I DISCREETLY STUDIED Brian while he drove me home from the gala. Before the gala, he had helped me paint the silver designs on my legs and arms, and it had been both flirtatious and fun. In fact, everything had been going great until Levi showed up wearing a cop outfit that was so hot I was surprised the paint hadn’t melted off my body. I looked over at Brian. Maybe dressing him up as a silver fairy hadn’t been my smartest move. He looked effeminate in his tights.
When Levi had pulled me aside to tell me that I shouldn’t cross any lines, I knew exactly what he meant. It was the same line Eduard had crossed with my sister. Some lines you just don’t come back from.
Brian smiled at me. “That was a fun night.”
“It was.” I smiled back. What was my problem? Brian was a tall, good-looking, successful professional. He was just a couple of years older than me, extremely kind and generous with his time. Why didn’t he give me butterflies?
I had experienced a fluttering stomach and weak knees exactly twice tonight. The first time was when I saw Levi walking past us at the gala. The second time was when he had dragged me into the shadows and told me he wanted me.
A cell phone rang, and Brian glanced down at his phone. “It’s not me.”
I pulled my phone out of my purse. Mark Ashford’s name showed up on the screen.
“Mark, how are you?”
“I’m watching television. Do you know why Mica, Levi, and Brody are on the news?”
“What do you mean?” I hadn’t seen any news coverage at the gala, but that didn’t mean the cameras hadn’t shown up after I left. “Are they still at the gala?”
“They’re standing on someone’s front lawn, and there are a lot of police milling around in the background. Hang on.” He paused as he listened to the TV. “This is footage from an hour ago. The reporter says they were at a party that got out of control.”
“I’m going to kill him,” I said under my breath.
Beside me, Brian’s phone rang. He answered, speaking in monosyllables into his phone.
Mark made a weird noise. “That’s odd. I could swear they’re in front of the coach’s place, but I know for a fact Gordon was heading to the island for the weekend for his annual fishing trip.”
Brian and I made eye contact. He was trying to communicate something to me. “Mark, can you hang on?”
I looked at Brian. “What’s going on?”
He turned his car around. “That was Levi. He’s just been arrested. So have Brody and Mica.”
“Mark?”
“I heard,” he said. “I’ll meet you at the station.”
MARK ASHFORD ARRIVED at the station the same time as we did.
He strode towards me. “This incident happened at Coach’s house. He’s out of town this weekend, but apparently, there were four hundred people partying at his house. It took twenty-five police officers to clear the property.”
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
He shook his head. “No one can get a hold of Gordon. There is a no-cell policy on his fishing trip.”
I had no idea how Levi had managed to end up at this party. “Tell me what you know.”
I could hear my phone ringing, but I let it go to voice mail.
“I’m friends with the fire chief, and he told me that someone started a fire in one of the bedrooms. It was contained to one room and the roof—no one was hurt—but they are estimating thousands of dollars in damage.”
Please, god. Let this not be the work of my rookie. “This is unprecedented.”
“I need to find out who’s responsible, and I need you to find out how Levi and Mica are involved.”
His phone rang and he stepped away from us, giving me a reprieve.
Brian spoke beside me. “That guy scares me.”
I watched Mark talk on the phone. “He scares everyone.”
Brian gently squeezed my arm. “I’m going to go see what the charges are. I’ll be back shortly.”
When he left, I took a moment to check my phone.
Charlie: I just got a call from Mica that’s he’s been arrested!
Me: I’m at the station right now with their lawyer. I’ll call you as soon as I know more.
Charlie: I have book club here! And I’m drunk! Should I try and get a babysitter?
Me: No, stay home. I’ve got this handled.
I thought for a moment.
Me: Maybe send book club home.
Charlie: Good idea. Do you know what happened?
That was a conversation Mica needed to have with Charlie. Not me.
Me: I will call when I know more.
Mark got off the phone and walked back over to me. He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “This is blowing up all over the news. The stories are crazy. I don’t know who is responsible, but I plan to find out.”
“I understand. What can I do?”
“Have Levi and Mica in my office tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. I’m going to figure out how to reach Gordon and get him home.”
“Of course.”
He stared at me. “This is really serious, Krista. This looks really bad.”
“Okay,” I said, my heart in my throat.
Always the gentleman, he asked, “Do you have a ride home?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
I watched him walk away.
