Trent

by Lindsay Paige

  ***

  I THINK I’VE read the email more than twenty times. Dom’s attorney sent me another email requesting I speak on his behalf. I can’t do it. I know deep down I can’t stand in a courtroom and say anything that will help Dominic. Yes, he had his good points, years ago, before the drugs got him. I close the email without responding.

  I have less than a half hour before I meet up with Macy. She called me this morning and wants to have drinks tonight. Considering the past seventy-two hours of my life, I need it.

  Not only was I completely floored to win the Social Worker of the Year award, the hug from Trent hangs in my head. I feel like I can still smell him. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but I feel like I do. Even though the damn reporter put a huge damper on the evening, having Trent there was something special. I’m glad he’d come with me.

  When I walk into the wine bar, I see Macy waving me down. She already has a bottle in front of her.

  A bottle?

  “Long day?” I ask as I slide into the booth.

  “And it’s not even close to being over yet.” She takes a large gulp of the red liquid. “You’re going to need this.” She pushes a full glass over to me.

  “Oh no. Tell me quickly.” I can tell by her face it’s not going to be good news.

  “Okay. First, have you talked to Trent about Junior Mintzer?”

  I nod. “Sure. I’ve been keeping him in the loop. Junior even caught us coming out of the awards event a few nights ago.”

  Macy faces goes from concern to shock. “I knew Trent went with you, but you didn’t say anything about Junior showing up.”

  “I know, but he did. He ran his mouth for a couple minutes, Trent threatened him, and then we left. Why? What’s going on?”

  Macy shakes her head. “Well, his article is hitting their site in the morning and it’s already creating a buzz.”

  “Wha...wait...what?” My heart jumps into my throat. This can’t be happening. Not to Trent. He has come so far in the past couple months. “I don’t know what to do.” For the first time in a long time, I’m at a loss for words. I can’t let this stupid ass blogger ruin Trent’s life, or mine for that matter.

  “I know it’s lies, Scarlett. Anyone who reads his cheap, uneducated writing will be able to tell it’s nothing.” Macy tries to sound helpful.

  “If it’s nothing, why is there a buzz about it?” I take two large gulps of the wine, and I’m thankful there’s a bottle on the table now. “What the hell am I going to do? How can someone just lie about people for nothing more than a headline and few additional hits on a blog?”

  Macy gasps. “That’s it.”

  “What’s it?”

  “He’s lying, right?”

  “Obviously.”

  “Sue him and the blog. I seriously doubt you’ll get serious cash or anything, but he is blatantly lying about Trent and you.”

  “Sue him?” I can’t even think straight and it’s not like I know anyone who can help me with this.

  “I’m not joking. You can, beyond a reasonable doubt, prove you and Trent didn’t know each other during the time of his wife’s death. Not to mention, Junior won't have any proof that you did.”

  “Of course I can, and stop talking as if you’re on a Law and Order episode.” I fill up my second glass.

  Macy giggles. “I’m not. I’m trying to point out he’s lying; therefore, it’s libel.”

  I don’t take a drink from the glass I filled. I stare at the red wine and mull over the words Macy just said. Another legal issue in my life is something I don’t want. Even more, I really don’t want Trent to deal with it. Macy’s right. I need to be ready to fire back. I can’t keep sitting around and letting everyone run my life.

  I already told Dominic I won’t be saying anything and I will make sure his attorney knows it too. On top of that, I’m not going to let some blogger hurt the people I do care about. I do care for Trent and it’s enough. He’s been through the ringer and I’m going to make sure I nip this in the bud.

  Trent: I’ll be there in an hour.

  He sent me the text fifty-eight minutes ago. I’d sent him a message asking him over. I didn’t know where else we could talk privately; this is something I can’t tell him in public.

  The knock on the door makes me leap from the couch and run to it. I take a quick breath before opening the door. Trent looks relaxed in his jeans and t-shirt.

