AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Katie’s teeth ground together and she would have kept right on walking if she hadn’t already faltered long enough to give away that she’d heard.
"Take my picture with Landon, Kathy," Stella demanded. "Make sure you get my good side. Your little intern couldn’t seem to get it."
What could Katie say? No, I slept with him, fell in love, then royally screwed up any chance of him ever speaking to me again so I’m a little uncomfortable taking this photo?
She took the phone from Stella’s outstretched arm and stepped back to center them on the screen. Stella displayed her "good side" by leaning into Landon and pressing her boob into the front of his uniform. He looked sexier than ever with his scruff pushing toward a beard and that charismatic grin on full display for the photo.
When Katie lowered the phone, her eyes accidentally connected with his and the smile faded off his face. She braced herself for the scowl of disgust or even for him to look right through her, but he saw her this time. His eyes narrowed and his head tilted and he looked almost…concerned.
Ha! Not concerned enough to distract him from Stella who was whispering up at him. Landon smiled back and nodded, and it took every ounce of Katie’s professionalism to walk the phone back over instead of throwing it at their stupid heads.
The red-headed bitch refused to take it. "Wait Kathy, I need you to get a couple more shots of us."
Katie never got the chance to tell her where to shove the phone because Landon snatched it up first and dropped it into the handbag hanging from the crook of Stella’s elbow. "Her name is Katie and I’m done with photos." He stalked off leaving both women with gaping mouths.
Less than a half hour later, Landon managed to get the same reaction out of thirty-two thousand fans during his first at bat against St. Pierre. He let the first pitch go by for a ball, and took a strike on the second, but the third cracked off his bat and soared. The crowd erupted before the ball even bounced off the cheap seats. His twenty-fifth homer of the season, and an easy climb to game twenty-eight on his hitting streak, off Johnny St. Pierre of all people.
Katie’s heart flew around the bases with him. If she had any doubts about loving Landon, that hit just shattered them all. No matter what happened between them next, no matter how royally she had screwed everything up, she wanted him to be as happy as he was right now. With or without her.
Landon touched home plate and trotted to the dugout where he was engulfed by his team just as the sun moved out from behind a cloud to beat light and warmth down on the celebration. Katie zipped up her hoodie and pulled the sleeves low on her palms.
"Oh Kathy?"
Katie closed her eyes for a long inhale before facing Stella with a forced smile. The redhead’s smile wasn’t forced at all. In fact, she seemed quite smug, chin jutting out so she could look down her nose when she spoke.
"Get us some more Champagne, Kathy. Those bottles you popped seem a little flat. Quickly please.”
Despite the please, Katie took the command for what it was: payback for Landon’s scolding earlier. Stella rubbed it in further by refusing to look away until Katie responded with the professionalism required of her job.
"Of course, Mrs. Rhodes, right away. Anything else I can get you?"
Stella gave a dismissive wave and Katie choked back a scream as she dragged her achy body over to the bar. When she made her way back over to the group, two freshly popped bottles of Cristal gripped in her hands, Stella dug so deep under Katie’s skin that she hit bone—and the bitch didn’t even mean to.
She was talking to her entourage, not even aware of Katie hovering steps aways, but even coming in mid-sentence, there was no doubt whom they were discussing.
"—doesn’t share this with many people, but he’s actually a very gifted photographer. Apparently he took a class in school and fell in love. He does mostly black and white, architecture, landscapes, very masculine. He has an eye."
Katie sat the bottles down and tugged at her polo collar, suddenly finding it difficult to swallow. A cold sweat broke out across her hairline.
Breathe, breathe, not here Katie, not here, not here. Don’t you dare give this bitch the satisfaction of seeing you sweat.
Her eyes squeezed shut for a longer than normal blink and when she opened them, Ellis and Craig The Intern stood in front of her, one with arms crossed, the other with fists on hips, two night club bouncers, ready to enforce.
"Go home, Kat," Ellis said.
"What? No. Why?"
"Because Craig and I had a little conference and you are very clearly ill or exhausted or probably both and every time I look at you, all I see is you getting your icky germs everywhere. So please, go home."
Katie looked at Craig who nodded.
"I can’t. I just called in sick a couple weeks ago, Lori will never let it happen. Plus…them." She gestured helplessly towards Stella’s group.
"Just go, Kat. The Dragon Lady is off terrorizing Tokyo and we’ll handle madame bitch over there and her enterouge."
"No, no, no, especially not after you already covered for me at the banquet. I can’t keep running out."
Ellis sighed. "Ok I didn’t want to say this, but, girl, you look terrible."
