by Lea Hart
One thing on their side was that the results from both independent drug tests Bruce and Matt had taken came back clean. USADA had elected not to administer a second test yet, so the original test results remained “under investigation.” She figured that was their way of covering their asses and not admitting any culpability.
The lack of immediate action led her to believe that they were considering what sort of liability they were opening themselves up for if they didn’t proceed carefully. There had been instances in the past when tests had to be rerun to verify the initial result. Back in 2012, there had been over seventy-nine tests of Olympic athletes that were retested subsequent to the games. Seems that had taught them something and that’s what was informing their actions.
No system was perfect, nor was a company. Human error was always a factor and that didn’t require malintent. Add some of that to the mix and who knew what would happen? As of today, the UFC had not pulled their offer for Matt’s next fight. Jeff had negotiated the deal that he and Matt wanted and they were expecting a final contract any day now.
Bruce’s new contract with the company was due to be discussed next week and she had no reason to believe that they wouldn’t make a reasonable offer. As far as she could tell, it was business as usual. Except she had a bad feeling that something else was coming. Something that she couldn’t predict.
There was a knock on her door and she looked up to see her good friend Victor. “Come on in.” They had been in school together and Victor was a true computer and math genius. The things he could do with an algorithm were pure poetry. She was happy to know that he’d left his hacking days behind and was using his skills for good. Or mostly good. Depended on which side of the investigation you were on.
“Hey, sweet Bree. How are you?”
“Good.” She watched him pull out his laptop, tablet, and phone and settle himself in a chair across from her desk. “Why do you still call me sweet?”
Giving her a blinding smile, he shrugged. “Because you were the first person I met freshman year who was nice to me. You asked me to eat with you every day in the cafeteria for six months.”
“I can’t believe you remember that. I was always surprised that you wouldn’t just sit at my table without me asking. I remember wondering if it was because I wasn’t as smart as you and had a funny accent.”
“You are plenty smart, Bree, and I was intimidated by the pretty girl who called me darlin’ every time she saw me.”
“The question I answered most when I got to school was. ‘Where are you from?’ It’s like no one ever met anyone from the South. I think that’s why I gravitated to Ronnie and her group of friends. At least they sounded as funny as me.” Waving her hand, she laughed. “Enough about our glory days. Tell me what you have.”
“I have the background done on Matt Hall and I wanted to bring it to you before I handed it over to Jeff.”
She covered her face with her hands and groaned. “Please, tell me there’s no sex tape.” When Victor remained silent, she uncovered her face and saw his sad smile. “Sweet Jesus, how bad is it?”
“I think we should define the word bad before I answer that.”
“Are there animals involved or is he wearing women’s clothes?”
Sitting back, Victor let out a sharp laugh. “You have been around athletes for too long if those are the first questions out of your mouth.”
“It’s not the athletes who make me ask questions. It’s YouTube. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of coming across some weird things when I’m researching a claim against a client. Before you took over our background checks, we used to do a lot of it on our own.”
“To answer your question, there are no animals and Matt is naked, so no women’s clothing. As far as I can tell, he wasn’t aware that he was being filmed. The quality isn’t great and it looks like the woman may have initiated filming.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because she looks into the camera a lot and it’s meant to show off her best…angles.”
Bree lifted her bottle of water and took a long drink. Her stomach was starting to heave up and she was trying to determine if she should excuse herself to throw up. Hearing about the man she was seeing and a sex tape didn’t make her lunch want to stay down. “Is there any indication when it might’ve been filmed and if the person who owns it wants to do something with it?”
“I believe it was done five years ago. That’s what the file info is telling me. I haven’t taken the time to confirm it because it may not be relevant.”
“Can I ask how you found it?”
“Are your eyes going to glaze over when I do?”
“Probably, but tell me anyway.”
He ran his fingers over his tablet before answering. “It starts with an algorithm and ends up with me finding the video buried on someone’s cloud account.”
“I didn’t even blink when you explained that. It totally made sense. Does anything suggest she may eventually sell it?”
“No. The woman was a popular ring girl on the circuit and she has several of these videos with various fighters. Maybe she wanted to film her conquests so she could reminisce years from now and remember how she looked. Or perhaps they were an insurance policy. The file on the cloud is labeled ‘MMA Champions I Fucked.’ Each fighter then has his own subfile with various videos and pictures.”
“Classy,” Bree said.
“Nothing but,” Victor replied. “What do you want me to do?”
“Are you asking me that as an attorney or as the woman who is dating Matt?”
“However you want to answer it. I brought this to my college friend, so if you want me to delete the file, then I will.”
“I hate when I have to make a tough decision.”
“You can let Matt make the decision. It’s his naked ass out there and he has a right to have it scrubbed if he wants.”
“Well, not exactly a right,” Bree answered. “There is a lot of gray area in that statement and it would take a hell of a painter to make it appear black and white.”
“Good thing you’re just that.”
“Is there anything else in his background that we need to be worried about?”
“Are you asking as an attorney or as a girlfriend?”