  “Thanks for coming. You can come in.” I step back and let him in. “We need to talk. I thought it would be better here. Do you want something to drink or anything?”

  “No, I’m fine. Is everything okay?” He seems anxious.

  “Nope.” I grab my laptop from the coffee table. “This came out this morning. I found out last night, but you were playing.” I show him the blog post.

  Trent’s whole body deflates, and I’m hoping he doesn’t fall to his knees. “Damn it. I guess I do need to make a call to my lawyer then. Any idea if anyone has paid attention to it?”

  “Macy said there is a buzz about it. She told me we should sue. I don’t know a lawyer though, and I haven’t seen it anywhere else, as of yet.”

  “I think we should too. Get it over with and hopefully shut him up once and for all. Don’t worry about finding someone. We’ll just use mine.”

  “I can pay. You let me know how much it’ll cost.” I don’t want him to think I need a handout.

  “Don’t worry about it.” He waves me off.

  “I do worry about it. I couldn’t sleep last night, and I hated waiting so late to text you, but I’m a wreck. I keep ruining your life.”

  “You aren’t the one who’s making this happen, Scarlett. Will you stop feeling so bad about it? Either you laugh, cry, or throw a tantrum, but in the end, you still have to move forward.”

  “How can I not feel bad? I care about you, Trent. Since the moment I intentionally ran into you at the gym, I’ve cared. You and I are connected in more ways than I thought. I don’t know how exactly, but I will not allow any more hurt to come to you or your daughter. No matter what I have to do to make that happen.” I’m serious and deadly honest with him.

  “I don’t want any more hurt to come to you either.” His tone is low.

  “I’m used to it, Trent. It’s probably the one thing in my life I know how to handle. Even though there are times I don’t handle it well, I understand it.”

  “We'll figure it out, okay?”

  “Okay. Macy said we should sue for libel. Um...and something to make them take the article down, but I forgot that word. I’m sure your attorney knows.” My face is aflame because all I can think about is his daughter seeing this someday.

  “Yeah, I’ll get him on it. I pay him enough, it’ll be like we’re his only clients.”

  “Trent, I can help with fees. I know it’ll be a lot.”

  He shakes his head. “Do you honestly think he would even care to write an article like this if it weren’t because of me and my name? That’s the only reason an article like this would get the attention he’s hoping for. You’re not paying for anything.”

  “How about I pay for our next ice cream trip?” I shouldn’t bring up a date-like concept right now, but it helps break the ice a bit.

  “That I can let you do.” There’s a faint smile on his face.

  “Is Kaelyn with her nanny?” I didn’t know if he had to leave right away or not.

  “Yes, I didn’t know how long I would be, so I made sure she could take care of her.”

  “Would you like a drink now or we can order some takeout? I haven’t been to the store in forever, so I don’t have any food in the house to offer you.” The bubbling giggle comes out quickly.

  “What are you thinking for takeout?”

  “You pick, I buy,” I say and try to remain calm that he’s staying.

  “Chinese?”

  “Perfect. I know a great place.”

  I rush over to the phone and dial the place from memory. I practically have it on speed d
ial. Once I finish, we sit on the couch and talk about simple things: the weather, my house, and my job. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for the food to arrive, and soon, we are sitting around my small kitchen table.

  “You appear to be having a great season. The fans seem to love you.”

  “Yeah, they do. I guess all the extra training is paying off.”

  I gaze up and down his body and feel the heat rise to my cheeks. “It seems to be.” A momentary lapse allows the words to leave my mouth before I think about it.

  “Are you saying I have a hot body?”

  I clear my throat and sit up straighter. “Um...I think you know you’re good looking, right?”

  “I guess I’m average.”

  “Average?” I laugh as I gather my empty plate and take it to the trash. “I’m average. You’re well above that point.” I try to stop myself from blushing, but there’s no stopping it.

  “You think I’m hot?” Trent is close to me as I wipe off my hands.

  “I think you’re very nice looking.”