Brian approached from behind. He spoke over my shoulder. “Is he okay?”
He was standing close enough that I could feel his breath on my neck, but I felt nothing. Damn! Not a single shiver of anticipation passed through my body.
I shook my head. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Mark this upset.”
“Levi is charged with use of force in resisting arrest, but if he’s not actually arrested on any other charges, then those charges will be dropped.”
“What about Mica?”
“Wrong place, wrong time. They dropped the charges and are about to release him.”
We stood, waiting.
Brian looked at me with concern. “How are you doing?”
I lied. “I’m pissed that this happened during our date.” The truth was I welcomed this distraction.
He laughed. “I’m going to head in and see if they know anything more about Levi. Do you want to come?”
“That’s okay.”
Mica appeared from behind Brian. “Hey.”
“Call your wife,” I told him in an unimpressed tone.
“Already did.”
“What the fuck, Mica?”
He gave a shrug. “What do you want me to tell you?”
“Tell me that neither you nor Levi had anything to do with tonight. Tell me that this was all Brody.”
He lifted his hands. “Krista, the first I heard about the party was after thirty people texted me about it. Swear to god. We were still at the gala when messages started showing up on my phone.”
I crossed my arms. “So how did you end up there?”
“We heard that Brody was house sitting for Coach and we wanted to see if the rumors about the party were true. When we arrived, we saw Brody running around half-naked, wielding a bat. We knew we needed to stop him, and he went completely ballistic on Levi. And that’s when the cops showed up.”
“Why was Levi resisting arrest?”
“You know how it is during a fight. Sheer adrenaline.”
“Levi and Brody were fighting?”
“Brody attacked him with a bat. Levi was just trying not to get killed.”
“Did you tell the cops this?”
“I did.”
“Whatever you said worked,” Levi spoke from behind me. I spun around, and my eyes drank him in. He was still wearing his cop costume, and with his cut lip, he looked especially tough.
Brian stepped forward, surprise on his face. “Levi, did they drop the charges?”
“Yup.”
I wasn’t ready to celebrate yet. “Mark Ashford wants you both in his office tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. sharp.”
They looked at each other.
I knew that look. It spelled trouble. My gut told me they’d had something to do with tonight. “Does someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on?”
Levi stuck his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground.
“I told you,” Mica offered. “We wanted to go see the debacle, but when we saw what state Brody was in, we only wanted to help.”
I looked over at Levi. “Have something to add, rookie?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
I looked over at Brian, who shrugged back at me. “All’s well that ends well?”
If I knew anything, I knew it rarely ended well. I glared at Mica and Levi. “Both of you assholes need to be at my office by 7 a.m., is that clear? I need you both to handle this like pros, and I’m definitely prepping you before your meeting with Mark.”
They stood there, but neither of them spoke.
I rolled my eyes and started to walk back towards the car.
From behind me, Mica said, “So can someone give me a lift back to my car?”
WE MADE the drive to Mica’s vehicle in awkward silence. Mica and Levi sat in the back, and I sat in the front with Brian.
When we arrived at Mica’s car, only Mica got out.
Brian looked in the rearview mirror. “How about you, Levi? Is Mica giving you a ride?”
“I live in Krista’s building. I thought it would make more sense to go with you.” He paused as he thought about that statement. “Except you might not be going there. Sorry.”
I looked over my shoulder to correct him, but he was already getting out. He yelled at Mica, “Petrov, hold up.”
“Levi,” I called after him.
He stuck his head back in the car.
“Brian’s dropping me off at my place. It makes more sense for you to come with us.”
He looked over at Brian. “You cool with that, man?”
Brian gave him a tight smile. “Sure, no problem.”
THE RIDE back to my building felt like the start of a bad joke. I was on a date with my divorce lawyer, and my husband was in the back seat…
When we pulled up in front of our building, Levi spoke to Brian. “Thanks for the ride, man.”
He hustled as he got out. I waited until he shut the door before I spoke. “I’m sorry tonight turned out to be such a shit show.”
Brian slowly grinned. “Is your life always like this?”
I decided to be honest. “Yes, mostly. Some people struggle with it.”
“It’s not boring,” he admitted, as he leaned in for a kiss. He kissed me, and I kissed him back. I gave that kiss my all, but I felt nothing. There was no spark, no electricity. At least not on my end.
