Dirty Games (Tropical Temptation)

Okay, yes, he’d been naive, but still, fury rose on his behalf. “She blackballed you?”

He nodded. “I finally called Eddie. He asked around and found out she’d badmouthed me to everyone short of the press. None of those contacts I’d made would touch me with a ten-foot pole. I was facing the possibility of having to pull up stakes, and head home to disappointed looks from my parents, friends…an entire town that thought I was living a fast, glamorous life out in Cali, full of people they only saw on TV or in the pages of magazines. Instead, they’d know I’d been chewed up and spit out, in large part because of my own ego and stupidity. Thankfully, Eddie didn’t let that happen. He quietly referred a few up-and-coming clients my way, mostly on the sports side of his business. I got results, earned favorable word-of-mouth, and rebuilt my career. If it weren’t for him risking backlash from one of his firm’s biggest clients, I’d have been back to square one. He went out on a limb for me after I did something boneheaded, and I owed him.”

She swallowed that information, along with the final bite of chicken. “Is she the reason you don’t like working with actors?”

He laughed and put his lunch aside. “She didn’t have quite that much sway over me. I’ve worked with scores of actors over the years. Sports and entertainment clients made up most of my business for a long time. Some have been amazing, others frustrating. I do credit her with teaching me a valuable lesson about mixing my professional life with my personal life.”

An impulse to argue his conclusion gripped her. Not your business. “So, if your experience with her didn’t put you off this industry, what did?”

“Don’t take it personally.”

Now she laughed. “Pfft. Of course not. Why would I take your utter lack of esteem for my chosen profession personally?”

“Because it’s not directed at you, but it’s personal to me. About five years ago, at the request of a client who was involved with a charity for injured armed forces personnel, I took on a vet who had lost a leg in the line of duty. He’d struggled with weight since the injury, and had just been diagnosed with type-two diabetes. This guy wasn’t after washboard abs or a V-cut. He didn’t give a shit about looking good for the camera. He needed to get control of his blood sugar, and reclaim his health.

“It wasn’t easy, but we did it, and working with him changed me as fundamentally as it changed him. His determination energized me, and reminded me I had the skills to help people make life-altering improvements. I could continue to use those skills to line my pockets even though I’d started to question the value of my work, or I could get a new goal in place and set about making changes of my own. Over the following years, I took on more clients with substantial health challenges. Training athletes and celebrities pays well—”

“No kidding.” She still got a serious cramp in the vicinity of her wallet when she thought about the cost of this six-week boot camp.

“The money allowed me to buy a facility, add staff, and concentrate on clients with serious weight management issues and all the accompanying complications. We don’t merely offer physical training. It’s everything—diet, habits, mindset—we help identify and tackle all the obstacles between the individual and their optimal health. We’re small, but we’re good, and we get results. Even so, it’s taken a lot of energy and focus to evolve the business to where it is today. I have a great team in place, and a comfortably full roster of clients. I’m finally at the point where I could consider stepping back for some personal time.”

Well, damn. Now that she knew his situation, his arrogance started to seem more like the genuine frustration of a man caught between a need to recharge, and his vow to a friend. She didn’t really know what to say. “Just so you know, I didn’t ask Eddie to—”

The waiting room door swung upon with a squeak, and then someone drew in an audible breath.

“Holyyy Shiiittt. You’re Quinn Sheridan!”

Chapter Six

The outburst came from a guy, sixteen or seventeen if Luke had to guess, who stood in the doorway next to a woman who wore a facility ID around her neck.

“Joshua, wait,” the woman admonished as the kid made a beeline for Quinn.

Luke leaned forward in his chair and prepared to stand. Occasional bodyguard duty came with the territory, and currently, he was the only thing protecting Quinn from unwanted attention. But her hand landed on his forearm, signaling him back. She sent him a restraining look before turning a full-wattage smile on the kid. “Hi. Something tells me you’re a Pep Rally fan.”

“Massive fan.” He nudged the nurse now standing beside him. “Camilla here can tell you. Me, and most of the other kids in my program, watch the show every week. We’re bummed this is the final season.”

“Becky was a lot of fun to play. I’m glad you enjoyed the show.” She held out her hand to Camilla. “I’m Quinn.”

The woman took her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m a patient escort for the wellness center. And this is Josh. I’m supposed to be keeping him in check…”

Josh rolled his eyes at that, but Camilla sent him a grin before adding, “I hope we’re not disturbing you.”

“Not at all.” Quinn patted the seat next to her. “Please, sit. This is my…friend, Luke.”

He greeted them, and then sat back and listened as Josh told her how “righteously hot” she was, and how his friends were never going to believe he’d met her. She offered to take a picture with him, but he explained he’d had to surrender his electronics as part of his intake process—he was on Paradise Bay to complete a ninety-day rehab program. Quinn digested that without blinking, and told him she was there preparing for a role.

“I know. You’re going to be Lena fucking Xavier! Me and my friends at home play Dirty Games all the time. We’ve like, hit the level cap. It’s our favorite.”

“I hope we can do it justice on the big screen.”

“You’re going to kick ass.” In the way of excited, hormonal teens everywhere, he peppered Quinn with questions. What was going to happen on the final season of Pep Rally? Was so-and-so going to end up with so-and-so? Did she ever date fans?

She answered with easy humor, insisting she couldn’t tell him any Pep Rally spoilers or she’d have to kill him, and she hadn’t had time to date anyone lately.

Luke silently reminded himself that last piece of information was none of his concern.

Quinn also delicately asked a few questions of her own, and discovered Josh lived in Southern California, but had come to Paradise Bay for rehab. Second attempt. The first effort, back home, hadn’t stuck. She didn’t follow him too far down that hole. Instead, she simply asked him how he was feeling, and offered congratulations when he proudly announced he’d earned his sixty-day chip.