I tried to hide my smile and ended up failing as I let out a low chuckle that made me feel lighter than I’d felt in years. “That may have been hot, but you, right now . . .” I shouldn’t say it. I couldn’t not say it. “Are adorable.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Like a pet?”
“One I want to keep.” I shrugged. “Not the kind you drop off at the farm, so consider yourself safe.”
“You and your compliments, my head may explode.” At least she was smiling at me, and I was smiling back in a moment I wanted to put on repeat again and again. The car pulled to a stop; too soon she looked away, giving me no reason to keep staring like an idiot.
“Mr. Kingston,” our driver said politely.
“Thank you.” I nodded as he hurried out of the car and opened Parker’s door and then ran around and opened mine. I hated waiting, but it was part of his job, and I knew it was insulting not to. “We won’t be long.”
“Take your time, Mr. Kingston.” He tipped his hat, revealing round spectacles and an easy yet aged smile and tanned face. “I brought my Kindle.”
“Good man.” I chuckled and then put my hand on Parker’s back as we walked into the department store. I could tell she was trying to hide her shock because she had her unimpressed face glued on, but I could sense her excitement over the chic décor and expensive clothes. Hell, I could almost feel her body buzzing with it when we walked by all the salon shoes.
“This way.” We went up three levels until we came to the personal shopper area. A woman in her midtwenties approached, wearing head-to-toe black with heels my sister would commit murder for. She had auburn hair and bright-blue eyes. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No.” I smiled. “But I’ll make it worth your while to fit us in. Shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.”
Her eyes narrowed in on me. “Do I know you?”
“I doubt it, just one of those faces.”
Next to me, Parker rolled her eyes. I pinched her side, reminding her to behave. Money didn’t get you everywhere, but it got you most places, and attitude was everything.
“Right.” The woman rubbed her hands together. “I’m LaLa.”
Parker pressed her lips together. Shit, she better not laugh.
LaLa eyed Parker up and down then shot me a confused look. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“A dress,” I said simply. “White, something professional yet still sexy, alluring but not too much, and show off her curves. If you don’t have white, stick with a solid color, no nylons. She’ll need an open-toe boot that she can walk in.”
“Done.”
“Done?” Parker squealed. “What do you mean done?”
“I mean I have the perfect dress for your occasion. It’s Versace, has capped sleeves, which should complement your muscle tone well. It’s off-white, has crystals, and has been on preorder, but we just got our first shipment in this morning. If you’re willing to pay the price.”
“Sounds perfect,” I said. “May we see it?”
Less than three minutes later, I was in the dressing room with a shaking Parker. The sales lady had made the mistake of letting her see the price tag, and since the dress was over four grand, she was having a moment. I should have had Willow do this, not that we’d had time between practices.
“Look.” I put my hands on her shoulders. “You won’t break it. The dress is beautiful, but you wear the dress, not the other way around.”
Parker made a face in the mirror.
“I sound like a jackass, got it. I’ll just be waiting out here.”
“Wait!” Parker moved from one Converse to the other. “I know this is highly inappropriate, but I’m petrified I’m going to rip something and that haughty woman with the obviously fake name is going to say something like ‘Told you so,’ so could you just . . . help me, you know, with your eyes closed?”
I laughed. “You’re better off on your own, you know that, right?”
“Please?”
It was the please that did me in, followed by the bottom-lip bite, and the innocent flick of her eyes as she waited for my answer.
I sighed, scratching the back of my head, blowing out a frustrated breath, and doing a semicircle like a trapped animal. “Fine, just not a word to anyone. Seriously . . . anyone.” I pointed at her like she was a child.
Which got me an equally childish response: a Parker eye roll.
“Take your pants off, smart-ass,” I grumbled, causing her to falter a bit as she kicked off her shoes and pulled off her joggers.
I didn’t expect her to be wearing white, lacy boy shorts, but there they were, like a giant sign saying open, open, open.
I cleared my throat and unzipped the dress while she rustled with her shirt next to me. We somehow managed to turn at the same time.
I opened my mouth, closed it. “Not a word, Parker.” It came out as a rasp, like I didn’t mean it, quiet like I didn’t want her to hear.
She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded like she was ashamed I had to even say it, like I’d said the wrong thing.
