Off the Record

by Sawyer Bennett

  Shell-shocked would not do justice to the way I feel right now. I simply mutter a goodbye to Mr. Selly and follow Linc out the door.

  The meeting with Selly went way better than I expected. Not only do I feel some measure of vindication by putting the judgmental, Miss Montgomery in her place, but it was a true pleasure watching those huge eyes widen even further when she heard she'd be assigned to me for the next six weeks. I hope she's good and fucking miserable over the situation. That would be a good step toward easing my anger.

  The only thing that bugs me is that I found Ever Montgomery to be even lovelier than I remember. There was a moment back in Selly's office where I thought Ever was going to start crying, and I had a pang of regret shoot through me. But then she blinked those crystal eyes and the sheen was gone. I hardened my resolve and pushed forward.

  Now we are riding to my condo. I had driven her first to her apartment and told her to pack everything she would need to stay at my place for six weeks. She tried to argue with me but I pointed out that if she refused, I would just call Mr. Selly and tell him I was pushing forward with the lawsuit. She snapped her mouth shut after shooting daggers at me and packed two suitcases.

  She hasn't said a word since then.

  But I'm going to make her open up.

  "For someone that had so much to say about me just a few days ago, you're awful quiet right now?"

  I glance at her and she shoots the same daggers at me. I know I should be affronted, but instead I just stare into the cool depths of her ocean eyes.

  "If you're expecting an apology from me, you can forget it," she says with confidence.

  "Oh, I'll get an apology from you. It may not be right now, but I'll enjoy making you eat your words."

  She crosses her arms over her chest and stares out the side window. She's spitting mad, I can tell.

  "Why you are so mad at me, Ever? I'm the one that should be offended."

  "I'm mad because I lost the L.A. assignment. Your stupid demands got me bumped from the opportunity of a lifetime."

  I ignore the tiny stab of guilt that shoots through me. "You brought this on yourself. If you would have just been truthful to start with, none of this would have happened."

  "I don't know what you hope to prove by doing this. You could have gotten a full retraction and an apology from the newspaper. You said that's not good enough and I want to know why."

  I consider her question for a moment. Why am I doing this? I had every intention of asking for her head on a platter but before I knew what was happening, I was insisting she move in with me for six weeks. My gut is usually never wrong, and I followed my instinct this time. Except at this moment...that's all I got...an instinct to make her see the real me.

  "The paper's apology is meaningless. I want you to know just how wrong you are about me."

  "I know what I saw..." she says in a small voice.

  "I don't doubt a thing that you saw or heard. But trust me...you misinterpreted it, and then embellished that misinterpretation in your article. It was a sleazy thing to do, Ever."

  "We'll agree to disagree on that. Until you show me otherwise, I only have my facts to go on."

  "Fair enough. But like I said, I'm going to enjoy making you eat those words."

  She doesn't respond and we ride in silence the rest of the way to my condo.

  I carry Ever's luggage up and show her the guest bedroom. It's been empty since Nix moved out just a few weeks ago and I'll admit...it's been a little quiet around here. Ever will provide me company, at least.

  "After you unpack, come find me in the dining room and we'll go over the ground rules."

  "Ground rules? You have rules for me to follow?"

  I lean back against the door frame and appraise her. Her eyes are crackling with heat and her chin is stuck out. I get this crazy image of me biting it but just as quickly banish it.

  I get the feeling that she's going to buck against me every step of the way and I can't resist a taunt. "Well...I want it clear that I'm in charge of you for the next six weeks."

  She starts stammering with indignation. "You...I'm not...you can't...you are not in charge of me!"

  I can't help the grin that breaks out on my face over her fury. It's so cute the way her pale skin goes red with anger, the brightest part settling over her cheekbones. I hold my hand up to stop her rant. "Relax. I was just teasing. Since we are going to be roomies for the next several weeks, I figured we ought to talk about boundaries while living together."

  She deflates in front of me, relief washing over her face. "Okay. Fine. I'll be out as soon as I unpack."

