“That’s not the point.” She closed the lid on her tea with a snap and met his dark eyes head-on. “And what the hell was going on with you this morning? Why did you let Guru back Noah into a corner like that?”
“He needed it. Like you said, he’s stubborn and close-minded. I’ve been telling him for months what he needs to do. If he doesn’t feel the heat, he’s not going to change. You haven’t told him who you are, have you?”
“You make it sound like I’m in witness protection or something. I’m not hiding it, I’m just not flaunting it. In this instance, just like in all my work, my past doesn’t matter. All it would do is distract him.”
“It might give you more credibility in his eyes.”
“One more reason not to work with him. My success in physical therapy stands alone. My past as an athlete has nothing to do with it.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
She wasn’t going to argue over this stupid point. “You almost lost the deal with Guru. Noah was about to tell them to shove that game up their asses.”
Drake lifted a shoulder. “Noah needed the lesson more than I need the money.”
She set her cup down hard. “You wouldn’t put up with this bullshit from other clients. What’s so different about him?”
Drake narrowed his eyes out the window where sunlight twinkled off the fresh snow like millions of tiny diamonds. “He was one of my very first clients. Found him as a rangy teen, and the instant I saw him on a snowboard, I knew he had the stuff.” He returned his gaze to Julia. “I’ve had some rough years in this business, and there was a time when Noah’s gigs kept me fed. He’s had countless opportunities to go with bigger, flashier agents, but he stuck with me. Now I’m sticking by him.”
“I admire that,” Julia said, fighting to keep her insides from softening. “I really do. And I hope it pays off in the end—for both of you. But you’ve got to find someone who can reach this guy. He can’t rehab on that shitty diet. He can’t rehab without manipulation of the scar tissue he’s built up. And it’s getting worse, not better. Even if he did get to the Games this year, he’s shortening his career by a year every week he goes without professional therapy.”
“I know. That’s why I wanted you. And the fact that he wants you to stay should tell you everything you need to know.”
“No. He wants me to stay to please Epic, but he’s got no intention of working with me.”
“Okay, look. I have a new offer for you.” He turned the cup in his palms. “When you called last night and told me you weren’t staying, I called Epic—”
“Jesus Christ.” She sat back. “Great way to throw me under the bus. Now they’ll never hire me to rehab another one of their athletes.”
“I threw Noah under the bus.” A sly grin turned his mouth. “I explained that Noah’s difficult to work with, spun it to reflect positively on his intensity as an athlete, and they’re willing to double the pay.”
Julia crossed her arms. “Throwing money at this problem is not going to solve anything. He needs his ass kicked to Siberia.”
“You should be able to do that with sixty grand, don’t you think?”
“That’s not double.” She felt annoyingly triumphant pointing out his math manipulation.
“But that’s all yours,” Drake said. “They’re giving you another twenty thousand as an expense account for equipment, supplements, and anything else you might need. And they don’t want anything back, so when you go shopping, think about what you’ll want to take with you into your future.”
She smothered a tingle of excitement. “Doesn’t this guy have to be accountable for anything? If he’s not doling out any cash for this rehab, and he doesn’t want rehab, what’s going to make him stick to it? I can’t wave a magic wand over his foot and heal him.”
“You need to understand Noah’s not himself. He’s in a bad place right now. He’s a high achiever, always pushing himself to the next level. He’s got big-time cabin fever. He’s coming out of his skin with frustration over his ankle. Everyone is on his back about rehab. He misses his freedom, his adrenaline, his work. If anyone understands that kind of frustration, it’s you. Jesus, Julia, you’ve been there, done that, know how it feels. What happened to all that compassion your clients rave about?”
That stung. She might be rough around the edges, but she wasn’t heartless. “It might have gone by the wayside when that compassion didn’t save my job or my reputation. It’s a little difficult to continue doling out good will and encouragement when you’re not getting any back to refill the well. ”
“You and Noah are more alike than you know. The guy’s never had anyone who’s ever really cared about him. Since he was a kid, he’s been a meal ticket for his family the same way you were a showpiece for yours. And no one knows how to pull a hard-ass into line like you. Epic’s backing you with half the money up front. They’ll pay you thirty grand no matter what happens as a show of good faith.”
“You mean a bribe.”
“And the second half will be paid once you’ve finished out the six weeks,” Drake continued, “whether Noah makes it back to the Games or not.”
Six full weeks with a man she couldn’t stop picturing naked? Six full weeks keeping her hands off a man who’d shown her more pleasure in one night than all her other boyfriends combined?
“Does he know about this?” she asked.
“Not the second part. And it would be better if we kept it that way.”
“Why?”