He made a fluttering sound when I pulled back.
I said in a demure voice, “I should go. I have an early start tomorrow.”
“I’ll call you,” he said with an awkward little wink.
Nope. This plan wasn’t going to work at all.
I walked alone through the lobby of my building. When I came around the corner, butterflies hit my stomach for the third time tonight. Levi was leaning against the wall, waiting for me.
We didn’t speak when he pushed the button for the elevator. He let me step on first and then we pushed our buttons for our floors.
He moved fast. He spun me around and lifted me up. His hands were beneath my ass, and my back was pinned against the wall. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.
He moved his face so close to mine I could feel his soft breath on my lips. “Did he just kiss you?”
“Yes.”
He ducked his head and trailed his hot mouth over the sensitive skin of my neck. “And?”
“It didn’t feel right.”
I could feel his hands under my ass. I squirmed when I felt the tip of his finger trace the line of the silver boy shorts that I wore beneath my tutu. His hot mouth was all over my neck, my shoulders, my ears… but not my mouth.
Why did this have to feel so right? I swear my insides were burning so hot they were molten. My fingers pushed into his thick hair, and I tugged at him roughly. He responded by digging his fingers into my ass. I tightened my legs around him, pulling my body closer to his.
He lifted his face to watch me as he lightly traced his knuckles down my jawline.
“Your skin is so soft.”
“I’m sorry.” The words blurted out of me.
His dark eyes held mine, and then he pressed his lips to mine. “I know.”
“I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I do.”
Ding. The elevator jerked to a stop.
He lowered me to my feet, but I just stood there, looking up at him. “As your agent, I’m so pissed at you.”
He reached over and used his arm to hold open the door. “I get it.”
“But as the person who likes to kiss you, I need to ask you for some time.”
His eyes held mine. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“Are you going to date other men?”
“Not until I sort myself out.”
“Take as much time as you need, but I’ll still be looking for ways to get you alone.”
I stepped off the elevator and got a good look at him. Silver sparkly paint was smeared all over him. What did Levi call it? Out-of-my-mind temptation. “You can try.”
The door shut on his smile.
I needed to be up in three hours. I needed to go to bed. I would deal with this mess, and these butterflies, tomorrow.
MICA, Levi, and I arrived at Mark’s office five minutes ahead of schedule. They were both wearing suits, and they both looked sufficiently subdued. We sat in the waiting room. Mark made us wait twenty minutes before he opened the door.
“Krista, I need to talk to you alone.”
I gave both Levi and Mica the look of death before I gracefully walked into Mark’s office.
“Coffee?” he asked.
“That would be lovely.”
“How was the gala?” he inquired as he poured me a cup and set it on the desk.
“It was good. I did some networking.”
“Sounds like a success, then.” We were making pleasantries, but I wasn’t fooled. He hadn’t invited me to sit on the couch. He’d motioned for me to take a seat at his desk. This was about as bad as it got.
“I haven’t slept yet, and I have some bad news.”
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. I reached for my coffee. “I’m not sure if I want to hear this.”
“They did forensics on Brody’s phone, and the only person he invited over was one of our physiotherapists. Her name is Dee. She didn’t respond to the text. They also did forensics on her phone and Levi’s, and there were no traces of them sending out any social messaging about the party.”
My entire body sagged in relief. “I thought you said it was bad news.”
“Someone at the gala tweeted out the address, but they haven’t yet figured out who. They are still trying to track that person down.” He straightened out his cuff. “I personally had a conversation with Dee. She told me the only person she showed the text to was Levi.”
I shut my eyes. I will not murder him. “Circumstantial at best.”
“I agree.”
I opened my eyes. “Really?”
“I don’t know what the fuck happened, but I do know he is partially responsible. But no one can prove it.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I’m suspending Brody for seven games. Levi will get suspended for two. We’re letting Dee go.”
I felt bad for her. She had shown Levi a text, and because of his actions, she was now going to lose her job. “That seems a bit harsh.”
“She admitted that she has been trying to get into a relationship with Levi.”
It was probably for the best that she found a different job. My voice sounded strangled. “I see.”
He tossed his pen on his desk. “I have a friend who owns a chain of sports clinics. I got her a job that pays more and includes travel. She’ll be okay.”
