The Love Campaign (Romantic Revelations Series Book 1)

by Laura Marquez Diamond

  Mr. Watson looked pleased with the exchange. “Jaya, would you mind joining us for the tour? You planned everything so carefully, I want to make sure I show Sebastian all the ins and outs of the center.”

  She was already shaking her head. “Oh, it’s easy to get around. You don’t need me.”

  “Now, don’t be so humble,” Sebastian said smoothly. “I’m sure you’ll have something to add.” His tone was friendly but the way he cocked his head was so affected, he was undoubtedly thinking of the last time they saw each other.

  She prickled. The last time she had to put up with this man, she definitely had something to add. Choice words and snide derision to add to the tirade unleashed by her friend, Molly Eastwood, when they saw Sebastian at The Union dance club a few weekends ago. According to Molly, Sebastian was one of those guys who made you feel special and beautiful and wonderful. Just before they ghosted you. A real catch.

  Jaya had a couple of run-ins with Sebastian through the Hockey-For-All program as well, where she was a volunteer and he had made some donations of Thrashers hockey equipment. But that wasn’t where she got to know Sebastian. No. She learned about his misogynistic fuckboy ways through her friend. Sebastian might be able to fool the hockey folks and community at large with his façade of goodwill, but sleeping with all the single women in the city and then treating them like shit was bound to chip away at that reputation.

  Both men were intently looking at Jaya, waiting for her to process her unsavory thoughts. She gave a curt nod and shook off her discomfort. For the kids, she said to herself. You can do this for the kids.

  “Let’s head this way, please.” She brought them to the decrepit gym first. Jaydon, his little sister Aleena, as well as Gus and Azeem were playing basketball as they approached. Well, at least the three teenage boys were, while little Aleena was left out of the scrimmage, idly kicking up her heels and pouting from the sidelines.

  Sebastian ran up and picked up a pass. He dribbled a few times and gave a gentle bounce pass to the sixth-grade girl who was left out. She glowed at the attention. Aleena made a few of her own bounces and gave a solid pass back to Sebastian. The hockey player caught the ball and attempted a shot. Or more like an airball. Azeem jumped for the rebound, displayed some impressive footwork, then sank a jump shot.

  Sebastian clapped as he walked to Aleena whom he high-fived. “Great pass,” he said. “Sorry I didn’t sink it.”

  The kid smiled and blushed, answering with her timid voice, “It’s OK.”

  Jaya introduced the kids who did their little spiel about the benefits of after-school sports for youth health and self-esteem. The space needed to be converted to a high school regulation gymnasium that could easily house different activities including volleyball, badminton, and basketball. Funds would update equipment as well.

  They moved on to the locker rooms that clearly needed extended storage spaces and bathrooms from the twenty-first century. The girls had an especially compelling presentation on what they summarized as “potty parity.”

  Jaya picked the sassiest girls of the cohort and felt a sense of pride when they outlined why women’s bathrooms needed more stalls than male bathrooms. Words like “menstruation” and “diaper changing” and “breastfeeding” and “complicated clothing” might have made Jaya blush when she was their age. But not these girls. They were great. Gah, she loved this generation of fiery young women. Reena and Cathy ended the presentation by splitting the punchlines.

  “Equality in physical space is not equity in access,” Reena declared.

  “We need to stop favoring men’s bodies and men’s needs when we build facilities,” Cathy followed up.

  Jaya saw that Mr. Watson was a bit uncomfortable with the strong delivery and progressive message. Sebastian, on the other hand, looked thoroughly engaged. He glanced her way and she made sure to look away from his chronic smirk. She didn’t want to detract from the girls’ presentation. She also didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she noticed him at all. Heaven knew his ego didn’t need more encouragement.

  Reena’s young eyes flicked towards Jaya. You got this, girl! Jaya sent the good vibes through her attentive eyes and encouraging smile. These kids deserved so much. Teaching them how to ask for what they deserved was one of the best parts of her job.

