Part 4 (1/2)
”It seems we've reached an impa.s.se.” His tone was lethal, with a hint of resignation. Not surprisingly, it galled him not to get his way. Shay took no pleasure in her small victory.
”Please, you have to trust me. I swear I won't say anything to anyone.”
Brody contemplated her for a moment, his eyes hard, before he slowly crossed the room. Shay had to work to keep her knees from buckling, but she held her ground. He stopped before her, leaving a few scant inches between them.
”I don't trust you, Texas.” He reached up, gently tracing a finger along her cheek. The breath hitched in her chest. ”Like I said before, you're a conundrum. Only not so fascinating anymore. Just threatening.”
Shay swallowed as her heart plummeted to the soles of her feet. Survival of the fittest, she told herself. Still, despite years of being the lesser choice, the U-turn of his opinion smarted.
”Are you gonna kiss her?” Maddox's question caused them both to jump apart again.
He stood in the doorway, a well-read copy of Harry the Dirty Dog in one hand and a stuffed elephant in the other. Brody looked over at the boy and then back at Shay, his face giving away nothing. ”No,” Brody said, the single word a punch to her gut.
He paused on his way out of the door. ”We'll resolve this tomorrow. One way or another.” He gave Maddox a terse nod. ”Sleep tight, buddy.”
Shay figured Maddox might be the only one of them who would be sleeping that night.
THE GIRLFRIENDS' GUIDE TO THE NFL Well, girlfriends, it seems our favorite fantasy football player has indeed satisfied his sweet tooth and sworn off Candi. The game's finest tight end-and it is fine-was caught in a serious lip lock with a new lady last night. Check out this cell phone video. Number eighty and a mystery woman were steaming up the windows of the deli counter, if you know what I mean. But the story just gets better. According to my sources, Brody was playing kissy face with one of the team's interns, a graduate student named Shannon Everett. Ms. Everett is the not-so-identical twin sister of Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Teryn Everett, seen here shaking her, um, pom-poms. It just begs the question: Brody, did you know which sister you were kissing? Or, could this Blaze player be consorting with the enemy?
Six.
The woman is diabolical, Brody thought to himself as he stormed through the halls of the practice facility Wednesday morning. Not only had Shannon made herself scarce the entire day before, but she'd managed to feed that blogger a c.o.c.kamamie story about the two of them being involved. Sure, he'd initiated their kiss, but he'd obviously played right into her plans. He'd look like a fool if he tried to get her fired now. Little Miss Texas might think she had the upper hand, but she was about to find out that Brody had a brain, too.
”Dang, Sha-nay-nay,” DeShawn was saying as Brody entered the commissary. ”You've been holding out on us. You've got a twin sister? And she's a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader?” He whistled and the rest of the players and staff congregated around Shannon laughed.
Shannon stood tall amid their teasing; the ever-present ugly hairnet perched on her head as she doled out protein shakes to the players for their midmorning snack. She made each shake individually according to the player's tastes and nutritional needs and they'd become something of a daily inst.i.tution among his teammates. Brody doubted the other guys knew she had a nutrition background; they just liked the effort she put into making them taste great.
”We don't even play the Cowboys this year, Shay,” Jamal Hollis whined. ”But you gotta find a way for me to meet her.”
”Does she have a boyfriend?” another player asked.
”What does that matter? She hasn't met me yet,” Jamal said. The other players laughed at his rookie exuberance.
”Finally, you develop some taste in women,” a voice at Brody's shoulder said.
Biting back his denial, Brody didn't bother turning to acknowledge Blaze defensive captain Will ”William the Conqueror” Connelly, instead keeping his focus on Shannon. It was better not to make eye contact with the cerebral linebacker who had a way of knowing the truth just by looking at a guy. Except of course when the truth had bit Connelly on his behemoth a.s.s a few months ago.
”I'd say the same about you, but then you wouldn't still be married to your beautiful wife if I hadn't talked some sense into you.”
Connelly scoffed. ”As if.” He was quiet for a moment. ”She's not your usual fare, Brody. A woman like that can get hurt easily.”
