Page 40 of Let It Be Me
“Look, I know this thing between us has an expiration date. But you can’t expect to never meet my parents. Whether you stayed as my publicist or as my fake girlfriend, it was going to happen,” he tells me and that explanation slowly brings me back down to earth as if he was thinking of us as more than what we’re contractually stated. Which he’s right. I would have to meet his parents. I’ve met my other clients' parents. But under this circumstance is not how I wanted that to happen.
“I don’t want people in your life to get hurt,” I confess. “That includes you.”
“Hey,” he starts and turns me on the barstool, putting my legs between his spread ones. “I am going to be fine. I know what this is and I know what this isn’t. You don’t haveto worry. We just need to keep up for public appearance sake.”
“Okay. So touchy-feely in public and distant behind closed doors. Got it.”
Riley nods and stands up from his stool, placing a kiss on the top of my head and taking our plates to the sink. When he does things like that, it makes me wonder if he knows the rules that are in place. Because while his words say one thing his actions say something completely different.
I bring my laptop to the bar and get to work on emailing brands for Eli. While he may not love being in front of a camera, the camera loves him. I also send him some of the pictures the photographer sent over from his shoot. With his off season looming closer and closer, I do want him to take a break from the spotlight. But that doesn’t mean I stop working for him.
Me: Tell your mom and sister I miss them.
Nate: Mom wants to have dinner when she’s in town.
Me: Just let me know when.
Most publicists and agents are against mixing business with pleasure. But I find in doing that my working relationship with my clients gets stronger.
“Hey, Riley, did you get a new agent?” I ask him without looking up from my screen.
“That’s what I’ve been forgetting. No. Also none have been the right fit for me.”
I look up at him and see his furrowed brow. What I’m beginning to slowly learn about Riley is that he wants specific people on his team.
“Let me see if Mason’s agent is looking for another athlete. Is that okay?”
“Really? I mean, his agent is legendary.” He looks like a kid in a candy shop at the suggestion of Mason’s agent possibly representing him.
“Yeah,” I say with a smile. “I can reach out to him next week. But for now you’re stuck with me.”
He shuts the water off and dries his hands on the towel that’s hanging on the stove. “It’s better than being agent-less and not knowing if the front office is making moves without me knowing would be terrifying. I could be jobless right now and not know it.”
I pick up my phone and look back at Riley. “Well I haven’t gotten any ESPN notifications, so you’re good for now,” I joke.
“Funny,” he volleys back and looks at the time on his watch. “I have to get ready to head out. Do you need the address?”
I shake my head slowly. “I can just look it up.”
He nods and heads to his room to get ready. I turn my attention back to my laptop. With Mason coming to the end of his career, Nate in the playoffs, and Marcus in preseason training, my calendar is so far organized. Despite them all playing around the same months, I still have a moment to breathe. So maybe I should pick up a short-term hobby? It couldn’t hurt. I get to looking up workout classes in Cincinnati when Riley walks out of his room with a duffel in his hand. He strolls over to where I’m still camped out on my barstool and looks over my shoulder.
“Nosey much?” I ask and close my laptop a little.
Riley whistles nonchalantly on the way to the refrigerator, the sound of it opening breaks up the sound of my heart beating louder than I thought possible. I must be out ofshape.You’re sitting down.I shut my inner voice down and watch as Riley grabs an electrolyte drink from the fridge and turns to meet my expectant stare.
“So, I’ll see you after the game?”
“Yep,” I say, popping thepin a way to hopefully cover up the breathiness in my voice.
What’s the protocol? We just stated that in private we keep our distance. But why does it feel like second nature to give him a hug and kiss goodbye? It seems Riley is having the same mental war but decides nothing is better.
“Okay. Well I’ll see you later.” Riley says and walks back over to his discarded duffle bag.
“Score a touchdown.” I joke and turn back to my laptop with a smile on my face.
Riley leaves with a chuckle and the door closing, leaving me with his cats, sends my heart into my throat. I can do this. I can get through six months of being his fake girlfriend and come out completely unscathed. I can play the doting girlfriend and not get attached. I. Can. Do. This.
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