Page 243 of Just for the Cameras
“Is he giving you grief?” Graydon asks.
“No, he’s driving me up a wall with his need to be as popular as you two. I told him sulking around about an old girlfriend is not helping. I thought about putting him up for a dating show.”
Graydon snorts next to me, then lets out a low chuckle. “I would pay good money to watch that.”
“Not that my opinion matters, but I think that would be a total disaster. OC is too unhinged to be on a dating show,” I say.
Gretchen leans back in her chair, showing a hint of a personality as she smirks. “Wouldn’t that be the appeal, though?”
“It would make him a target on the ice,” I say. “He could get hurt.”
“Yeah, and if he’s hurt, there’s no doubt in my mind he would beg me to nurse him back to health,” Graydon says.
I chuckle because isn’t that the truth. OC has a strange kind of connection with Graydon, and even though Graydon tries to constantly fight it off, I know there is no way he would actually leave OC to fend for himself if he really needed help. Graydon puts up a front, but I think deep down…deep, deep down, he has a small liking for OC.
Very small.
Almost minuscule.
But it’s there.
“So let’s stick with game appearances and no dating shows.”
Gretchen nods. “If he keeps driving me insane, then I can’t make any promises. Maybe you can talk to him.”
Graydon’s eyes shoot to her. “Absolutely not.”
“Thought I would give it a try.” She sifts through some more papers and then pulls out a stapled packet. “Here is your copy of the breakup NDA.” She gives it to me, and I can feel the anger spiking through Graydon’s body next to me as I take the packet.
I press my hand to his thigh, attempting to calm him down and not make this a thing. We both talked about it, and we both got over it. No need to make it any more of a thing than it already is.
“Maple, I would like to get you into some media training as soon as possible because I’m assuming you two plan on continuing this…” She gestures back and forth between the two of us, and a low growl pulls through Graydon’s throat.
“Yes, we plan on continuing this,” he says in such a menacing tonethat if Gretchen wasn’t half the person she is, I’m pretty sure his voice would have split her skin right off her face. “And I don’t fucking appreciate the doubt or the contract. I thought we went over this, Gretchen.”
To her credit, she remains calm as she shuts the folder on the table. “Graydon, I’m not trying to start trouble. It’s my job to put aside personal emotions and ensure everyone is protected in the matter. It’s my job to protect the organization as well as you.”
“I don’t give two shits what your job is,” he responds. I smooth my hand over his thigh, wanting to let him know that everything is okay, but I can see that it’s doing nothing. “This is my girl, and she’s sticking around, so you better get fucking used to it. And if I hear you talk about a breakup one more goddamn time, I will make it my mission to make sure you never work PR in this goddamn city ever again.”
That seems to crack her calm facade as she sits taller. “I don’t mean harm, Graydon.” Her voice cracks. “I have duties handed to me that I have to fulfill, and if I don’t, then yes, I would lose my job as well.”
“I understand that, but with us, when it’s just you, me, and Maple sitting in a conference room, you can show a fucking touch of compassion. This shit is hard enough without someone we’re supposed to trust making it more difficult.”
She clears her throat. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m being insensitive.”
Well, shit, never thought I would see an apology come from her.
“I don’t mean to set you off,” she continues. “I just have to make sure we’re covered.”
“We’re covered,” Graydon snaps.
“Okay, then, if it’s all right with you, I would love to get Maple involved in some media training so if she does run into someone on the streets or at the games who starts asking her questions, she’s ready and prepared.”
“It’s up to Maple if she wants to do that.”
I take Graydon’s hand in mine. “I would like that,” I say. “I don’t want to embarrass you in any way.”
“You could never.”