“God, when did dating become so complicated? I read through the information on Grayson and I’m sick to my stomach. Now the man I’m seeing has a sex tape. Maybe I should forget dating and just stay home.”
“Nothing else came up on Matt that could harm his professional career. As far as a boyfriend…nothing that’s hair-raising. He’s enjoyed his success and all that comes with it. Is he a choirboy? No. But I figure you already know that.” He opened his laptop and worked quietly for a few minutes. “I’m going to send the file and you can do with it what you want.”
“Thanks,” Bree said quietly. This was a hell of an afternoon and she had a lot to process. It might be good to see if Kendra and Maggie wanted to grab a drink or ten after work. “How many minions do you have working in your office now?”
“I have about a dozen employees. Cybersecurity is big business and that’s our main focus. The investigative services we offer are only a small slice of the pie.” He returned to his computer. “Sent,” he announced. “After you look at everything, let me know if you have any questions.”
“Thank you.” She picked up her pen and tapped it against her desk. “I do have a question about Grayson.”
“Okay.”
“How do you think he managed to get a job with USADA and not have his background come up as an issue?”
“The company doesn’t do a deep background check. I looked at what they had and it’s a basic search for criminal records, education, and references. He passed those with flying colors. Somehow, he managed to get a decent recommendation from his last firm despite being fired, and I think that’s because his family is a lucrative client.” He straightened his glasses and shrugged. “Who he really is has been buried, and I g
et the idea that his parents have no idea who their son is.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because of the terms of his trust. Mommy and Daddy Porter wouldn’t let their son have access to his trust fund if they thought it was paying gambling debts and prostitutes. They have a family reputation to protect.”
“I thought it was just sex parties that he went to. I didn’t see anything on prostitutes.”
“Keep reading. It’s all in there.”
“Oh, goody. I can look at it right after I review Matt’s sex tape.”
Victor let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “I wish I had better news for you, Bree.”
“I’m glad to have the information. I’m tired of living in the dark and thinking all people are who they say they are. I’m done with that and I don’t plan on ever going back. Grayson saved me by calling off the wedding and I don’t expect a miracle like that to happen again. Better I know what I’m dealing with from the get-go.”
“That’s my motto.”
“I want to look at the doping control managers who took the samples from the guys. I’ll email you the names so you can investigate them. I have a bad feeling about the timing of the test results and Grayson’s new position. Maybe it’s a coincidence.”
“Truth is, Bree, it would take a lot of planning for Grayson to be able to pull something like this off. My gut is telling me that he didn’t have enough time to make the kind of alliances he would’ve needed to make it happen.”
“Yeah, I’m getting the same impression. Let me send you the name of the new UFC Operations Manager for USADA. I want to see what kind of ghosts he has too.”
“I think you should’ve pursued a career in criminal defense. You love a good puzzle to solve.”
“True.” She grabbed her water bottle and took a drink. “I’ll send you a work order this afternoon with the new names. Let me know when you come up with something.”
“Always.” He checked his watch and started putting his things back into his bag. “I better go. I have another appointment to get to.”
Bree stood, walked around her desk, and gave Victor a hug. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“The hard part is over. All you have to do is decide what you want to do.”
“Yeah, the Band-Aid has been ripped off.” She gave her friend a wave as he left her office and then decided she definitely needed to get together with the girls. No way could she sift through all of this on her own.
***
Kendra lifted her second martini and offered a toast. “Here’s to surviving love.”
Bree and Maggie tipped their glasses together and started laughing. “Or at least the scandal attached to it,” Bree added with enthusiasm.
The women had decided to have a slumber party at Maggie’s house in the city since her husband was out of town. “When is Callum coming home?” Bree asked as she unpacked their food from the Chinese restaurant.
“My sweet husband is coming back on Sunday. He’s on a fishing trip with a bunch of old teammates.” She pulled out plates and set them on the counter. “They’re in the Keys because Chase didn’t want to be that far from home in case Ronnie needs him. Apparently, the twins they adopted last year are a handful.”
“Both of Ronnie’s sisters live in Florida, so I’m sure she’ll be fine. And her mama would move heaven and earth if she needed something,” Bree said.
“My impression is that it’s Chase who doesn’t like to be far away,” Maggie said as she motioned the girls to come and sit. “Let’s eat.”
“Kendra, how is your mama?” Bree asked as she filled everyone’s plate.
“Better and better each day. It’s going to take some time for her to get her strength back, but I feel like she’s going to make it.”
Maggie covered Kendra’s hand. “She is absolutely going to make it. When I took her out to have her nails done last week, she told me so. I’m not one to argue with a woman who’s as smart and strong as Mrs. Lucy Bellamy.”
“When she first got the diagnosis, she told me that she planned on kicking cancer’s ass because she had a lot of living to do and she wasn’t going anywhere until she met her grandchildren,” Kendra added quietly.
“Speaking of grandchildren, how’s it going with my brother?” Bree asked as she scooped up a forkful of Kung Pao chicken.
