Page 2 of The Air I Breathe

"No, Will." She shakes her head. "They don't know what they're doing when it comes to you. You've never had a guy make, like, a grand gesture for you. He’s telling the world on a podcast how much he wishes he could take you out on a date. It's got to be flattering."

That it is, but I can't admit that right here, right now. Not in front of everyone. I make a noise in the back of my throat, trying not to give anything away.

"I know the makeup artist who works with his wife on their podcast." She slips in that little tidbit.

"I'll think about it." I take another sip from my straw.

But the decision has already been made. I want to meet him, want to see if there's a spark between us in person. Glancing at the picture of his smiling face, I notice his eyes first. They're blue, just like mine, but instead of being cool and calculated, they're warm and inviting. His smile causes crinkles around his eyes, which says he does it a lot.

"Okay, you're done." Tara finishes with my red lipstick, and then stands back, admiring her handiwork.

The only thing I have left to do now is to get dressed in the glitter leotard hanging on the back of the door. I've always loved things that sparkle and shine.

"Hey." I throw the word out at her like an afterthought. "If you could get me that bracelet, I'd appreciate it."

"Girl." She winks at me. "Consider it done."

He could be a total weirdo, or just someone out to boost his own celebrity power. And I don’t know if I’ve even ready for something yet, not after my last relationship…but it’d be nice to have the option. Options are the spice of life. Little did I know, that bracelet would change the trajectory of my entire life.

Chapter Two

Willa

The lights of Tampa stretch out in front of me as I enter the hotel room. One thing I love about staying in hotels are the views. I have another show here in a couple of days, and I've worked in a bit of a break. It means I don't have to stay on the bus. I can sleep in a regular bed, take a bath, have a slightly normal schedule, and know where it is I'm waking up. How's that for a crazy Friday night?

"Do you want dinner?" Scott asks, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Yeah, but not anything carb heavy. If I can get something light and some ice cream, I'd really like that. Maybe grilled chicken, some veggies, and a sundae? Since I don't have a performance for a few days I won't have to carb load."

A soft smile spreads across his face. "If people only knew how seriously you have to take everything you put in your body. You're an athlete, whether they wanna admit it or not. I'll have it delivered up here to you.” He picks up his overnight bag and walks toward the door. “As you requested, the next two days are yours to do what you want."

"Thanks," I sigh. "I'm grateful. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do, but I just need a bit of time off."

"Be sure to run anything outside of this room with security, and enjoy your time. I'll send the food up—do you want an hour or so?"

"Please. Phat gives me time to wind down a little and take a shower."

He does something on his phone and then looks up at me. "Done. Enjoy your night. Get some good sleep, and if you need anything from me in the next few days, just let me know. Otherwise I'm gonna leave you to yourself."

I wave at him as he leaves the suite. On my own, I head for the amazing bathroom, draw a bath, and sink into the hot water. When I can't stand the shriveled skin of my fingers anymore, I get out and wrap my body in a towel.

"Willa?" Kevin, the senior security guard on my staff says from the doorway. "Your food is here."

"Thanks," I yell out to him. "If you could have them put it on the coffee table, I'd appreciate it."

Quickly I do my skincare, run a brush through my hair, and put on a pair of shorts, along with a sweatshirt. When I feel like a normal thirty-two-year-old woman, I step out, listening to the silence. There are times when I hate silence, and other times when I love it. After being in a stadium full of people? It's what I crave, and that's where I was tonight.

Sitting on the couch, I turn the TV on and lift the lid off the plate. The smell makes my stomach growl, and the first bite that hits my tongue is the best. Moaning, I swallow before taking a sip of my wine and starting to scroll through the TV channels. There's one playing nothing but One Chicago, and it's on Chicago PD, which is the superior of the Chicago shows in my opinion.

Putting the remote down, I settle in for a night of mindless TV. Just as I'm getting started on my ice cream, my phone buzzes, and I see the face of my brother, Conner. It's a text. Since I haven't talked to him in a few days, I open the phone and see what he's sent.

C: Put this man out of his misery. He's on my fantasy football team.

W: What are you talking about?

A video comes through. Blake's smiling face, red and sheepish, appears. "She still hasn't called me. I'm not giving up though."

C: I have a lot of money riding on my team this year. Don't fuck me over. Find the bracelet and give him a call.

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