  They finally meandered to the basement, where Jaya had spent much of the last few months trying to convert ugly storage rooms into something useful. Donated tables turned to board game spaces. Desks functioned as tutoring areas. The rooms needed cosmetic upgrades, but the campaign’s funds were for something more important.

  Most of the money for youth programs would be diverted towards hiring and training human resources: counselors, tutors, coaches, and support staff. Jaya had a degree in social work but transitioned into the Freedom Community Center youth coordinator position this past year. In her role, she didn’t just do programming for kids, she was a grant writer, administrator, occasional receptionist, and reluctant social media facilitator. She was also the coordinator for volunteer tutors and coaches. Just running the background checks was a side job. Most paramount responsibility, though, was finding crucial support counselors. Hiring the wrong people had real, enduring consequences for the kids’ safety and growth.

  “This is going so well,” Shirley said, her giddy voice beside Jaya’s ear.

  Jaya took a deep breath and allowed herself a half-smile as Oliver did his part of the presentation. “Yeah, they’re defi…”

  “Shut the fuck up,” Chloe whisper-hissed at Sonia, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Sonia flicked her hair back and crossed her arms. “Whatever, bitch.”

  “Oh, ahem, well now girls,” Mr. Watson started to intervene. His panicked eyes sought Jaya.

  The argument escalated pretty quickly from there, ninth graders being as fluent in name calling as they are. The men’s shocked silence was fodder for the girls’ anger. They were normally friends and had more in common than they would admit—both brilliant and frustrated and stubborn. Something must have triggered this exchange, Jaya realized.

  As she moved forward, Shirley placed herself between the girls.

  Jaya addressed them. “Hey, hey, Chloe. C’mon Sonia. We’re on the same team girls. And we shouldn’t talk to each other like that,” she spoke calmly. She looked at each girl individually. “You know that right, Chloe? And calling another woman that word, I mean, c’mon Sonia. We talked about this. Swearing at your friend isn’t going to get you the response you need.”

  “I don’t need anything from her!” Sonia huffed.

  “You need a damn pu…” Chloe started.

  “OK! That’s enough,” Jaya interrupted with more authority, knowing the next word would make it hard to pull back from the debacle. Once a physical threat was launched, reports had to be written. She hoped to scale this back before things got worse.

  “I want to hear both your sides, but it will take time, alright? How about we thank our guests now and find a quiet place to talk,” Jaya stated gently. Both girls still looked at each other hotly, but Jaya had spent enough time with them this past year, together and separately, to know that these outbursts were probably from the stresses of the day rather than from any deep-seated hostilities. At least she hoped that was the case.

  The kids mumbled some version of concluding statements for Sebastian and Mr. Watson. Afterward, Shirley led the guests upstairs to the lobby, along with the other kids.

  Once the room cleared out, Jaya pulled three chairs into an intimate circle and invited the girls to sit down.

  “Who wants to start?” Jaya asked. Silence except for some general grumbling. The stale air of the basement was oppressive. She made another note at the back of her mind. Ventilation.

  “Since I heard you first, Chloe, when you told Sonia to, well, be quiet,” she paused and saw the eye rolls, “what did you mean?”

  “She w
as spreading a rumor about me,” Chloe growled.

  “No, I wasn’t!” Sonia squealed and then unleashed a torrent of words. “I asked if it was true because I didn’t think it was true, but Rachel was going on and on about you and Darnell at the bleachers and it’s not like you’re saying anything about the rumor or stopping it or anything. And you told me you didn’t like him, so what are you doing under the bleachers with him then?” By the time she got to the last word, Sonia was out of breath and red as a beet.

  “I don’t like him!” Chloe said, her caramel skin heated. “I…” She stalled and seemed at a loss for words. But something was brewing in her mind, buried under a furrowed brow.

  “It’s OK, Chloe. Take your time,” Jaya said before Sonia tried to fill the silence with another outburst of information.

  “He asked me to the dance and then when I said no, he surprised me after gym class. On the way to the locker room.”

  The back of Jaya’s neck prickled and she leaned over, hoping to project the sympathy and support the child needed. Because that’s what Chloe was. The fifteen-year-old girl had troubles that no child should bear.

