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Jack nodded. “I’m asking.” He leaned back in his chair again. “And because I care, not just because I’m obligated. What’s the story? Kate said something about a picture of you and some other woman?”
Drew groaned.
“No judging, we swear.” Josh put his hands up in a sign of surrender. Jack nodded in agreement.
“Seriously, man. I can’t imagine what you go through.” Josh offered. “I mean, playing pro ball? That has got to be awesome.”
“Did you play?” Drew noticed Josh had more of an athletic build than Jack.
Not to say Jack was small by any stretch, just more of a runner looking type. Josh was thick.
“Football.”
Drew nodded.
“But I had no aspirations to play past high school. Messed around a bit in college, but that was it. Nothing competitive.”
“Kate says it’s pretty tough for you though, the attention and all.” Jack said to Drew.
He’d hadn’t thought too much of it before. Well, enough to learn how to maneuver through and deal with it. But, up until now, he only had himself to worry about. Yes, he gave thought to Monica and the people who worked for him but, like her, they were all in that world anyway. It was par for the course.
“I guess. Until now, it was only me. I mean, I don’t tend to hang out in places that can get a player in trouble, ya know? I keep my nose clean.”
But even that hadn’t helped. An innocent dinner with two friends who happened to be female had him sitting in a saloon in a small town across the country from where he lived, talking to two new friends about how to save the relationship of the only woman he’d ever truly cared about. Loved.
“The woman in the picture I only met that night,” Drew continued. “She’s the friend of my assistant. We had dinner and I hugged them both goodbye. End of story. Well, at least on my end. But now the press knows all about Baylee and they’re digging up anything they can find to stir up trouble.”
“What’d Baylee say?” Josh asked.
“She believes me.”
“Well, that’s good, right?” Josh looked so hopeful.
Drew wished he could too. “It is. But she’s unsure.”
“About what?” Jack asked.
“About… everything. About us. How we can handle the long distance, me traveling so much, all the attention in the press and social media.”
“Legitimate concerns.”
Drew looked at Josh. “Never said they weren’t.”
“Sorry.”
“No. I’m sorry. I’m… punchy.”
“Also legitimate.” Josh took a sip of his beer, the two men exchanging a look of understanding.
Drew ran a hand down his face. “Look. We don’t need to discuss this. I don’t want to bring down the evening.”
“It’s okay. Like I said, you’re doing me a favor. I can go home and tell Kate we talked all about it. I get brownie points and she’ll lay you off you a little.”
Drew laughed. “Oh, new brother-in-law of mine. You have much to learn about my sweet, bull dog of a sister. She will never lay off. Trust me.”
The other men laughed.
“Fair enough,” Jack said. “If you’re really okay, then I’ll be honest here, Josh and I could talk baseball the whole night if you’re up for that.”
