Page 25 of Fore-Ever Yours

“Oh?” I gesture for Matthew to come over, shifting my focus back to work mode.

“I’m here.”

“The Precision Pro contract is in. John is reviewing it now.”

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Matthew says, clearly surprised.

“It’s all thanks to Beth. They are thrilled with the clips from the Play It Forward Tour event and the Savannah Marsh Classic. Do the same thing with Suncoast Classic this weekend. Let’s not forget that Betthew is all the rage right now. Let’s take it to the next level.”

Matthew looks at me, his green eyes intense enough to send a shiver down my spine. “What do we need to do?”

“Keep developing your relationship on camera. The fans are already loving it. Let’s give them a bit more.”

I swallow hard. “Whatever we need to do for Matthew.”

Chapter 10

Matthew

“WastheCoffeeLoftpicture a setup?”

“Nope, that’s the only honest part about our relationship. It’s what sparked the whole thing. It started going viral, thanks to the Madame C’s, and Travis thought it would be good to capitalize on it.” I place my elbows on the weathered wooden table and start turning the cold bottle of soda between my hands. “Obviously, I didn’t plan on it turning into this. We even signed our own contract with four rules. One of them being that nothing real can ever happen.”

I’m not one to vocalize my feelings, but the weight of it all is pressing down on me, and I need to talk to someone about it. That’s why I called Owen. He’s the type of guy to tell it to you straight. He’s reliable, and he’ll hold you accountable. That’s why I knew I could have him as my person to talk to about the contract and fake dating.

When he told me he was in town for a game, we agreed to meet up at this small burger joint. It felt like this was my chance to get advice on everything and figure out what to do next.

“C’mon, man. Just say it.” Owen leans forward and quietly says, “You like her.”

I’m unable to suppress the smile that creeps onto my lips as I think of Beth. “Yeah, she’s amazing. She’s kindhearted and has this way of lighting up a room with her presence. She’s intelligent and has this fierce determination. Her sense of humor is unlike anyone I’ve ever known, and the way I feel around her…”

A broad grin splits Owen’s face. “That’s what I thought.”

“But it’s not that simple.”

“Why not?”

I rake my hand through my hair. “I travel a lot. It’s demanding and exhausting.”

“And? She knew what she signed up for,” he counters with a shrug, as if it’s the simplest thing it the world.

I sigh. “Yeah, but it’s a fake relationship for a few months, not a real one. She has a new business and her own plans to think about.”And we agreed—no feelings.

“Have you talked to her about it?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“No…”

“Why don’t you do that before worrying about imaginary problems?” Owen suggests, a sly smirk grows on his face. “She might not even like you back.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Way to boost a guy’s confidence.”

“I’m just saying, those are things to figure out together.” His tone is steady and reassuring. “It’s good that you’re thinking about her too. But I think you have to talk to her about it first. Then y’all can handle the obstacles together.”

“Yeah, I guess,” I admit, rubbing the back of my neck where tension has settled. “It’s just…what if it doesn’t work out?”

“Then it doesn’t.” Owen shrugs nonchalantly. “You move on. But you’ll never know unless you try.”

“We still have half of the contract time left. Maybe I’ll just wait. I need to focus on the game anyway.”

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