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But the damage control… She couldn’t imagine the panic this would cause his team and fans. He had a PR nightmare on his hands, and all because she’d played hooky and gotten caught kissing on the Jumbotron. He must be upset. Didier and Erik too.
Then she read it a third time, and one line stood out like a neon light: “Love was in the air.”
That was what Alice had said Robert said to her.The exact same words.
“Oh crap,” she said with feeling.
“It’s more than crap.” Lottie took her phone back. “At least the picture of you and him is nice.”
“How can you joke at a time like this?” she asked incredulously. “This is awful.”
Lottie pointed at her. “I was trying to pull that sour expression off your face because I’m wondering why you’re here and not with Jamie.”
“I don’t know where he is. I tried calling him and he didn’t pick up.” She smacked her forehead. “He’s probably got everyone and their brother calling him.”
“Exactly.” Lottie frowned at her. “If you hadn’t seen the article, what are you doing home?”
“Robert sent me home. He told me to take the rest of the day off.” She closed her eyes, feeling sick to her stomach as she started to piece together the whole story. “I got my promotion today.”
Her grandma grunted derisively. “Of course you did. That’s TMI for you.”
Oh jeez.She faced her grandma. “I think I got it because of that article and Jamie, not because of my own merit.”
“They couldn’t see the diamond shining under their noses before, but you kiss a famous athlete, who’s from a famous family and who has lots of famous athlete friends, and suddenly you’re special.”
“They gave me a big expense account,” she confessed, dread heavy in her belly.
“TMI.” Lottie scoffed. “They should be called Assholes Unlimited.”
She reached for her purse to scrounge for her phone. “I need to talk to Jamie. Do you think he’s seen this?”
“If those vultures haven’t ferreted him out of his hiding place yet, they aren’t very good at their jobs,” Lottie said.
She rang him but he didn’t pick up. So she tried again.
And again.
On the fourth attempt, his phone picked up. “Bonjour, Rachel.”
She recognized Didier’s caramel voice. She frowned. Why was he answering Jamie’s phone? “Is Jamie okay?”
Didier sighed. “We will see, I suppose.Attendez, je le cherche.”
She didn’t know what he said, but she heard the phone muffle so she supposed he was getting Jamie for her. Her heart beat hard, and she felt a little sick at the edges.
A moment later, she heard male voices arguing indistinctly through the line, and then the phone cleared up and Jamie’s voice came online. “This isn’t a good time, Rachel.”
She recoiled, taken aback by the vehemence in his tone. “Jamie, I just saw the article. I’m so sorry.”
“Are you?” he asked coolly. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
She frowned. “For?”
“For your promotion.”
She froze. Something wasverywrong. She swallowed back the foreboding and aimed for calm. “How did you know about that?” she squeaked. Okay—calm was a little shrill at the moment.
“My agent told me when he reamed me for going behind his back and talking to the Chicago Fire.”
