by Elise Faber
Charlie was to meet the pitcher at the AT&T Park Clubhouse, interview him, tag along for workouts for a few minutes, and then head back to the office to post the first piece hours before the seven o’clock game.
She was so excited about the assignment, she had to keep from jumping up and down in Kurt’s office. The park was only a ten-minute bus ride from Prestige — but she didn’t want to keep the player waiting, and she wanted a chance to settle her jitters for the interview to feel more natural, so Charlie left a good thirty minutes earlier than she needed to.
Three hours later, she walked back into her office energized, excited for Prestige’s client, and ready to launch a media blitz. But Darius made a beeline to her, ducking his head, his eyes wide with alarm.
“Girl, where you been? You missing some serious fireworks!”
Charlie frowned at her friend. “I’ve been at AT&T Park. Why? What’s going on?”
“Sugar lamb, I never seen Kurt so mad.”
Charlie had yet to see her boss mad at all, and she never wanted to. She set her briefcase on her desk and took out her laptop, ready to jump into her assignment. After she posted her PR piece, she’d head back to the park to tweet live. The thought of inviting Hutch to join her was an almost irresistible temptation — he would probably love it — but it was too risky. She’d be there in a professional capacity, after all, using Prestige’s passes. The chances that someone else from the office would be there and recognize them both were too high.
“You should have heard the hollering a minute ago,” Darius continued. “I’ve known some dumb athletes in my day, but this one may be the dumbest.”
Suppressing a sigh, Charlie plopped down at her desk and opened her laptop, wanting to skip Darius’s drama du jour and get to work on her press release. But he was her friend, and he clearly wanted the attention.
“Why? What did he do?” she asked, not even bothering to ask whom they were discussing.
“He spit in Kurt’s face! That’s what he done!” Darius bellowed. Beyond him, Charlie could hear raised voices coming from Kurt’s office. “What kind a moron does that? After Kurt threw him a frickin’ party!”
“What?” Charlie’s blood went glacial.
And then she heard it. Hutch’s voice. Defensive, placating, but raised all the same.
“Shit,” she uttered, nausea roiling in her stomach.
“You damn right!”
Charlie made herself rise to her feet. She took one step toward Kurt’s office. Then two. Then five. And Darius stepped in front of her.
“What you doing, girl? You can hear well enough from my desk. Don’t go getting us in trouble.”
“I don’t care what you’re offering me. After everything I did for you? After I took that piece-of-shit deal Oakland wanted to try to pass off as a contract and actually gave you a decent salary? You’re dropping me, and you won’t even tell me why?!” Kurt roared.
“Kurt, I’m grateful. I can’t thank you enough. That’s why I’m bringing you three of my guys to take my place—”
“Fuck your guys! I don’t want anything from a moron who stabs his people in the back. Good luck finding anyone who’ll bend over backward the way we have. Who’ll treat you like an A-list celebrity like we have. You think you’ll find somebody better?”
“Kurt, it’s not like that. I’ll send everyone I know to Prestige—”
“Do you know how much money we sunk into that party? How’s it going to look when word gets out that you ditched us the very same week? It’ll be bad for us, but it’ll be worse for you. No agencies are gonna want to touch you after this,” Kurt snarled. “And who are you anyway? You’re just some rookie from Ohio State. A dime a dozen. Just wait till the big boys chew you up and spit you out this season. With no agent to help you, you’ll be back in Where-the-Fuck, Ohio by Feb—”
Charlie pushed open the door as Darius stared at her slack-jawed. Hutch sat before Kurt’s desk, while Kurt loomed across from him. Their postures told her everything. She understood everything. Hutch was trying to be honorable, trying to help her be honorable. But Kurt would only see it as betrayal.
This would hurt Prestige. It would hurt Hutch. And Charlie couldn’t let that happen.
Kurt met her eyes, frowning in confusion. “Not now, Charlie!” he barked.
