Rules of her Game: A Contemporary Sports Romance

by Karley Campbell

  Stacey spoke, “How do you know it has anything to do with Mike? Perhaps it’s his wife Michelle working alone.” Dani was grateful that her friend was lucid, it appeared she had gotten some much needed sleep.

  Marcus leaned over his son to kiss his wife on the lips. It didn’t gross Dani out like usual. Perhaps Cooper made the idea of public affection more understandable.

  “You could be right.” His smile was dopey, “All this and brains too, I hit the jackpot when I married you.”

  “Too much.” Dani fake gagged.

  Marcus and Stacey ignored her, Marcus eventually saying as if Dani hadn’t warned him away, “I’ll do some digging and ask a few questions. See what falls out and hope it’s interesting.”

  “I don’t want you to get into any trouble at work.”

  “If there is corruption in the networks, if people are found fabricating stories to ruin careers and lives . . . this could be huge.”

  “You’re sure?” Dani was anxious, not just for Marcus but his growing family.

  Stacey smiled with confidence, “Dani, don’t worry. Marcus is very good at his job. Completely useless around the house, but very good at his job.”

  “Besides,” Marcus’s eyes danced. “I know this girl with a long sporting history and she would owe me at least one juicy story to resurrect my busted career.”

  “Is this about me and Cooper?” Dani smiled.

  “Or Andrew. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  Stacey innocently asked, “What is happening with you and Cooper?”

  Making a show of checking her wrist for a watch that wasn’t there, Dani stood, “Look at the time.” She leaned down and kissed Stacey on the cheek, before moving to little Dylan, changing her mind at the state of his face. She pat him then Marcus on top of their heads instead. “Bye nice family. I’ll call tomorrow.”

  “Let me know the wedding date.” Marcus joked. “I’ll bring a photographer.” He stood then, “There’s one more thing I want to ask. I’ll walk you to your car.”

  Suspicious, Dani looked to Stacey who shrugged.

  Marcus said, “I hear Fisher got out on bail. He’s attacked you once . . .”

  Dani held her hand up, “He overdosed and died this morning. I didn't want to mention it in front of Stacey. She's still a little fragile.”

  “Wow.” He mulled something over then blurted, “Just look after yourself. Stacey would be devastated if something happened to you. Me too, I suppose.”

  “Marcus!” She called dramatically, “You like me, you really like me!” At his scowl she kissed his cheek in farewell. “I always look after myself.”

  Marcus grumbled as he walked away. Dani watched him return to Stacey who was like family to her. She never imagined things would spiral out of control like they had but she needed to know if Cooper had been framed. The alternative, if he had abused someone, was too awful to contemplate. She trusted him, she certainly wouldn’t get naked with him if she didn’t but she refused to be a fool. The uncertainty would always be sitting in the background waiting to bite them both.

  Was she being selfish? Defending a monster while some girl suffered for what he had done? If he was guilty, how would Dani ever forget that she had damned sisterhood for a handsome face, an amazing body and some expertly chosen words? But what if he was innocent and she walked away? Did Cooper deserve a second chance or should the media and public opinion doom an innocent man for life? Either way he was still living and she wanted him to get past this.

  Perhaps it was wiser to stay out of Cooper’s bed for now. She needed to think about this some more. Unfortunately the pull to him was tough to deny. Dani didn’t care for the media or public opinion, both had tried to tear her father down at every opportunity over the years, but that didn’t make her a moron who would ignore a damned man’s history because she wanted to sleep with him. She would continue to be friends with Cooper but perhaps she needed to slow down, just until Marcus found more information. That was the right thing to do.

  ◆◆◆

  Michelle Brink sat at her desk, scanning her emails for confirmation that her newest recruits were all medically sound for her latest show. She had only bothered with the most basic mental screenings, really hoping this lot of losers would melt down on screen, a guaranteed ratings winner and perhaps even some news time.