  “He tried to pull me into the bottom of the bleachers. He said he just wanted to talk. I pushed him away and he…he called me a slut,” she blurted out and then shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, whatever.”

  The three of them were quiet for a while. Jaya could feel the tightness in her chest and the way that tension was reflected in the anxious faces of the girls.

  “Sonia,” Jaya ventured slowly. “I think this answers your question about what was true and what was false. And you can probably see why Chloe didn’t want to talk about it, right?”

  Sonia nodded and pursed her lips.

  Jaya continued. “Even if I don’t like how this came about, especially since it involved very disrespectful language between two good friends, I think, after all, it was important to air this out. So for that, I can see why you brought it up,” Jaya offered to Sonia who seemed vindicated. Jaya turned to Chloe. The young woman raised one shoulder, ever so slightly. A tiny gesture of agreement.

  “But now, I need to be alone with Chloe,” Jaya announced and both girls looked at her with wide eyes.

  “It was nothing!” Chloe said. “I trusted you! I don’t want to report anything, Jaya! It was nothing!”

  “OK, OK…but we need to talk, Chloe. Sonia, can you give us a minute? Just stay by the hallway if you want. I promise this won’t take long.”

  Sonia did as she was asked but gave a hefty dose of pouting and stomping to lodge her discontent at being excluded from the conversation. Once alone, Jaya looked at Chloe intently.

  “Umm, Chloe. You know my first, my absolute number one concern, is for your safety. So I need to ask you if you feared injury, or harm, or anything. Because it sounds like he touched you when you didn’t want him to,” Jaya ventured carefully. Pushing too hard or misrepresenting the situation wouldn’t be helpful. But this was an important moment for Chloe to take the time and consider how she felt. She also had to realize, with absolute certainty, that Jaya was on her side. Ready to validate her feelings and fears.

  She sighed as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. “Honestly, Jaya, guys call girls slu…I mean bad names like that, all the time.”

  Bile rose to Jaya’s throat. But she wasn’t naïve. She knew that hyper-sexualized and misogynistic language directed at young women could easily go unchecked. It had to be dealt with, but the problem shouldn’t be hefted on this girl’s slim shoulders.

  “As long as you know it’s wrong. He has no right to call you that. And if you don’t want him to touch you, he shouldn’t. Remember, you can talk to me, or to an adult you trust, any time. I will intervene if you feel unsafe. I want to help.” Jaya comforted the girl while trying to make eye contact.

  “Can I go now?” Chloe whined. And then, as if to lessen the edge of her teenage insolence, mumbled, “Please?”

  “Will you talk to me if something changes or if anything, anything at all, gets worse?” Jaya pushed a little more. And then she copied Chloe’s tone and said, “Please?”

  This earned her a snort and a nod. They stood and walked out to find Sonia on her phone. Chloe’s composure relaxed when she saw that her friend waited to walk out together.

  “Take care, ladies,” Jaya said. “Watch out for each other, alright?”

  They nodded and were already orchestrating the rest of the afternoon via their phones. “See you, Jaya,” they called on their way upstairs.

  Jaya walked the hallway towards an impromptu office that was her headquarters as counselor, coordinator, and volunteer. It was after five in the afternoon and she would have to be back by eight tomorrow morning for her first meeting.

  She was tired but also excited. The tour went well, all things considered. The 1.7 million dollar campaign could change lives for the better.

  If only there was a campaign to ease her worry.

  CHAPTER 2

  What the hell was her problem, Sebastian thought when he caught her scowling at him. Jaya Patel was such a snarky grump and for no good reason he could fathom.

  He tried to be friendly when they crossed paths for the Hockey-For-All program. She coordinated the donation of old equipment and organized the free skating lessons offered to underserved communities in Cincinnati. You’d think she would appreciate Sebastian’s efforts at getting the Cincinnati Thrashers, a local farm team for the NHL, to donate equipment. But no. Still a snarky grump.

