WHEN I MET up with Katrina on the Concord, she didn’t even bother to apologize for using me to lie to Dad. Which annoyed me to no end.
“How long do you think Max will be on a media gag?” She asked, as we moved towards the team locker room.
“When I can trust him.”
She threw me a haughty look. “He’s trustworthy. He’s ready.”
“The ban needs to remain in place.”
Max wanted to play hockey and therefore he would toe the line, but he had left Minnesota under a cloud of dark secrets. And now the media was circling him like sharks hunting for blood instead of focusing on his hockey game. I had grown up in the glare of the media and I knew firsthand what a struggle it was. This was the least we could do for him.
The press grumbled their displeasure. They knew there was a secret to reveal, and they were relentless in their pursuit. We allowed his coaches to discuss his progress with the press. After that, he was off limits.
Katrina and I stood in the private back hallway, outside the locker room, and waited for Max to come out.
“I think you’re making a big mistake,” Katrina spoke with force. “He’s ready.”
I didn’t get the sense that Max missed the camera time.
I blinked at Katrina. I knew she only saw daddy’s little girl playing at an undeserved role. I was young and she probably thought she could easily push me around. What no one seemed to realize was I had been taking on my dad, one of the greatest forces in this industry, since I could talk. No one was more qualified to stand up for myself or my convictions than I was. Not to mention that Dad had requested I stand my ground on this matter.
I took a deep breath. “I don’t think Max should mix with the media yet.”
She defiantly stared at me. In her expression, I saw resentment. “Why? He’s ready. He can take on the media. He’s been working hard.”
“If I find that anyone advises against that ban, they’ll answer to me.”
She crossed her arms. “I’m the media expert.”
The locker room opened and four players came out. They all glanced between Katrina and me, but no one spoke to us.
She pushed, “What is the reason for this ban?”
“We want to give Max some room to breathe before needing to deal with the media.”
Her eyes narrowed and her voice was caustic. “You’re not being fair to Max.”
I tempered my desire to respond in the same tone. “Why don’t you tell me why you think Max should talk to the media.”
“He’s a star. And he works hard for his place in this world. Your gag on him is stealing his limelight. You should be letting him shine. We both think it’s disrespectful that you’d take that away from him.”
“Who’s we?”
“Max and myself.”
“Max wants his media gag lifted?”
“What he doesn’t want is a daddy’s girl who has no life experience making decisions about his career.”
The audacity of that statement shocked me. The problem was, she was right. I was new to this job, walking around in mommy’s shoes and playing at this game. What she didn’t realize is that I was carrying out Dad’s orders.
Max chose that moment to step out of the locker room.
He wore an expensive, black suit, and a crisp white shirt open at the collar. His gaze zeroed in on both of us. His expression didn’t shift, but he was astute in assessing the funky energy between Katrina and me.
“Good game.” I forced neutrality into my voice as he approached.
“That was phenomenal,” Katrina gushed. “Two goals and one assist? You were perfect out there.”
His blue eyes studied me. “Thanks.”
My stomach spun under his intense gaze. He felt like a stranger. So why did it feel like someone trapped a thousand butterflies in my throat? I worked to settle a neutral expression on my face.
A long pause hung between the three of us.
“Do we have an agreement, Rory?” Katrina asked.
“About what?”
“You agreed to lift the media ban on Max.”
“No, I didn’t!”
Katrina turned to Max. “It’s lifted and now we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“It’s not lifted!”
Max sounded bored. “Is it or isn’t it?”
Katrina rubbed his arm. “Your ban is lifted.”
“No, it’s not,” incredulity marred my tone. I peeked up at Max. “For the record, the ban will be lifted only by myself or the GM. If you proceed without that, do so at your own peril.”
Katrina scoffed. “Are you now threatening Max?”
“No, I’m trying to make it clear to Max that I haven’t authorized him to talk to the media.”
She rolled her eyes. “Max, she doesn’t have the authority to make these decisions.”
I couldn’t take it. “What’s your issue, Katrina?”
She spun around to face me. “My issue is that I don’t take orders from a teenager who thinks it’s fun to play in Daddy’s world.”
Humiliation flooded my cheeks with warmth.
“Have a good night,” my stupid voice quivered on the last word. I walked away to the sound of Katrina’s amused laughter.