With shaking hands, she grabbed the dress from me and slowly stepped in. It fit her like a glove as I pulled it up and zipped all the way to the neck.
LaLa had great taste.
I wasn’t sure how long I stared at Parker in the mirror. Sans makeup, with her hair in a ponytail, she outshone even the prettiest model I’d ever partied with.
“Better?” I managed to get out as she stared at herself in the mirror, a look of shock on her face.
She nodded just as my cell rang.
“Yelloooo!” Willow yelled in my ear.
I pulled it away and winced. “We need to work on your phone skills. What do you need?”
“So the team had to move the dinner up. I said you guys could meet at the hotel bar in a half hour.”
“A half hour?” I repeated. “That’s cutting it kind of close, but we can manage.” I was already dressed in slacks and a dress shirt, my typical uniform when I wasn’t training with Parker. “We can make it, we just need shoes.”
“Shoes?” Willow said like a kid who’d just heard the word candy. “Why do you need shoes? Are you shopping without me?”
“Er . . . no.” I gave Parker a panicked look while she burst out laughing. “Shit.”
“DAMN YOU, MATT KINGSTON! YOU DON’T SHOP WITHOUT ME, EVER! We made a pact!”
“I was seven and you were a monster!”
“Whatever. What’s she wearing? Wait, did you buy her a dress? Maaaatt? Hello? Matt?”
Was I staring at Parker again? Shit, I needed to focus.
“Yeah, what?”
“You’re shopping.”
“It’s a possibility.”
“With Parker.”
“Maybe?”
“You don’t shop.”
“She needed to feel confident, and God knows what you sent her away with.”
“My best Gucci, the one I wore last New Year’s!”
“The little black number that looks like training tape? Right.” I rolled my eyes. “Look, we’re low on time. She’s wearing the new Versace—”
“The white cocktail Versace with capped sleeves and a crystal-beaded scalloped bodice? The one on preorder?”
“Yes?”
“Get me one.”
“Willow!”
“Uh, fine, you’re going to want to pair it with the Valentino slingback pumps, in a nude color or even something darker. They have studs, they’re low, she won’t trip, but it’s going to cost you another grand. Okay, love you, bye!”
“What did she say?” Parker had her hands on her hips expectantly.
“That she has the perfect shoes.” I chuckled. “What else?”
“Of course she does.”
“And our dinner just got moved up, so let’s grab your clothes and have LaLa grab your shoes. Sound good?”
She looked ready to puke. “Yup, great!”
I pulled out my credit card.
Parker put
her hand on my wrist. “I’ll pay you back.”
LaLa approached, and I shook my head and handed her my card, fired off the name of the shoes, and didn’t take my eyes off Parker. “It’s a gift.”
“For what?”
“Just think of it as a presigning bonus, because trust me, I’m going to get you one. Why not celebrate early?”
“You’re a miracle, Matt Kingston.” She looped her arm in mine.
I smiled down at her, then kissed her cheek.
Completely without thinking.
I stunned myself probably as much as I stunned her.
But LaLa was already back with two boxes, and I was letting Parker go, wondering why that was getting harder and harder each time.
Chapter Sixteen
PARKER
I wanted to hold his hand.
But I would die before admitting it.
I was wearing a dress that made me feel like a princess—powerful, confident, renewed. I would never confess it to anyone, least of all the man who made me feel worthy of wearing it, when I’d been a mess on the inside for so long.
A barrage of thoughts struck me when I saw the way he looked at me in the dress, the biggest one being that this could be more than a fresh start for my career. It could be a fresh start for everything. He looked at me like I belonged next to him, in this world, and for the first time in months I had hope. I could kiss him for giving me that opportunity, I would marry him in this dress and never look back.
And that’s when I realized I was slowly pulling down the walls I’d erected and succumbing to Matt Kingston and his smiles, the way his eyes crinkled, the way he touched me like he was afraid I would break.
Or maybe afraid he would too.
The shoes were perfect, I’d never worn Valentino before; they were nude with a kitten heel, and were studded, which made me feel like a rock star. All in all, they were too expensive for me to purchase on my own, but if I had the money they would one hundred percent be what I would pick out for myself.
I kept staring at them as we walked, which meant he basically had to carry me into the lobby.