At her name, Hutch wheeled around, eyes wide. Horror-stricken, he gave a slow, imperceptible shake of his head. Both men clearly wanted her gone.
Charlie closed the door behind her and stepped forward anyway.
“I need…” Her voice shook. She cleared her throat and tried again. She’d survive this. It wouldn’t mean the end of the world. She’d go back to Goleta. Lick her wounds. Mend her broken heart. “…I need to resign, sir.”
“What?!” Kurt screeched the word. His eyes were slits of bewilderment.
“I need to resign.” She spoke with more resolve, even as Hutch stood. “Right now. Before this meeting is over.”
“Charlie, no,” Hutch pleaded. Regret etched his forehead. Even now, he looked so beautiful. Some irrational part of her brain hoped she’d at least get to kiss him goodbye when the dust settled.
Kurt’s eyes shot from Charlie to Hutch. “Would someone tell me what the hell is going on?”
Hutch faced Kurt again. “Do not accept her resignation. This isn’t her fault. It’s mine—”
“No. The fault is definitely mine. I’m the one who broke the rules. I should suffer the consequences.” She met the eyes of both men. “No one else.”
Kurt blinked in shock. “Is this about the party?”
“Yes,” Hutch said.
“No,” Charlie said.
Kurt just raised a brow. He brought a hand to his receding hairline and fisted his graying waves. Then he collapsed into his desk chair and gave them both a grim expression.
“Is this what I think it is?” he asked.
“Yes,” Charlie said.
“No,” Hutch said.
“Really?” he asked sardonically. Then he turned to Charlie. “Should I call HR? Security? Please tell me that this asshole has been harassing you. We can settle this matter right now.”
“No,” she protested. “And he’s not an asshole.”
Kurt’s face registered surprise at her fierce tone.
“Wait, if I’ve harassed her, Charlie won’t be in trouble?” Hutch asked, stepping closer to Kurt’s desk. “Because I’ve totally harassed her. I can prove it.”
“No. He didn’t harass me.”
“Stop.” Kurt held up a hand to each of them. Then he pointed to the two chairs opposite him. “Sit. Both of you.”
Charlie sat first. Hutch followed. She couldn’t spare him a glance. It was all she could do to keep her emotions in check as the dreams she’d built began to disintegrate. She swallowed hard. It would hurt to leave Prestige. It would pain her to abandon San Francisco.
But Charlie knew without a doubt that when she returned to her parents’ house in Goleta, Hutch would be what she missed the most.
Kurt eyed them in turn. “I’m guessing something happened after the party — something we’d all like to forget?”
“No.” Charlie and Hutch spoke at once.
Again, Kurt wore a look of surprise. Charlie watched him blink a few times before he turned his frown on her. “So, nothing happened after the party, Charlie?”
“Charlie, you don’t have to ans—”
“Quiet, Mr. Barlow. I’m speaking to my employee,” Kurt declared. “Charlie, would you like me to call HR before you answer the question?”
Kurt wasn’t a bad guy. As angry as he surely was, he was still trying to do his best by her. Calling HR wouldn’t help her in the least, and there would just be more witnesses to her disaster.
She shook her head. “No, Kurt, I don’t need anyone from HR. Yes, something happened after the party, but it didn’t start there.”
A stunned expression ruled Kurt’s face. “But that’s where you met. I introduced y—”
“You knew each other before the party? But how? You both just moved here a few weeks ago.” He stared pointedly at her. “Charlie, aren’t you from Santa Barbara?”
“Yes, we didn’t—”
Hutch launched in. “If we had a relationship before either of us were with Prestige, would that—”
“Quiet!” Kurt barked again.
Charlie managed to glance over at Hutch. With her eyes, she begged him to just sit quietly while she tried to fix this. There was no hope for her, but she still wanted the chance to mend Kurt and Hutch’s relationship so neither one would suffer the fallout and embarrassment that would come from Hutch dropping Prestige.
But instead of taking her cues, she found the same beseeching look on his face.
Let me handle this, his eyes said.