  The idea behind this show had been a brainwave of pure genius. A reality show with celebrity’s being forced to train for an adventure race in Wales.

  It was a grueling event that included 100 miles of cycling, 20 miles of running, most of that over a rugged mountain, and 42 miles of kayaking through a violent gorge. Michelle had been selective, there were no athletes, and she was hopeful one of the competitors, probably the overweight politician, would drop dead. Why the fat fool had agreed to compete was as amusing as it was confounding. The allure of notoriety was a human weakness Michelle shamelessly exploited. Making others famous had made her wealthy beyond imagination and no matter the outcomes there was always a new group of losers willing to take their place. The greedy morons deserved all they got, Michelle would never let the public into her personal life.

  The slowest to ever complete the race was over twenty-four hours and Michelle hoped her group would blow that record out of the water. It would make for good TV and she was working out who to assign to each role. The dizzy girl, the surprise favorite, everyone’s friend, everyone’s enemy, and the crier. They all fell into some prearranged stereotype.

  She was gazing at the London skyline, her hard won million-pound view. A noise outside her office door turned Michelle around in time for Birgetta Growler, closely followed by Michelle’s glamorous personal assistant, to burst in.

  “It’s alright, Penny.” Michelle smiled, “I wanted to see Birgetta. Thank you.”

  Without comment Penny closed the door behind her and Birgetta studied Michelle as if scared she would be punished.

  “Did you want to see me?” Her hope caused a sneer of distaste from Michelle.

  “Desperation is pathetic, Birgetta. Unless you have information on Graves or his newest slut, why would I want to see you?”

  Birgetta rummaged in her bag, yanking out her digital camera, “I have got something for you. Dani Maxwell’s playing around on him.”

  “Really?” Michelle walked slowly around her big desk. She was tall and naturally blonde with a small waist and ample cleavage. She wasn’t slim but she was well proportioned, her body had attracted her powerful husband. What kept him in line was the saved emails and documents, the threat of a lawsuit.

  Fiddling with the digital camera, Birgetta handed it over at a specific photo. Michelle scanned through the rest before returning to the first one. “You do realize who she’s kissing?”

  “Of course.” Birgetta replied.

  “Then you know he’s happily married and this could ruin his family?”

  “It’s not my problem if he can’t keep his cock in his pants.”

  “Charming.” Michelle said, but she smiled, calming Birgetta’s constant neediness. “I wonder what she’s doing with him. Why would Marcus Gold talk to Dani Maxwell unless she had a story?” Her eyebrows quirked at Birgetta in question, satisfied the older woman knew nothing. It would be suicide for Birgetta to go against Michelle and they both knew it. What Michelle had was dynamite.

  Marcus Gold was an annoying issue. He was a sports reporter, a fucking Pitbull and when including Dani Maxwell all arrows were pointing to Cooper. Publishing this photo was suicide for Birgetta and showed the woman was getting desperate, but Michelle’s needs were greater and she wanted to land the first blow against Marcus. Perhaps if he was busy dealing with a divorce he wouldn’t dig into Cooper Graves and his pathetic story. Marcus had nothing without her name and the only one able to hand that over was Birgetta, and she had been under thumb for so long Michelle assumed the woman liked it there.

  “How would I know, maybe she’s doing something for her father, or maybe they are fucking
. Who cares? I got what you wanted.”

  Michelle again studied the photo of Dani in the man’s embrace. When seen with the rest of the photo’s it was a friendly goodbye. On its own it was lethal for a married man. Michelle had her finger on the trigger.

  “Is the article written yet?” Michelle asked quietly.

  “I’ll use the Mai Tai name again. The Maxwell’s are putting pressure on me.”

  “What kind of pressure?” Michelle was delighted, this was going places.

  Birgetta became cagey, “Oh, you know, threats of legal action, blah, blah, blah. I’m not worried but I would rather it came from another source.”

  Michelle snorted, “And you believe nobody knows it’s you?”