  Leaving Ever in her room, I head into the dining room where I have my laptop set up. After booting it up, I pull up my workout spreadsheet to study it. I'd taken a few weeks off from training following the end of our season. We made it through the second round of the playoffs this year and I've not done much but run for the past few weeks. It is time for me to get back into serious workout mode again. Training camp is just three months away.

  I shoot an email off to my personal trainer, Brian, asking him to tweak a few things and then I make out a grocery list for the week. It's time to start clean eating again, which sucks. The only good thing is that with all of the training I'll be doing, I'll need to pack in a butt load of calories each day. Too bad it can't be in the form of pizza and beer though. I also need to take into consideration that I have a house guest. I'll have to ask Ever what she likes to eat.

  As if on cue, the little witch walks into the dining room. She's changed into a pair of worn jeans and a Hello Kitty t-shirt. She's pulled her hair up into a pony tail but those thick bangs across her forehead still amazingly cause her eyes to almost glow in their brilliance. I'm beginning to think I could be hypnotized by her eyes if I'm not careful.

  Taking a chair across from me at the table, she folds her arms across her chest and says, "So...what rules do you want to discuss?"

  I save my documents and close my laptop, pushing it aside. I lean back in my chair and stretch my legs out. Clasping my hands across my stomach, I just stare at her. Why did I ask this girl out before? It was so spur of the moment with me that I didn't even question my actions. I hardly ever ask women out to dinner. And once she declined, I never gave it another thought.

  Okay, that's not exactly true. I did think about her several times that night. I caught glimpses of her before the fireworks started, and she clearly was having a lot of fun. She laughed a lot and her smile made me want to smile. There was a small part of me that wanted her to be having fun with me...to bestow that gorgeous smile on only me. But I never approached her to talk again, and eventually, I put her out of my mind.

  Okay, that's not exactly true either. Brenda and I had a damn good time that night, but several times I imagined it was Ever underneath me, or Ever's mouth on me. Just the thought causes a slight stirring in my pants.

  "Hello? Earth to Linc?"

  I shake my head, bringing my thoughts back to reality. "Right. Have you ever lived with someone before? Usually it helps to set some basic boundaries."

  She nods her head. "I lived with my ex-fiance for two years. I think I know how to nicely share space with someone."

  I let out a sharp laugh. "Ex? What did you do, run him off with that sharp tongue of yours?"

  She stands abruptly from the table. The flash of fury in her eyes sets me back a bit and the venom in her voice chills my blood. "How's this for a rule? Stay the fuck away from me, asshole."

  I'm stunned as she bolts from the room but I'm on my feet in two seconds running after her. She almost makes it to her bedroom when I grab her arm to stop her in her tracks. She spins on me quickly and snarls, "Get your hand off me."

  I immediately release her and hold my hands up. "I'm sorry," I say quickly before she can bolt again. "That was uncalled for...what I said."

  She stares at me, her chest heaving a bit from anger. Her impossibly blue eyes are just staring at me. She's calculating whether to accept my apol
ogy, I can tell, and that doesn't look to be forthcoming.

  "Ever...I'm really sorry. That was rude and if my dad was here and heard me say that, he would have smacked me upside the head. I know better. I'm still angry about the article and I took it out on you unfairly."

  My words penetrate. I can tell she accepts them by the way the glow in her eyes dies down. I'm glad because they were the truth. That was a complete asshole move and my father would have read me the riot act. I was raised better than that.

  She takes in a deep breath and I'd have to be dead and buried not to notice the way her breasts heave under Hello Kitty.

  "Fine," she says. "Apology accepted."

  "Really? We're okay?"

  She sighs again and her voice is weary. "No, we aren't okay, Linc. I've pissed you off, you've pissed me off, and we're both stuck in a shitty situation. It's not okay. But I guess I'll try to make the best of it."

  A short breath comes out of my mouth in relief, and I hadn't realized I had been holding it to see what she would say. Technically, I can't hold her here. If she really insists on not fulfilling this obligation, I'd release her from it. I thought I did, but I really don't want her to be miserable. I just want her to see that she was wrong about me, and I'm apparently not off to a great start.

