Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 148473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
I want to be hopeful even with the Sea Dogs job falling through. But I feel my career teetering on the precipice of disaster. Like soon I’ll have to decide if I should throw in the towel.
But that’s too heavy a topic for today, and I focus on the positive. “Plus, Leighton is going to take pics of some of my mirrors and vases for my site and my social.” I give Leighton a one-armed hug. It’s awkward with her next to me in the booth, but I don’t mind.
“I can photograph you live painting, too, if you want,” Leighton suggests ever the savvy young businesswoman. “You can put that on your site.”
I let out a low whistle. “You’re good. You’re very good.”
“See?” Everly says brightly. “Even if the mural doesn’t happen, you’re working all the angles. And it’s wise to look for ways to expand your opportunities. You never know where the next gig will come from.”
“Sounds like the date in Vegas is coming at a good time,” Fable puts in. “You can get away for the night and then come back refreshed and ready to jump right back into it at the party.”
Or I’ll dive into some serious self-talk about whether or not my painting dreams are circling the drain. But I don’t mention that here.
“Exactly,” I say. “Flight’s early this afternoon. I’ve got my playlist for the plane to get in an Outrageous Record state of mind. I’ve got my favorite little skirt and a pair of cute pink boots for the show. And then I plan to enjoy a fantastic night’s sleep at The Extravagant Hotel. The band put together a nice package. I’m a big fan of hotel beds. I might even start a fan club.”
Fable’s hazel eyes widen. “You’re sharing a room with Asher?”
Laughing, I shake my head. “No. The package is for two rooms.”
“We have to request that,” Everly explains, all business. “When companies donate date packages to our player auctions, there can’t be any expectations of a romantic date at all.”
Fable’s brow furrows like she’s remembering something. “But a Renegades quarterback once fell in love with his best friend after one of these auctions. Wilder was telling me about it.” Wilder’s both her boss and boyfriend. “Cooper Armstrong, I think. But that was a while back. And back when the winning bids were twenty thousand dollars.”
Her tone’s hopeful and her glance speculative. My friends all have romance on their minds. No surprise—nearly all of them are happily paired up.
I can’t even imagine what a fulfilling partnership would be like in my life. How could I?
My mother always said, “Fulfill yourself first before you try to fulfill a partner.” Wise advice. My father was the opposite. All his happiness came from the way he worshiped my mother. Where did that blind adoration get him though, after her death?
His own end.
I breathe past the empty ache in my chest and focus on refuting Fable’s example. “Just because it happened to Cooper after a player auction doesn’t mean it’ll happen to us.”
Josie smiles impishly. “I don’t think we said anything would happen. But maybe it’s on your mind?”
I give her a pointed look. “It’s not,” I say. I’d be terrible for Asher for so many reasons. Hell, I’m terrible for me when it comes to romance. I’m terrified of losing people, so I hold on too tightly. And that painting kiss aside, our friendship works beautifully as is. I don’t want to risk anything more.
Fable hums, then tucks a strand of red hair behind her ear. “Seems like he likes putting up with you.”
“Well, we are friends,” I point out.
She laughs, shaking her head. “That’s not what I mean. I’ve seen the way you two are together.”
I frown, genuinely puzzled. “And?”
“And you kind of flirt with Asher,” she says with a knowing smile.
A flash of guilt lances through me. Like, wrapping my arms around him in public? Like, pretending he’s mine in front of that woman? Like, kissing him on the sidewalk? But that wasn’t even a real kiss. I can’t get caught up in it any more than I already did earlier in the week. “Fine, we like to tease each other,” I concede. “But it’s not really flirting. We’re just comfortable.”
Everly chuckles, taking a sip of her latte. “If that’s what you want to call it.”
“That’s what it is,” I say firmly.
Josie narrows her eyes at me. “But you did kiss him last week.”
I sit up straighter, caught off guard. I didn’t tell them about the kiss on the street. There wasn’t anything to tell, really. That kiss was to get Miranda off his back. “How did you know about that?”
Leighton seems to fight off a smile. “The Internet.”
Josie lifts a playful brow. “You know, that thing where people post pictures of other people?” She pulls out her phone and shows me a picture on the social media feed of someone with the handle SeaDogsfangirl. It must be someone who was at the auction. The picture is taken from a distance, and it’s dark, but there it is—Asher kissing me.