  “How would they?” Birgetta was surprised.

  “No reason.” Michelle was once again stunned by the woman’s stupidity. “This is just what I need. When Cooper goes to drown his sorrows, I’ll be waiting.”

  “Will Fisher do the photos?”

  “Fisher’s dead.” Michelle said, staring into space, “There’s plenty more like him.” She handed Birgetta a card, “Call this guy, tell him you have some work for him. Same terms as Fisher. He’s a drug addicted hack too so we won’t have any problems with him. Slip him some stronger stuff to maximize control.”

  Birgetta gingerly took the card and studied it, “I’ve never heard of this kid.”

  “He sent me some stuff. I met up with him and he’s formed a little habit.”

  “Do you care that Fisher is dead?” Birgetta surprised her by asking. “He was a greasy little shit and I didn’t like him myself but I didn’t want him dead.”

  “Fisher was his own enemy. What has that got to do with me?”

  “Did you have anything to do with it?”

  “You are asking for trouble here, Birgetta.”

  “Is this what we do now. Kill sad little boys with awful mother’s and not care? I’ve justified ruining careers, marriages and families, I accepted the drugs and money, the sex and secrets but is my life worth more than his? Are you worth going to prison for?”

  Seeing the older woman coming apart, knowing that crazy was harder to control than clinical, Michelle knew exactly what to do.

  Touching her phone, she said, “Penny, reschedule my meetings for the next hour, I have forward planning issues to sort out with Birgetta that can’t wait. No interruptions. Oh, and can you get me the sealed file in the safe, named Growler.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dani checked the address again and stared up at the house in horror. She was hopeful she was in the wrong place but both Cooper and JD’s cars were parked in the driveway. This was by far the worst house on the best street, embarrassingly so. It was dirty and rotting and Dani saw nothing likeable. How would she tell Cooper she hated it? Was it bad to lie, even about something like this?

  Cooper emerged from the house, distracted, with JD and another man who clutched his clipboard to him like a shield. Seeing her bought a delighted smile to Cooper’s handsome face that Dani knew she would never get bored of. He held up five fingers before pointing toward the house, giving her permission to look around. She was glad to go in alone, needing something to be enthusiastic about. Perhaps the wood was nice? She waved at JD, who winked in reply.

  Inside was worse than outside. The dump was smelly and dirty. The carpet was threadbare, the wallpaper peeling and plaster was falling from the once ornate ceiling. It was eerie, quiet, dark and damp. Gingerly she took the stairs that creaked and groaned, the handrail tilting precariously at her touch, her fingers greasy when she snatched them back.

  She quickened her pace, looking for something, anything positive. Worried he would be offended at her horror. She found a huge bedroom that overlooked the front of the house and looked down at the men talking on the scraggy lawn below.

  When JD turned to leave she opened the window, “Are you going?”

  “Some of us have to work.”

  “I’m on tomorrow so I’ll see you then.”

  As JD left Cooper called, “What do you think?”

  In reply Dani closed the window which screeched under the onslaught.

  She heard him downstairs closing the door. She could feel his presence, the house less imposing. It was like Cooper, big, broken and in serious need of TLC.

  This big master bedroom was surprising. The carpet was gone, exposing the floorboards and the tatty wallpaper had been replaced with floral paper which was at least clean. The corner was rounded with old fashioned leadlight panes going halfway up the bay window before changing to normal glass to allow an appreciation of the view. Below it was a newly reupholstered window seat, the fabric a basic cream that was at odds with the rest of the house. Dani wondered if this was the last owner’s final refuge, when the rest of the house became too big to manage this one room still held a hint of what the place had once been. It was a tiny hint for Dani’s limited imagination.

  She wondered if someone had died here, not finding the thought as terrifying as expected. It was a calm house that held a feeling of leisurely neglect, of gradual slow down, of a family that had grown up and moved on leaving only the memories etched into the wood as witness to its history.