  Just this morning, as I was meeting with Selly, I had nothing but vengeance on my mind. I wanted to make her feel wretched. I wanted to take away her prime assignment to L.A. and make her watch me for six weeks so she would know I was a decent guy.

  Now? I'm feeling terrible for what I just said and slightly guilty for causing her to miss out on something that could have furthered her career. However, I'm feeling no less desirous of her seeing the real Linc Caldwell. That's something I'm not going to compromise on and that wins out over my guilt right now.

  I just need to figure out how to be myself without pissing her off any further.

  "Rise and shine. Time to get up."

  I bolt upright in bed, holding my covers to my chest while Linc Caldwell stands inside my bedroom. I don't have my contacts in and he's a little blurry on around the edges, but he radiates sex appeal nonetheless. That I can see well enough. And it doesn't help that he woke me up out of a sound sleep where I had just happened to be dreaming about the infuriatingly, sexy man. In a very naughty way.

  "What the hell are you doing in here?" I hope my anger diffuses the lingering feelings of lust I was feeling and glad my first conscious reaction was to pull the blanket up. I'm sure my nipples are as hard as rocks right now.

  With disgusting cheerfulness, he says, "We got places to go, people to see. Get up and get dressed. Breakfast is in ten minutes."

  I glance at the clock on the table beside me. It's freakin' 6:30am.

  Stifling a yawn, I ask, "What could you possibly need to do this early in the morning? Aren't you like on vacation until hockey starts back up?"

  He rolls his eyes at me. "You clearly know nothing about professional hockey. Come get some breakfast and I'll go over my schedule with you."

  Linc walks out, shutting the door behind him.

  I lay back on my pillow and briefly consider going back to sleep. Despite the lovely dream I had been having just a few minutes ago, I had tossed and turned all night, replaying over and over in my head everything that has happened to me in the last few days. I'm heartsick that I lost the L.A. assignment. I want to be pissed at Linc for getting me in this situation, but I can't ignore the fact that the article I wrote got me in this situation. Linc may be a slime ball but he didn't make me write that story. And while it was an opinion piece, I may have stretched the truth a bit and I certainly disregarded his wishes about keeping the shoe story off the record.

  And the guilt from that is actually starting to really weigh on me. How could I possibly want to be a legitimate journalist if I stretch my ethics just because some guy got my panties in a twist? It was beyond reprehensible and I'm feeling very low about myself.

  I think about my mother. My dear, sweet, sweet mom. She's a miracle of life and my inspiration. She's been in remission from breast cancer for close to five years now. She's had her body brutalized by chemo and radiation. She's had her breasts removed. She faces the uncertainty that death may be around the corner, and yet she refuses to let any of that get her down.

  As a true southern woman, her favorite saying is, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." I close my eyes and try to hear her voice saying that right now but it won't come to me, and I so desperately need to hear her right now.

  Rolling over, I grab my phone from my purse sitting beside the bed. I dial her number, hoping it's not too early to call.

  "Hello, Buttercup." My mother's voice is soft and sweet, with a lovely Carolina lilt.

  "Hi, Mom. Did I wake you?"

  "You did, but I can't think of a lovelier way to wake up. How are you doing, sweetheart?"

  Just her voice infuses me with peace. "I'm fine." I hesitate, not wanting to dump on her.

  "No, you're not. I can hear it in your voice. Tell me what's bothering you."

  And that's all it takes. I pour everything out, starting from when Marc picked up the engagement ring until Linc woke me up a few minutes ago.

  "Oh, honey. You have a lot on your plate right now, don't you?"

  "That's an understatement. I lost out on a huge career opportunity all because I let my anger get the best of me. Now I'm stuck having to follow this frustrating man around. And I'm feeling guilty for what I did on top of everything."

  "Well, I'm going to give you mom advice now. When--"

  "Don't give me the lemonade speech, Mom."

