I roll my eyes but smile. “Ms. Day.” Yes, her parents actually named her Violet Day. Then again, her mother’s name is Sunny, so I’m thinking they were aiming for a theme.
“What can I do you for, Fi?”
“You know you really need to stop talking like your brother. It’s getting uncomfortable.” I laugh when she curses, but the ugly headline still on my screen sobers me. “So I met a guy.”
“Ooh, tell me all.”
I can imagine her now, legs pulled up on her massive office chair, her gray eyes wide as she twists a strand of her honey brown hair around her finger.
“His name is Ethan. He’s a friend of Gray’s. They used to play together in college. He’s a center in the NFL now.”
“A football player? Get the fuck out.”
“I know. I’m surprised too.”
Violet knows my thou-shall-not-date-an-athlete vow well.
“But he’s kind of different. Unexpected. I just…I really like him.”
“I can tell by your voice,” she says softly.
“Yeah. Thing is…” I turn and scroll through the hideous article. “Have you read the news today?”
“Yeah…” Vi sucks in an audible breath. “Holy shit, are you talking about Ethan Dexter?”
I hate the scandal in her tone. I know she doesn’t mean it, but my cheeks prickle in irritation. Not at her, but the whole ugly situation. “That’s him.”
“You’re dating a virgin?” she almost shrieks.
So much for avoiding high-pitched conversations.
“You know what,” I snap. “I’m going hang up—”
“Sorry!” Violet interrupts. “That was totally rude. And not my business.”
“No.”
“But are you?” She rushes on as if she can’t stop herself.
I make a face at the ceiling as my head rests on my chair. “Let’s just say they’re a little late in their hunt.”
She snickers, but it’s a happy sound. “Go you, because I’m looking at his picture and holy Moses, he’s hot. Not your usual type. But hot. Much hotter, actually.”
I can’t help but smile. “Yes, he is. But right now I’m worried about this offer. And who the hell is Pippa Bloom?”
There’s a moment of silence, and I know Violet’s calmed down enough to actually get to the real point of the article.
“Pippa Bloom—” Violet all but sneers the words. “—is both the name of a club, and the scummy little shit who created it.”
“Tell me more.”
“Pippa Bloom, the woman, started off as a matchmaker for the rich and powerful. But it soon became clear that these gentlemen really wanted an easy hookup without all the stickiness of a relationship or the illegality of paying for sex.”
“Isn’t that how it’s always been?”
“Yeah, but she’s the one who made the connection and found a way to provide this easy, high-class hookup service. So she formed a club. It’s like Tinder for the wealthy. Members are vetted; attractive men and women are procured. They all know the score.”
“I don’t really want to side with anyone who’s out to hurt Dex, but I still don’t see what’s so bad about that.”
Violet makes an annoyed sound. “The club promotes cheating. They play up the taboo of fucking around on your spouse, marketing mostly to men. And they do cheap shit like this stunt with Dex to get publicity.”
“Fine, Pippa Bloom is cockwomble—
“What?” Violet laughs.
My lips twitch. “A very bad person. A twat.”
“I love when you break out the Brit.”
I acquired quite the cursing education during my summers in London.
“It happens when I’m hella pissed. But to speak in good ol’ American, she’s a punk, sleezoid, insert rage-filled adjective here.”
“Name-calling is well and good, but I’m going to bring that bitch and her club down.” Violet’s tone is hard and determined.
“I don’t see how.” I tap my pen on my desk and stare off. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. Dex matters. I need to talk to him.”
“It matters to me. This shit tore my parents apart. Now your man is a target? Hell no. Enough is enough. She’s going down.”
The thing with Violet is, I know she could do it. Behind her sunny smiles and foul mouth, Vi is a computer genius. From an early age she’s lived and breathed computers. Now, at age twenty-one, she’s a highly paid network securities consultant. Which means she also has the knowledge to go dark.
“Fine, go scorched-earth on her. Just be careful. I don’t want to see your ass wearing orange. I don’t care if it’s the new black.”
“I’d find a way out.”
Her confidence is not comforting. I run a hand through my hair and sigh. “I gotta go…”
“Find your man and give him comfort, Fi-Fi. Let me worry about damage control.”
I really don’t want to imagine Violet’s version of damage control. Better to remain ignorant in case of criminal proceedings. And right now, I have to concentrate on my own version of damage control.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Dex
Having never been in the limelight before, I can say that it flat-out sucks to suddenly be thrust under its glare. At first, I don’t know what’s going on. Why are cameras aimed at me? I get the occasional picture taken, but I’m a center. I’m not news. I do my job and support the team.