  This made her wonder what Cooper and JD had planned. She knelt on the window seat and gazed at the view. The house overlooked a park across the road, and at the opposite side she could see parents and their kids playing on the equipment, an informal soccer match of young men who were laughing while others stopped to watch. It was an unusually warm day and the community was enjoying it.

  Further out she could see a peep of the Thames and cars transporting people about their busy lives. Pressing her hands against the glass she felt hypnotized by the view, she could spend hours just watching life go by, excluded yet still part of it.

  She turned to find Cooper at the door watching her, he didn’t speak and Dani returned to the view, “It’s beautiful.” She quietly said.

  “I was worried you wouldn’t like it because of how much work it needs.”

  She frowned, “Oh, I hate the house, it’s a dump.” She sighed at the view, “But this is something else.”

  “You hate it?” Cooper sounded gutted, “I hoped you could see the potential.”

  “Sorry.” She blushed, realizing she had hurt his feelings, “I was going to lie and tell you I loved it, but starting out on lies is bad.”

  “Fair enough.” He said, “But can’t you imagine what it would look like?”

  She gazed around, “I guess my mind doesn’t work that way. All I see is dark, damp, smelliness that needs a bulldozer.”

  “Do you like old places at all?”

  “I love the flash ones.”

  “If this was a flash one would you like it?”

  “Does it matter what I think? I’m not buying it.”

  Cooper studied her with that penetrating gaze, she ignored it by returning to the world outside this amazing window.

  “I wasn’t going to say anything, make it a surprise if we survive that long . . .”

  Dani suspiciously interrupted, “What are you talking about?”

  “This is just between us. I want JD to think we are doing this for real but I intend to buy this place when we’re finished. It’s perfect and where I want to live.”

  “But this is massive. You don’t need something so big just for you?”

  “I’m hoping it won’t be just me.”

  “I suppose you’ll need roommates to pay for it.” She gazed around again, wondering how many spare bedrooms the place had.

  “I’m too old for roommates and I like being naked.” His smile was innocent.

  “You can afford this? Renovation isn’t cheap.”

  “I’ve got some money from my parent’s estate.”

  “Oh, of course. That’s wise. I’m sorry.” He appeared nonplussed and Dani wondered how long he had been an orphan and if he had come to terms with it.

  “I’m glad they never saw what I became after
I got into the team. Dad would have been furious at my behavior, he was such a gentleman. His only kid being accused of rape would have finished him off.”

  “What about your mother?”

  “She would have defended me, been adamant I couldn’t have done it. Thankfully I only had to worry about myself. Some days that was impossible.”

  “I don’t know how you coped.”

  “Most of the time I just survived.” He gave her a hot gaze that sent Dani’s pulse soaring, “It’s getting better. I think I’m starting to put it behind me.”

  “Is that what this house represents, making a new home?”

  “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I guess it does.”

  “Your family money didn’t get used in all this time?”

  “I’d never have used it while my life was going to shit. It would have been obscene while being accused of raping some poor girl.”

  Dani didn’t know if the girl deserved to be called ‘poor’ but held her tongue.

  Cooper said, “Since we don’t want any secrets I want you to know that my parents left me a substantial amount of money.”

  Dani eyed him with suspicion, “What’s substantial, remembering that I’m a barmaid with two stupid degrees for careers I’m not particularly interested in.”

  “Multimillion substantial.”

  Dani held a hand up, “Okay, I don’t want to know.”

  “Too late.”

  “I feel all burdened now.” She wailed. “People will think I want you for your money. That I’d forgive anything for a posh life.”

  “I feel relieved.” Cooper grinned, “It feels natural to tell you everything.”

  Dani’s gaze returned to the park and Cooper moved to sit beside her. His attention not on the view outside.

  “Move in here with me when it’s done.”

  “We hardly know each other, and you should take things slowly with everything that happened.”

  “I’ve never felt like this, and if what happened led me to you then I’m glad for every painful second of it.”