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Scarlett - Wednesday Morning

Levi hadn’t been himself since early Sunday morning, and with each day that had passed, he’d become more withdrawn and tense.

No matter how many times I’d asked him if everything was alright, he’d just nodded and told me not to worry, that it was just the stress of these upcoming games that had him on edge.

“You all packed?” I questioned, as I entered the kitchen to find him and Mia at the breakfast bar.

Levi nodded to the packed bags laying by the door. “Ready to go,” he answered. “Mrs. Fletcher should be here shortly. No need to check in on them,” he said, knowing I had a full week at work.

“I don’t mind, Levi.”

“No, you get your work done, and I’ll see you in Boston on Saturday for the game, okay,” he said, standing up and pouring me a cup of coffee into the travel mug for me to take.

“I want to go,” Mia cried, looking up at us.

We both knew Mia had been having a hard time with Levi being gone lately. I only wanted to make it easier for her by popping in while he was gone, but he insisted it would only make things worse for her.

“You’re staying with Mrs. Fletcher,” Levi said, handing her a small bowl of raspberries from the fridge. “Say bye to Scarlett.”

“Bye,” Mia said, pouting as she waved, then went back to playing with her toys while she ate her fruit.

Levi walked me over to the door, wrapped his arms around me, and pressed his lips to mine. It was going to be four days before I could be in his arms again, which lately felt like forever when we were apart like this.

“Have a safe flight,” I whispered, kissing him one more time before grabbing my bag at the door and heading off to the office, listening to Mia cry as I walked down the hall.

Having reserved the small boardroom for my interview with Skylar, I went in and quickly made two cups of coffee.

I’d just finished when I received the notification that Skylar had arrived.

Swallowing hard, hoping my stomach calmed down, I was about to leave the office and head to the front desk to get her when Carol came around the corner, a woman trailing behind her.

“Scarlett, I’d like you to meet Skylar Payne, I’ll leave you two now.” she said, immediately leaving the room, a sly smile on her face.

Of course, she was happy she was getting what she wanted; I thought to myself as I watched Skylar take a seat across from me.

“So, Skylar, I wanted to thank you for taking this meeting. However, it really wasn’t necessary to come in person,” I said, opening my notebook.

“It really wasn’t a problem. It just happened to work out this way. I had some business to take care of here, anyway. So, you wanted to talk to me about what happened with the New York team.”

Fuck, I’d forgotten that was why she thought she was called in here. I swallowed hard as I stared at my lined notebook.

“Sort of,” I said, taking a sip of my coffee.

“Well, I’m not sure why you’d have called otherwise. It was for the sports scandal piece. At least, that was what I was told when I called your office, after you had reached out.”

I sat there, surely looking like I was in shock. I’d not contacted Skylar, and now I was sat left wondering exactly what Carol had said in that email.

“Well, after I received your email asking for an interview, I called your office. The woman who I spoke with said it had to do with New York Enforcers.” She smiled.

I looked down at the notepad in front of me as irritation seeped through me, then I looked over at Skylar.

She was a pretty girl and had a delicate figure, so it wasn’t shocking to me that Levi would find her attractive, I thought to myself as I smiled back.

“Yep, you’re right. It does,” I said. “So why don’t you tell me what happened?”

Skylar leaned back, wrapped her hands around her mug, and let out a sigh.

“Okay, well, let’s see. I was a PR intern. I’d mistakenly got involved with the team’s coach. We had been in a relationship about six months when I found out that he was married.”

“Oh my, that must have been a shock to you,” I said, making my notes.

“It was. His wife caught us in bed together one night while we were at an away game. Of course, when she walked in, I was mortified. She screamed at me, hit her husband, and while that all went on, I ran. I struggled with the fact that I’d probably lose my job when word got out, so I called in sick for a while, especially if I knew he was going to be around.

“Shortly after that, things finally calmed down, I was moved to work with one rep who dealt with the team members. It was easier for me to avoid the coach in this capacity. Once again, we were at an away game. I had to accompany Levi Anderson to a charity dinner. I’d followed his career even before I’d gotten hired and was beyond excited to get to spend time with him.

