Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Okay,” I said, not even knowing words were coming out of my mouth. “Okay, I’ll do it.” I didn’t have to talk to my family. I was going to be twenty-three. I could make my own decisions and this was the biggest one I’d ever make.
He clapped his hands, beaming. “You won’t be sorry.”
I picked up the glass of water again. “Oh, the question is will you be sorry when Cooper and Matthew find out that I’ll be traveling with the team of fifty men?” I smile, thinking about them blowing a gasket.
“Now that’s a phone call I would kill to be a part of.”
Sitting down, I brought my phone out and Facetimed them. I swallowed as they answered.
“So, princess, what is this meeting about?”
My mom put her hand on his arm. “Cooper, you need to relax.”
“So I got a job offer.”
“Did you?” Mom asked, surprised at this news. “That’s amazing! Doing what?”
I looked at my mom and then at Cooper. “Doug offered me a job with the team as their PR.”
Mom’s smile went slowly away as the tic in Cooper’s head bulged.
“No. Not a fucking chance in hell.” He pushed away from the table and disappeared from the screen. “We go way way back to when I was playing; no way should he give you an opportunity without checking with me.” His shouting was heard but I couldn’t see him.
“Just a second,” I said to him. “Hear me out.”
He came back holding my mother’s hand. “This is such a great opportunity for me.”
“You will be traveling with thirty men,” Cooper said. “Jock men.”
“Actually about fifty, but are you saying that when you traveled with your PR girl you wanted to sleep with her?” I asked him. “Are you saying that Matthew tried to sleep with Mindy every single time? Are you saying that—” I didn’t have time to say anything else before he put his hand up.
“That’s enough. I would never ever think about sleeping with anyone besides your mother.” He kissed her hand. “Never in a million years would I do that to her. But, not all of them are like me or Matthew.”
“I know that, Dad, I do, but you have to trust me. Your little girl is growing up.” I threw my hands up. “Or actually I’m already grown and I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about this. How about this…if I feel for one minute that someone isn’t nice to me I’ll tell you or Matthew and then you guys can go in and do your crazy thing.”
The rest of the phone call was exactly what I thought it would be. Cooper balked and demanded to see a copy of the contract, where he stipulated that I be put on another floor away from the team, which I vetoed. And, well, then when I called my brother, Karrie told me that Matthew’s vein in his neck ticked for hours.
I rush around the messy room, grabbing my black tight jeans and blush pink silk button-down shirt. Once I button it up, I tie a bow around the collar with the silk that is hanging down. I tuck the front of the shirt in my pants while I roll up the sleeves. I take out my blush suede Louboutins with matching purse from the closet. I smile at my collection of princesses shoes; that is what I call them. When I turned sixteen, Cooper handed me a credit card and called it Cinderella’s slipper. I smile thinking how he really treated me like a princess.
Running down the stairs, I get a message that my Uber driver is waiting. Grabbing my sunglasses, I lock the door and rush into the car. I have thirty minutes before I get there, so I apply a coat of mascara, as well as lip-gloss. I pile my hair on the top of my head in a messy bun. By the time we show up at the arena, I’m in the zone. Well, almost in the zone, if I didn’t almost trip over a guy walking in my way while he types on his phone.
When we smash into each other, my phone falls to the floor and shatters. “Fuck.” I bend and pick it up. My heart shatters like the screen just did.
“I’m so sorry.” His voice comes out gravely, deep, rough.
“It’s fine.” I look up at the man and I’m taken aback. He’s wearing a perfect black tailored suit, with mirrored Ray-Bans. His chest is broad and huge while his biceps look like they are going to rip out of his suit a la Hulk. His jaw is clean-shaven and his lips are perfect and plump. Wait, what the fuck is this, plump lips? Who am I? His hair is also perfect as it’s cut short on the side and flips over on top. You would think this man just stepped off the cover of GQ. But I know what is behind those glasses. Blue fucking eyes.