Play of Love: The Gladiator Players Box Set

by Gray, Khardine

  “I knew them too. Remember? I knew your mom and Clarissa too. They were like family to me. Heck, you even dragged me along to a few ballets, and I helped your mom with a ton of her charity events.” Corey smiled with reflection.

  It was good to hear someone talk about them like that. Someone else who remembered them.

  “Corey, I can’t get past it. If I hadn’t made them come to the game they’d still be here.” That was the most words I’d ever said to anyone. It was perhaps because I’d reached my breaking point and didn’t know what else to do.

  “It’s natural to blame yourself. But it wasn’t your fault. Josh, they could have decided not to come.”

  “They didn’t want to disappoint me.” That was the truth of the matter. They didn’t want to disappoint me so they put their lives at risk.

  “Things happen, Josh. Bad things happen sometimes. You may think it’s easy for me to say because I’m not you, but it’s the truth. They meant a lot to me too.” Corey nodded. I took note of the sincerity in his eyes.

  In our high school days Corey probably spent more time at my house than his own. Corey’s parents were always busy flying between Texas and L.A. for one business event or another.

  There were a number of summers that saw Corey practically living at my house because he couldn’t stand going back to the family farm. My family treated him like he was very much a part of them.

  “I know.” I nodded. It felt good to talk like this, as hard as it was.

  “Josh, your behavior…this way you’re living and route you’re going down will destroy you. They loved you, a lot. They wouldn’t want to see you like this. They were always so proud and happy to watch you play. If you want to remember them you should play. Get your act together and play.”

  It was all very encouraging. Corey gave some very encouraging points, but until I stopped blaming myself none of that would sink in.

  “I’ll think about it.” I ran my hand across my face. I needed to shave, and I needed a drink.

  “I hope you will, Josh. I really do. I understand if you don’t make it to the meetup next week, but you got to be at the show. If you’re not, I’m not sure if that will bode well for you.”

  Corey wouldn’t say it, but I knew what he meant. He meant I would get cut from the team. This was why all the efforts—the PA that took his crap, the constant insistence from Corey, Zelda telling me I should retire if I didn’t want a PA—it was all because they wanted me to come back and didn’t want to cut me from the team.

  “Sure, thanks for the heads up.”

  “No problem, and jokes aside, you may want to take it easy on your PA too, she’s here to help.”

  I nodded my agreement only because I didn’t want to deal with this now. Having choice taken away from you was a big thing, but I understood the need for it. The team couldn’t wait for me forever. They had to move on. The thing was, if I lost my position it was likely that this would definitely be the end of my career. I’d already been out of the game for six months, and out of shape by an athlete’s standard.

  I doubted that I could run for two minutes without stopping to catch a breath. That was from lack of training, junk food, and the constant alcohol consumption. Probably the sleeping around too, and staying in bed practically all day.

  “Okay.” Corey got up to go and gave me a tap on my shoulder as he was leaving.

  I had some serious thinking to do. I just didn’t know if I had the strength, because my worst enemy here was myself.

  * * *

  Amy

  * * *

  I felt like screaming. Screaming and crying.

  The desolate hole in my heart was getting bigger and I was at my wits’ end.

  It was a mistake calling Dr. Carson because he’d only come down hard on me with some serious home truths. Put simply, my mother was dying and if I didn’t do what I needed her chance of life was next to none.

  He hadn’t been able to give me any form of estimate on how long the stent would last, or the maximum length of time Mom could wait because she needed the bypass as urgent as yesterday.

  Dr. Carson had sympathized to no end but he reiterated that all they could do without the surgery was their best. Mom’s condition was so far gone that the surgery was a necessity for survival. The time it would take to run all the tests required before the surgery was enough of an impediment because she was approaching end-stage heart failure, and if they weren’t careful she’d need a heart transplant. That was a big worry as she wasn’t severe enough to be placed on top of the waiting list, and since she was so weak chances were she wouldn’t be strong enough to survive the wait for a donor. Not to mention the extortionate costs of doing that surgery. The cost of the bypass was high, but a heart transplant cost so much he wouldn’t tell me.

  I had gone through a mixture of emotions. I was angry about the situation, angry that Mom hadn’t told me how sick she was before things got so bad, and I was terrified. Terrified that I was going to lose her, and there was nothing I could do.

  By the time I’d finished with Dr. Carson there wasn’t a question in my mind as to if I was going back to work for Josh or not. And, I had to buy the stuff on his stupid list. I just thought I’d put my own spin on it, which I was glad for. I didn’t get the chance to meet with Gabriella or Hilda, but since we exchanged numbers I was able to message and arrange something for tomorrow. That would at least be something to look forward to.

  As for today, I needed to get on with work. The time was getting away from me and if I wanted to get all I needed done I had to sort out the paperwork and other documents. I needed some form of organization. And, I needed to stop cleaning. The passageway from the sitting room to the office had been trashed with garbage and the kitchen was a mess. When I saw it I went into the office to calm myself.

  The friend I saw Josh talking to leaned in and smiled at me just as I picked up the dust pan and brush from the floor. I straightened up a little and looked at him, wondering if he was going to bother me too.

