"He really doesn't see how this is relevant to his career," Yank mimicked him. "I'll tell you how. I can book you on comedy shows and channels for idiots if this kid turns out to be yours. Want to know what was waiting in the wings for you?" Yank asked.
Probably not, Damian thought. "What?" he asked instead.
"GMA special sports correspondent, that's what. You see, you might not have wanted to talk about your career beyond playing ball but I had your back. Always."
"And I appreciate that. I admit this isn't the responsible image I want to project and I'm not proud of any of this. But plenty of famous people have survived worse scandal. I don't see what you're so worked up about," he said, his voice trailing off as his gaze shifted from Yank to Micki.
Damian knew exactly what had the old man so riled up and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to make things better. The man was already pissed at how Damian had handled his relationship with Micki. Now this. Who could blame Yank if his anger was more personal than professional?
Then there was Micki who hadn't met Damian's gaze since bringing her partners into the room.
"Look," Micki said, stepping in front of her uncle.
“I spend my days spinning scandal for a living, but I thought we needed reinforcements on this one. You had an appointment with Uncle Yank anyway and I figured Sophie would be of help since I'm not exactly an unbiased third party."
In other words, she was hurt, and afraid her emotions would get in the way of doing her job. "You aren't about to pass me off to your sister, are you?" he asked Micki, ignoring the other two people in the room.
Silence followed and his gut churned at the thought of losing the only person he trusted.
"It would serve you right if I did, but no I'll help you handle this," she finally said.
Well that was something, at least. "Okay then, what's the plan?"
Sophie picked up a pen and began making notes on a pad in her hand. "In cases like these, having the right person standing by a man in tunes of scandal can save a reputation. In your case it's going to be Micki who holds your hand through this mess." Her frown told him how much Sophie hated the idea of her sister being subjected to being in the role of his savior.
But obviously they'd discussed it briefly before coming in here because neither Yank nor Micki argued the point.
Still Damian was confused. "I'm not sure I understand what you're suggesting."
“I’ll explain. First you're going to issue a statement with your publicist by your side. That would be me," Micki said in case he missed the obvious. "You are going to admit you made a mistake and state that once the facts are verified, you plan to do the right thing. You're going to be a stand-up guy, just like your fans and the kids who look up to you expect"
He nodded. So far so good. Relief filled him as he realized that he'd been right in coming to Micki for help. Not just professionally but personally as well. He couldn't wrap his mind around how to handle any of this and he could already see that she'd help him get his head on straight. He'd owe her big time for this, Damian thought.
"Next up is handling the actual…umm…situation," Micki said, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment.
"What she's referring to is whether you've dealt with the issues surrounding this pregnancy," Sophie said, rescuing her sister. "Did you talk to the woman about a paternity test?"
He shook his head. "Not yet"
"Did you think about meeting with a lawyer?" Yank asked.
Again, Damian said, "No. I just found out. I can't even imagine how the damn story got leaked so quickly."
"Probably the doctors or nurses the woman saw. Somebody saw a chance to make a buck," Yank muttered.
"You need to set up those appointments," Micki instructed him, back to her professional mode. "What's your schedule look like?"
Damian groaned. "A series of home games and then a week on the road."
She nodded. "Okay, lawyer and doctor appointments first."
"You need to find out how far along this woman is and then talk to someone about when it's safe for paternity tests to be done."
"My sisters have an ob-gyn. I can set up an appointment with him. He's a family friend and I'm sure he'll fit me in around game times."
His sisters. Shit. The thought of facing them and their questions made him squirm.
Sophie nodded. "Good. At least we have a plan of action. Right now Micki will go with you and help deal with the press. In case you didn't realize, they're already outside the building and clamoring for information."
"Yeah, they were camped outside my, building this morning." He winced at the memory. “There's no media quite like New York's."
"You got that right. Screw up and they're all over you," Yank said. "I got one question."
"Shoot." Damian wasn't about to hold anything back now.
"If the kid's yours, do you plan on marrying this broad?
"Hell no. I don't believe in screwing up Carole's life or the kid's life just because protection didn't work," he snapped.
Yank cleared his throat. "You're saying you used protection?"
Micki looked away.
Damian ran a hand over his warm face. "Yeah, Yank. I did."
"Well that's something." The older man met his gaze with a sympathetic look of his own.
For a brief second, Damian didn't feel like the pariah in the room or the man who'd let this entire family down.
What a freaking mess he'd made. He and Micki hadn't had a commitment; they'd had what should have been a brief fling. Yet he couldn't shake the self-disgust flowing through him at the thought of disappointing her family and hurting her.
"I say we deal with the press immediately," Micki said, interrupting his thoughts. "The more time you let go by, the more speculation they'll shovel and the more dirt they'll dig up on both you and Carole. You ready?" she asked Damian in her most professional, distant voice.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
She nodded. "Then let's do it. I'll brief you on what to say on the way downstairs." Micki strode out of the room, pad in hand, all but ignoring him.
At this point the only thing he had going for him was the fact that she and her family agreed she'd stick by his side. He intended to hold her to her promise.
RICKY CARTER SAT in his small apartment and watched Eyewitness News at Noon. Thanks to his discreet contacts, Damian Fuller’s paternity scandal had headlined the back of every newspaper in the city. Now Carter watched his captain and the man whose position he coveted step in front of microphones and speak from the heart.
No prepared statement for Fuller, Carter thought, taking a swig from a bottle of beer. Instead the man had the fans eating from the palm of his hand as he extolled the virtues of always using protection, explaining how mistakes happen anyway and promising to do the right thing. Then he asked for time to figure things out and requested the media focus on what was important at this time of year-the Renegades making it to the off season.
He shook his head in disgust. Everything the man touched turned to gold. Nothing Carter did made a difference or brought Fuller down, and he ought to know since he'd tried his best.
Carter had made sure to let the reporters who covered the team know at which strip club they could find Fuller. Carter had hoped they'd bash Fuller for partying at Lacie's the night before a charity event. Instead he'd been branded a hero for rescuing his agent's niece. Nice piece of spinning by the Hot Zone, Carter thought, frustrated.
Even now Fuller had the sexy little publicist standing by his side despite his fall from grace. The same woman who'd eyed Carter with disdain looked at Fuller with adoring eyes.
"The story of my life," he muttered.
But it wasn't just Damian's dumb luck eating away at Rick now, it was his own actions that bothered him. When he'd hooked up with Carole, he'd eyed Fuller with envy. Silently sabotaging the Renegades captain had been too easy to resist, and for a while nobody had been hurt in the process.