and he looks to me. I jump in to clarify. “Her author name’s Charlotte Ann. She’s hoping to keep her anonymity, but who knows how long that will last. Apparently, dating me might cause her to lose it.”
I walk around my desk to stand next to her. She reaches out to take my hand. “We’ll figure it out.” Her assuring touch calms me instantly. It’s like she has magical fingers that cast a spell on me at the simplest of grazes.
We’re interrupted by Harlow on the intercom. “Luke… You have ten minutes to be in Mike’s office. Do you need me to drop anything at the coaches meeting?”
“I’m good. Thanks. Tyrell’s here. He can handle things.”
I take a few minutes to walk Tyrell through what he’ll need for the meeting. He’s on board with my suggestions and will pass them along to the team. It’s not long before he leaves, and Dani and I are off to our own meeting.
We walk hand in hand to Mike’s office. She’s unusually silent. Knowing her as I do, I can tell she’s nervous because neither of us know what to expect. I feel a bit apprehensive as this is the first time a personal relationship has spilled into my professional life. But Tyrell’s right. If we have a united front, we’ll get through it. I squeeze Dani’s hand in hopes of building her confidence and mine.
As we approach the door, I feel a bit like being sent to the principal’s office back in high school, when I’d participated in the senior prank and moved his car into the main hallway entrance of the school. If Dani weren’t holding my hand, I’d feel worse.
We arrive to an open door. Mike sits at the center of his large conference table. Tony is to his right, and Tanya is to his left. This leaves the chairs across from them available to Dani and me. Once again, it feels like we’re in the hot seats.
As we enter the room, both Mike and Tony stand to greet Dani. Before I take a seat, I announce, “This is Danika Fallon, also known as Charlotte Ann.” They each greet her, shake her hand, and proceed to sit.
Mike’s the first to break the silence. “Before we begin, can you give us the backstory between the two of you? I assume you didn’t just meet at this book conference?” He looks between the two of us and waits for a response.
I draw in a deep breath, relieved he wants the whole picture, not just what made the headlines. “No, sir. We’ve been dating awhile.” I clear my throat to rid my gravelly voice and continue in a much more normal tone. “We met before the season began and when her assistant got the flu, I volunteered to help. I had no idea my presence would make national news.”
Tony lets out a light laugh. “I can’t imagine you did.” Then he looks to Dani. “Do you typically make the front page when you attend book signings?”
Danika huffs, “Hardly. If I’m being honest, I didn’t even know Luke was a household name when we met. I typically stay out of the spotlight and only have a small following under my author name, in comparison.”
“You didn’t know who he was?” Tanya asks in disbelief.
I quickly clarify, “Nope.” I chuckle at the memory. “She didn’t have a clue until her brothers pointed it out when I showed up at her door one evening.”
“You gotta be kidding,” Mike chortles, shaking his head in disbelief.
Dani’s shoulders reach her ears as she shrugs sheepishly. “What can I say, I’m a book girl. Sports and TV were never my thing. I knew he worked for the Rainier Renegades but had no idea what he did. At first, I thought maybe he was a vendor or something that traveled with the team. He was always wearing their logo on his clothes.”
Mike lets out a hoot that fills the room, then he slaps his leg. “You gotta be kidding me. This is priceless. Our head coach suddenly finds a love interest. A romance writer at that. And she didn’t know who he was? Since Ray Carson retired and we announced Luke as his replacement, his mug has been plastered all over the place.” His deep belly laugh lightens the mood in the room. “I can’t believe it.”
“It’s true,” I offer. “It was such a relief to not have anyone know who I am, besides just Luke.”
“I can imagine,” Tony commiserates. “I don’t know what I’d do if I had to start dating while in the public eye.”
“This brings us back to the reason we’re here.” Mike’s loud voice booms. “Luke, you’ve always kept your nose clean and out of the media. I had Tanya look back, and it’s obvious this is the first relationship you’ve taken public.”
“Yes, sir, it is,” I agree.
“So, how do you want to spin this?” Tanya asks the room. “There are a few issues at hand. First, there’s the fact the media’s in a frenzy about Luke no longer being single.” Why the fuck do people care who I date? It’s not like I’m a player or anything. I’m about to say something, but she continues, “Second, he was photographed in a compromising position, selling a brand that isn’t the Rainier Renegades.” This comment has me sitting straighter. Tension rolls off me in waves, but Tanya’s oblivious because her next point rolls off her tongue, “Third, he’s dating a woman who also has a pseudo name and will likely be outed due to his exposure.”
I glance to Dani, and she’s sitting rigid in her chair, mirroring me. I can tell she wants to say something but is biting her lip, literally. Fuck. I have to fix this. “First of all, I can’t help that the media has shown an interest in my social life. I’ve never dated anyone serious, so it was never an issue.”