I remember how charming he was at first, and if I’m honest, I might have even had a little crush on him.

Although what girl doesn’t have a crush on a hockey player? ”

A hint of jealousy surged through me. I knew exactly what dinner she was talking about.

I’d remembered seeing their pictures smeared all over, dancing together, laughing at this event.

I was so jealous that I even remembered questioning him after seeing these pictures, wondering who she was.

It was then Levi had told me about the one-night stand and told me not to get too upset.

We weren’t involved with one another yet and we were both allowed to date other people.

One night as I stared at their photo together, I realized why it bothered me so much, and it was because while he was out dating others, I wasn’t.

I never told Levi that, but he knew how upset the news of him having a one-night stand made me and he promised me it would never happen again.

“He is charming, that is for sure.” I winked, giving her a fake smile. “Go on,” I urged.

“Well, that night, after we’d danced and had pictures taken, Levi had accompanied me back to the hotel and had walked me to my room.

Once outside my door, something happened between us.

Either I kissed him, or he kissed me, and the next thing I knew, we were in bed together.

He snuck out before morning, and when I approached him at another event, two weeks later, he explained to me he was involved with someone and that the night we’d spent together would have to be our last.

“Weeks later, just when I thought things had passed, and I was involved with a wonderful player from Florida, word got around that I’d had relations with the coach, and others. Not only did my relationship come to an end but so did my employment before I even had a chance to explain.”

“They didn’t even ask you?”

“Okay, well, that isn’t true. They asked me, but I couldn’t lie about it, and the next thing I knew, my job was gone. Apparently, it was in my contract that there couldn’t be fraternization.”

“Wow, so what did you do?”

“Well, I couldn’t work in those circles anymore.

Those men basically ruined my career, but then the biggest shock of them all came.

I found out a few months later I was pregnant.

I knew it had to be Levi’s after I’d visited my doctor, and I reached out to him.

Only he wouldn’t have anything to do with me.

He said he was deep in a relationship and that I needed to go away. ”

I scribbled my notes as I tried to maintain a straight face.

“When I reached out to him again when I was just about at my due date, he refused to take my calls. So, then the baby was born, and I really struggled to look after her. I couldn’t afford to raise her on my own, and I didn’t have the money to go after him for support.

Six months later, I ended up losing my apartment.

With no job, I couldn’t pay my rent, and Levi refused to speak to me.

I at least knew where he lived, so one night I made my way across town and dropped the baby off to him.

It was probably the hardest thing I’d ever done, giving her up, when all I really wanted was for him to help with her, but if I can be honest, I think he refused to believe it was his. ”

“Are you sure it was his?” I asked.

Skylar froze and glared at me as I looked up at her.

“I’m only asking,” I said, certain I’d crossed a line I shouldn’t have.

“Yes, I’m sure it’s his.”

“Okay.”

“What are you doing now?”

“Well, I’m working in PR again, just not with a sports team. While this isn’t a story that I’m proud of, women in the field need to know that this sort of thing happens in this industry, as I’m sure you know yourself.”

“Right,” I said. “Well, thank you for your time.”

“You are welcome. When can I expect the article to air? I’d like to know that I’ve made people aware of what happened to me. I’ve spent years trying to get my name cleared.”

“Well, legal will be in touch with you before it even gets printed, so watch for an email,” I said, closing my notebook and getting up from where I was sitting and opening the door. The entire way to the front door, Skylar thanked me for talking with her and for wanting to bring her story to light.

I sat behind my desk Monday afternoon, going over the article on Levi.

I couldn’t bash him how Carol had wanted, so I wrote nothing about anything I’d spoken to Skylar about.

Instead, I focused on his career, highlighting his growth as a player with the Predators to his move to the Dominators.

I wanted this article to be something he’d be proud of, not something he’d hate me for.

Once I finished my final read-through, I attached a few pictures I’d had taken of him on the ice along with the article and submitted it to Carol, then gathered my things and made my way home.