No, I’m trying to save your ass, hers returned.
For the first time since she’d walked into the office, Charlie’s anger flared. What the hell had he been thinking?
Kurt cleared his throat, and she looked back at him. “So, you knew each other before the party?”
“Yes,” she answered. “But we just met by chance last week.”
“Last week?” Shock was clear in his voice. “You’ve known each other a week?”
“With the right person, it’s enough time,” Hutch told Kurt.
Charlie glanced over and found Hutch smiling. He was insane. How could he be smiling at a time like this? Then he turned his smile on her, his full-tilt-all-out-dimples-and-everything smile, and Charlie could only smile back at him.
“Unbelievable,” Kurt muttered. “Charlie, are you sure you don’t want to file a harassment complaint against Mr. Barlow?”
She faced her boss again. “No,” she said firmly. “What I want is for Mr. Barlow to retain Prestige’s representation. I’m offering my resignation—”
“Charlie—” Hutch scolded.
“I’m offering my resignation so that there will be no impropriety and no violation of company policy,” she finished.
Kurt sat back in his chair, frowning again. “Despite Mr. Barlow’s actions of the afternoon,” he said, casting Hutch a look of disgust, “losing his contract would not be in Prestige’s best interests. If everything you’re telling me is true, and, indeed, there was no harassment… I’m afraid I’ll have to accept your resignation.”
Charlie felt the finality in his words. It was a blow, but it was one she would survive. She was young; she was hardworking; and somehow, she’d find a way to explain to her future employers why her first paying job after college had lasted less than a month.
She was about to stand when Hutch’s hand closed around hers. When he spoke, his voice was a growl. “Kurt Vincent, if you accept her resignation, I’ll walk.”
“Excuse me?” Kurt fired back.
“Hutch—”
Hutch’s grip tightened. “You said it yourself. My departure would not be in Prestige’s best interest. I came here today to sever ties with you so I could have a relationship with Charlie. She never wanted to break company policy, but I wouldn’t leave her alone. That’s why this is not her fault. It’s mine—”
“Mr. Barlow—”
“Cut the formal crap. You’ve always called me Hutch. I’ve always called you Kurt, and that doesn’t need to change. You can keep earning your four percent off me — future contracts, endorsements. Everything. And there will be more, Kurt. Completed passes and touchdowns. That’s what I’m bringing. Mine will be a rookie year for the record books.”
As Hutch spoke, Charlie could feel the strength and steadiness in his hand around hers. His conviction in himself. His faith in his future. Hutch testified as though there was no other possible outcome.
There’s no guesswork when there’s only one path.
Charlie believed him. She glanced at Kurt and saw that — in spite of himself — he believed Hutch, too.
“You can be a part of that and have your share of that boon. Or you can watch somebody else take it home instead. Your choice,” Hutch worded it like an offer, but it was nothing short of a threat. “And if Charlie gets to stay here, I will bring you Raider after Raider. You’ll get a lifetime of loyalty. But only if you let Charlie stay.”
Kurt turned to Charlie as if Hutch hadn’t spoken. He pinned her with his unflinching stare for what seemed like an eternity. “Charlie, there are many reasons why Prestige has a policy prohibiting romantic involvement between staff and clients. Those reasons are to protect our athletes, our employees, and our company.”
Charlie took a bracing breath. As Hutch had spoken, the promise of his words had tricked her into believing it was possible for all of them to walk away from this moment as winners. For her to keep her job and still have Hutch. For everything to be okay…
“This incident underscores the importance of such policies. Without the romantic entanglement between you and Mr. Barlow, your position wouldn’t be in jeopardy, the company’s reputation wouldn’t hang in the balance, and an athlete’s prospects wouldn’t be compromised. You see that, don’t you?”
Charlie swallowed. “Yes, sir. Yes, I do.”
“Don’t be a fool, Kurt,” Hutch’s voice was low and menacing. It rolled through the room like thunder.