Tanya looks as if she’s chomping at the bit to say something, but I press on to the point I’m most pissed about. “We have players who are sponsored and sell something that isn’t the Rainier Renegades, so you can’t tell me that’s the issue here. I was helping a friend. Simple as that. The photo was taken out of context. I was joking around with her fans who thought I was the cover model. Believe it or not, it was my attempt at setting them straight. That’s all.” My temper ebbs as I continue, “It wasn’t a compromising position by any means. Our players on this team wear a hell of a lot less for the promotional things they do.” I showed a peek of my abs for fuck’s sake. It’s not like I was fucking someone in public or making lewd suggestions.
I force myself to take in a deep breath and calm myself before continuing. When Dani reaches out to place a hand on my thigh under the table, I feel my muscles loosen slightly. Feeling a bit calmer, I continue, “When the picture was taken, the fans in front of me didn’t even recognize me as Luke Leighton, head coach. That didn’t happen until later.”
“Luke,” Tanya chides. “You had to know you’d be recognized being at an event like that.”
My brows reach my forehead as my eyes widen in response. “I had no idea this would happen. It’s never happened in my entire career as a pro athlete or coach. Why would this be any different?”
I don’t give Tanya a chance to respond. I’m on a roll now. God help her if she wants to make this more than it is. “Though…” I hesitate to formulate my response appropriately. “If I had to do it again, I’d be there in an instant to help Dani. She was stuck in the lurch, and that’s what friends do.” I see everyone at the table nod in agreement, so I continue, “I might not have raised my shirt to prove it wasn’t me, but that’s my lesson to learn.”
“We’re back to my original question. How do we want to spin this? You know it’s going to be brought up until it’s been addressed.”
Everyone’s quiet for a moment as we process her question.
That’s the million-dollar question. Fuck, what can we do? Suddenly, it comes to me. “What if…” I start but take a minute to figure out the ramifications of my idea. Damn. It might work. I’ve seen it work in the past for others.
“What, Luke?” Mike prompts, leaning his elbows on the table.
I look to Dani to gauge her response. “What if we grant one joint interview? Set the record straight and agree to not talk about our relationship publicly again.”
Thankfully, Dani nods in agreement. “I can live with that.”
Tanya looks to Dani and eyes her speculatively. “But who will she be? Danika Fallon or Charlotte Ann?” Tanya points out. And fuck, if she doesn’t have a point.
I stare into Danika’s wide ocean-blue eyes. A curl has sprung loose from her ponytail, and she pushes it behind her ear. God, I hate that I’ve put her into this position. In a low voice, I quietly ask, “What would you prefer?”
As I’ve seen her do before, she closes her eyes to think for a moment. After a few breaths, she opens her eyes and inhales a long, slow breath. “I haven’t spoken with my publicist about this, but I’m pretty sure she’d say I need to be Charlotte Ann publicly, for now.” I nod to show her support, then she looks to the room for approval.
“I’d give you the same advice, if you were my client. I’d get ahead of the story about you dating the famous Luke Leighton here.” She points in my direction, and I want to groan. Why of all things, do people care about my social life? I knew this was a possibility, when I took over as head coach, but there’s gotta be bigger stories than me.
“Good point,” Tony pipes in.
Tanya nods in agreement. “It’ll be a bigger story, if you out her anonymity at this point. If the story comes out on its own later, you’ll have to deal with it. But it’s my understanding, most authors have a pseudo name, so her fans won’t mind. Most respect their privacy and move on.”
“So… we’re in agreement,” Mike retakes control of the meeting. “They’ll take a joint interview with one press outlet, and we’ll make a press statement to coordinate with it.”
As I look around the room, I see nods in agreement. Relief washes through me, and I feel Dani’s hand relax on my thigh. Knowing she’s not as stressed makes it so I can relax even further myself. I fucking hate that I put her in this position to begin with.
“If that’s all,” Mike stands and gathers the pad of paper he had in front of him, “I have another meeting across town, so I’ll be on my way.” He turns his attention to Danika. “It was a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for coming in today.”
“Sorry to meet you under these circumstances, but it’s a pleasure to meet you, too.” Dani shakes his outstretched hand.
“Thanks for being here. My wife’s a huge fan, and I’m happy to be able to tell her everything’s worked out.”
“Wow. Thank you. Please tell her thank you for the support. I’ll be sure to send my upcoming book in with Luke, when it’s about to publish.”
“Wow. Thank you. I can’t wait to surprise her with it. Apparently, she’s read all your books and is an avid fan.” Mike rocks back on his heels while stuffing his hands into his pockets, as if he’s embarrassed to reveal he’s spoken about Dani to his wife.
“Maybe one day I’ll meet her,” Dani says with grace, and Mike visibly relaxes. And I think I just fell harder for her. God, she’s so giving.
Mike smiles wide, and appreciation shines through. “Thank you.” He pats her on the arm and pivots toward the door to exit.
Tanya and Tony say their goodbyes, then Tanya, Dani, and I decide when to set up the interview. When Tanya says she’s going to work her magic to get an interview scheduled later this morning, I bring Dani back to my office to wait. I must say, now that there’s a plan in place, my walk is a lot lighter, and I certainly can breathe easier.