Page 101 of Lucky Puck
As soon as I hear my mother’s voice approaching, I stiffen. “My mother.”
He lets me go. “I’ll call you later. We need to talk.” Then he disappears down the hall and through a door. I’m sure he knows his way out of this building, a way where he won’t be seen.
Marie, Cherry, Delaney, and Emery all surround me, bringing my mother with them. She immediately embraces me.
“Are you alright? Who was that awful man? Why was he spouting all those awful lies?”
I loosen from her arms and face her, face all the women around me who all seem to know better and have nothing but concerned empathy in their expressions.
“He wasn’t lying. I’ve been lying. Brody and I were never married.” I heave a breath while I take in my mother’s confused reaction.
“Not married? Why would you—”
“It’s a long story, Mom. But it started out innocent enough with a wedding ring stuck on Brody’s finger, and well, I guess things got out of hand.”
“I don’t understand, but I’m sure you meant well. You’re the most honest, decent young lady I know—and I’m not saying that just because you’re my daughter.”
Tears run down my face as I give her a fierce hug. “Where’s Billy and Bob?”
“They went to bring the car around for a quick escape.”
That causes the women surrounding us to snicker and try to hide their amusement.
Cherry puts a hand on my arm. “Will you be okay?”
I should be worried that I’ll be fired for fraud in negotiating sponsorships, but I’ll keep that issue to myself. Because I don’t feel worried deep down. I can’t seem to feel anything past the deep, painful emptiness left by the end of my relationship with Brody.
“There’s a reporter out there who says you might want to talk to him,” Marie says. “I recognize him as one of the good ones.”
“Gary Edwin?”
She nods.
“I’ll see him, but only to make a quick statement. Can you bring him back here where it’s private?”
Marie slips out of their dressing area, and her mother renews her hug. “I don’t know how to feel about all this, Bianca. But I’m worried about you most of all. How are you feeling?”
“Right now I’m kind of numb.” I realize it’s true. I’m in crisis mode, and as long as I have things to do to manage the crisis, I’m fine. It’s when we leave here that my taking-care-of-business façade will slip, and the implications of our blown secret will sink in.
Marie returns with Gary, and he nods at me, looking wary. “You sure you want to talk now?”
I chuckle, realizing I must look a mess, my hair tussled from being carried from the runway and my eye make-up ruined by my tears.
“I’m fine. I’ll make it quick. It’s true that Brody and I were never married. Circumstances arose that made it appear that we were, and we chose at that time not to correct the false assumption. That decision was not well thought out and was the wrong thing to do.
“We never intended to hurt anyone or purposely influence any sponsorship or other contracts. Those deals were based on the volume of public attention and not necessarily the cause of that attention.
“That said, I will no longer be representing Mr. Holden and would like to make it perfectly clear that he in no way behaved in any way that was illegal or contrary to any rules or guidelines of the NHL or the Portsmouth Whalers.”
I nod, and Gary turns off his phone recorder. “I’d like to follow up in the future.”
“I have no idea what I’ll be doing in the future, Gary.”
I take my mother’s hand and nod at Marie. She leads me and my mother toward the back exit, the same way Brody went, followed by the rest of the women.
When we reach the door, I pause only for a moment, tears threatening to burst through the dam of numbness, and we leave my new WAG friends and Whalers Arena behind.
My brother Bob drives us to Brody’s condo, and I pack my things. He and Billy take the bags and boxes out to load them in the car. I watch them get on the elevator while I remain standing in the condo’s entryway with Mom. Glancing around at the place I mistakenly called home for a few short and very memorable weeks, I struggle to embrace the regret.