Kurt ignored him. “I’m glad you understand. Because should you happen to meet another one of our clients by chance, and he wishes to sever ties with Prestige in order to be with you, I won’t have any other choice but to accept your resignation at that time.”
“Yes!” Hutch cheered.
Charlie blinked. “Wh-what?”
“Now, I believe you have a deadline in an hour or so. Is that right?”
Silence hung between them. Speak! she ordered herself. “Y-yes, sir.”
“Good. Get to it and then head back to the ballpark. I’ll be watching the Prestige Twitter feed tonight, and I expect to be impressed.”
Charlie shot to her feet. “You won’t be disappointed, sir.”
Kurt’s mouth might have twitched. “And I’m assuming you’re going to need two tickets for tonight’s game?”
Her breath hitched. “That would… that would be very generous of you, Kurt,” she said, hoping her voice carried all the gratitude one human being could possibly experience.
“Wait, what?” Hutch asked, his eyes moving between Charlie and her boss with a look of uncertainty.
Kurt ignored him still. Charlie realized he was much better at ignoring Hutch than she’d ever hope to be.
“Now, I think you should return to your desk and allow Mr. Barlow and myself to iron out a few things.”
Charlie nodded. Hutch squeezed her hand, and she let her eyes lock with his.
“Boo-ya!” his seemed to shout. But she leveled him with her most disapproving scowl.
“Oh, no,” her look fired back. “You’re not in the clear yet.”
And she watched his face fall before she turned and left Kurt’s office.
CHAPTER NINE
DARIUS POUNCED AS soon as she cleared the door.
“What the hell is wrong with you? You don’t go charging into the lion’s den when your boss is chawing ass like that.”
He flanked her step for step as she sped back to her desk.
“Not now, Darius. Later, but not now. Right now, I need you to hide me somewhere.”
“Hide you? Girl, if Kurt’s on a tear, and he’s looking to tan your hide, I am not the paper tiger you want to stand behind.”
“I don’t need to hide from Kurt. I need to get away for a little while and write a press release, and if you don’t help me, I’ll never spill the details on what just happened in there.”
Darius stabbed his fingers against his chest and eyed her in horror. “Don’t even tease! You are the White Witch. Even Tilda Swinton in that movie had more heart than you.” He pouted. “And you still owe me the deets on your weekend with Harry Potter.”
“Well, you won’t get tho
se either until I finish this assignment.”
Darius clucked his tongue. “Fine. Let’s go to the fourth-floor breakroom. They have a Lavazza.”
“Our breakroom has a Lavazza.”
“I know, but fourth also has Nico.”
“Who’s Nico?”
Darius simpered and batted his eyelashes. “He’s a junior agent on fourth.”
Charlie grinned at his antics, following him to the stairs. “And why haven’t I heard about Nico before?”
An eye roll and a look of disappointment told Charlie the answer should be obvious. “Because last I knew, he had a boyfriend named Sean, but Saturday night after the party, I saw Sean at Oasis dancing with someone who was not Nico, so this bears more investigating.”
When Charlie returned to their floor an hour later — after successfully submitting her piece to eleven different news outlets — she found a note on her desk and nine texts on her phone. All, of course, from Hutch.
But now that the danger had passed, Charlie was more than a little peeved. He’d been a reckless ass, and they were all lucky to have survived his madness. As far as she was concerned, Hutch Barlow could sweat it out a little.
But only a little.
Charlie had every intention of having him by her side at the baseball game. No matter what, Hutch would have to wait because once she’d posted her press release, Darius could not be avoided.
“Alright now, be a good girl. Start from the beginning and tell Darius everything.”
So she did.
His expressions, exclamations to the heavens, celebratory dance moves, and faux fainting spells as he listened were more entertaining than any story she could tell.
“Girl, Prince Harry is Hutch Barlow? You right. I never would’ve believed his real name was Harold.” His look of disbelief was quickly morphing into admiration. “But Hutch Barlow? You got more spunk than I gave you credit for.”