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Chapter 22
Cash
“Iknew your name sounded familiar,” Patrick grumbled, pacing back and forth like a tiger in an enclosure two times too small. “Your boss should have disclosed this to me. Now I’m dealing with a PR nightmare. I’ve been trying to get LHL on the line to reconsider, but things aren’t looking good. Not to mention all ofthis.”
Patrick tossed a stack of tabloids down on the coffee table, pictures of the four of us on several front covers. They weren’t scandalous, per se. Certainly nothing risqué. B ut it was pretty obvious that Dylan, Red, and I were all involved with the same hazel-eyed brunette. Many of the photos were of poor quality, grainy and taken from a distance, but Julia was still fairly recognizable.
“I don’t understand,” she muttered, chewing on her fingernails. “Who took these pictures?”
Patrick shook his head. “An anonymous source. I have as many answers as you do.”
I gritted my teeth, my world spinning on its axis. “How could you not tell us about your beef with Leo Holistic?”
Dylan cleared his throat. “Actually, she did. I knew about it. But she agreed to spike the story for the time being, out of concern for the two of you, to avoid it looking like a conflict of interest. After that, I thought there was nothing to worry about, so I never gave it a second thought.” He raked his hands through his hair and pulled roughly, frustrated.
Julia glanced up at me. “I always knew that LHL was scummy, but I didn’t think they’d pull out of their contract with you over a bunch of pictures.”
“It’s not just the pictures,” Patrick said. “There are videos, too.”
She blanched; her cheeks went whiter than a sheet. “Dear God,what?”
Our manager pulled out his phone. The footage in question was shaky, but I immediately recognized Julia in the emerald-green dress she wore to dinner the first night we arrived in Vegas. The cameraman was on the other side of the restaurant, going unnoticed at a different table, filming our flirtatious interactions with a shaky hand. The audio quality was too poor to hear what we were saying, but our body language spoke loud enough. The video ended after the three of us left the table to head back to the suite.
“That proves nothing,” Red snapped.
“You’re right,” Patrick agreed. “But coupled with the photos, it’s pretty obvious that the four of you are involved. Your affair is all people are talking about.”
“Affair?” Dylan grumbled. “It’s not an affair.”
“Do you mean to say that this is some sort of committed relationship?”
Julia nibbled her bottom lip, her brows knitted together with worry. “It’s… complicated.”
Patrick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, I don’t give a rat’s ass what you kids get up to. It’s frankly none of my business. Unfortunately, when it spills overintomy business, that’s when I have to put my foot down. This isn’t a good look for you guys, no matter how I try to spin it. They’re already dragging your names through the mud, turning you into the butt of the joke.”
A pregnant pause blanketed the room.
I couldn’t make sense of anything. I had more questions than answers. Who the hell was taking pictures of us? How did they even know to watch us? What was their end game here?
I clenched my fist, rubbed my bad knee. Leo Holistic Lifestyle had already paid out what we needed to get to Vegas, but now the chances of us ever seeing another dime were bleak at best.
“What happens now?” I asked, teeth clenched.
“We need damage control,” Patrick said. “Effective immediately, I expect the four of you to take some space. It’s not exactly a good look having you all camped out in the same suite. I’ll make arrangements for Ms. Thatcher to stay at a different location.”
Dylan frowned. “She stays with us.”
“Don’t argue with me, Mr. Callaghan. While I’m greatly appreciative of your stepping up to coach Red and Cash, it’s my job to make sure this scandal doesn’t ruin their careers for good.”
“But there’s a lunatic out there following us,” I argued. “What’s to stop them from following Julia? We’ve been lucky they haven’t tried anything, and I think it’s because we’ve been with her the entire time. If she’s alone…”
Julia swallowed. “No, Patrick’s right. I should probably stay elsewhere until things calm down. I really don’t want to cause any more problems for you ahead of your fight.” She stood up from the couch, quickly wiping at her eyes. “I’ll go pack my things.”
I took her hand before she could walk away. “Let’s talk about this. There has to be a different solution. I don’t give a fuck about what anyone else thinks.”
She patted my hand comfortingly. “It’s only temporary, Cash. The focus should be on you and Red. I’m sorry that this whole ordeal has stolen the spotlight from what’s supposed to be your big moment.”
Patrick crossed his arms. “You need to focus here, Cash. All that matters now is that you win. The pressure was already great, but the only way I can leverage new sponsorship deals is if you come out on top. I won’t be able to convince companies to back you if you start off with a loss.”