I looked at him in awe. His level of connection in this city was incredible. “You never fail to impress me.”
“I’m proud of Levi for resisting that temptation. He seems really focused. I’d like to keep him that way.”
I thought about last night’s kiss in the elevator and my secret marriage certificate. It gave me hives when I thought about Mark finding out the truth. “I have limited say in what happens in his personal life.”
“Krista, he’s one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen, but one day something is going to go sideways, and he won’t be able to come back from it.”
That seemed to be a theme in his life. “I understand.”
Mark gave me a pointed look. “Tell Levi not to make my team look bad.”
“I’ll talk to him.” Again.
“What’s going on with his agent, Spears?”
“Levi’s still signed with him. Spears is dragging his feet and kicking up a lot of legal fuss over nothing. We are working through the kinks now.”
“I’m leaning towards cutting Brody and signing Levi, especially after last night, but obviously I can’t do that until you’re his agent. Please get that sorted out fast.” He gave me a look. “Keep that to yourself.”
“I will.” My heart was beating so fast. This was the first time Mark had admitted to me his plans for Levi. If I signed Levi to a contract before December, I would definitely get on the Forbes list this year. “Thank you.”
He motioned his head towards his door. “Now tell me how to deal with those two clowns.”
“Do you mind if you let me handle this?”
He gave a nod. “By all means.”
I walked to the door. Both Levi and Mica stood up.
“Mica, you’re free to go. Levi, come in here.”
Levi came into Mark’s office and sat down beside me. He looked introspective and serious.
I turned to him. “We know it was you. We know Dee showed you the text. You’re the only one. Who did you tell? I need to know how this happened.”
He held my gaze and didn’t blink. “Some kid at the gala asked me where he could find a party. I thought it’d be funny if he and his buddies knocked on the door instead of Dee. I had no idea it would get this out of control.”
“Are you telling me that you didn’t specifically ask anyone to tweet anything out about a party?”
Levi shook his head. “No.”
Mark caught my eye. “Good enough for me. I don’t think anything else needs to be addressed, do you?”
Was he not going to suspend Levi? “I think we’ve covered it all.”
Mark gave Levi a stern look. “You’re free to go.”
Levi looked at me with wide eyes before he stood up. “Thank you, sir.”
Mark spoke. “One more thing. Brody is being suspended for seven games. I would advise you to use that time to shine your way out of his shadow.”
Levi’s jaw tightened. “Yes, sir.”
I waited until Levi was out of the room before I spoke. “I thought he was getting suspended for two games.”
Mark didn’t look at me as he shuffled files. “You heard him. He didn’t intentionally set up that party.”
“Neither did Brody.”
“No, but Brody was pursuing a personal relationship with a staff member, and Dee pursued a relationship with Levi. You know how I feel about personal relationships in the workplace. Brody and Dee both displayed bad judgement, and I’m afraid they are facing the fallout now.”
I couldn’t bear the idea of Mark learning my dark secrets. The secrets that I continued to perpetuate. I thought about Levi, standing in the elevator, covered in my body paint.
I covered my mouth with my hands and momentarily shut my eyes. What was I doing? I needed to sort myself out before I fucked up everything.
He glanced at me. “You look upset.”
“I’m not,” I lied. “It’s not like you to favor someone.”
He leaned forward and gave me a small smile. “Nope, but sometimes people get their just deserts. Who am I to get in the way of that?”
I bent down to pick up my bag. “Thank you. You’ve been incredibly patient with both of us.”
“But Krista, I’m not kidding when I tell you that our rookie can’t afford one more scandal, okay?”
“I hear you, Mark.”
IT WAS after eight that night before I got home. It had been a crazy day after almost no sleep. I couldn’t wait to get back to my apartment and turn off my phone. My driver dropped me off at my lobby.
The doorman waited for me. “Here is your takeout from Cancel the Cook. It just arrived.”
I had ordered it when I left the office. The timing, as usual, was perfect. “Thank you.”
“Your mother is here. She insisted she wanted to wait in your apartment.”
“Oh fuck.” I looked over my shoulder to see if my driver had already left, but he was gone.
“Sorry,” he said. “She did have keys.”
“It’s not your fault, Ben.”
I debated catching a cab to Charlie’s with my food, but knowing my mom, she would just camp out in my apartment and not leave until I came home.
I opened the door and found her sitting at my island, drinking my wine.
