Harper takes a seat, setting the plate on the table in front of her and placing a napkin over her lap. She raises an eyebrow at the mention of Jaeger.
“I did,” she says, the words drawn out a bit with amusement. “Jaeger is quite the personality, isn’t he?”
I chuckle, unable to hide my own humor. “That he is. As are many young rookies when they first hit the big leagues. They come in as former college stars with all that swagger, having been placed on pedestals and given huge contracts beyond comprehension. It fills their egos like helium balloons. Until they join the ranks of professionals and are taken down a few pegs.”
Harper snickers and nods. “Doesn’t seem to have had that effect on Jaeger. He’s very… how shall I put it? I wouldn’t go so far to say he’s conceited…but he’s very full of himself.”
“If it walks like a duck…”
I sit down across from Harper and study her for a moment. Her hair is pulled back in a sleek ponytail today, accentuating her cheekbones and ears. Unlike Jasmine, who sat in the very same spot earlier, but wearing expensive clothing and heavy layers of make-up and false lashes, Harper is more natural and casual in her appearance. Her skirt and blouse are likely not designer brand, and her face is free from heavy colors, except for a sheer, glossy lip tone and dark eyelashes.
Harper’s laughter is light and unguarded, which I find appealing. I want to learn more about her personally. Who is she? What got her into this profession? Is she dating anyone?
Nope. Scratch that one. I do not need to know.
She shrugs. “I suppose I was the same when I first came into the business.”
Her comment piques my interest. “You? You don’t say.”
A bright shade of pink tinges her cheeks as she lowers her lashes. This is a side of Harper I’ve not seen yet since meeting her. She doesn’t seem to be a woman who embarrasses easily. Everything I’ve learned about her through our meetings and conversations tells me she knows what she wants and doesn’t take no for an answer.
“Well,” she begins, lifting her green gaze to look me square in the eyes. “I’m sure your team locker rooms have held their fair share of hazing from time to time. A way of putting newbies in their place.”
“I’m sure it’s been known to happen.” I take a bite of food and raise my eyebrows. It happened to me as a rookie or whenever I joined a team as a new player. It’s a rite of passage we all go through.
“Now take out the male component, add in a young, overly confident female sports reporter, and a few players who wanted to take me down a few notches.” She chuckles as if it was something of a joke when I can see it still bothers her. “I thought I could handle what they dished out, but it was a bit more than I bargained for. I got through it though.”
I stop my fork midway to my mouth, my jaw clenching tight at the reference she makes.
Then she begins to tell me the story of her first clubhouse locker room interview with baseball pitcher Heath Bennington, and I keep my focus locked on her face as she shares the highlights of that interview.
While she laughs it off now, I know with 100 percent certainty that it must have been demoralizing for Harper at the time. For a male athlete to behave so disrespectfully to a professional journalist is hostile and intimidating.
I set my fork down on my plate and lean in, giving her a pointed look to ensure she reads the sincerity.
“Harper, please promise me something…if anything like that happens with any of my players or anyone else during your assignment, let me know immediately. I do not tolerate bullying or harassing behavior in this organization. You should never have to grin and bear it here.”
Harper waves me off with a light flick of the wrist. “It’s fine, Marek. I’m sure nothing like that will happen. And, truthfully, I’ve grown thick skin since that moment, and I don’t allow the guys to fluster me anymore. It’s called experience.”
While I don’t doubt her unflappability, it bothers me that our culture hasn’t moved beyond the caveman mentality. I’ve worked with many women in this business. Female franchise owners, GMs, refs, and women in various leadership positions. They are to be applauded for their talent and ambition. We are a team working for the same goal. It’s not a gender game we play of us against them, nor should it ever be.
It sits uneasy with me that she’s so cavalier about this subject. I’m not just blowing smoke up her ass. I’m not one of those executives who sweeps claims of harassment or hostile work environment under the rug.
“Promise me, Harper. I’m serious.”
She sighs as if this is a huge concession for her to make. “Fine, I promise. Now eat…your food is getting cold. I still have at least fifty more questions for you. You’ll need sustenance.”
I chuckle and fill my trap with more pasta, peering down the length of the fork at Harper as she nibbles on some bread. I’m sure the heavy lunch will give us both carb overload later, which means I’ll have to put in some more time at the gym now that I’m back for the week.
It makes me wonder if she’s still attending the gym while she’s in town.
“By the way, are you back at the gym this week?” I try to sound casual, but even I can read between the lines, my question conveying the truth. I want to see her in those workout clothes again.
Fuck. See? I talk out of both sides of my mouth. I need to just keep it shut. Don’t mix business with pleasure. It’s a bad combination.
“I don’t know…I probably should, but I didn’t want to plan on anything, not knowing what my schedule would look like.” She quirks her brow. “You?”
I pat my now overstuffed belly. Her eyes track down my torso and stall there for a moment. “Two weeks on the road with late night dinners and high calorie southern foods gave me a renewed vow to get back in shape.”