Page 29 of Dirty As Puck
She’s learned not to get too close.
“Maybe I wasn’t worth documenting.”
“Or maybe someone’s been very deliberate about controlling information about you from the beginning.”
“You’re fishing,” I snap.
“I’m doing my job.”
Always the job. Always the professional justification.
“Your job involves harassment now?”
“My job involves investigation. If you call that harassment, maybe you have something to hide.”
Everything. I have everything to hide.
“I call it invasion of privacy.”
“You’re a public figure who plays a violent sport and has a reputation for aggressive behavior. Privacy is a luxury you gave up when you signed your first professional contract.”
The clinical assessment of my life makes anger surge in my chest. “Don’t take it personally?”
“Exactly. Don’t take it personally.”
Personal. Everything about you is personal.
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
Something in my voice makes her take half a step back, but she doesn’t retreat completely. “Wrong about what?”
“About keeping this impersonal. About pretendingthisdidn’t happen. About acting like you don’t feel this too.”
Color rises in her cheeks, but her chin lifts in that defiant gesture I recognize. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
“You know exactly what I’m referring to. The way you responded when I had you against those lockers. The way you looked when you thought I was going to kiss you.”
“That was a momentary lapse in professional judgment.”
“Was it? Because your hands were shaking when you thought I might actually follow through.”
“My hands shake when I’m angry.”
Angry. Right.
“Is that what you call it when your pulse races and your breathing gets shallow?”
I step closer, deliberately invading her personal space, and watch her pupils dilate despite her attempts to maintain professional composure.
“That’s called adrenaline. It happens when people are being threatened.”
“Threatened? Is that how you see me?”
“I see you as someone who doesn’t respect boundaries.”
I laugh. “What boundaries? The ones you keep crossing every time you ask personal questions? The ones you ignore when you dig through my private life for story material?”
“Those are professional inquiries, not personal boundary violations.”
