by Robyn M Ryan
“Can’t believe you even considered it.”
The muttered words sparked anger in Lauren’s response. “What—you don’t think I could act professionally if I had?”
“You, yes, I know you could. Wesley—how many times did he try to cross that line?”
Lauren bit her lip. “I never allowed him to get close ‘to that line.’” She shook her head as she took a deep breath. “You don’t think I could handle him?”
He shifted his eyes toward hers. “I didn’t like the way he touched you or invaded your space.”
Lauren shrugged and tried to lighten the tone. “Kind of like when I see puck bunnies hanging all over you. I didn’t see you stepping away from Madison for that photograph.” She cocked her head, expecting a response.
Dave dropped his arm and stepped directly in front of her. “I get it, Lauren. That doesn’t mean I need to like it.”
“I don’t like seeing it either.”
“That’s different, Lauren.”
His casual response irritated her. “Different how? Is this one of those double standards? It’s okay for women to get in your space and touch you wherever they like? But you men go all caveman if a male acquaintance gets a little too close?”
Dave’s eyes locked with hers for a long moment. “You’re right. I apologize for acting like a caveman. Forgive me?” A smile quirked the corner of his mouth.
In her heels, Lauren didn’t need to reach too far to kiss his cheek. “I get a little possessive when I watch women touching you, Marty. Women like Madison.”
“Not an old friend?” He spoke softly into her ear.
“Not. A. Friend.” Lauren plastered a fake smile on her face. “Wonder where she stashed her husband.”
“Don’t waste your energy. I deal with her type all the time.”
Lauren shot a look at him. “You attract women who insult your dates?” She allowed a teasing smile to play across her face.
“No, that was a first, but I recognize the type. Still thinks she’s the queen bee in secondary school.”
Lauren giggled and sipped her wine to keep from laughing out loud. “Homecoming queen for life in her mind.”
Dave cupped her face in his hand as he leaned to kiss her, then pulled her into his arms. He then turned her toward the auction table. “Which brochure did you look at?”
“Marty, I was just browsing and pretending I didn’t hear her.”
He cut his brown eyes toward her, then replied with a smile. “Then expect a surprise vacation this summer.”
36
COMING DOWN TO earth after the gala—putting that encounter with her past into her mind’s trash bin—Lauren had a sudden rush of requests from clients. The team left town before Lauren could ask Dave’s advice on graduation…if she was honest, she’d avoided the topic. People like Madison Verve added another layer to the mess awaiting her in Vancouver. Should I even dump that on Marty? Madison’s innuendos hit a little too close to home. What if he learns that her snarky comments were closer to the truth than he ever imagined? Would he dismiss that so casually?
Caryn asked her to stop by—for both business and pleasure—so Lauren walked to her home enjoying the late spring sun. Feels like summer. That’s a mood booster. Caryn had said to just come in, so Lauren softly called her name, not wanting to awaken the twins.
Caryn walked from her office, laptop in hand and a bright smile on her face. “I’m in trouble. Jenna and Danny may be crawling by the time Drew gets home.”
“You will need an extra set of hands, Caryn. You could set up a play area in your office?”
“I can just hear my business calls with fussy babies in the background.” Caryn rolled her eyes and motioned to the breakfast area. “Help yourself to a drink or lunch.”
“I’m good.” Lauren sat beside her. “Business first, then fun?”
Caryn nodded as she opened her laptop. “Not exactly business-related, but I wanted you to see some posts I blocked from Dave’s timelines.”
“Usual compromising photos he gets himself into by agreeing to selfies? Something from the gala?” Lauren giggled. “I keep telling him to just say ‘no.’”
“It’s hard—I know Drew has issues walking the line between appropriate requests and ‘so-called appropriate requests’ gone bad. I wouldn’t blame them if they just ignored everyone except the kids.” Caryn grew silent as she opened a file. “I saved everything here before I eliminated them online. He’s not the only one tagged. Have you checked your accounts lately?”