  “Nice?”

  “I said very.”

  He and I are even closer than before. I can feel the tension around us. Trent looks me up and down, and my heart races. He’s gaze is different. It’s not a friendly glance at my outfit. This is how a guy stares at a girl before…

  “Trent,” I breathe his name. “This can’t happen.”

  “It could.”

  “Our pasts will haunt us. We can’t have a balanced relationship.” Tears fill my eyes, because I think we could if Dominic wasn’t the reason we were connected.

  He closes the distance between us. He bends down and captures my lips with his. He grips my hips and pulls me flush against him. I moan and hug his neck. He sweeps his tongue into my mouth, and my knees buckle. I’m kissing Trent. Trent is kissing me. This is really happening.

  And too soon, he is pulling back.

  We both stare into each other’s eyes. He seems to be as shocked as I am.

  “We can’t let this happen.” I finally speak.

  “Answer me this question: do you want this?”

  I don’t waste a second. “Yes.”

  “Then this can happen. Go on a date with me. A real date.”

  “Okay.” My body tingles as he kisses me again, but I’m still unsure if this is a good idea.

  ***

  I STILL CAN’T believe I kissed Scarlett. I wanted to kiss her so badly; I couldn’t help it. And God, what a kiss it was. I haven’t had a kiss like that in, well, a long time. I wanted to kiss her longer, but it was too intense, and I knew Scarlett was unsure about the idea of a possible us. When I left shortly after, I could still see the uncertainty in her eyes. Mine was pretty well masked, I think. Scarlett has been like a steady rock for me. On top of that, she’s this person with an unbelievably huge heart. That’s what I’m focusing on.

  My shoulders are tense as I shift my weight, waiting for the ball to be pitched to the batter. Kaelyn’s here today with Angie and while Kaelyn probably won’t pay much attention to the score, I want to play well since she’s here. Hell, she is probably more concerned with the food than the game.

  The ball soars toward Spencer. It bounces twice before he grabs it and throws it to me. I can hear the running footsteps of the batter coming my way. Lifting my arm, I easily catch the ball, close my glove, and turn just in time to tag the guy before he touches second base. It’s our first out of the inning, and I mentally pat myself on the back and thank Spencer for a nice throw.

  Between the kiss and contacting my lawyer over the potential lawsuit against Junior Mints and the blog, I’ve been distracted lately. For the most part, my head stays clear during the game. Everyone seems to be on top of it today. The throws are clean, the batting is good, and the pitches are pretty.

  The heat is stifling though. I don’t think I’ve ever been so hot or sweated so much. It makes me wonder how Kaelyn’s doing because she didn’t get her A/C seats this time. Angie has never been to a pro game, so I got them better seats.

  While our play is on target, the other team is doing as well as we are. The game ends with just a run difference, in our favor thankfully. I’m so ready for a shower, I nearly forget about the media. My heart practically bursts when I see twice as many reporters as normal waiting for us. Most of them call out my name. Shit.

  “Is it true you were having an affair with Dominic Davis’s sister while your wife was still alive?” one questions.

  A burst of questions about possibly having her killed, the alleged affair, and some about Kaelyn are thrown out. I’m frozen like a damn deer in the headlights. How could anyone think I would want my wife killed? That I would take her away from my daughter?

  A hand landing on my shoulder snaps me out of it, and I see Colby standing next to me. He begins to lead me away from them and I hear personnel ushering the reporters out of the room, repeatedly saying, and “No comment.”

  “Thanks,” I mumble once we’re away from everyone and are in the room where we usually meet with our families.

  “No problem.”

  Before I can say more, Kaelyn shouts my name and is running toward me. I catch her in my arms, noticing her frown.

  “You’re sweaty.”

  I laugh. “You didn’t give me time to shower. Did you have fun? Were you good for Angie?”

  “Happy! Hector! Jordan! Put me down, Daddy! I need to say hey,” she demands once she sees everyone else.