“Hey, Mom.” I stood in the doorway. “I didn’t realize you still had a set of keys to my apartment.”
She didn’t look at me. “Do you realize I have been waiting here for over three hours?”
“I wish I’d known you were coming. I wouldn’t have made you wait.”
She finally looked over at me. “We need to talk.”
Nothing like walking in the door and facing the firing squad. “Would you like some Chinese food?”
She gave a delicate sniff. “I don’t eat takeout. The sodium will make you bloat for days.”
“You only live once.” I set down the bags and poured myself a glass of wine. “So, say what you need to say.”
She gave a long-suffering sigh. “I want you to stop trying to ruin things for your sister.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
She pulled an envelope out of her bag and tossed it to my side of the island. I opened it up. It was from my afternoon at the Othello. The photo looked incriminating. I was standing up, and Eduard had his arm around my waist. My back was to the camera, but his face looked down at me with adoration.
“Did they also take a photo two seconds after this one was taken, when I hit Eduard and pushed him away from me?”
I flipped through the photos. They all looked incriminating. There was not a single photo that told the real story.
My mom crossed her arms. “Do you even hear yourself right now? You’re meeting your sister’s fiancé alone for drinks, and there is the proof, and you’re still trying to deny it.”
“Where was this indignation when Helene was having an affair with him behind my back?”
“Is that what this is?” Her gaze burned into me. “Is this some sort of revenge plot?”
“Why is my word never good enough for you?”
“Well, the photo evidence might be one reason.”
“You know I can’t stand Eduard.”
“Maybe that’s your cover story.”
“When did you hire a PI to follow me?”
“I didn’t. I respect your privacy.”
I didn’t touch that comment with a ten-foot pole. I thought about it some more and then slowly put the pieces together. “You were having Eduard followed, not me.”
She shifted her eyes away.
“Wow,” I said. “That tells me everything, and yet I’m still somehow getting blamed for it all.”
She refused to look at me as she gathered up the photos. “You need to have more sympathy for your sister. You waltz through life without a care in the world, and everything is handed to you on a platter. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but your sister has been struggling since she retired from figure skating. You could show a little compassion.”
It never failed to hurt when my mom dismissed my own accomplishments. “I don’t just waltz through life without a care, Mom. Things are not just handed to me.”
She fussed, trying to push the photos back in the envelope. “You know what I mean.”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t.”
She looked bewildered that I didn’t understand. “Look at this condo, right in the heart of Vancouver. You have a car and a driver! You’re always going to parties and galas, and trust me, I’ve seen your shoe collection. Yes. You have it easier than your sister.”
Without warning, my eyes filled with tears. My mom’s inability to be proud of me hurt more than it should. And that made me defensive. “Trust me, there has been nothing easy about the last twelve years of my life or the work I did to buy these shoes.”
My mom gave up trying to put the photos in the envelope. She just shoved them in the fifteen-hundred-dollar bag that my father bought her. “You don’t think your sister worked for her achievements?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“The early morning practices, the late nights traveling to out-of-town events. The tutoring that she did while we traveled, and all in between dance and skating lessons, not to mention the fittings. You have no idea what it was like.”
“Yes, I do, Mom! I was there. You dragged me to every lesson and every competition. I was too little to stay at home, and Dad was usually working, so I was there, and it was always about her.”
My mom’s head went back like I slapped her. “You could never stand her success.”
I worked not to cry. “Actually, that’s bullshit. I cheered for her every step of the way. And I was so proud of her when she won. But she got all of you, and there was never anything left over for me.”
“Oh, so I’m a bad mother now?” She yanked her bag off the island and tossed my keys on the counter.
“You know that’s not what I’m saying.”
I had obviously cut her deep, because her next comment was brutal. “Well, for all your wisdom, look who’s coming home to an empty apartment late at night with nothing but a bag of lonely takeout.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know why I try so hard to please you when I should just be doing what feels right.”
She made a little noise as she looked down at my wineglass. “I think you’ve indulged a bit too much, my dear. On all accounts.”
My mom liked to take the parting shot. I knew if I continued to spar with her, her blows would just get more deadly. I already felt emotionally flayed, so now I needed to keep my mouth shut. I sipped my wine and didn’t say another word.
But the worst was when she looked back at me with pity on her face. And then she was gone.
