Page 19 of The Baller

“He’s paid to follow me.” A smile broke across her face, and I almost forgot why we were standing here. Hell, I almost forgot my own name. “I can’t believe you thought he was a creeper.”

My eyes flicked up over her head to whereJakewasstanding with his arms crossed, and locked onto his steely glare. “He looks like one.”

One of the agents dropped his head, though not before I clocked his lips quivering in a smirk. The other two didn’t even bother to hide their amusement.

When I looked back down at Goldilocks, her expression had also changed, though I wouldn’t call it amusement; more curiosity. Then she held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

“What?”

“Now, before I change my mind.” I did as I was told, watching her face illuminate from the glow of the screen as she tapped her number into my contacts.

My fists clenched before they did something stupid, like run a finger across her cheek to see if her freckles were really dancing. I settled for a brush of my thumb on her hand as I took my phone back, and I swear electricity jolted my entire body.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Radley, and I’m going now.” She turned to walk off before spinning back around. “Don’t make me regret it.”

This time, I wasn’t treated to a backward glance. Best friend walked with her, along with two of the agents.

Radley. Radley. Radley.

I glanced around; Ace was standing there with his head bent forward, Parker behind him. Tanner was still sitting on the ground, while G.I. Joe and the other one left, quietly talking between themselves.

Radley.

Her name was too unusual to be a coincidence.

That’swhat Parker had been hissing about. He’d realized who she was… And I’d been knocked on my ass by the Secret Service.

That’swhy I knew her.

Radley Andrews.

The only daughter of President Emily Andrews.

Yup. I’d been hitting on the President’s daughter.

Crap.

FIVE

RADLEY

“Oh my God,Rad, stop thinking about it. It’s not a big deal you gave your number to a guy.” Millie thrust a coffee into my hands, and I wrapped my cold fingers around the warm cupholder. “No, I’m wrong. It’s a huge deal, and I’m proud of you. A bar and a guy’s number in twelve hours. I’m going to run out of pride at this rate, and Doctor Jessops is going to find herself out of a job.”

“Millie...”

“Kidding, I’m never going to run out of pride for you, Rad.” She licked away the cream which had escaped through the lid of her coffee, because Millie always had to have extra cream, and at least today it wasn’t all over her face. “If he doesn’t call, that’s not a big deal. But he will call. There’s nothing to regret, so wipe that look off yourface, please.”

Big surprise, I regretted it.

Though I was undecided if I regretted it because I shouldn’t have done it in the first place, or because he hadn’t called yet. Or,orbecause he was an athlete and probably had girls throwing their number at him on an hourly basis.

I gave my number to a baseball player. The media would love that if they ever found out.

Before I could stop it, the telltale signs of a cringe flurried down my spine and my shoulders shuddered violently as I shrunk into my jacket.

Yep.Cringe.

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