  “You don’t need to say hey to me?” Colby asks, making a show of frowning as I set her down.

  “Hey, Colby!” she says. “Good game!”

  He laughs. “Thanks.” He holds his hand up and she jumps to high-five him before running toward her favorite guys, who have joined us in the room instead of the locker room now that Kaelyn is here.

  I watch my daughter around all of these guys. Days like today make me feel like I’m the youngest or something and they’ve taken us under their wings. Colby leaves to join the crowd. Angie comes to stand next to me.

  “Did she behave?” I ask.

  “Of course. I’ve never been to a game before; I really enjoyed it.”

  “Glad to hear it. Go ahead and take her home. I have something I need to do when I leave here.” Angie nods. “Kaelyn, say goodbye to the guys.”

  She opens her mouth to object, but Blake says something and she keeps her objection to herself. Kaelyn eventually returns to her nanny, after she hugs and says goodbye to each person. When we return to locker room, before my shower, I grab my phone and text Scarlett.

  Me: Story made headlines, was practically ambushed by reporters today...just wanted to give you a heads up. Meeting with lawyer for an update in an hour.

  He’s not expecting me, but he’ll make time. We’re going to have to release a statement; god, I don’t want to deal with this shit. Who knew a guy named Junior Mints would present such a problem and headache for us?

  Scarlett: Can I go with you?

  Me: Sure. Want me to pick you up or do you want to meet me there?

  Scarlett: I’ll meet you.

  So, I send her the address. After my shower, which gives me too much time to think and plenty of time to get irritated all over again, I briefly meet with a PR person to explain the latest. They’ve been doing damage control the best they can.

  On my way to the lawyer’s office, my phone rings. It’s Granny.

  “Hey,” I answer.

  “Trent, have you seen the news?” I hate the worry in her voice.

  “No, but I’ve seen the reporters. There’s nothing to worry about Granny. It’s just some asshole trying to make a name for himself.”

  “Are you sure?” she says before I can continue.

  “Yeah. It’s going to be a pain to deal with, but that’s all. We’re suing for libel and my lawyer is supposed to be working on getting the article taken down. I’m actually on my way to meet with him now.”

  “Your name is already tarnished, Trent. And what do you mean we?”


  I hesitate, wondering what her reaction will be. “Scarlett and me.”

  She sighs. “That’s not going to make you look any better, or make the story less believable.”

  “I don’t care what people believe. I just want the shit to go away.”

  “You still have an image to uphold. You’re an athlete and role model. Having ‘possibly had his wife killed’ tagged onto that won’t do you any good.”

  I clench my jaw. “Which is why I’m meeting with my lawyer again. Look, I’m here and I need to go.”

  “Okay. Keep me updated. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Granny.”

  We hang up as I park my car. Scarlett is standing outside of the building, looking stressed. I get out and start walking toward her. She frowns when she sees me.

  “Are you okay?” she asks with concern.

  “Annoyed and pissed, but yeah, I’m okay. You?”

  “The same.”

  I give her half a smile. “Come on. Let’s make sure he’s handling this as if he’s got a fire lit under his ass.” Scarlett laughs, causing me to give her a real smile, and I place a hand on her lower back to usher her inside. We walk straight to the elevator, stepping inside. I press the button for the fifth floor. The elevator hums and slightly jolts as it lifts. She seems nervous.

  “If you think this is making me change my mind, it hasn’t.”

  Her eyes are wide with surprise, and I’ll be damned, even now, I want to kiss her again. By the time she opens her mouth to speak, the elevator doors are parting. I chuckle, keeping my hand on her back as we walk to the receptionist. She quickly lets him know we’re here and a minute later, we’re walking into his office.

  ***

  TWO HOURS IN an attorney's office isn't how I want to spend my day. The attorney takes our information, gives us the rundown on what he's going to do, and I think he'll be really helpful. On top of everything else, to anything a reporter asks, we have to say 'no comment'.