  She laughs on the other end and just that sound makes me smile like a mega-watt bulb. "I wasn't going to say that, smart butt. I was going to say that when things happen that we don't expect, and when situations seem crazy and out of control, sometimes you need to just sit back and enjoy the experience. Some of life's greatest lessons will come from those times."

  Seriously? I want to roll my eyes at such simple guidance but could I really gain something from this experience? It's not anything I would have ever thought on my own but my mother's sage wisdom is always something I take to heart.

  "Maybe you're right, Mom. And thanks for listening to me. You always seem to know just what to say to motivate me."

  "You don't need my help with motivation, honey. You just sometimes need a little perspective."

  We chat for a few more minutes but before we hang up, my mom sours my mood just a little.

  "Have you talked to your dad?"

  "No. Why?"

  "He's called here. Said he's been trying to reach you for a few weeks. He's just worried."

  I mentally roll my eyes. My dad worried? Puh-leeze. The only one my dad worries about is himself.

  "I've been busy," I say.

  I can hear her sigh on the other end. She knows there is no hope of getting me to warm to my father. "Ever...just remember, he's your father. The only one you've got."

  I answer her sigh with one of my own. I've heard that line from her a million times. And she's heard what I'm getting ready to say. "Mom, just let this one be, okay? Dad lost his right to worry about me when he abandoned us."

  "Okay, sweetie. I'll let it go. Now you go hit the ground running and show that Linc Caldwell what you're made of."

  After I hang up with my mom, I jump out of bed and pull on a robe. She's made me feel infinitely better about my situation. I need to treat this like the job it's supposed to be. It's my personal belief that Linc will probably end up ultimately being the player I think him to be, but I won't know until I get a chance to observe him.

  I briefly think about running a brush through my hair but I could care less what I look like. I'm not trying to impress Linc. He's the one that needs to impress me. I don't have time to put my contacts in so I reach into my purse and put on my glasses. Might as well nerd it up all the way.

  I find him in the kitchen, working a juicer. With my glasses on, I can see him
much clearer which only amps up the aforementioned sex appeal. He's wearing a pair of black workout shorts and a gray t-shirt. It's hard not to notice how the t-shirt pulls tight across the broad expanse of his shoulders. His muscles writhe under the cotton material as he adds apples and what looks like spinach to the machine.

  Gross!

  "Please tell me you have coffee," I say.

  He looks over his shoulder at me briefly, and then just inclines his head to the coffee pot on the counter. "Cups are above the pot."

  I walk over to the cupboard and open it up. The cups are on the third shelf up and I stand on my tip-toes to reach one. I can just barely brush my fingertips across the edge of a cup, but only succeed in pushing it further out of my reach. Before I can even ask for help, Linc is at my back, reaching over me to grab the cup.

  Involuntarily, my body goes tense from his nearness. He's not touching me in anyway, but I can feel his entire body just inches from mine. And the prickling awareness I have of him does not bode well. I had been trying hard not to think of his insane attractiveness since I wrote the article, and now I'm suddenly hyper-aware of him.

  He hands me the cup and murmurs near my ear, "Here you go, shrimp."

  The shrimp comment is his way of teasing me, but the nearness of his lips to my ear makes me shiver slightly. I mutter a grumpy thanks because I'm pissed over how my body reacts to this man. Linc doesn't respond but goes back to his juicer. Sipping on my coffee, I watch him add more spinach and apples. When he finally has a full glass of green, slimy liquid, he picks it up and hands it to me.

  "Here's breakfast. Drink up."

  I look at the glass of juice in his hand and then back to him. "No, thanks. It looks disgusting."

  "How do you know until you try it?"

  "I don't want to know."

  "Just take a sip. Quit being a baby."

  I cock an eyebrow at him skeptically but he probably can't see it behind the frames of my glasses. He continues holding the glass out and the look on his face is challenging. "Fine."

  I take juice and sniff it. It smells just like apples and spinach. I take a small sip. "Ugh. That's awful."

  He laughs and takes the glass from me. "I don't like it either, but I have to drink it." He takes a large gulp and grimaces.