Page 16 of Love on the Byline
He knew Bran. If any other journalist took this on, it wouldbe too easy for him to be evasive or retreat behind his bravado.
“Against my better judgment, I agreed to the interview, butBlake already hates me. Her opinion of me is pretty damnclear.”
“She doesn’t hate you.”
“Well, she sure as shit isn’t a fan.” Bran was agitated. Hishands clutched and unclutched at his sides, his face tight and strained.“Honestly, I don’t know what I did to piss her off so badly that she’d hold agrudge all these years later.”
“Oh, come on. You totally dickedher over, and you know it.”
“And you know why.” They stared at each other for a moment.“Besides, it was a lifetime ago.”
“I know you did it to protect me and the others on athleticscholarships who were in situations like mine.” Ollie bumped shoulders withhim. “Okay? I get it. But she doesn’t know all of that. Did you ever evenapologize?”
“For not wanting the school paper to dickme over? Not to mention my friends?”
“For going above her head to the Dean.”
Bran’s grin was smug. “What can I say? The Dean didn’t wantto screw with U of P’s chance of winning the championship.”
“You barely saw time on the pitch.”
“We can’t all be you, mister thirty-goals-in-a-season MVP.”Draping his arm across his shoulders, Bran drew him into a rough, side hug.“When I think of all the panties you could have dropped, I want to cry.”
Ollie pushed him away. “I wasn’t interested in collectingsouvenirs.” The one girl who had caught his attention had written him offbefore anything could develop between them.
There had been a moment, a brief one, when he’d thoughtthings were about to turn a corner. A few tender moments in the library wherethey’d sat closer than needed, when their gazes had caught, and their toucheshad bordered on...something else.
He still couldn’t believe Blake was in California. Havingher conduct the interview would be a challenge, no doubt. For him, it was amatter of control over the situation. Bran needed this to go well, even morethan he seemed to realize. Ollie would make sure it did, whatever that took.
He gave Bran a look and the two squared off in a silentstare down that seemed to last an eternity before Bran sighed.
“Fine. It’ll only be an afternoon or two, right?”
“After tomorrow, you won’t need to be on another set untilthe second Tuesday of the month,” he said as he checked the calendar. “Threeweeks shooting, and then you’re in New York for two days before we leave forParis.”
A slow smile spread across Bran’s face. “Ah, yes. Paris.”
“Maybe we should invite Blake to come with us,” he joked.Well, half-joked. The idea of roaming the streets of Paris with her was tootempting.
“The woman is a pill.”
“A pill? Okay, grandpa.”
“Fuck off,” Bran said. “I’m serious. It doesn’t matter whatI do, she’ll look for ways to twist my words and make me sound like an entitledasshole. We both know it.”
“Brandon, I love you like a brother, but you are anentitled asshole.”
“Maybe, but I can’t have her thinking that when she’s writinga fucking article about me, now can I?” He laced his fingers together atop hishead. “Fuck, Ols. I’m not sure how to get on her goodside. Noelia is up my ass about this fucking Gazettepiece. If you believe her, everything is riding on it. Like all the work I’veput in over the last six years means nothing.”
“You know how this world works,” Ollie said. “Build you upjust to knock you down.”
Bran threw himself onto the sectional, and Ollie sat on theother side. The friction between Blake and his best friend was problematic. Hewasn’t sure how he’d smooth things out, but if he didn’t, they were screwed.
“First, you need to sincerely apologize.”
“What do I say?”
Ollie thought about it for a moment. A woman like Blakewould see right through Bran’s bullshit if he wasn’tsincere. “Be honest with her.”