Page 101 of Hitting the Gap

She sputtered as the water hit her mouth. “Hey Mr. Impatient I’m still gonna need conditioner.”

“Je-sus,” he muttered.

Bailey giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m really glad you’re home,” she said.

“Me too, babe. Me too.”

Chapter 23

Still riding the high from his meeting with his agent, Gonzo pushed open the apartment door, eager to see Bailey. When he saw her sitting on the floor at the coffee table, papers spread out in every direction around her, he smiled. “We do have a table, you know,” he teased.

Bailey looked up and smiled. “I know, but I like to have everything within arm’s reach when I’m marking and sitting on the floor makes it feel less like work than being at a table.”

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Has anyone ever told you you’re weird?”

“Just you.” She scrunched up her nose, her eyes twinkled with amusement as she looked up at him. Bailey shifted herself so her back rested against the sofa. “How come you look so happy?”

“My agent stopped by the stadium this morning and we grabbed a quick bite after my workout.”

“Does he normally do that?”

“Yeah, Brian usually stops in whenever he’s in town, and we grab a beer or something.”

“That’s nice. So what did he have to say that has you looking like you’re about to bounce out of your shoes?”

“I’m not ready to bounce out of my shoes,” he grumbled. But he would be if what Brian said was true. “So not sure if you remember I’m a free agent after this season.”

Bailey’s spine stiffened. “No, I didn’t.”

“Right, well, I am. So the fact I’m having the best season of my career couldn’t be coming at a better time and Brian wanted to run some scenarios by me to start thinking about.”

Bailey pushed off the floor and onto the couch. She placed her hands in her lap nervously. “Scenarios? So, like possibly moving?”

Why’d she look so nervous? Did she really think he’d consider moving anywhere without her? He pulled the coffee table across the carpet closer to the couch and sat down on it, so he was facing her. Adjusting his thighs so they were on either side of her legs, he moved closer and picked up her hands. “This is a good thing, babe. You don’t need to look worried.”

“You possibly moving is a good thing?”

“I don’t know what’s happening yet. We won’t even start discussions until after the season is over, but Brian was in town and wanted to get a feel for what I was thinking.”

“Okay? And what are you thinking?”

“From what Brian said with the past couple seasons for the Hawks and my record, I could lock into a career making contract.” He couldn’t help the smile that split across his face. “He’s talking insane money.” He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him. “If I can pull in even half of what Brian thinks he’ll be able to get me, this would be more money than I ever dreamed of making playing ball.”

After a couple seconds, he registered Bailey was slightly stiff in his arms. He set her back against the couch. “What?”

“So you’d be leaving San Diego?”

“Yeah probably, I don’t think San Diego will offer me the kind of money Brian is talking about.”

Bailey’s mouth tightened and she nodded her head slowly.

He grabbed her hands. “Bay, of course I want you to come with me wherever I end up.”

“You want me to come with you to wherever you end up?” She slowly spoke the words in that way she did before she blew up.

What the fuck? Why was she pissed? He’d just told her he wanted her to move with him.

“Well, yeah, of course. Did you really think I’d want to move without you?” he asked.

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