  “Hey there.” He smiled.

  “Hi.” I decided to try and be polite.

  “You know I didn’t know they actually made condoms that size.” His smile widened.

  I didn’t like this, and I was in no mood for foolishness from these men.

  I might not have lived in Atlanta for a while—technically I wasn’t living anywhere—but that didn’t change my southern roots and manners. I was a lady and wasn’t used to these presumptuous men who spoke so openly about condoms, lubricants, and all kinds of crap like that.

  “Can I help you with something?” My irritation was evident in my voice. His brown eyes widened in surprise at my tone. He ran his hands through his rich brown hair and smiled again. He was another one of those gorgeous types who’d obviously, like Josh—His Majesty—thought he was God’s gift to the world. Maybe it was the wrong thing to ask if I could help him with something. What if he, too, sent me on some crazy shopping spree, or responded with some explicitly sexual comment.

  “Before you answer, please, no fool’s errands or sex stuff. I can only deal with one asshole at a time.” I pointed my dust brush at him and inclined my head to the side.

  “Wow, Zelda really did it this time.” He chuckled.

  “Zelda did what?”

  “You. Look, I don’t mean to tell you how to do your job, but you see that whole attitude thing?” He motioned to me and circled his hand. “You need to supercharge it and make sure you don’t take any of Josh’s crap.”

  Okay… that wasn’t what I thought he would say. I narrowed my gaze at him, thinking about his suggestion.

  “Seriously. You shouldn’t be cleaning or going on his crazy errands. Don’t let him push you around.”

  “Aren’t you his friend?” I found it strange that he wasn’t like Josh. So far everyone I’d met in this house had been quite unsavory.

  “Yes, ma’am, I sure am.”

  I picked up a twang in his voice as he spoke and wondered where he
was from.

  “But I am no asshole. And someone has to tell you that instead of taking orders, the way to deal with Josh is to give orders of your own. Don’t ask him for anything, tell him what you are doing and tell him what to do. I’m also sure Zelda said to contact her if you needed anything. That pretty much means anything.”

  My perspective of him changed. I appreciated his advice.

  Honestly, I should have contacted Zelda already and told her what was going on. I was just a little worried Zelda would think that I couldn’t handle the job.

  “Thank you.”

  He tipped his head in reverence the way most southerners would. “You’re welcome, and if you need some extra help with him call me. My number’s in the phone book on top of the fridge. The name’s Corey.”

  “Thanks, I’m Amy.”

  His smile widened again. “Good luck, Amy.” He gave me a curt nod and left.

  I looked around the room and dropped the dust pan and brush.

  I wouldn’t be cleaning anymore, or taking any of Josh’s orders. I left the office and went back into the living room to find he was still there on the sofa. Sitting there looking like he was deep in contemplation.

  I’d seen some mail at the front door on my way in and wanted to grab it and put it with the others. Ignoring him I got the mail and made my way back to the office. He followed me just as I anticipated.

  “You got my order wrong.” He gave me a hard look as I turned around to regard him.

  I didn’t answer, I just looked at him thinking about what I should say.

  “Hey Kansas, I’m talking to you.”

  “My name is Amy. It isn’t Kansas. I’m not even from there so I don’t know where you cooked that up from.”

  “You got my order wrong.” He narrowed his gaze.

  “Did I? It all seems about right to me.”

  “Why would you think I meant root beer, and a damn kids’ root beer too?”

  “You never specified what sort of beer you meant,” I answered with a tight-lipped smile.

  “You think you’re funny. The beer I might drink and the hot sauce I can use in a sandwich. But what the hell am I supposed to do with them midget condoms?”

  “Mr. Mancini. I’m afraid that is above my pay grade. Now, if you will excuse me, I have things to do.” I turned my back to him and focused on the stack of mail.

  Thankfully he gave up this nonsensical argument and walked off. As he did, an idea brewed in my mind. I needed to up my game. Since being here I really had allowed him to push me around. This was just my third day here and I was already feeling like I’d been here for years and needed to retire.

  No more of it. I was going to take Corey’s advice and put things in order.

  Chapter 7

  Amy

  * * *

  Just like I thought, the place was a mess again. But today it was worse, as if Josh had purposely thrown everything everywhere for me to clean.

  It was fine. I’d factored this into the plan. I’d brought in my portfolio today and planned to work on it until he got up.

  I went into the sitting room and switched on the TV, then I went into the kitchen and made myself some chocolate from the sachets I’d brought along.

  Today I wore my designer clothes, selecting a pink, slinky, halter neck from Ralph Lauren and tight Armani jeans. My hair was down with loose curls at the ends I’d created with my curling wand. I looked more like the fashionable, tasteful woman I was back in New York.

  Deciding to get real comfortable, I found Ren and Stimpy on MTV and had it playing in the background while I scanned over my portfolio, jotting down a few notes on what I was going to work on.

  My plan was to finish my dress by next month. Despite my tiredness and frustration last night, I’d managed to get quite a lot done on the detail I wanted on the center back of the dress. It was pleated with rhinestones running down the lines of each pleat. The sewing part was always easy. Attaching the stones was not. It took forever and I had to get it right. If I made a mistake there was a chance of ruining the fabric and that would take me back to square one. The stones had an adhesive on the back that allowed it to be fused onto the fabric when heated with a hot gun that looked a little like a welder.

