Page 142 of Challenge Me

“It’s been great. The team’s working hard, and I’m focused on keeping the rhythm going. You know, baseball’s a long season. One pitch at a time.”

“And Remi, what about you? Being on the sidelines is a different ballgame, no pun intended.” He laughed, and the crowd followed suit.

I forced out one of my own. “It’s like being in a zoo, but with better uniforms. Good thing Amir looks good in tight pants.”

Brody’s smile made me wonder if he’d gotten it stitched on. Plastic surgery was starting earlier and earlier these days.

“It must be difficult balancing your personal life with all of the new demands. You run a bar, I hear.”

“Mm.” I nodded while I swallowed through the dryness in my throat. “I’m good at managing my time. And I have a good support system, of course. My friends are always there to help out if I need them.”

“That’s so good to hear,” the co-host, Brittany, said.

Brody leaned forward. “Speaking of relationships, there’s been a lot of talk in the media lately. I’d like to give you a chance to comment on it.”

My eyes flicked to Amir, who was perfectly pleasant. “We’ve both had complicated pasts,” he answered. “We’re focusing on baseball, our family, and supporting each other.”

“That first story—” Brody blew out a dramatic breath. “That was something. How did you both respond to that whirlwind? Behind the scenes, I mean.”

“Honestly, we laughed. The truth’s a lot less dramatic than the tabloids want it to be.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I do far more exciting things alone in the house than the press will ever catch wind of.”

“Go on and share one with the audience,” Brody urged. “An exclusive for those tuning in.”

Off stage, Renshu made a cutting motion over his throat.

With a smile, I leaned back and slung my arm over Amir’s shoulders. “At least once a month, I take a platter of sushi and a beer in the shower with me.”

“In the shower?” Brittany laughed.

“Oh, yeah. If you’ve never had a shower beer, you’re missing out. It’s how I write my best poetry.”

Renshu noticeably relaxed, and he offered me a double-thumbs up.

“Poetry,” Brody repeated. “I don’t suppose you have something to give us a peek into your head.”

“I’ve already given you your exclusive,” I pointed out. The crowd made a sound of disappointment, so I feigned a huff of exasperation. Getting to my feet, I turned to face the people. “I drink, therefore I think. I think, therefore I rhyme. If poetry were sushi, I’d eat my feelings every time.” They whistled and cheered as if I’d done something incredible. After taking a bow, I dropped down beside Amir again.

Brody clapped lightly as he laughed. This shit felt like a performance at The Capitol. Maybe dystopia wasn’t all that far off.

When things quieted again, he glanced between us. “It must be difficult with all the scrutiny. Believe me, I understand what it’s like in the public eye.” He put on that fake smile, as if it emphasized his pathetic struggle of making millions to host a talk show. “We’ve heard some stories about your past, old relationships . . .”

Renshu put his hand up to signal us.

“We know there’s noise out there,” Amir replied. “It doesn’t change who we are or what we’re focused on. We’re here, together, moving forward.”

“We love to hear that. Rising above the noise is a respectable enterprise. Let’s shift gears a bit. We want to know more about you two. Amir, you’ve kept your life pretty private over the years, and Remi, we’ve just met you a few months ago. Some love you, some are iffy. So, why don’t you take a moment to catch us up to speed? We found out you’re a poet, but tell us everything else.”

The crowd cheered at that.

“Everything else,” I repeated. Amir squeezed my leg, and I tried to conjure up all of the things Renshu had briefed me on saying, the caricature I had to turn myself into so this thing would go away and we’d one day be able to live in peace.

Chapter 38

Amir

Two weeks of interviews, a charity event with the team in Boston, and endless photo ops seemed to be working. Clara had published another article trying to milk the Cole issue, but it didn’t gain the same amount of traction as before. According to Renshu, we couldn’t let up yet. We’d run damage control, and now we were ahead of it all. That put us in the perfect position to gain good press for the team, particularly because people loved Remi.