Lauren’s stomach turned. “Not in a couple weeks. Has someone hacked my accounts?”
“No, I don’t think so, but your timeline may show a few inappropriate comments.” Caryn shrugged as she turned the screen toward Lauren. “I’ll be happy to get this mess cleaned up.”
They heard Jenna’s cry, and Caryn stood, squeezing Lauren’s shoulder. “Be back shortly.”
Lauren watched her worst nightmare play out on social media. Lots of pictures of Dave and her from the gala. Many obviously fake accounts not only tagged #DaveMartin, but also tagged her and added many of the nasty names Lauren had spent years trying to forget. She also recognized some as former classmates who’d responded to the posts, and she was afraid to follow the online trail. References to her parents that implied she was an unwanted child knocked the wind out of her.
Nothing she didn’t think herself, but how could these people know such intimate details about her personal life? Lauren logged into her accounts, reporting and deleting any that had landed on her feeds. She visited the private alumni group for her class and scanned the conversation that bounced among the group. A few people Lauren didn’t remember had posted in her defense and made multiple requests to stop the rumors. Apparently, the rest were having too much fun to care.
Lauren reported the group to Facebook and to the school administration. The enormity of the task ahead crushed her soul. Everything she’d feared exploded before her. Marty has no idea about the shit storm that’s about to screw up his image. Must fix this, somehow.
She didn’t realize Caryn had returned until she sat beside her. “I’ve contacted an attorney to deal with this, Lauren. It may take a few days, but we will remove these posts.”
“It’s too late. Marty’s already attached to this…I don’t know what to call it…and he’ll get blindsided.”
“Cyber-bullying is what’s happening, Lauren. It’s not your fault.”
Lauren turned her head so Caryn wouldn’t see her tears. “I left so much baggage behind in Vancouver. I don’t know where or how some of that information became public knowledge. The rest—misguided teen mistakes and fabrications.” She sniffled even as she sneered the last word. “I don’t know how to fix this. If Amanda hears about it, I’ll never see Cassie again. She had no idea I was the team’s favorite party girl.”
“Did she know about the name-calling?”
“No way! I wanted her to believe I was the perfect ‘daughter.’”
Caryn hugged her. “I know how to fix it, Lauren. You know how much my parents love you—with your permission I’ll ask Dad to do anything he needs to make this go away.” Lauren shook her head, but Caryn persisted. “With his lawyers, influence, and contacts it can disappear from the Internet. Let him use his resources to fix this.”
“The damage is done, Caryn.”
“You don’t think Dave will understand? You’ve seen other players’ wives and girlfriends treated the same way…sometimes worse. The people who do it are jealous, petty bullies. There’s no way he will blame you.”
Lauren pulled out her phone, opened Instagram and typed one frequently-used hashtag. She looked at the screen, then handed the phone to Caryn. “All photos from the gala. Marty’s name. My name and hashtags. That’s not even the worst they called me in secondary school.”
“That’s not the point. Teens can be cruel. Adults know what they’re doing. I guarantee the first posts from the gala did not mention your name and were complimenta
ry of the evening. You’ll see those on the Suns feed. Someone added your name as Dave’s significant other. That was enough to set the trolls loose. Let me handle this.”
Lauren nodded wearily. “I need time to absorb this…figure out how to tell Amanda before she hears it from a friend…and how I’ll tell Marty.”
Caryn hugged her again as Lauren stood. “You’re welcome to crash here. Go veg by the pool for a while.”
“Thanks, Caryn.” Lauren shook her head. “I’ll just go home and clear my brain. Then I’ll begin damage control.”
“I’m working on it, too. Just stop worrying about it. Nothing’s your fault.”
Lauren nodded as she slipped out the door, but she didn’t believe Caryn’s assurances.