  When I heard movement upstairs I decided to get myself ready to unleash my plan. It was likely that Josh heard the TV. I’d turned it up loud on purpose. Things would change today, and from now on I was going to put the effort in to make sure everything worked out.

  When I heard him coming down the stairs I put my feet up on the coffee table and got out my nail file to buff my nails.

  His face when he saw me was classic. His eyes were red and his skin was blotchy. He looked worse than yesterday. I could tell that he must have spent the entire night drinking.

  “What the hell is all this, Kansas? Do you think this is the damn spa?”

  I tossed my locks over my shoulder and continued to buff my nails. He marched over to the TV and turned it off. That was fine by me. To infuriate him further I just reached into my bag and pulled out a copy of Vogue. I almost laughed when I saw how furious he looked when he turned and saw the magazine.

  “Kansas,” he snarled, walking back over to me. That was when I could smell the alcohol heavy on his breath. He attempted to grab the magazine from me but failed as I moved it.

  “Can’t have it,” I teased.

  “What the hell is the matter with you? If you don’t do as I say I’ll have you fired.”

  I smiled up at him. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

  “Why is the place a mess? You haven’t cleaned it.”

  “Look, your royal highness, things are going to be a tad different around here.” I set the magazine down, along with the nail file. I then stood up and squared off with him. Even though I wore six-inch heels, the top of my head only just made it to his shoulders, but I stood with authority, making myself appear taller from the confidence I exuberated.

  “My women will be here soon and I want this place cleaned now.”

  “No. They aren’t coming. You’re going to ditch the skanks today, and a long time for the matter. Actually, I’ll be reasonable and allow you to see them on weekends. Right now, I’m going to get a maid and you’re going to help me clean up this pigsty. Then I’m going to do my PA stuff in my little office over there.” I pointed over to the office.

  “Get out of my house,” he fumed. His eyes blazed with fury and he looked like he was going to explode from it.

  “No.” I shook my head.

  He looked surprised by my answer.

  “I’m sorry, I won’t be leaving. I’m doing a job here, and the way I figure it is you need me.”

  His eyes widened.

  I thought about it all yesterday and realized I’d totally gone about this the wrong way. I was being offered some serious money for working with Josh. The reason for that was they needed me. He needed me.

  As anal as he was, Josh was a talented athlete who was worth more to his team than the millions he got paid. They needed him back to play for the next season. And realistically, if he didn’t want to play I’d be long gone. He was just messing with me.

  “Lady, I don’t need you for anything.” He looked slightly thrown.

  “Yes, you do. You can resist all you want, but you know you want to play football again. And without me that’s not going to happen. So yes, you will tell the skanks to take a hike. I’m getting a maid to sort out the house. They’ll be here the same hours as me and you won’t trash the place in the evenings. You are also to be up by eight every morning in preparation for breakfast and your morning walk.”

  “What am I? A dog?”

  “If that is what you want to be, then by all means you be that. Just be up and ready for me.”

  “Well look who grew a pair.” He glared at me.

  “Yes. About damn time too.”

  He sighed with frustration and stormed out.

  Good, it worked.

  Th
is was the way to deal with him. A bubble of hope lifted within me, accompanied by relief. I really might just be able to pull this off.

  I grabbed my phone and dialed Hilda’s number straightaway, hoping she was still looking for a job.

  * * *

  “Is he usually this grumpy?” Hilda asked as she came into the office. She giggled and her ponytail bounced as she hopped on the edge of the desk.

  “Grumpy for him is a good day,” I replied. It was time to take a little break. I’d been going through emails all morning and my eyes were starting to hurt. We’d have lunch soon and planned to walk along the beach to relax.

  “I don’t know how you manage to keep such a straight face, the man is gorgeous. Like super gorgeous, and his eyes are like wow.”

  “To be honest, he could look like a badger’s ass for all I care.”

  Hilda started to laugh.

  “What? It’s true.” I laughed too. I supposed it did sound funny. “When you get to know him you’ll see what I mean.” Gorgeous though he may be, Joshua Mancini was the vilest man I had ever met in my life.

  “Thank you so much for getting me this job.” She nodded her appreciation.

  “You’re welcome.” I smiled.

  “Things were starting to get a little rough at home. As in I almost didn’t have one.”

  That was sad to hear. I knew how that felt.

  “I’m happy I was able to help.” I smiled. “I hope you asked for whatever salary you wanted.” I’d put her in touch with Zelda, who was ecstatic to hear that I wanted her to be Josh’s maid.

  “I did, and then she gave me ten percent more than what I asked for. She said I’d have to put up with a lot and gave me this whole list of expectations.” Her eyes widened with a glint of wonder.

  That was nice of Zelda. “It hasn’t been easy working here.” And I knew it was going to get harder still. How was I going to wake him up early and have him ready for this show? This week had just flown by. It was Friday tomorrow and I hadn’t exactly moved off square one.