shrugged. “Here and there. I don’t really like the kind of PR they do, so I avoid them.”
“So you’ve fired them, or they’ve left you because of the kind of bad publicity you garner? Can’t be good for their image, either.”
“Yeah, it’s my fault.”
She sighed. “I’m only trying to help you, Cole.”
“Not the first time I heard that. A lot of people tell me they want to help. Sometimes PR does more damage than good.”
“Elizabeth is a very good agent. She can put you in touch with some great public relations firms who can do so much to help your career. You can trust her.”
“Trust is a hard thing to come by.”
“And yet you trust your first-name-only friends at the club so easily.”
“They haven’t screwed me over.”
“That you’re aware of.”
He set his glass down again and turned to face her. “So what am I supposed to do, Savannah? Live in a bubble? Hide out at home and never go out? Put my trust only in you professional people who all claim to know what’s best for me and my career? I’ve done that before—I’ve put my career in the hands of the experts who saidthey’d guide me. I’ve been with three teams so far and it’s not going so well. I’m not about to stay home and hide. And I do have friends—people I know on a first-name basis. When I come home, I hang out with them. If I don’t know their last names, what’s the big deal?”
She laid her hand on his arm. “The big deal is that it seems to me you haven’t forged any friendships with teammates, with anyone you feel close enough to invite over to your home. You’ve never had a long-term relationship with a woman, have you?”
He frowned. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
“A lot, I think. Do you even date?”
“Hey, I was out on the dance floor tonight with a bunch of women.”
“That wasn’t a date. That was an orgy.”
He stood and walked to the front window. “My personal life has nothing to do with this.”
She rose and followed, stood next to him. “Your entire life has everything to do with what we’re doing here. Your background, your feelings, relationships you’ve built, both personally and professionally. It all ties into your behavior on and off the field. It’s all part of your image. Image isn’t just surface, Cole. It’s who you are not only as a football player, but as a man.”
He didn’t say anything for what seemed like the longest time. Then he turned to her. “I don’t need a goddamned psychologist, Peaches. I don’t need you delving into my personal life and my relationships.”
“I’m not a psychologist. I’m far from it. But in order to work on your image, I need to know who you are, what shaped you into who you’ve become to this point. Then we work out from there.”
He turned, held his arms out. “You want to know who I am? This is who I am. I never hold anything back. What you see is what you get.”
She didn’t believe that. He was holding back a lot and they hadn’t even begun yet. “If we’re going to work together you have to be honest with me.”
He laughed. “I haven’t lied to you. You’re the one who lied to me.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ve never lied to you and I never will.”
“You lied to me when we first met. You didn’t tell me who you were.”
“I was observing. It was Elizabeth’s job to introduce us.”
“That’s bullshit. And what about tonight?”
“What about tonight?”
“Dancing with me?”
She swallowed. “I don’t understand the question.”
He moved in closer and her heart picked up a rapid beat.
“You and me on the dance floor. You felt it.”
“It was just a dance, Cole. Nothing more.”
“Was it?” He grabbed her remote and turned on the television, found one of the music stations. He held out his hands. “Prove it.”
“What? I’m not dancing with you.”
“Afraid?”
“Not at all. This isn’t part of my job.”
“Not part of mine, either, but you left
“So you’ve fired them, or they’ve left you because of the kind of bad publicity you garner? Can’t be good for their image, either.”
“Yeah, it’s my fault.”
She sighed. “I’m only trying to help you, Cole.”
“Not the first time I heard that. A lot of people tell me they want to help. Sometimes PR does more damage than good.”
“Elizabeth is a very good agent. She can put you in touch with some great public relations firms who can do so much to help your career. You can trust her.”
“Trust is a hard thing to come by.”
“And yet you trust your first-name-only friends at the club so easily.”
“They haven’t screwed me over.”
“That you’re aware of.”
He set his glass down again and turned to face her. “So what am I supposed to do, Savannah? Live in a bubble? Hide out at home and never go out? Put my trust only in you professional people who all claim to know what’s best for me and my career? I’ve done that before—I’ve put my career in the hands of the experts who saidthey’d guide me. I’ve been with three teams so far and it’s not going so well. I’m not about to stay home and hide. And I do have friends—people I know on a first-name basis. When I come home, I hang out with them. If I don’t know their last names, what’s the big deal?”
She laid her hand on his arm. “The big deal is that it seems to me you haven’t forged any friendships with teammates, with anyone you feel close enough to invite over to your home. You’ve never had a long-term relationship with a woman, have you?”
He frowned. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
“A lot, I think. Do you even date?”
“Hey, I was out on the dance floor tonight with a bunch of women.”
“That wasn’t a date. That was an orgy.”
He stood and walked to the front window. “My personal life has nothing to do with this.”
She rose and followed, stood next to him. “Your entire life has everything to do with what we’re doing here. Your background, your feelings, relationships you’ve built, both personally and professionally. It all ties into your behavior on and off the field. It’s all part of your image. Image isn’t just surface, Cole. It’s who you are not only as a football player, but as a man.”
He didn’t say anything for what seemed like the longest time. Then he turned to her. “I don’t need a goddamned psychologist, Peaches. I don’t need you delving into my personal life and my relationships.”
“I’m not a psychologist. I’m far from it. But in order to work on your image, I need to know who you are, what shaped you into who you’ve become to this point. Then we work out from there.”
He turned, held his arms out. “You want to know who I am? This is who I am. I never hold anything back. What you see is what you get.”
She didn’t believe that. He was holding back a lot and they hadn’t even begun yet. “If we’re going to work together you have to be honest with me.”
He laughed. “I haven’t lied to you. You’re the one who lied to me.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ve never lied to you and I never will.”
“You lied to me when we first met. You didn’t tell me who you were.”
“I was observing. It was Elizabeth’s job to introduce us.”
“That’s bullshit. And what about tonight?”
“What about tonight?”
“Dancing with me?”
She swallowed. “I don’t understand the question.”
He moved in closer and her heart picked up a rapid beat.
“You and me on the dance floor. You felt it.”
“It was just a dance, Cole. Nothing more.”
“Was it?” He grabbed her remote and turned on the television, found one of the music stations. He held out his hands. “Prove it.”
“What? I’m not dancing with you.”
“Afraid?”
“Not at all. This isn’t part of my job.”
“Not part of mine, either, but you left
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