”Whatever you're trying to say, Connelly, just spit it out.” Unfortunately, Brody knew exactly what the linebacker was saying. It burned a little to know his friend bought into the premise that Brody was a love-'em-and-leave-'em kind of guy. He couldn't very well tell Connelly there was no relations.h.i.+p, though. Brody had decided to live by the adage, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. As long as Shannon knew his secret, he needed to keep a strict eye on her. Her little lie to the blogger provided the perfect opportunity to do just that.
”Just be gentle with her heart, that's all. She's a nice girl trying to make something of herself.”
Brody didn't have to wonder why Connelly empathized with Shannon. From what he could discern, the two had similar backgrounds.
Nate Dumas joined in among the players surrounding Shannon. ”And that a.s.shole doesn't help matters,” Connelly muttered.
”One sister is a hot Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and the other is . . . not,” Nate bellowed to the crowd. ”It's kind of like Gisele Bndchen and her twin sister. One of them got all the good looks and the other just got the brains, I guess.”
”Tell me he didn't just say that,” Connelly growled.
Brody didn't stick around to answer him, instead making a beeline to where Shannon stood, her face expressionless. It was one thing for Brody to want to chew her up one side and down the other, but Nate Dumas was not going to get the satisfaction of dissing her.
”Are you saying Sha-nay-nay isn't pretty, Dumas?” DeShawn asked, going toe-to-toe with the trainer.
Brody had a newfound respect for the running back for sticking up for her, but he'd rather fight his own battles. He stepped between DeShawn and Nate, giving the trainer a measured glance before turning to Shannon. Despite a pinched look about her mouth, she showed no outward reaction to anything being said about her. Undoubtedly, she'd heard it all before-many times judging by the extent of her composure. But Brody didn't have time to contemplate her mental toughness. He had a score to settle with Shannon, and for that, he needed privacy.
Donning his best Janik charm, he slipped into the role of devoted boyfriend. ”Hey guys, can I borrow Shannon for a minute?” His teammates let out a few snickers and knowing grins as Brody reached for her hand. A wild jolt shot up his arm the instant his fingers slid between hers, totally catching him off guard. The only reaction from her was a quick intake of breath.
”Whoa,” Nate called from behind them. ”See, this is why I have a problem with romance in the workplace.”
”You have a problem with romance, period,” DeShawn mumbled.
”You two can't just go trotting off for a little nooky while she's on the clock,” Nate continued.
Brody wasn't aware he'd turned around until Shannon squeezed his hand-hard-halting his progress toward the loudmouthed trainer.
”For crying out loud, Dumas, she's an intern. She's not on the clock.” Connelly crossed his arms over his ma.s.sive chest, treating Nate to his patented menacing stare.
Nate shrugged. ”Hey, I'm not the one writing the checks, but I do sign off on her school credit hours.”
Shannon's whole body stiffened next to Brody's.
”Go. Take your five minutes, you two. Just try to keep it G-rated for the video cameras in the storage room.” Nate laughed as he slithered out of the commissary, leaving behind a group of players shaking their heads at him.
Before Brody knew what was happening, Shannon pulled her hand from his grip and marched over to the storeroom behind the kitchen. By the time he crossed the threshold, she was searching the four corners of the small s.p.a.ce.
”What are you doing?” he asked.
”I wouldn't put it past that vermin to have video cameras in here,” she said from behind a steel shelf.
Brody closed the door, leaning up against it. ”Wouldn't that be convenient? Then you could sell that blogger audio and video.”
”I told you I didn't sell anything to that blogger.”
Brody crossed his arms over his chest. ”Really? Because yesterday's story was certainly conveniently timed.”
Shannon looked up from her inspection. ”You think I sold that information? For pity's sake, Brody, there were at least ten customers in that store with their cell phone cameras out. All of them ready to auction your story to the highest bidder. Believe me, it isn't me that blogger was interested in. I'm just as much the victim here, you know. Now everyone thinks I'm involved with a football player.” The last two words were uttered with disgust.
It bothered Brody that fans were so eager to sell him out for cash; worse, that some mystery blogger was exploiting his celebrity and that of his friends. But the second part of Shannon's denial bothered him even more.
”Have you got a problem with football players? That would make you the first woman I've met who does.”