The warmth of Todd’s body pressed against mine made it tough to want to get out of bed. My eyes hadn’t opened yet, but I knew my alarm would be blasting soon. My body was on its own timer, not really in need of a wake-up call anymore. I pushed my ass into the heat of Todd’s crotch, noticing that his morning wood was already awake, even if he wasn’t. I suddenly wished we could both play hooky and hide here under my blankets all day.
Strong arms gripped me, pulling me in close. Todd’s lips pressed against my shoulder as he roused from sleep. “Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered.
Before I had a chance to react, my door was assaulted by someone’s fist. I jumped up, pulling from the embrace I welcomed just seconds ago. “Who the hell is here so early?” I asked, trying to hide the terrified panic in my eyes and in my tone.
Todd didn’t seem phased by the pounding that wouldn’t stop. He stretched his arms above his head, rolling over to expose a beautiful teepee in the white sheets. I tossed on my robe, ran from the bedroom, closing the door behind me, and rushed to the front door to find out who was so desperate to get inside.
“Lana?” I opened the door, surprised and a little scared. What the fuck did she want? Why was she here?
She pushed past me and into my room. “I’ve texted you all night,” she scolded. I didn’t have a chance to answer before she continued, “What have you been doing? Did you not get the Google alerts?”
I didn’t have an answer, at least not one I could give her. Sorry, boss, I didn’t look at my phone because I was busy fucking one of the players all night… yeah, that’d be great.
She shoved her iPad toward my nose. “What the fuck is this?”
I looked at the image of Calvin and Todd nose to nose on the mound. “That was nothing,” I insisted, trying to see what she was so mad about.
“Nothing?” She scowled. “Is this nothing?” She swiped furiously on her screen until a tabloid front page appeared. A picture of Calvin and Whitney on their wedding day with a picture of Whitney and Todd right next to it. The headline read: “Beauty and the Beasts.”
“This is all bullshit,” I said quickly.
“I don’t care if it's bullshit or not. It’s your job to fuckin’ know about it, to prevent it,” she snapped.
I read the story under the pictures. It was all about how Todd and Calvin were fighting over Whitney. Todd wasn’t over her, and Calvin caught them together, according to some “source.”
“We have to fix this,” Lana snarled. “You have to fix this.” She moved closer to my closed bedroom door. I watched her eyes move in the direction of where Todd laid naked in my bed. My palms began to sweat, my hands shake, and my already stressed demeanor grew wearier as she inched her way to the door.
“What were you doing all night that you couldn’t answer my texts?” she asked, an eyebrow raised.
“I-I fell asleep early,” I stuttered, then cleared my throat, speaking more clearly. “I’d been working on the interviews.”
“Interviews? What interviews?” she asked, her eyes squinting to mere slits.
“The interviews Rhett requested.”
Her eyes rolled, and it was obvious she hadn’t been clued into the request he’d sent me personally.
“Your first and only priority right now is making sure Calvin and Todd look like best fuckin’ friends. I don’t care what pet project Rhett has you on.” Her eyes were wild, her tone shaky, and it was apparent that her anger was getting the better of her.
She was always so professional, even when cold and bossy. It may have been strange, but it was the first time she actually appeared human to me.
“Calvin and Todd aren’t fighting over Whitney, I can assure you of that. It was simply an issue on the field. They’re still learning to work together,” I insisted.
“Well, it seems pretty fuckin’ ironic that the day Whitney lands in Daytona, those two, who’ve been okay on the field all this time, decide to go at it,” she hissed.
My heart sank deep into my chest. Whitney was here? I didn’t know she’d arrived. I'd heard Calvin and the guys talking about Whitney, Holly, and Newman’s baby possibly showing up, but she was here? Was that why Todd was so upset last night and needed someone to hold him? I’m such a fool.
“You’re right. I’ll get to the bottom of this,” I promised.
“I don’t need you to be Nancy fuckin’ Drew, Katrina. I need you to be my media manager and manage the fucking media. That means picking up your phone when I call, watching your Google alerts, even in your asleep. You need to prevent this shit from happening. The fans don’t need to be nervous thinking Rhett made a mistake bringing on Morris.”
“He didn’t make a mistake. It was a smart move. I’ll fix it.”
“So, what are you going to do to fix this?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I’ll talk to the guys. Make sure they keep their personal shit off the field and out of the media.”
She tapped a long nail on her arm. “Yeah, and you need to create some event, pulling the two together. A charity event maybe, something that shows they can work together.”
“I don’t know why you’re here, to be honest. You don’t have the experience to handle this job. Was this a favor Rhett owed your dad? Or are you doing some favors for Rhett?” Her words sent chills down my spine. The hatred in her eyes was growing as she looked over my shoulder and toward my closed bedroom door.
“Why’s that door shut?” she asked.
“It’s my bedroom,” I replied, worried by her question.
“Yeah. But I just woke you up.” Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared as her face became a mask of fury. “Is Rhett here? Are you fucking him?”
Was she serious right now?
“No, and I don’t appreciate what you're insinuating,” I snapped, my own voice growing angry.
“Well, you were certainly doing something or someone last night. I can’t imagine what else would blind you to the drama unfolding at your feet.”
She pushed past me toward my bedroom door, moving too quickly for me to stop her. My heart raced as her perfectly manicured hand turned the knob and opened the door, knowing what she’d find on the other side.
I rushed into the room behind Lana. My bed was a mess, blankets tossed halfway onto the floor, but it was empty. Even Todd’s clothes that had been placed on the back of the chair were gone.
“See, there’s no one here,” I said quickly, ushering her back into the living room. “There’s no reason for you to barge into my personal life.”
She laughed. “Oh, sweetie. The day you signed on, you gave up your right to privacy. You’re in the limelight now, like it or not. So you better keep your nose clean. You can’t have secrets.”
Secrets. Todd and I had a secret, a big one. Was she right?
“If I have to come back here, Kat, just know it will be the end of your career with the Beasts,” Lana warned.