Page 58 of Puck King
“Well, I’ve had enough of you bad-mouthing him. I know you’re worried about me, but don’t be. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” My voice wavered. Hollie heard it, and so did I.
“Oh, Alison.” Hollie backtracked so she could give me a hug. “I’m sorry.”
Reality had finally hit. What Colton and I had, had seemed perfect. But it was ruined now, and all because of his stupid family politics. I shook in Hollie’s arms as the frustration escaped in the form of body-wracking tears. Hollie had held me when Brian cheated on me, and now she held me just as tightly as I grieved the shortest but best relationship I’d ever known.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Hollie asked. I withdrew from her arms, nodded and blew my nose.
“I can’t tell you everything – yet. But Hollie, just know that Colton is a good guy. A really good guy.”
Hollie nodded but didn’t say anything.
“We should get back to work.” I started the snowy walk and Hollie fell into step next to me.
“I believe you, Alison,” Hollie said as we reached the service entrance to the building. “I trust you more than the media.”
“Thanks Hollie.” I smiled. “And, just so you know, this break-up? It’s temporary.” I said it more for me than for Hollie.
When Everleigh calledme into her office, my hands started to shake even though I already knew what she was going to say.
Under the harsh fluorescent lighting, even a woman as gorgeous as Everleigh could look tired. She looked up from her phone and reclined in her leather office chair. “Have a seat, Alison.” She gestured to the chair across from her.
“What’s this about?” I decided to play dumb.
Everleigh slid a folder across the desk. “We’ve decided to go in a different direction. I’ll need you to sign this release.”
The paperwork was thick and full of legal jargon. “What’s this release for?” My heart thudded in my ears and I worried that I was about to be fired from both jobs.
She must have heard the tremble in my voice because her eyes softened and she offered me a smile – something I rarely saw on her face. It seemed genuine, but she was such an enigma that I wouldn’t have bet money on it. “It’s good news. You and Colton are off the hook for the engagement thing. You will remain on contract for physiotherapy for the remainder of the season, with an option to renew for next year.”
The relief was instantaneous and I felt my shoulders drop a little. I hadn’t even realized that I had been tense. “Do you mind if I take a minute to read through this?”
The smile disappeared from Everleigh’s face and was replaced with an eyebrow raise and look of annoyance. She gave a dismissive backhanded wave. “If you must. It’s all very standard.”
“A fake engagement is standard?”
Her laugh caught me off guard. “Public relations cultivated relationships are a lot more common than you think.”
Instead of flipping through the papers like I had done the first time, I took the time to read what I was signing. Everything looked above board until I got to the last page – the money page. “What does this mean?” I pointed to the paragraph outlining the remainder of my compensation.
Everleigh took the paper from me and scanned the page. “It means what it says.”
“It says that I’m not going to get paid.”
Everleigh examined her perfectly polished nails. “Like I said, standard.”
The room started to swirl around me and I hated the fact that my cheeks were burning. It was something that happened to me when I was frustrated, or angry, or about to cry. And I was all three at that moment. “Everleigh—”
“Miss King,” she interrupted.
“Right. Miss King…” I took a deep breath in through my nose. Everleigh King was a famous businessperson and was one of the few women in a powerful position in the league. She had to be tough, I got that. But this callous attitude seemed excessive. “When I accepted the positions, I made the decision based on the two jobs together.”
“Do you not want the physio position?” She rested her elbows on the arms of her chair and squared her shoulders to me. Instead of shrinking away from her power pose, I leaned forward and matched it. Her intimidation tactics weren’t obvious, but I’d worked with enough bodies to know the language.
“I would like to be compensated for the loss of the remainder of the contract.”
Now she leaned forward and steepled her long thin fingers in front of her lips. “You should stick to physiotherapy, Alison. You didn’t fulfill any of the contract. You’re lucky I’m not asking for the return of the deposit. I appreciate the fact that you’re standing up for yourself, I really do. But this is just business.”
Don’t cry, don’t cry, was on repeat in my head.
