Page 13 of Play the Last Track
“And, I have five candidates for you to look over for your new girlfriend. I’ve gone for brunettes. You still prefer those, don’t you?”
“Something tells me he’s more interested in blondes these days.”
“Shut up, Harvey,” I hiss. “Hollie, no. I said I’m not doing the girlfriend thing. It’s fucking weird, and while you say that these girls know what they’re getting themselves into, I don’t fucking believe you. They will get attached, and when I break up with them, they’ll write a tell-all about it.”
“Oh my god,” Ivy says as she slides into the seat next to me. Scott looks noticeably upset that he’s not closer to her, so to add insult to injury, I stretch my arm across the back of the booth and over Ivy’s shoulder. “You sound more dramatic than Scott.”
“Heisbeing more dramatic. People do this all the time, Flynn.” Hollie locks her iPad and places it on the table again. “You wouldbe so surprised how common this is. Justin and Hailey. Tom and Zendaya. Timothée and Kylie, although they are the real deal now, I believe. It’scommon.”
“What the hell are you on about? They are all still together,” I say.
“Yes, well, their fuck ups were bigger than yours,” Hollie responds with a shrug. Her phone buzzes on the table, and she glances at it before sighing and flipping it over.
“I’m not doing it, Hollie.”
“Yes, you are, Flynn.” She slides the iPad across to me, a headshot of a girl illuminated. She’s pretty. Brown hair, brown eyes, cute smile.
“Now, once you pick a girl, I will arrange a meeting with her and her management team, and we can go over a contract. There is normally a non-disclosure put in place, and we set out the terms. How many dates, physical touch guidelines, housing arrangements—”
“Housing arrangements?” Scott asks, curious. I shoot him a glare.
“Normally, they have to be seen staying or at least coming and going at times that make itlooklike they were staying at your place. It’s all about public perception, so it’s important that we stage the right photographs and send the right message. She doesn’t have to move in, but it’s best she does.”
“You want this stranger to move in with me? Are you insane?”
“Only if they agree to. It’s much easier, but we can work it out if she doesn’t.” Hollie taps the iPad. “Whoever you pick will come to every home game. You will eat meals in public with her, get seen at places like the gym, pump gas into her car.Boyfriend-type things.”
I look down at the girl again. She really is pretty.
But she’s not blonde. Her eyes aren’t blue. She doesn’t havehersmile.
Dammit.
I slide the iPad back. “No.”
“Well, if you won’t take a girl I found, we will have to find you another.” Hollie turns her head, scanning the bar like she’s going to pick a girl from the crowd.
Scott laughs and smirks over his glass, murmuring, “There might be one here he’d fancy.”
“Who?” Hollie’s attention snaps to Scott, and he smiles even harder. I can feel my face heating, and I sink lower in the booth. Ivy is giggling behind her hand, and I gently slap her arm.
“Stop it. Be on my side,” I whisper to her.
“I actually think this plan is genius. A girlfriend might do you good,” she whispers back.
“It’s afakegirlfriend. How will that help anything?”
“It doesn’t have to be fake.” She raises her brows before turning back to the table. Hollie is still glancing around the bar.
Before I can get her attention, rebuff her plans, or say no to this plan for the millionth time, Hollie’s attention catches on something else.
Someone else.
No. No, no,no.
“Who is that?” She points to the bar.
“Oh, that’s Katie. My best friend,” Ivy says calmly.