  She was popular with the kids. It was also fairly obvious that some of those kids were half in love with her. Everyone else found her to be pleasant. Him, not so much.

  Granted, when Sebastian and Jaya first met, she caught him checking out her shapely ass while she was bent over. But it wasn’t on purpose. He just happened to walk into her office when she was grabbing something from under her desk. He momentarily lost the ability to announce his arrival. It was two seconds, at most. Well, maybe more like seven seconds, but that wasn’t the point.

  Maybe she was pissed about something Molly Eastwood said about their one-night stand. Granted, it was more like two- or three-night stands. He never lied to Molly, though. Never promised anything exclusive or long-term. But again, that wasn’t the point.

  Jaya had a problem with him, no doubt about it. And though she was cute as could be, that snarky grumpiness was getting old.

  She was walking in front of him, down the basement hallways of the Freedom Community Center, when he allowed himself a glance at the long, wavy hair that grazed the curve of her lower back.

  Jaya was talking about counselors, and youth opportunities, and something, something, whatever. He cared about the fundraising campaign, but he didn’t lose sleep over how they would spend the money. He just thought it would be fun to meet some kids while doing the community PR thing his agent told him to work on.

  He was following along and smiling back at the eager face of Mr. Watson when Jaya lost her balance. Instinctively, Sebastian reached over and grabbed her before she toppled.

  Now, as a professional hockey player with a reputation for being physically aggressive, Sebastian was used to getting hit. Having his breath knocked out and his eyes water by the sheer force of contact. Nothing new there.

  But getting hit by softness, that was new. There was no other way to put it. The force of her softness knocked his breath out and made his eyes water. The soft texture of a sleek blouse. Soft, fragrant hair that swished by his face when he leaned forward. And the heavy, promising softness of a breast right at the edge of his fingers when his hand landed on Jaya’s upper ribcage.

  She straightened up immediately and wiggled out of his reach. Her eyes, which were easily the largest, most expressive dark brown eyes he had ever seen, got bigger. He didn’t know what she was thinking, but whatever it was made the smooth planes of her face flash bright pink.

  “You OK?” he asked huskily, surprised by the dryness in his throat.

 
She nodded, lifted her chin, and pushed her shoulders back. He was sure she did it to compose herself, shore up even more of that badass energy she had going, but the effect on him was a little more complicated.

  In an age when supermodels were rail-thin and celebrities starved of carbs, Jaya Patel had the body of a fifties Hollywood starlet. Full breasts, a cinched waist, and curvaceous hips. So when she pushed that rack out like it was armor, he felt his fingers tingle at the substantial roundness he imagined. And he thought about her ass again, and how it would fill his large hands.

  He put the brakes on his train of dirty thoughts because he obviously couldn’t act on them. Being on the receiving end of her snarky grumpiness and all.

  Jaya said something about being clumsy and deflected any attention directed towards her. Their small group continued the tour.

  The scuffle between those teenage girls was unexpected. Mr. Watson looked more embarrassed than unnerved. Sebastian, however, was equal parts unnerved and impressed.

  Jaya stepped in and calmed the girls down with a tone as smooth as velvet and as effective as a tranquilizer. Instead of remaining stiff with hostility, they took deeper breaths and visibly leaned into Jaya’s body language. Her words were carefully chosen, respectful, and most of all, invested. Like she could hang around all day and listen to their troubles. Like nothing in the world could be more interesting than working through this adolescent conflict.

  He was shuffled out of the room like everyone else, but seeing her at work was, again, complicated. She was in charge of all these kids? When they weren’t fighting and cursing, they might have been the most eloquent kids he ever met.

  The coolest part of the tour was the way they talked like they owned the place. He thought back at what it was like to be a kid and find a home away from home. For him, it was hockey. For these kids, the community center was their home away from home.

  “So, so sorry about that Sebastian,” Mr. Watson started to say when they walked up the stairs.

  “About what? About the girls?” Sebastian asked, genuinely surprised. “They were just working through their day the way teenagers do. The tour’s been so perfect, I’m glad to learn you didn’t hire automatons, actually,” he joked.