Page 20 of Hard Ball

“Actually, you’re working nights the next few days. I’ve been taking your shifts and I’m sick and tired of it, so you’ll be closing and I’ll be leaving early.”

“What!” she screams. “You can’t do that.”

I raise an eyebrow asking her to question me.

“I’m going to talk to Henry.”

I smile as I quickly send him a text explaining everything, letting him know he can’t budge on this.

“Go right ahead, now, unlike some people, I have actual work to do. So, if you’ll excuse me…” I take my eyes off her, ignoring her huffing as I try and distract myself from the image of her and Josh together.

9

Josh

I wake to the sound of my phone going off on the bedside table. I groan, looking at the open windows and still seeing darkness. This can’t be good. When I pick up my phone and see it’s my agent, my chest begins to ache because the only reason he ever calls this early is because some shit hit the fan.

“There better be a good reason for this phone call, Justin.” My voice is groggy from sleep, and when I take a peek at my clock and see that it isn’t even six in the morning, I silently curse.

“Sorry to wake you this early, I know it’s game day.”

I lay my head back on my pillow, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for him to get to the point.

“Okay, I won’t sugarcoat this. Paparazzi were at the game last night.”

I roll my eyes because this is not news to me, I saw them there.

“And your point?” My anger is directed more at the fact that I would rather sleep for another few hours and not be on this phone call.

“Did you by chance hang out with a pretty blonde girl while you were there?” I crinkle my brow, wondering how they got a picture of Harper and me together, then the night comes back to me and I sit straight up. They didn’t get a picture of Harper; they got a picture of that other chick. What was her name? Angela?

“Fuck,” I curse, probably for a completely different reason than he thinks.

“I know it’s not that big of a deal to be photographed with a woman, especially at an event like that, but I wanted to let you know that this might cause more of a media circus than you usually receive. Might even get some questions when you do press today. I just wanted to warn you.”

I sigh, thankful he told me but silently wondering why this couldn’t have just been an email.

“Thanks for letting me know.” There’s a silence on the other end, and I take a breath, knowing what question is coming.

“Do I need to know anything about this girl? You dating her?”

A laugh bursts out of my chest at the thought of dating someone like Angela. Although she’s a perfectly beautiful woman, the only blonde I want in my life can’t stand to be around me right now.

“Nothing to worry about. She came over to talk to me, that’s it.”

Justin makes a satisfied noise before he tells me goodbye and hangs up the phone.

Before I think better of it, I open my phone and find the website I know has the pictures I’m looking for. The second the images load, I close my eyes, regretting ever going to that game. The pictures look like we’re dating, her hand on my knee, me smiling in her direction and the loving look in her eyes. It’s naïve of me to think that Harper won’t see these, and that breaks me a little.

I want her. There is something about her that draws me in, like a moth to a flame, and now with these pictures out in the world? Convincing her that we’re meant to be will be a whole lot harder.

On my way to the stadium, I stop at a local coffee shop that’s close to the gym. My eyes automatically scan the area, hoping to see a glimpse of Harper while I’m here, hoping I can explain everything, but she’s not here.

“Can I help you?” the barista calls, shaking me out of my own head. I give her my order, pay, and then wait off to the side.

“Well, well, well, fancy seeing you here.” I turn to find Angela standing to my left, her eyes scanning from my chest to my eyes and back again. “I didn’t know you came here for coffee.”

“I don’t. Not normally,” I admit, wanting the barista to make my coffee faster so I can get the hell out of here.

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