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I groaned.I knew this day would come eventually.“I’m not interested in discussing my personal life.”
“Those two football players kissed you,” she pushed. “Was it consensual?”
“Of course it was consensual. I’m not just some random woman. I know both of them.”
“Howwelldo you know them? Are you dating?”
“Again, that’s none of your business,” I said.
“Because you were also seen snuggling up to Logan Landry, the left wing for the St. Louis Blues.”
“Like I said: he’s a friend.”
“Logan and Beth areverygood friends,” Claire suddenly said in the doorway. “Sometimes they have sleepovers.”
Son of a bitch.
“Claire, sweetie, can you go fetch Daisy for me so we can bathe her?”
“Whatever you say, boss.” Claire went running off into the field.
“Look,” I said. “I’ve told you several times I’m not interested in discussing any of this. Since you’re clearly using your dog as an excuse to interrogate me, I’d like to kindly ask you and Woody to leave.”
Jackie laughed as if it were all a joke. “Relax, I’m not publishing a story about you. Not yet, at least. Just feeling around. Seeing what’s going on. And I really do need to board Woody for the week. I’m visiting my family in Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving, and your kennel has glowing reviews.” She frowned. “You’re not going to, like, take poor care of him just because I’m a reporter, will you?”
“That depends on whether or not a story ends up getting written about my love life.” I planted my palms on the desk and held her gaze for several seconds. Then I finally broke. “Okay, I can’t even joke about that. I would never take poor care of a sweet Newfie, even if he was owned by my worst enemy. But it was really shitty of you to lie to me!”
“I’m sorry for the subterfuge,” Jackie said, placing a business card on the desk. “Like I said: I have no plans to write a story about you at this time. But if things in your love life ever sour…” She tapped the business card with a fingernail. “Give me a call. There are publications that would pay alotof money for a story that juicy.”
She left me standing there, staring at the card on the desk.
40
Beth
I spent the rest of the week thinking about Jackie The Journalist, a title which sounded like the lamest superhero in the Marvel Universe. Did she really think I would spill the beans on my relationship with my three athletes for money? I guess plenty of people did exactly that, or she wouldn’t be offering.
But my relationship with Christian, Braden, and Logan was important to me. Heck, it was one of the best things in my life. I wasn’t going to jeopardize that, not even for a billion dollars.
Okay, maybe a billion dollars. But in that case, the three of them would understand.
Fortunately, I had plenty of work to take my mind off her visit. Business was booming, especially during Thanksgiving. Lots of people were out of town and needed to board their dogs over the holiday, including many Colts players, since they were traveling to Detroit to play the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. My kennel was all filled up by Tuesday of that week, and I continued to get phone calls from other potential customers looking to board their dogs.
Claire and Logan came over to my place for Thanksgiving. Logan didn’t have time to cook because of a noon hockey game that day, but he arrived with sliced turkey, mashed potatoes, and roasted Brussels sprouts. His four dogs, who had been dropped off earlier that day, went running up to greet him as soon as he came inside.
“The food’s from a restaurant in town,” he told me. “They cater holidays.”
“This is my first Thanksgiving!” Claire announced while shoving a container of food at me.
“That can’t be right. Your first Thanksgiving?”
“Mommy never celebrated it,” Claire said. “Which is silly, because apparently it’s a holiday abouteating food. And everyone knows I love food.”
“You sure do,” Logan said while giving me a quick peck on the cheek. “Although therealThanksgiving takes place on the second Monday in October.”
It took me a moment to remember he was Canadian. “A holiday on a Monday? Gross,” I said, making a gagging noise.
Claire giggled. “Next year, we should havetwoThanksgivings.”