Kendra choked and spit out some fried rice as she tried to catch a breath. Bree patted her back and waited until her friend recovered. “Too much?” she asked.
Maggie laughed her head off as she refilled their glasses. “I swear you channeled Nancy Andrews a second ago. I’m going to call your mama and tell her that her work is done. You have learned every lesson she taught you.”
“What?” Bree asked as she resumed eating.
Kendra gave her a disapproving look and replied, “Bruce and I are friends and if it becomes more, I will let you know.”
“No, you won’t,” Maggie replied. Pointing her fork at Bree, she shook her head. “You don’t want Ms. Busybody over there up in your business. The only way we’re going to know anything is when we get the invitation to the wedding.”
“I resemble that remark,” Bree said. She gave both women a dirty look and then drank her martini. She gestured to their glasses. “Drink up because one or both of you have to watch Matt’s sex tape and tell me how bad it is.”
“We’re eating,” Maggie groaned. “Can we finish the meal before you remind me that I’ll be seeing your boyfriend’s hoo-ha?”
“It’s called a penis,” Bree added helpfully.
“Which needed to be pointed out at the dinner table,” Kendra said as she served herself more beef and broccoli.
“I watched Callum’s sex tape and you told me that you would do the same for me if ever I needed it,” Bree said with conviction.
“That’s an offer you never expect anyone to take you up on,” Maggie replied.
“Could’ve been worse. If Grayson and I stayed together, you’d be watching him cuffed to a board at a sex party. Seeing Matt have sex with a bimbo is not that big of a deal.”
“I’ll take Matt’s ass over Grayson’s any day,” Kendra said. “I could’ve guessed that Grayson was into some kinky shit. Any man who’s that concerned with the crease of his pants is hiding something.”
“Well, I thought he was just concerned with his appearance and not hiding interesting predilections,” Bree responded. She studied her plate for a moment and then looked at Maggie. “How did you get over Callum’s sex tape?”
“It took me a good long while,” Maggie responded. Sipping her drink, she looked at their wedding picture on the mantle. “There was so much media surrounding it and I was representing him at the time, so I had no choice. When we started our relationship, I knew that I had to get over it. Otherwise, we would never have a future. And I decided that I wanted one with him.”
Bree smiled at her friends and didn’t say anything. She had no idea what she and Matt had or whether she wanted more. No, that was a lie. In her little girl heart, she did want more…she wanted it all. But she was a grown woman and she couldn’t afford to let that girl out. She’d already been fooled by one man and she wasn’t planning on letting it happen again.
“If it’s just sex with a bimbo that happened five years ago, it might not be hard to forget,” Maggie said.
“How long did it take you, again?”
“Almost a year,” Maggie said quietly.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Bree set her fork down and sighed. “Sometimes I want to go back home and find a nice man and have a normal relationship. No weird surprises and no sex tapes. Just a man and woman who fall for each other and decide to take a chance on what they have…lasting.”
“Matt seems like a normal guy. Maybe this is just a bump in the road and nothing more.”
“Or a sinkhole that we’re never going to find our way out of.” Lifting her glass, she asked for a refill. She was going to need it when the girls told her what th
ey saw. How did a girl from Mobile end up having to worry about her boyfriend’s sex tapes?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Friday, March 10th
Matt sat in his car in front of Bree’s house and waited for her to arrive. He was about twenty minutes early and he was nervous as hell. All he’d gotten from her since Wednesday was excuses. Usually, they spoke several times a day and often spent the evening together, and she hadn’t been interested. She kept telling him that she was buried under work and he wasn’t buying it for one second.
Something had changed and he had no idea what it was. It couldn’t have anything to do with the drug tests he and Bruce had taken last month. As far as he knew, the results were under review and the UFC still wanted him to fight. There wasn’t a lot he could he do, and vindication would happen eventually because he was clean and so was Bruce. Whoever was responsible for the inconclusive tests would eventually be discovered.
So, what was bothering Bree?
As far as he knew, he hadn’t committed any monumental screw-ups. They got along as far as he could tell and were, in his mind, falling in love. At least, he was. If Bree wanted to end things between them, he didn’t know what he would do.
Shaking his head, he dismissed the possibility immediately. No way. Up until Tuesday, they had a fairly ideal relationship. They laughed a lot, liked to watch the same shows, and managed to agree on what kind of food to eat. In fact, Bree made sure that he was eating well so his training didn’t suffer.
They didn’t bicker and had an insanely satisfying sex life. Truth was, it was the best sex of his life, and he was confident that Bree would say the same thing. They had crazy chemistry and every time they were together it got better.
In his mind, they were moving slowly and steadily toward a lifetime commitment. He’d known from the second he saw her that she was his dream girl, and every moment they spent together had only proven how right he’d been.
Maybe he hadn’t been romantic enough and she felt like he was taking her for granted. They hadn’t been going out to dinner much and seemed to be at either his house or hers. Maybe they’d fallen into a routine too quickly and he hadn’t taken her to enough fun places.
