Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 131459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
“He does it again, he’s calling the match alone. I’m walking,” Tom reiterated.
“You’re heard,” Sue said. “Is he heard?” she asked Dave.
“He’s heard,” Dave muttered.
“We have a problem here?” she asked.
Dave looked to Tom. “I didn’t know you were that close to her. But I blew it. Won’t happen again.”
Tom let out a breath of relief.
Dave could be a blowhard, but he wasn’t a dick.
“Appreciate it,” Tom replied.
And because Dave wasn’t a dick, and Sue didn’t put up with any shit, and Tom was high-profile, and so was Mika, and they were used to that shit, that, both fortunately and unfortunately, was that.
* * *
“Are you a tennis fan now?” Tom asked Mika that night in bed.
Mika lay naked, sprawled on top of him.
“Okay, I’m not going to lie, that was pretty cool.”
He smiled and teased, “Now I bet you’re wishing you two went to matches last week.”
“I can’t say you’re wrong,” she admitted. “Cadence is hooked, and my mind has been expanded today, Tommy. Totally coming with you when you have to work, if you want me to.”
Tom rolled her so he was on top. “I want you to.”
She traced his cheekbone, her eyes following her movements.
“I watched you, back in the day.” Her gaze found his. “Even when I was with Rollo, I watched you.” Her finger stopped at his bottom lip. “He knew about you.”
“What did he know about me?” Tom whispered, matching her mood with his tone.
“Just that he was the one because you couldn’t be.”
“Did that upset him?”
She smiled. “No, because I was fucking him and not you.”
Tom chuckled.
She touched her lips to his while he did.
When she dropped her head back to the pillow, she said, “Thank you for taking Cadence’s back today.”
He’d told her about the situation with Dave.
“My job.”
This smile was warmer, sweeter, but she said, “She’s not old, but she’s not young. She knew the cameras were on us several times during the match. It was wonderful, you did that. But she knew what she was doing and the consequences.”
“She’s off-limits,” Tom said firmly.
And he got another smile.
After this one, he said, “I’m gonna eat you until you have another orgasm before we go to sleep.”
Her brows shot up. “Do I have a say in this matter?”
“Do you want one?”
“Not really.”
“I didn’t think so,” he murmured, beginning to move down her body.
“Tom?” she called, and he stopped and looked up at her. “I’m going to be moaning a lot soon, then I’ll probably pass out. So, before that happens, I have to say, love you, baby.”
He kissed the skin of her midriff.
He slid down and kissed the skin of her belly.
She opened her legs for him, and he kissed somewhere else.
And Tom made sure Mika knew he loved her too.
* * *
July…
Everywhere
“Longtime rumors surrounding Core Point Athletics exploded today in an incendiary piece released on the Internet news outlet, The Worldist. Reports of no less than sixteen women sexually harassed or assaulted by executives at Core Point, as well as athletes they sponsored, have surfaced.
“In the article, the company’s ‘Catch and Kill’ policy of these cases was exposed in alarming detail. Spearheaded by the late Doyle Martin, founder of Core Point, and continued by his son, Cyrus, the current CEO, they were allegedly masterminded by a board member, AJ Oakley.
“Oakley is an outspoken oil man from Texas who is known by some to be a colorful character and considered by others to be a highly objectionable one.
“Information detailed in The Worldist’s article alludes to further being shared in future pieces in the series about Mr. Oakley in regard to these activities. Organizations with which he served on their board and Mr. Oakley’s own companies are already responding.
“Mr. Oakley has been removed from the boards of two organizations after emergency board meetings were held today, clearly in an effort to distance themselves from the eighty-eight-year-old, beleaguered, once-giant oil magnate.
“Oakley’s own companies were unavailable for comment. However, all the other organizations with whom he’s affiliated have shared they’re internally reviewing this issue and their boards will decide soon regarding Mr. Oakley’s future involvement.
“It has been reported of late that Mr. Oakley is in the midst of already significant financial troubles with mismanagement of not only the family’s multi-national company, Oak World Oil, but even their large Texas cattle ranch. Mr. Oakley’s son, Jeff, who’s had a history of bad behavior and decisions, including serving jailtime for an assault in a bar years ago, runs the ranch. Jeff Oakley recently fell afoul with the Lone Star Cattle Ranchers’ Association. Though exactly what happened has been sealed by the Association.
“This isn’t all the bad news that befell the senior Mr. Oakley today. AJ Oakley’s wife, a twenty-four-year-old social media influencer, self-styled ‘life coach’ and former beauty pageant contest, Margaret-Sue Faber-Oakley, announced today she’s filing for divorce.