Smooth Play (Brooklyn Monarchs 2)

Mindy shrugged. Her manner seemed sulky. “I left a couple of weeks ago.”

“Where are you now?” It seemed polite to ask.

“I’m between jobs.”

Andrea’s eyebrows jumped. “You left the Monarchs without having another offer?” In this economy? Had she left voluntarily or had Troy asked her to go?

“I was ready for a new challenge.” Mindy’s expression dared Andrea to call her a liar.

“A new challenge.” That was one way to describe being unemployed. Andrea glanced around the arena. “I take it the Monarchs let you keep the play-off tickets.”

Mindy folded her arms. “Why shouldn’t they? It’s not as though I left on bad terms.” Was her tone just a little defensive?

Andrea glanced at her watch. Less than ten minutes remained to the break, but she didn’t want to talk to Mindy for that long. The other woman’s subtle hostility always made her uncomfortable.

She started to turn away. “I hope you enjoy the game.”

Mindy reached out to stop her, then let her hand drop from Andrea’s forearm. “I saw Troy speaking to you earlier. He isn’t usually so friendly with reporters. He must consider you special.”

Andrea’s brows knitted. Nothing could be further from the truth. “We were discussing Troy’s new secretary.”

The other woman flinched at the mention of her replacement. “It’s probably a matter of time before you’re watching the games with Troy in the owners’ booth.”

Was that hatred in Mindy’s cool blue eyes? What could Andrea have done to cause such a reaction? “I have my own seat in the media section.”

Troy’s former assistant gave her a condescending smile. “Do you still have a crush on him?”

Andrea’s lips parted. “I’ve never had a crush on him.” In fact, it seemed to her Mindy had been unusually possessive of her former boss and his attentions.

“I had access to his personal communications. I know a great deal about our Troy.”

Had Mindy been eavesdropping on Troy? Is that why she had to leave? “He’s not ‘our Troy.’”

Mindy drew her nails through her auburn locks again. “Be careful around him. He’s a heartbreaker. Just ask his ex-wife.”

Troy had been married? Why was she surprised? Why did she care? “There’s nothing for you to worry about, Mindy. I don’t have a personal interest in Troy.” She spoke with finality and turned to leave.

Mindy’s warning about Troy has been completely unnecessary. Troy may look like every woman’s fantasy, but she found his aversion to reporters a turnoff. It also had seemed as though Mindy had wanted information. About what? Or who? And why?

Andrea slapped the steering wheel of the rental car as she drove back to the hotel Monday night. Sports reporter or not, she was upset over the Monarchs’ second straight loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their best-of-seven-games series. At 105 to 78, it hadn’t even been close. Most of the Monarchs fans had left Quicken Loans Arena midway through the fourth quarter. She’d lead with that for her story.

It was almost eleven-thirty by the time she’d parked in the hotel’s garage and returned to her room. Her cell phone started ringing as she logged on to her computer.

Her caller identification displayed her editor’s home phone number. “Why are you still up, Will?”

“Turn to ESPN.” Willis sounded as excited as a kid with a favorite toy—or a newspaper publisher with a hot lead story.

Andrea found the television remote control and tuned into the station. “OK. What am I supposed to—” She broke off when the camera framed the female sports reporter sitting beside Troy Marshall.

The young woman smiled into the camera. “... here with Troy Marshall, the vice president of media and marketing for the Brooklyn Monarchs.” She turned toward her guest. “Troy, you said you had an announcement for us tonight. I’m sure our viewers would agree that the suspense is killing us. What’s your announcement?”

Troy wore the suit she’d seen him in earlier. This piece must have been taped right after the game. She recognized the Quicken Loans Arena’s press room.

The Monarchs executive looked at the anchorwoman rather than the camera. “I know the identity of the blogger who posts as the New York Horn’s Monarchs Insider.”

The anchor woman’s perfectly shaped eyebrows rose. “Really? Who is it?”

Troy didn’t blink. “Gerald Bimm, the Monarchs’ co-owner.”