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“Sounds good.”

Chapter 29 – Parker

The pool water splashes peacefully as I hear Derek yelling from the terrace. Only that he’s on the phone with Evan.

My gaze drifts over the dunes down to the beach and out to the ocean. Shit, I’m glad we’re not with Blake and his family in Belgium. The peace and quiet here is wonderful. Three weeks after the finale, I’m enjoying every free minute we have together.

The fact that this guy bought a house so he could be with me undisturbed should probably bother me more. But as Grady so aptly puts it, it’s an investment. According to him, he had his eye on it for a while. The guy robs you of any remaining romance.

Here we’re sheltered from the wind, and the sun shines down on me more intensely than I expect every single day.

I slip on a thin T-shirt and slide my lounge chair further under the umbrella.

“No, Derek, this discussion is over. I am no longer accepting this tone. You can talk business with my team, but my private life is not up for debate.”

With bated breath, I listen to Evan’s side of the call. After a few minutes, Evan comes out the patio door and sits next to me with a sigh.

“What did Derek say?”

“That I’m an ungrateful asshole and that I’ll regret my decisions.” He sighs. “He is afraid he will lose more clients if I succeed. And money is all he cares about.”

Serves him right. I don’t say it out loud. But Derek has harmed enough people with his management practices.

I gently stroke his back. Evan relaxes immediately. He places the sports magazine on my stomach, and I reach for it.

“The article turned out wonderfully. I’m happy that you get to set the tone for how you want to present yourself to the world.”

Evan nods. “Yeah, the team of the magazine and Grady and his people, did a fantastic job.”

I open the article and point to the pictures. “And the photos, too. Absolutely divine.”

He curls the corner of his mouth into a half-smile. “You’re biased.”

“Baby, that suit, that Cup, everything’s stylish.”

Turning halfway around to face me, Evan glimpses at the magazine. “Yeah. It’s everything I wanted it to be. My mom called already, too. She’s relieved. I think she thought I was celebrating my coming out with nude photos.”

“Oh dear. Hopefully, you cleared that up.”

He nods. “Yeah. It’s kind of weird.”

I hold out my phone to him. “Have you checked out the online reactions yet?”

Shaking his head, he finally lies down next to me. It’s a bit cramped with him on the lounge chair. “I’m not putting myself through that. Grady says he’s got everything under control, the reactions are mostly positive, and I should only respond to what he tells me.”

“Good. That’s what I would have advised you, too. But I can put your mind at ease. The response has been great. The federation has released its prepared statement. Dry, meaningless, but not malicious. The club is doing a great job with its posts, and your coach has already gone live.”

“Really? He didn’t tell me any of that.”

“Apparently, the press intercepted him outside his house. He’s going to deny post-game interview rights to any reporter who makes your life difficult and, in doing so, jeopardizes the team’s chances of another Cup victory.”

Evan laughs. “He said that?”

“Word for word. He doesn’t take any nonsense, and his players are his most valuable asset. By the way, what does Grady say about the Derek situation?”

Evan frowns. “It pisses me off. Why can’t Derek leave me alone? He doesn’t even want to represent me anymore. But it’s a matter of principle for him. Oh well. Grady says I’m facing a years-long legal battle over the money. No surprise there. But he says we have nothing to worry about and I should focus on next season.”

“So? Are you doing that?”