Page 40 of Their After Hours Playbook

Not sure.

Okay. I’m on it.

Paige next pulled up Alexis’s number on her phone. She had to hear this from the source. Was there a chance April had gotten some bad intel? Paige knew it was unlikely, but it wasn’t impossible. More than anything, she needed to hear it from Alexis herself. The number rang and rang, and then she got Alexis’s voice mail. This is Alexis Simmons. You know what to do.

Paige ended the call. She knew for a fact that Alexis never listened to her voice mail. She sent Alexis a text. Please call me. I hope everything is okay.

A text from Henry appeared. Shonda is getting oral surgery. Not due to be back in the office until Monday.

Is there anyone else who can help me with a contract?

I’ll ask.

Thanks.

Paige ventured into Zach’s kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, pondering her next move. She really, really did not want to accuse Zach of anything until she verified what was actually happening. Then she got an idea—Alexis’s mom. She and Alexis were impossibly close. If anyone would know what was going on, it was her.

Paige felt a small glimmer of hope. “Yes. Perfect,” she muttered to herself as she scrolled through her contact list and found the number for Anna Simmons. The call rang once. Then twice.

“Hello?”

“Anna, hi. This is Paige Moss. I’m sorry to call so early, but I’ve been trying to reach Alexis regarding an important work matter. I called her cell and got voice mail. I’m wondering if you know how I can reach her. Or if you know what she’s up to right now.”

“Oh, Paige, I’m so sorry. So very sorry.”

“About what?”

“I was told not to talk to you.”

Paige felt like she’d been punched in the stomach, hard, by someone much bigger than her. “Anna, please. I need you to talk to Alexis...”

“I’m sorry, Paige. I can’t.” The line went dead.

Paige stared at her phone in disbelief. “She hung up. This is real. It’s happening.” And the only logical explanation was that Zach was behind it. Was everything she’d thought about him the night they met proving to be right? And had everything she’d thought about him since that fateful night in Vegas been wrong? Was she the naive one? Had everything she’d done to protect herself and her business been in vain? A complete waste of time and effort? She couldn’t begin to wrap her head around the present moment and the deluge of questions that accompanied it. It was like she was outside of her own body, observing what was happening to her. It felt that unreal.

The only step forward was to confront Zach. She had to do it. She took another sip of coffee for courage, left her mug on the counter, then walked down the long hall that led to the back of his apartment. The last room on the right was his home gym. When she reached it, she stood in the doorway, watching him run on the treadmill. He had his earbuds in and was in his own little world, undoubtedly listening to music too loud. Every swing of his arms was relaxed, his back perfectly straight while the muscles of his toned legs were fully engaged, showing off his lean strength. He didn’t look like a man who was hiding a big secret, but she questioned everything in her life right now.

Eventually, he started to slow down the pace of the machine until it brought him to a brisk walk. He took out his earbuds and that was when he noticed Paige. A smile instantly bloomed on his face. It felt like her heart was being cleaved in two. “You were really serious about that shower, weren’t you? I’m going to need at least fifteen minutes to cool down.”

She ventured into the room. “Zach. We need to talk.”

His brows drew together and his forehead wrinkled. “Sounds important. Is everything okay?”

She wrapped her arms around her middle, needing to protect herself. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”

“About?” He stepped off the treadmill and approached.

Paige reflexively took a step back. She needed distance between them. It was the only way to keep her head straight. “Work. Armstrong Sports. New client signings, perhaps?”

“I honestly have no clue what you’re talking about right now.”

She didn’t want to feel so irked, but she was. She expected Zach to be honest with her and all available evidence pointed to him being anything but. “You don’t know a thing about a rumor that Alexis is signing with your agency?”

He reared back his head. “You’re joking, right?”

“I just got off the phone with April. They have a source inside Armstrong Sports. They’re going to report the story.”

Zach wiped his forehead with his towel. “No way. They’re wrong. Who do I need to talk to? Is it April’s story?”

---