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“Hey, Sawyer, It’s Gunnar. So, I got your texts. I think that we should talk about all this. Can you give me a call, please?” I end the call, pocket my phone, and continue to my building.
The streets are a combination of loud and silent at the same time. Fans that tailgated in the parking lot adjacent to the ballpark meandered the streets and in the dark corners are groups of individuals who are unfortunate and live on the streets. Some try to blend in with their surroundings while others block the sidewalks and create a commotion. This part of the downtown area, there is a significant smell of urine that means this area is heavily populated by the homeless and their discarded belongings. I quickly walk through the area and come upon the street my building is on. Within minutes, I’m opening the heavy door and slipping inside. I nod to the door attendant and head to the elevator.
The smart side of my conscious is telling me that I should go to Sawyer’s and figure out what the hell she meant by her text messages, but I’m an idiot, instead I hurry through my condo and leave again to meet everyone at the Mission. I will wait for her to call me back or something, and hope that she actually does. I do not want to force myself into her space as she’s pissed off. Besides, I think something is up with Melinda and I need to speak to her anyways.
I’M at the bar for twenty minutes before I get tired of the same old crap. My usual night after a game would be to hang out here with the guys, pick up a female, bang one out either at the bar itself or at her place and then head home for a good night’s rest. Right now, I’m agitated by the texts and radio silence from Sawyer and Melinda won’t leave my side.
I finish my drink, stand and pull out my wallet.
“Hey Gun, would you mind walking me home? I don’t want to spend the extra cash on an Uber tonight,” Melinda asks.
This is the perfect opportunity for this conversation. I nod my head and bid farewell to my teammates. Melinda walks in front of me, and then pauses as soon as we leave the bar. Photographers are out front snapping photos and shouting out questions. We swerve around the small crowd and make our way to the street. She crowds my side, but my hands stay in my pockets, so I don’t create any more unwelcome headlines, especially with another woman.
“Mel, I need you to do something about the news headlines happening about me.”
“Oh yeah?” She peers at me through the corner of her eye.
“Isn’t that part of your job, to keep the media on our good side?”
“Well, that’s why I told them you were being played. Didn’t want the ladies of San Diego to think that Gunnar Reynolds was settling down,” she says with laugh.
I stop walking, stunned at her nonchalant admission. Melinda takes a few more steps before realizing that I’ve stopped.
“What?” she asks innocently.
“You can’t be serious right now.”
“I’m not understanding here. Gun, you are one of the most eligible bachelors in the city. Hell, days before you met that girl, you had two women in your hotel room at the same time. Over the summer, I had to clean up what seemed like a opening lineup of walk of shames. Since when do you want to be in a relationship with someone?”
“You said that you told the press that I was being played, why?”
“If you spin a story the right way, even though you’re being a manwhore, you’ll get the sympathy vote.”
“So, you fed the media a pack of lies?” I was appalled by the turn of this conversation.
“I exaggerated. I don’t know what happened between you and that girl, but I may or may not have said to them that she wasn’t only dating you, hence the player is being played.”
“I don’t even know what to say right now.” My hands are fisted, my jaw is ticking, and my heart is beating erratically.
“Thank you?” she quirks her head in question.
“Far from it. I actually like Sawyer, a lot. You know that I barely glance at what the media says, I wouldn’t be asking you to do something about this shit if I didn’t.”
“I see,” she says slowly.
“I need you to retract whatever statements, or spin the story a different way, like a wrong information thing or something. I don’t know, just do your fucking job,” I keep my tone even and calm, even though I feel far from it.
“Listen Gun, maybe it’s better for you to not hang out with this girl, maybe if you guys broke up, or whatever, that would be best. Good publicity for your brand and for the team.”
“My brand? Don’t you fucking dare tell me what is best for me. You don’t know me, Mel. You know the team player, the surface Gunnar Reynolds. Not a single iota of you knows who I actually am.”
She crosses her arms and sighs. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I mean, I don’t know what I could say to make any of it go away. The news is already out there, just go with it.”
“You’ll figure it out, or I will go to the press myself, and while I’m at it I’ll discuss with the team the slander that came from your fucking throat.” My breathing is ragged. “You need to pull out your phone and call yourself an Uber. If I go anywhere further with you, I may lose it. I’ll wait for the car with you, but we’re done talking.”
