Intercepted (Page 42)

“Not yet. He said he’d call him if you’re getting a lot of grief and needed backup.”

“Oh thank god. Because unless you want my name in the news again because my Dad beat up some guy at HERS for accidentally coughing my way, it’d be for the best if we left him out of this mission.”

“I’m not going to stand here and sit by while some skank runs her mouth or some psycho football fan comes at you. If I have to call in our dads to make sure it doesn’t happen, you aren’t stopping me.” Her mouth is set and her arms folded across her chest. Dammit. She’s assuming her power pose.

“Fine. But let’s hold off on our biologically mandated protection until we know how things are going to go, okay?”

“Okay, but the first sign it’s getting bad, I’m calling.”

“Thank you,” I say. I head to my desk to get some marketing work finished before I join them on the floor. Maybe if I work back here for a couple of hours, the crowd will die down enough for me to do my job in peace.

#AGirlCanDream

I was right.

People have a lot of courage when they’re hidden behind their computers or phones. When they have the chance to say things to your face though, they don’t have the nerve.

Not that I’m complaining. I talk a big game when it comes to dealing with the trolls attacking me at every chance on every article they can find—I lost an entire day of my life arguing with them. But I’m pretty sure if somebody said the crude, awful things being said about me to my face, I’d crumble to the floor and start sobbing.

* * *

• • •

I WALK INTO HERS before we open on Wednesday morning for a quick meeting. I don’t know what it is about Wednesdays and meetings, but they seem to follow me everywhere I go. We talk about the sales, the marketing and promotions I’m working on, and any new ideas we may have thought about over the previous week. However, unlike the meetings with the Lady Mustangs, we get shit done. They’re productive and I actually look forward to them.

“We have a reservation for twenty this evening,” Brynn says. “I asked where they heard about us and they said a friend recommended us. How exciting is that? Our first big party!”

“So exciting!” I give her a high five. “I’ll be in the back, but let me know if you need any extra help.”

The afternoon passes in the blink of an eye, and once I’m caught up on emails and the new project I’m working on, I join Brynn out front. The sun has already set and I see a few snowflakes falling in front of the streetlights. I’m counting our bottles at the bar when I hear the front door open and a familiar voice calling my name.

“Marlee!” Naomi says.

“Hey! What are you doing here?” I’m excited to see her, until she gets closer and I see the look of terror on her face. “What’s wrong? Is Dre okay? Is Gavin okay?”

“Where’s your phone? I’ve been calling you for hours!” She ignores my question about our guys and causes my worry to increase. My heart races, and my palms sweat as I prepare for her to tell me Gavin was injured at practice or Dre’s recovery went south.

“It’s in the back. I don’t check my phone when I’m at work.” I rush the words out, only thinking about one thing. “Nay. Are the guys all right?”

“Oh, honey, this is so much worse than a football injury,” she tells me before the front door opens and giggling fills the room. I look over her shoulder just in time to see Courtney walking in with Madison.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whisper, my teeth clenched. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried! Up until this afternoon, I thought we were going to the sushi place by my house. I’m guessing they held up telling me so I couldn’t warn you. Are you going to be okay?”

“Dammit. I should’ve known it wouldn’t be long until they showed their faces here.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to regain my composure. I refuse to give the reaction they’re hoping for. “Okay. I’m fine. Here, I’ll show you to your table.”

Naomi watches me with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, but even under her disbelieving stare, my plastic smile never wavers. She sits in her seat at the same time Brynn arrives at the table.

“Hey, Nay! What are you doing . . . ?” Her eyes widen as she figures out the answer to her question before she even finishes asking it. “Oh shit. The Lady Bitches are our big party?”

“Yup. Batten down the hatches, cause I have a feeling shit is about to get ugly.”

And right on cue, Madison and Courtney appear at the opposite end of the table.

“Marlee? Oh my goodness. I totally forgot you worked here.” Courtney should really ask Naomi for some acting tips because this fake surprise thing she’s trying to pull off is about as inspiring as Mariah in Glitter.

Madison, on the other hand, doesn’t even try. Her annoyingly perfect face doesn’t even acknowledge my presence. Fine with me. This is the first time I’ve seen her since she info-dumped my life to all of the crazies on the internet, and I’m pretty sure if she said something snotty to me right now, I’d ninja leap over the table and kick her in the face.

Disclaimer: I don’t know how to ninja leap, but I feel like it’d just come to me.

“Hey, Court!” I call across the table and watch with joy as her smile fades a tiny bit. “I hope you enjoy your dinner. I’m at the bar tonight, but I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Before she can respond, I turn on my heel and hustle my way to the bar, which is where I stay as Amber, Dixie, and the rest of the wicked wives bring themselves in from the cold.

Brynn and Paisley both work their table. They’re always great about good service, but once they realize who these women are, they take it up a level. After they take their orders, I make sure to have them put in an order of our street tacos for Nay. No way is she only eating a salad with me nearby.

Once their meeting comes to an end, I bring them over a few bottles of Skinny Girl on the house to sip on while they gossip. Even when I know most of said gossip is going to be about me. #BiggerPerson

“So . . . you’re a bartender?” Courtney asks, disdain evident, before I can make my escape.

“I’m the head of marketing, but I help with the bar when I get a chance.”

“How nice for you. You look much more at home behind a bar than you do at the games.”

I know she was making a jab at me. It’s just too bad it makes no sense. I know this is my opportunity to get away, but instead of taking it, I climb into the mud with her. #NotTheBiggerPerson

“How are you feeling today? I know Sunday must have been pretty hard for you.” I pull my eyebrows together and try to look as concerned as possible. When I notice the smile on Naomi’s face out of the corner of my eye, I know I’m successful.

She isn’t expecting me to come back at her. Only a minute in and I already have her color rising. I know I’m supposed to be all customer service and kindhearted, but they bring out the ugly in me. After the game Kevin had, I can’t believe she has the audacity to try and stir shit up with me.

“I was going to ask you the same question. I’ve been reading the articles they’ve been posting. People are pretty upset with you.” She tries to mirror my expression, but all the Botox makes it impossible.