I blow out a breath. I know the majority of them on a personal level.
“We’re going to schedule weekly meetings between the two of you. You will be attending charity events either together, alone, or with a date, I don’t really care. But you both need to be at them to represent the organization, together. You two will be doing every press conference together, and Jana, you will attend every away game.”
“Um… you never attended away games?”
“Because I had a family. I went to the games I could. Since you’re single, I’m not sure what else you have to do that doesn’t involve this team.”
“Dad, this isn’t how other teams work.”
He drops my pen. “I’ve never managed this team like every other team. I’ve made it clear what I want at the end of this. I want the Fury to win the Cup. I’ve set the both of you up to make that happen, and so far, you’re messing it up.”
“Mr. Gerhardt, I think I speak for both of us when I say that we never meant for this to happen. It just kind of spiraled and…”
Without openly telling my dad what was going on with us before our promotions, we don’t really have a valid argument.
My dad studies us for a moment. “Charlotte has her theories about you two. Is she right?”
My forehead wrinkles. “Mom has a theory? Doesn’t matter.” I shake my head. “I’m sure she’s wrong.”
“So you two aren’t involved in some type of casual sexual relationship?”
My eyes widen for a second before I recover.
Kane coughs. “Sorry, saliva went down the wrong way.” He thumps himself on the chest.
“No, Dad, we’re not.”
“Then I don’t see what the problem is. So tonight, you’re going to go to dinner together. Not Carmelo’s. Somewhere, preferably where cameras are, so everyone can see the two of you kissed and made up after that disaster of a press conference.” He slides the paper over to us, and I pick it up as though I won’t remember what he’s demanding of us.
“So pretty much we’re stuck side by side until we win the Cup?” Kane asks.
My dad nods without any trace of a smile.
I know better than to argue with my dad. He’s not going to change his mind. I take the piece of paper and stand.
“Hang on, sweetie.”
Kane glances at me, looking uneasy, and I sit, dodging eye contact.
“I put you both in the positions you’re in because I know you can do this. You just need a little teamwork. And once we get the team aligned, success will come.” He pulls out his wallet. “Dinner’s on me tonight.”
Kane raises his hand. “There’s no need for that, Mr. Gerhardt. I can take care of the dinner bill.”
“We can both take care of the dinner bill,” I say. I don’t want Kane thinking this is some kind of date or something.
Kane groans as if I’m this annoying teenager who can’t stop back talking.
“No. No. This one is on me.” Dad passes over five one-hundred-dollar bills.
“We don’t need that much,” Kane says. “We can happily share a meal at McDonald’s.”
My dad laughs, probably thinking Kane is joking. But at this point with us, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kane took us through the drive-through and we ate in front of my house so he could get rid of me faster.
“I’m hoping this is the last time I need to intervene this season.” My dad stands and takes a moment to look around. “I like the way the office looks, sweetie.” He clasps Kane on the shoulder as though he’s his son or something, then Dad’s gone.
Kane turns to me as the door clicks shut. “So?”
“Taco Bell sounds excellent.” I stand and grab my belongings off my coat hook.
“Are you sure you want pictures of yourself eating a burrito? He said he wants us to be seen.”
I growl in annoyance. “Then there’s only one place.”
He nods, knowing if it’s not Carmelo’s—where all the Fury players go—it’s the steak house next door, which has the slowest service ever.
“We probably can’t get in this late.”
“Oh, we can get in.” He pulls out his phone and walks out to the hallway.
I take a moment to admire the way the suit fits Kane’s body perfectly. If my dad is going to force us together, I have to have my guard up if I stand a chance of not sleeping with him again.
Twenty minutes later, we’re sitting at a booth in Gino’s Steak House. The same guy owns Gino’s and Carmelo’s, except Gino’s is fancy. The owner, Vinny, loves the Florida Fury, said he grew up in New York playing hockey before moving down here to open a few restaurants and live a slower-paced life.
The fact he comes to our table to open our bottle of wine right after we order explains how Kane got us in. “Coach now, huh? You haven’t been in in a while.”
Kane plays with the ends of his silverware. “Not much to celebrate.”
Vinny doesn’t say much but gives a face to suggest our team isn’t in the worst shape ever. Which is true, but our team should have way more wins than losses. “And, Miss Gerhardt, nice to see you again. How is your father?”
“He’s good, Vinny. Enjoying retirement.”
Kane scoffs because that’s not true.
Vinny gets the wine bottle opened and pours Kane a taste.
“She’s way pickier than me.” Kane nods in my direction.
“Of course, ladies first.”
Instead of doing the entire swirling and smelling before tasting thing like I’ve been taught my entire life, I sip the wine and nod for him to go ahead and pour two glasses. “It’s excellent, Vinny.”
“Enjoy your meal. I’ll check in at dessert.” He winks and walks to the next table, greeting the guests by name.
I twirl the stem of my glass, watching the red wine swirl around the large glass.
“Maybe we need some ground rules,” Kane says.
I look up from my wine. “Ground rules?”
“Rules to make sure lines don’t blur. You were right when you said things would be too complicated if we continued sleeping together. But we’ve tried for months to stay away from one another. Obviously that ruined the team dynamic, so we’re gonna have to be around one another now. We’ll put rules in place.”
“As in?”
“For the team-building retreat, we stay on opposite sides of the hotel. And for the weekly meetings, we have them in public places. For the press conferences, we’ll have a player join us each week.”
I laugh. “I don’t need to put rules in place so I don’t sleep with you. I hate to break it to you, but you’re not that irresistible.” I swear, the ego on this man.
I ignore the niggling in my subconscious telling me he has a point.
“I’m just trying to make it easier. Not just the sexual tension—”
“There’s sexual tension?”
He quirks an eyebrow.
“Have you not noticed that we don’t even get along, Kane?”
“That’s just our way of getting under each other’s skin. You know as well as I do there’s nothing we love more than to fight and then fuck. Stop denying it, Jana.”