Chapter 9

 

 

Diego had a way of getting to Elena, and touching the right buttons at all the wrong times. He growled softly and bit her neck while they walked down the hall towards the elevator that led to the reception area.

“Stop, Diego...”

“Aw, come on.” They walked into the elevator and he pinned her to the wall. Then he grabbed under her thighs and pushed her up onto the railing. “I could hit the stop button.”

“No, I—

His lips crashed into hers like a boiling tidal wave, and she gave in. She would always give in to him.

“Oh my God!” Chelsea shrieked.

Elena looked back in horror to see the elevator door standing open and Elena staring at them with her hand covering her mouth.

“Like, you guys are totally about to do it.”

Diego dropped Elena and dashed to the counter. “If Maricela finds out...”

“She won't hear it from me,” Chelsea said, “I hate that little witch. She tried to steal Jeff from me.” Elena walked up, embarrassed. “And besides, I like Elena.”

“Thank you.” Elena felt terrible, judging the girl the way she had. Chelsea might have a high-pitched foghorn for a voice, but at least she had Elena's back. “I like you too.”

“Chance is gonna hate me for sending you in. He's having private time on his computer.”

“Does he do anything else?” Elena asked.

“He drinks,” Chelsea replied with a smile.

Diego walked up to Chance's door. Then Chelsea's phone rang.

“Hello?” 

Diego stuck his ear to the door.

“What kind of a situation?” Chelsea asked.

Diego turned a bright color of red, threw the door open and ran into the office.

“What do you mean she went to the courts?” Elena rushed in after him, and found Chance shrinking back in his chair while a fuming Diego loomed over him.

“She got a couple of the Hawk Ladies to do a press conference and say that you sexually harassed them. Now her lawyer's on the other line. If you could please...”

“I can prove she's lying, Chance.” Elena walked up.

“I don't have time for this. I've got people banging down my door, lawyers on three lines and the girls are coming in in less than an hour.”

“I don't care.” Elena slammed her phone on the desk. “I've got her on record refusing to take a pregnancy test. Release it to the media.”

“And these,” Diego pulled out his phone and started swiping through the crazy images of Maricela.

“We could just cut your contract,” Chance told him.

“You think you’ve got lawyer troubles now? Mess with Diego’s contract and you’ll take a hit like you've never seen,” Elena countered.

“We're going to the police.” Chelsea moved in behind them and marched up with Jeff in tow.

“She attacked Elena,” Jeff said, and we'll all testify to it.

“And you're going to keep him on as well,” Elena said, smiling at Chelsea.

Chance looked at all of them. He was cornered with his chair against the wall and his hands folded. It looked like helping Diego was the last thing he wanted to do. It didn't make any sense. He had no reason to back up the girls. They had no proof. Anything they said was libel. They were destroying the public relations integrity of the team and the Hawk Ladies. Elena decided that it must be something personal between the two men.

Diego was looking at the man like he wanted to slit his throat. The tension between them was a deadly force, one that Elena didn't understand.

“We've got assault, libel, slander and harassment,” Elena said. “And if you destroy your top player, you're not going to make it this season.”

Chance waited while everyone stared him down, then he said. “All of you get out now.”

“What!?” Diego slammed his fist on the desk and walked around it to face the man.

“Diego, let's go.” Elena walked up behind him and pulled on his sleeve.

Diego didn't move. He stared Chance down, the veins in his neck bulging. Then he backed off and stormed out. Elena, Chelsea and Jeff on his heels.

“Thank you for that, Chelsea.”

“Of course. I told you I like you. I'm not letting those girls hurt either of you. Most of them are just doing it because Diego wouldn't sleep with them. They're all lying.”

Diego was fuming and pacing around the room. Elena walked up to him. “Diego, why is Chance acting like this? It’s completely irrational.”

“It doesn't matter.”

Before she could respond, Chance's door opened. “Diego, get in here!”

Diego was fast to respond. He walked in like a bear ready to rip Chance's head off. Elena followed, but Chance cut her off at the door. “Team business.”

Chance slammed it shut and walked inside. Elena put her ear to the door and heard the sound of his chair scraping against the floor.

“Now, I don't like you. You're lucky I didn't fire you when it happened.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

Chance laughed. “I don't care. I don't care what happens to this team. I don't care what happened with you and Maricela. I believe you. The bitch is crazy, but it doesn't matter, because this is my chance to finally get you off this team.”

“Alright!” There was a crashing sound and Elena ran into the room.

“Diego, no!”

He was on top of Chance who was whimpering on the ground with the broken desk at his side. Diego had his arm raised.

“Get out, Elena!” Diego turned back to her. He was going to kill Chance.

“No.” Elena stood her ground. She wasn't afraid of him.

“Get out!”

“No.” She walked forward, trembling. He could hurt her, but he wasn't going to. She put her hand on his shoulder. “Diego, you don't need him or this team.”

“I worked my entire life for this.”

“And if you hurt him you’ll lose it all. He’ll go to the police and you’ll end up in prison.”

Diego looked back at Chance.

“P-please, he said, practically whimpering.”

“Shut up, Chance.” Elena walked over and kicked him right in the face. Then Diego took her hand and they left.