Page 26 of Protecting Player #73
Her jaw drops, and tears fill her eyes; however, before she can answer, we’re called inside to grab some drinks and join the older couple on the back patio for a BBQ.
Chapter 18
Brea
Today is my second day off in a row, a rarity since beginning to work for the Settlers. The team has meetings and video reviews to go through before traveling to Vegas for their next game. A trip Adeline and I are also going on. We’re making a girls’ weekend of it. I’ll be on the sidelines with the media tents, so I can still catch footage of the game, which is why I’m out shopping today to find a better long-range lens for my camera.
That thing about Vegas, though… I never did answer T.K.’s question at my parents’ house last night. Or rather, demand. He’s mentioned several times wanting to wife me, but I’ve always laughed and brushed him off. However, last night was a palpable need for him. And it’s more than about sex. He wants me to be his in every way possible. What I haven’t expressed to him is that I want the same. Hopefully, going to the Vegas game should be enough of an answer for him, which means I also need a wedding dress.
Excited nervous energy causes my giddiness, and I quickly locate the lens I need before exiting the store and searchingonline for the nearest wedding apparel boutique. I then text Adeline to meet me there if she could.
The dress shop is only a few blocks away, so I walk since it’s such a gorgeous day. Unusual for this time of year in Portland, so I feel pretty lucky.
As I wait at the corner to cross the street, someone stops next to me. Nothing out of the ordinary. However, the woman reaches up to grip one of my braids, forcing me to look at her and take a step back.
“Excuse me.” My eyes narrow because she seems familiar, but I’m not sure why.
“I was just admiring your…style.” It’s not a compliment. “Not many girls could pull this look off.” There’s a cautioning gleam in her eyes.
The light changes, and I begin walking. She keeps pace with me but remains a step or two behind. “You know you really are beautiful. I can see why he likes you.”
I nearly stop dead in my tracks to ask what she’s talking about, but it’s not until we’re a few storefronts down from my destination that I finally confront her. “Is there something I can help you with…?” I’m hoping for a name.
“Erika.” She smiles sweetly, and my heart drops to my toes.
“Erika Morris?”
Her smile brightens while her eyes…they don’t reflect any sort of happiness or excitement.
“That’s me. I must say, Brea, the camera doesn’t do you justice. We do have a problem, however, because you’re stealing my man.” She says it like she believes it, and, in her delusion, it’s true.
“I’m going to need you to leave me alone.” I won’t entertain her craziness, but I’m not going to antagonize her either.
Her head tilts to the side like she’s studying me, and I don’t know whether to flag someone down for help or walk away. Theproblem with Erika is that she’s unpredictable, and I don’t wish to get murdered because I make a wrong move.
“Brea.” She reaches for me, but I shift away before her fingers touch my arm. “I only want to have a woman-to-woman talk. T.K. is mine. He has been for a long time.”
“Is that why you shared intimate moments with the press? An effort to ruin his career?” Just thinking about it makes me angry. Not out of possessiveness, though I am, but because she could have killed his career in its prime.
A humorless laugh spouts from her mouth, and it sounds a little unhinged, so I take another step back, closer to a business’s front door. “Ruin him? I would never. But your Little Miss Innocent act is getting tiresome.”
“Brea!” Adeline parks her car in front of the shop we’ve stopped at and waves from her open window. “I almost couldn’t make it. That boss of mine likes to yap my ear off during my lunch breaks.” Her eyes shift from me to Erika and back, and she seems to know more than I do. “Who’s this?” My friend approaches us, and Erika finally takes a step back. “Are we shopping together?”
“What are we shopping for?” Erika asks, her attention on Addy, so I quickly glance back and notice an antique store right behind us, and lie my ass off.
“Antiques. My mom collects old vases, and her birthday is coming up.”
Addy nods along and moves to open the door, the tinkling bell alerting the owner of our presence.
“Just leave him alone, Brea,” Erika warns before walking off.
“What was that about?” Addy murmurs as we enter the store, dresses forgotten for the moment.
“She was warning me off of Tate.” Something I should have expected but didn’t. “I might have to get a restraining order.”
“Probably a good idea. Have you told T.K. yet?” I nod as we amble through the aisles, spotting a vase I think Mom will love. At least it wasn’t a total lie. “How’d he react?”
“He was big mad. He wasn’t thrilled that I hid it from him, but he understood why. Things got…heated.” My cheeks flush, burning up to the roots of my hair, and when Adeline turns to glance at me, she smothers a laugh with her palm.
