Page 77 of Over the Moon

“You have great bone structure,” she said. “But I have to side with them. This is a risky plan. Clark’s just not an asshole. But Randall, on the other hand, sounds like a real douche-weiner.”

We all broke out in a fit of laughter at her choice of words.

“Well, Clark has adapted quickly to being an asshole the last few days,” I said, feeling that lump in my throat form again.

Lulu bent down with the pink makeup sponge and started applying something beneath my eyes. I wasn’t used to wearing much makeup, but I wanted to look like a professional tonight and not like I was here on vacation.

“El, I say this as your friend, okay?” Lulu said, as she continued blotting my face.

“Okay?” I said, but it came out more like a question.

“I think you’re misreading him. And trust me, I was a big manhater for a long time before I met my goofy guy.” She smiled and shook her head.

“Stay on point, Lu,” Henley chuckled.

“Yes, right. Okay, so I think he’s probably acting this way because you crushed him a little bit after the date.” She held my chin between her thumb and pointer finger, turning it from side to side and praising her work. “Stunning.”

“Crushed him? What? How did I crush him?”

“Listen, I’m not supposed to know this. Those Chadwick boys are like vaults with the things they share,” she said. “But I heard Rafe on the phone with him the day after your date, and he was wounded. He said you didn’t mention anything about that night, and you were adamant that it never happen again. And then I heard him mention that you asked him to act like he can’t stand you in front of your father. He sounded pretty upset.”

My chest squeezed at her words.

“That date was amazing, but what am I supposed to do? The owner of the team, the trainer I answer to, and my father are all coming to town. It’s just a reminder that we shouldn’t even go there. We’ll be back in the city in three weeks. I can’t date a player on the team—not that he even wants to date me. For him, this is just something he’s having fun with. I’m not a casual girl. I’ve also worked really, really hard for my job, you know?” I swiped at the tear running down my cheek. “And my father went out on a limb to get me the interview. This would be really bad for him. I could never do that to him.”

“Hey.” Lulu bent down in front of me and smiled. “Trust me, I get it. I went through something similar a few months ago when I moved to Paris. I left the man I loved because I needed to do that for myself.”

Henley moved beside me and squeezed my hand. “I totally understand your hesitation. It’s a lot to risk for something that’s very new and still unknown.”

“And let’s not forget that Clark doesn’t even do relationships. So I’d humiliate my dad and lose my job and my reputation when he could easily kick me to the curb,” I said.

“There’s a lot at risk. But maybe you can tell him he doesn’t have to hate you after they leave,” Emilia said, as she sat on the bed, smiling at me. “He might have thought that you meant he has to act that way moving forward.”

“Yeah. I kind of freaked out when I found out they were coming to town. I probably overreacted, and we should have just acted normal, like we were friends. I just got in my head, I think. But honestly, it’s because of how much I like him. It freaks me out. I like him a lot. Too much,” I finally said, feeling so vulnerable and anxious as the words left my mouth. “I thought I needed to overcompensate because I feel like everyone can tell how I feel.”

“Listen, you are right to be concerned. You are a woman in a man’s world professionally. I get it. You need to protect yourself. But I promise you, you can trust Clark. You can even tell him how you feel. Even though you can’t go there, he’ll understand. You are justified in not wanting to risk everything for something that might not go anywhere, but you can talk to Clark about this. You two can still be friends and not cross the line. I mean, you didn’t sleep with the guy, so you're already stronger than most women who would have gone for it,” Lulu said.

“I agree. You are strong and smart and fierce, Eloise Gable.” Henley squeezed my hand. “And if you decide to go for it and keep it a secret, we support that, too.”

“Gahhhh… I love my book besties,” Emilia said over her laughter. “Girls rule, and boys drool.”

Lulu shook her head and laughed. “I used to saygirls are cool, and boys are fools.”

“I do remember that phase,” Henley chuckled. “Anyway, you’ve got this tonight. You have been training Clark for over two months, and even he says he’s in the best shape of his life, and that’s after coming off an injury. You’re amazing at your job, and that’s what tonight should be about.”

“Yes. And Clark will follow your lead. So just go there and act like you normally do with him. Part of being good at your job is connecting with the athletes. He trusts you to train him, and that says a lot about your relationship right there,” Emilia said.

I nodded. “Thank you. I feel much better.”

“That’s called a damn good bitch squad,” Lulu said.

“It’s girl squad. Not bitch squad.” Henley gaped at her bestie.

“To-may-to. To-mot-to.” Lulu shrugged and told me to close my eyes as she applied shadow to my lids.

I slipped into my black silk midi skirt and white blouse before sitting down on my bed to put on my favorite nude heels.

I glanced in the mirror, shocked by how different I looked all done up. My hair was pulled back, my makeup really defined my cheekbones, and my eyes looked twice as big. I applied some pink lipstick and puckered before making a popping sound that made everyone laugh.

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