Page 1 of Fighting Fate
Chapter One
EitherChipperBrownkneweveryone on the planet, or the guy was stalking him. Baylor leaned toward the second. This was the fifteenth wedding in a row with Chipper as a guest. As the MMA light heavyweight champion, the guy likely knew a ton of celebrities. But Baylor didn’t recall seeing him before a year ago and he hadn’t stopped popping up everywhere since.
Baylor had been the wedding planner for the stars for nearly five years. His career had skyrocketed after the first big party he put together and hadn’t stopped since. It was all thanks to his best friend Bandit. In high school, they had been inseparable. Then Bandit had gotten picked up by a professional soccer team, and being Bandit, he hadn’t left Baylor behind. Baylor had always had an eye for decor, and a knack for organizing while keeping people in line. When one of Bandit’s teammates had mentioned wanting to put together a huge party for his son’s first birthday, Bandit had shoved Baylor in his path. The next thing Baylor knew, life had taken a huge turn, and he had so many clients, he barely kept up. Sometimes, it was lonely. It was always exhausting. That didn’t mean he needed a man like Chipper.
Chipper was everything a person would expect from a champion. He was perfectly sculpted and moved like a lion. The guy also had the most beautiful light brown eyes Baylor had ever seen, framed by long, dark lashes. He was also cocky, grating, and obviously thought the entire world revolved around his dick. Baylor wasn’t unaware God had favorites. That didn’t mean he would fall to his knees.
Tonight, Baylor felt the last five years of not sitting still. The backs of his eyes ached. An invisible weight seemed to sit on his shoulders and chest. He prayed he wasn’t getting sick because he did not have time for that bullshit. As always, he bustled from one place to the next, ensuring his client’s wedding went smoothly and stress free… for them. Baylor had five hundred guests to keep in line. He had to take a break.
His gaze slid across the reception hall. Everyone danced and drank. Things were winding down. The happy couple had already left for the night and the stragglers would be kicked out by staff at the end of the night. Then a cleaning crew would take care of the rest. The rental company for the decorations would pick up everything in the morning from the venue. Baylor’s job was complete. His shoulders relaxed.
A pain bloomed behind his left eye. Baylor headed for the door. He needed the night air to clear his head. It was the perfect temperature in Southern California. Thankfully, since this was his favorite place to work, he did most weddings here. The majority of his clients lived in California and didn’t have time to deal with a huge wedding somewhere else. It was the athletes that kept him hopping all over the U.S. He didn’t mind. Baylor had gotten to see the country. There was nothing back home except Bandit, and he was usually too busy for Baylor these days.
Baylor sucked in a deep breath. His skin itched. Tonight, something felt lacking. There was an emptiness threatening to swallow him.
“Hello, beautiful.”
Baylor jumped at Chipper’s sudden appearance. Despite his surprise, he couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling. “Is there anyone you don’t think is beautiful?”
An unrepentant and sigh-worthy smile stretched Chipper’s lips. His expression quickly turned thoughtful. He scratched his chin. “Maybe mean people.”
“So you just lied to me a second ago, then?”
Chipper laughed. “You’re not mean. I think you’re just shy.”
Baylor scoffed. “I’m definitely not shy.”
“Well, you’re actually speaking to me tonight.”
“You’re a customer now,” Baylor shot back, refusing to let Chipper’s fat head grow. Chipper had hired him to throw a surprise birthday party for a friend. They hadn’t worked out all the details yet. Mostly because of Baylor dodging him. He couldn’t do that forever, though. Baylor couldn’t damage his reputation just because Chipper made him crazy.
“Since you brought it up.” Chipper’s expression screamed Baylor had fallen into his trap.
Baylor opened his mouth to make more excuses about why they hadn’t met to discuss things. His head spun so hard and fast, his arm shot out, seeking purchase. There was nothing there.
Then Chipper caught him. “Whoa. Are you okay? You’re looking kind of pale.”
Baylor cleared his throat and tried to straighten. “I just need to eat, I’m sure.”
Chipper’s concern didn’t ebb. His gaze moved over Baylor’s face. At least Baylor thought it did. Everything kept spinning. “Nah. That’s not it. You’re burning up.” Chipper touched Baylor’s forehead with the back of his hand. Baylor wanted to move from Chipper’s arms, but his body wouldn’t obey.
“You definitely have a fever. When was the last time you took a break?”
Baylor tried to think. Chills set in, making his teeth chatter. His knees weakened.
“Holy shit.” Chipper swept Baylor off his feet. “You need a fucking keeper.”
Baylor felt like reality slowly slipped away. He couldn’t even think clearly enough to argue.
“Someone should definitely fucking spank you and put you in timeout. You’ll fucking kill yourself with the schedule you keep.”
Baylor felt his body floating. The sky moved above him. Chipper stared straight ahead. He shuffled around, easily shifting Baylor’s body from arm to arm. Then Baylor heard the chirp of a car alarm.
“I’d ask you where you’re staying, but I won’t risk you dying. No doubt you’d do something stupid the minute I left you alone—like try to go back to work. I don’t understand why Bandit allows this.”
That last bit spurred him enough to force a few words out. “No one allows me anything.”
Chipper looked down. He looked a lot more worried than he had a minute ago. That couldn’t be good. “You sound weak as hell. Don’t worry, though. I’m an awesome nurse.”
