Page 45 of The Wrong Move

Do you have plans for tonight?

Jobe looks down at the screen. “So, Giana and you are a thing?”

“No labels, brother. But we are enjoying each other’s company.”

He laughs. “Yeah, there’s a label. You couldn’t wait to text her.”

“How many women do you text a day? None of them have a label.”

He straightens his designer shirt’s collar. “The only notable labels are on my body.”

I shake my head. My brother is five years older than me and not the slightest bit interested in monogamy.

He gives me a pointed look. “Frank and you are more alike than you care to admit,” he says. “It comes with obsessive control and an organized life.”

“Your business controls your life as much as ours.”

His dark eyes are full of humor. “Yes, but I keep the fun in my life, and no one tells me what to do or how to behave. Hendricks Capital Management runs Frank’s life, and now he is consumedby his little family. Your coach and thegameutterly consume you to a point you have become someone you might not have otherwise grown to be. Watching our father and brother’s behavior when we were teenagers led us on different paths to them. While we still have a desire to live the high life, neither of us saw success in the same light. Fortunately, we inherited the same determination to succeed in whatever path we chose.”

The elevator doors open.

Jobe maintains the same stride as me, even though I’m taller than him. “So, you don’t think I’m in control of my future?” I can’t see his face, so it’s hard to read him.

“What happens if your coach decides to bench you? Or he leaves and the new coach replaces you? Regardless of how hard you train, your future depends on someone else, whether they like you or not, and whether they think you’re a good fit for the team.”

“I spent my entire life trying to fit in, and I’ve perfected my ball skills. If Coach shows any signs of being unhappy with my game, I’ll work on it and prove myself on the court.”

He pulls up once we are on the pavement and stares at me as though I have missed a crucial point. “The game controls you… you don’t control it. What if you get injured? Think of the repercussions if a new guard replaces you, proves themselves on the court, and Coach is hesitant to bring you back on the team. What if our father didn’t own the team? What if your injury is?—”

“I get it,” I snap.

He pats my shoulder. “Have a backup plan in place because distraction is another factor that will affect your game. And like Frank, I bet you fall hard.” He pats my shoulder again and leaves his hand there for a moment longer as though he wants to say more. His chin dips before he strides toward his driver.

I’m momentarily stuck on the spot. It’s as though he looked into a crystal ball and predicted my future. A coach who didn’tunderstand what I could bring to the game. Being benched. Injuries. Being forced into a line of work I hate. I usually box away all those fears in a dark place in the back of my mind.

I bet you fall hard.

It won’t happen with Giana undecided, if she even wants to stay in the country.

11

GIANA

Byron walksinto the restaurant wearing a burnt-orange button-up shirt. The color suits him. Not many people get away with that color, but with his tanned skin and the way the sleeves follow the contour of his powerful arms, he could wear anything and still look good. Behind him, a man in a black suit enters and remains near the corner. He scans the room, then returns his gaze to Byron.

Unseen but near if he needs him.

Byron lifts his chin as he sees us at a table at the back of the room at a table he requested. Before he manages another step, Jessica obstructs his path.

Did she dine in this restaurant?

“Jessica and her sister are here.” Paige sounds as surprised as me. I go to wave at her, but she turns to Byron, hugs him, and leaves one manicured hand on his shoulder. It appears she is introducing him to her sister. Is there something between them?

“Oh dear,” Paige murmurs from behind me. There’s a part of me that is concerned. Eyes forward, I watch to see what happens next. Byron lifts Jessica’s hand and drops it off his shoulder. Then there is a deliberate step back to add distance between them.

I can just make out what they’re saying. He is not rude but tells both girls in a strong voice that he is late for his date.

Date.

---