Page 54 of Playbook
“Nope. You’ll meet her today.”
He continues to stare at me with the same skeptical expression Archer had. “Youhave a girlfriend?”
I’d like to be insulted, but I get it. I’m not exactly boyfriend material. I think that’s what makes me such a great fake boyfriend. No feelings, no messy entanglements. It’s purely business.
London’s green eyes flash in my mind, followed by a picture of her last weekend in that green dress. My fake girlfriend is gorgeous, so that’s also a bonus.
I debate whether or not I should be honest with him. Archer is the keeper of so many of my secrets that hiding it from him never crossed my mind. But I haven’t known Cody that long. I don’t trust easily, but something tells me my new teammate will keep this to himself. At the end of the day, I’m doing it for myself but the team benefits. And if I know one thing about Cody St. James, it’s that he’s always doing what’s best for the team. I guess a part of me wants him toknow that I’ve heard his advice and I’m heeding it in my own way.
“We have an arrangement,” I say finally.
Cody stops in his tracks and narrows his gaze on me. “You didn’t hire a girl to be your date, did you? Because I swear to God if the next headline is about you paying escorts and bringing them to events with children, I’ll kick your ass.”
“No money is exchanging hands,” I promise.
He crosses both arms over his chest. We’re about the same height, but he’s bigger and years of training at an elite level have sculpted him into a powerhouse. “What the hell did you get yourself into, Six?”
FIFTEEN
“Do you think this is okay?” I face Alec with a tentative smile and arms held out to my sides.
He gives me a slow, bored once-over as he shovels another bite of Lucky Charms into his mouth. It’s almost noon, but he just woke up and is now getting to witness my meltdown.
“This event is outside, right?”
“Yeah,” I say slowly.
“You don’t think black pants might be hot?”
I glance down at the freshly-ironed material. “I was trying to look professional. I wore these when I interviewed at Channel 3.”
My roommate chuckles as he drops the spoon to the bowl. “It’s an outdoor community event, I don’t think business attire is how you want to show up if you’re trying to convince people you’re Brogan Six’s new girlfriend.”
I glare at him. I kind of wish I hadn’t told him, but I never would have been able to keep it from him. He thinks it’s hilarious and awesome, but he did make me promise to share my location with him just in case Brogan turns out to be a total creep.
I throw my hands up. I know he’s right, but I spent all morning going through my closet trying to find something to wear, and it turns out I don’t have anything suited for mingling with professional football players. Also, I’m nervous.
My palms are sweaty and it’s not because it’s a hundred degrees outside. Brogan is going to be here soon, and I’m not ready.
“Help me,” I whine. “I’m so far out of my depth here.”
“Lo, you’re a beautiful woman. Put on a pair of shorts and a plain T-shirt and call it a day. And don’t take this the wrong way, but no one is going to be looking at you if you’re standing next to the Mavericks’ players. They may not even be able to see you. You could hide behind one of their biceps.”
That does make me feel slightly better. But then I picture Brogan and the nerves ramp back up. He’ll notice. He doesn’t miss anything. And he was such a trooper at Sierra’s engagement dinner. He showed up looking amazing and played the part of my new boyfriend so well. I want to do a good job for him in return.
The trouble is I have no idea what is expected of me. Brogan wasn’t very explicit in the details. Just that we’d work some booths and mingle with people. Mingling as myself would be no big deal. I can blend in and chat about the weather or random things to pass the time. But mingling as Brogan Six’s girlfriend is a completely different story. My family didn’t question our relationship, but will his teammates? And oh god, what if they ask me about football? What position does Brogan even play?
“I have an idea.” Alec disappears down the hall toward his bedroom andreturns a few moments later with a wad of navy material. He tosses it at me. “Here you go.”
Holding it out in front of me, I smile at the large Mavericks shirt. It’s going to be big on me, but it’s better than the stiff button-down I’m wearing.
Five minutes before he’s supposed to arrive, there’s a hard knock on the door. My eyes widen and Alec smirks as he watches me tie the T-shirt into a knot on one side so it doesn’t look like I’m pantless.
At Alec’s suggestion I put on shorts and sneakers. The shoes are much more comfortable so that was a good idea since I imagine I’ll be standing or walking a lot. And the shirt is a nice touch, I hope. Go team, go, or whatever.
It’s very possible I’ve overthought this to an embarrassing degree, but here we are.
“You want me to get that?” Alec asks.