#
She didn’t know how long she’d huddled on the living room couch, but Lauren awoke with a start when her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the ringtone, so she ignored it. Numerous scenarios dealing with the Internet disaster haunted her when she fell asleep. Standing and stretching, Lauren knew she needed to call Amanda and warn her—and then somehow take the focus of the rumors away from Dave. She blinked back tears as she imagined his reaction to learning what she’d kept hidden. The Lauren Gentry he knew never existed. He’d realize she was a fraud, but he was too much of a gentleman to confront her. The more distance she could put between them, the better for his reputation.
She picked up her phone and glanced at the number she didn’t recognize and did not find a voice message. She’d missed several texts from Dave. She knew they’d be in the arena by now, so she responded with a good-luck message and apology for not seeing his messages earlier. She pulled up her Instagram account, cringing at the thought of more comments. She searched Dave’s feed first. Many candid photos from the gala tagged him, but nothing negative appeared. Thank you, Caryn. She realized that they had removed many of the negative comments on her feed, but in some instances Suns’ wives had responded, calling the comments bullying and condemning the person who’d posted them. She almost giggled when she saw several responses from an obscure account she knew Terri used, absolutely shredding several people’s negative comments. They each used the hashtag #StandUpToBullies. When Lauren searched the hashtag, she realized the wives and girlfriends had closed ranks around her. Someone replied to each negative post with a comment and hashtag.
She poured a glass of wine and walked out to the screen porch before sending a message of thanks to the wives and girlfriends’ group text. She began to call Amanda, then stopped. Time to quit hiding and talk to her face-to-face, and then meet their mother. Perhaps she’d finally achieve some closure by confronting the woman who’d brought her into the world. She was tired of pretending her childhood wasn’t a disaster. With new energy and resolve, Lauren booked a flight that departed late that evening, then made reservations at a hotel close to Amanda’s home.
She called Caryn while she packed and explained her plans but asked her to not tell anyone where she’d gone.
“You’re not disappearing on us, Lauren?”
She laughed. “No, just taking control of everything I should have faced years ago. I’ll have my laptop—I’ll keep my accounts happy.”
“Look, don’t worry about that right now. Do whatever you need so you can come home to Tampa.”
“I’m not sure how long this will take,” Lauren hedged. “I won’t leave you hanging. Promise.”
“Have you talked with Dave?”
“Not yet. I sent him a good luck text, but I didn’t want to talk about this whole thing while he’s at the arena. I just hope he’s not catching any shit about it.”
Caryn paused before she replied. “When I spoke with Drew, he was not aware that anything had been posted on social media. I asked him not to say anything, but to call me if rumors surface.”
“Thanks, Caryn. That makes me feel better. No one's ambushed him with this—yet.”
“Well, perhaps he won’t find out that way. Kelly mobilized the wives, and they are rallying around you by making this an anti-bullying situation.”
“I saw some of their comments.” Lauren sat on the side of the bed as she closed her suitcase.
“And my father is all over this. This will blow over quickly—and really, the Suns can spin this into an anti-cyber bullying campaign. You have nothing to fear. Anyone who knows you will not pay attention to these comments—you’re just a convenient target.”
“Except that most of the comments contain some shade of truth.” Lauren sighed. “I feel like a fraud who’s been exposed.”
“Lauren, everyone makes mistakes, especially during secondary school.”
“You didn’t make mistakes as huge as mine. You have no idea, Caryn. I shut the door on that chapter when I left Vancouver.”
“Of course, you did. Why do you think I insisted on moving to Toronto? Anyone who knows you will recognize this for what it is—bullying. Forget that notion that you’re a fraud. I know you, Lauren. I don’t care what happened before I met you. It doesn’t matter, and no one has the right to bully you.”
37
LAUREN SPLURGED ON the first-class ticket to Vancouver because she treasured the privacy the new seating configurations provided. Her own little pod—no one chattering to her, a built-in entertainment system, and best of all—a seat that transformed into a bed. Once the plane reached cruising altitude, she watched some of the Suns game on her iPad. Her heart ached each time she saw Dave—who knows when she’d see him next? The note she’d left for him had revealed little other than she had issues in her life she needed to resolve in Vancouver. He’ll figure it out. I’ll save him the awkwardness of distancing himself from my past.
When he dropped his gloves and launched himself at an opposing player before a face-off, Lauren knew someone was taunting him about his “#(insert word) girlfriend.” If he hadn’t known of the tweet storm before the game, he was hearing about it from the opposing team now. His anger…unlike anything she’d seen on ice from Dave…ever. Knowing she caused the taunts, his reaction, and subsequent game misconduct caused her stomach to clench. She picked up her phone to send him a text but dropped it. Nothing I can say that will change anything. Maybe for the best if he directs his anger toward me?
She turned her phone off and plugged it into the charger, then pulled the plush blanket over her as she lowered the seat into the reclining position. Optimistic Lauren insisted that the worst had passed and would be soon forgotten. Realistic Lauren seriously doubted her life could return to what she just left in Tampa.
#
Dave was among the last to enter the team bus after the game. He knew he deserved the coach’s wrath after the game. The second game misconduct while the team tried to cement its place at the top of their Division should cost more than the automatic fine and ass-chewing by Harper. Played right into Philadelphia’s trap when I allowed the chirping to get to me…usually, no problem ignoring it and dishing it right back. My mistake tonight? Letting that asshole get under my skin. Trashing an opponent’s wife or girlfriend—not my style. Riikonen took it too far, even for Philadelphia. No one disrespects my girl like that.
He saw the open seat beside Chadwick and caught Andrew’s eye. He sat when Andrew nodded, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes, hoping to clear his mind. Just wanted to shut his mouth, turn off the comments. He crossed a line with that last comment—told me to check Instagram. Had to wipe that smug smirk off his face. Hope I broke the asshole’s jaw—or at least knocked out some teeth.
He sensed a presence beside him in the aisle and reluctantly opened his eyes. Cliff Camden crouched in the aisle. “Got a minute, Martin?”
“What’s up?”
“I know what Riikonen said about Lauren during the game.”
Dave met his eyes but didn’t respond.
Camden continued, “She’s like my big sister. I’d help deal with the social media nonsense, except Lauren has to approve my posts. I can’t get in touch with her.”
“
What the fuck are you talking about?” Dave’s voice was more like a growl.
Camden handed his iPad to him. “It’s all bullshit, but you can get an idea of what’s going on.”
Dave glanced at the screen for several minutes. What the…? He’d seen wives and girlfriends targeted, spreading jealous lies, but why Lauren? How’d anyone connect us? He looked at Andrew. “You know anything about this?”
“All I know is that Caryn’s been blocking, deleting, and reporting accounts all day. I didn’t find out until the game had started. From what she said, someone tagged both of you on the gala photos the Suns posted. Didn’t take long for the “trolls” as Caryn calls them to find a target today. Caryn said she has the Suns’ PR team on it and asked her father to do whatever he does to make things go away.”
Dave handed the iPad back to Camden. “Thanks, Cam.”
“Let me know if I can help.”
He closed his eyes again, realizing why Lauren hadn’t responded to his earlier texts or voice messages. “Caryn say how Lauren’s holding up?”
“Caryn said she’s doing okay, after the initial shock. The wives have circled the wagons and are responding to anything they see with an anti-cyber bullying tag. I know how Caryn would react if she were the target. That shit can get to anyone.”
“And here I’m stuck on a plane and can’t even call her.” He stood and grabbed his iPad from his bag. “I can respond, though, with my own comments.” He laughed without humor. “Caryn will clean it up if I cross the line.”
#
Lauren checked in at the hotel, exhausted from the emotional upheaval and the long fight. She didn’t even turn her phone back on when the plane landed. Shutting off the outside world was her only goal. After ordering room service—pasta and a bottle of wine—she plotted a strategy for talking to her family. Maybe best to just show up tomorrow. Not give them any warning. Can always hope nothing’s hit their radar yet…Sure, believe that, Gentry.