My feet didn’t feel huge and awkward, and as our nice driver took our bags in to the bellhop, I looked down one last time and smiled.
“Matt Kingston.” Matt gave his name to the restaurant host.
“Lovely,” the woman said, beaming. “Your companions are already here, shall I take you?”
“Wait!” I blurted, grabbing Matt’s elbow, holding us both in place.
“I’ll just give you a minute.” She winked.
“What if I yell at someone?” I wondered out loud, my eyes searching his, begging for some of his confidence to trickle down through our connection and give me strength. “What if I spill my water? What if—”
“Stop,” he said a bit harshly. I almost backed up. And then he said, “If you yell, I’ll yell too. I’ll make them think that we can’t hear them. If you spill your water, I’ll just have to spill my wine—the point is, you don’t walk in there by yourself, you walk in there with me.”
“My agent.” I nodded. “My coach.”
His face hardened a bit. “Your friend.”
And then he offered me his elbow.
I knew it would be wrong to ask for his hand.
But I wanted it. Needed it.
However, I knew they’d get the wrong idea.
I hated that people cared about things they had no business caring about. But I took the olive branch, the peace he offered, and placed my hand on his elbow. I held my head high. I’d put on some powder and mascara in the car, added a deep red to my lips, and called it good.
I knew how to do makeup, I just didn’t see the point when I would sweat it all off.
I took another deep breath as we weaved through table after table until we reached a back booth. It was near the kitchen and seemed to be private, which was good. Private was good.
I smiled as one of the men turned. He had silver hair and a mustache that was still dark. His smile was friendly, and he was wearing an LA Rams baseball cap.
I immediately relaxed.
“Parker!” He held out his hands. I took them and leaned in as he kissed me on the cheek.
I liked him.
He seemed relaxed.
And he was wearing black jeans and a T-shirt instead of a stuffy suit. I kept imagining my old coach in these situations—pinstriped suits, expensive shoes, cologne, the whole stupid package.
But this guy? He seemed comfortable in his own skin. Yeah, I really liked him.
“Matt.” He shook his hand. “Sorry for such short notice, but your assistant said you had already landed. I didn’t realize my new assistant coach would be able to make the meeting, but his plane just landed as well.”
“Wow, I didn’t know you were looking to hire on.” Matt shrugged and offered his hand to the other man with slicked-back dark hair. His back was still to us, and then he stood and turned.
I stumbled backward, partially hiding my body behind Matt.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Erik held out his massive hand to Matt. I could see when Matt put two and two together because he squeezed Erik’s hand longer than necessary while I forced a watery smile.
“I think I’ll just use the restroom really quick,” I said lamely, trying my best not to black out as I made my way toward the bathrooms on other side of the restaurant.
I shoved my way inside the women’s restroom and braced my hands against the countertop as nightmares assaulted me.
“Stop saying no, Parker.” He kissed my neck. “Nobody else does . . . Just think of where I could take your career.”
“No.” I shoved against him. “I can’t, I’m not like that.”
“Yeah, you are . . .” He gripped my ass as his length pressed against my body in a predatory way that confused me, made me feel wanted but wrong about the situation. I’d always idolized him. “I see the way you look at me, the way you want me.”
“No.” Did I? Did I look at him that way? Did I do something wrong? He was fun, and I’d always loved my coach and would have done anything for him.
He reached under my shirt and cupped my breasts. “Come on, Parker, we both want this, you know we do.”
I ran into the stall and dry heaved, careful not to get anything on my pretty dress.
I stared at myself in the mirror. Don’t be that girl anymore. You’re not that girl anymore.
I fixed my hair. At least I could be calm on the outside while I freaked out on the inside. Maybe I could send Matt a quick text that I needed to leave early. It was just dinner and drinks. Anger surged through me, I knew better, dinner and drinks? If I blew them off I could ruin other offers. Erik must have known that too, otherwise he wouldn’t have risked it. A sickness washed over me again, like he had his hands all over me, like he was doing it in front of Matt and showing Matt how easy I was when I knew I wasn’t.
Why the hell was he even here?
He was supposed to be far, far away!
At my old school!
Not here!
Was he the one that suggested the interview?
The more I thought about it, the sicker I got.
I shoved the door open just in time to see Erik leave the men’s restroom.
I quickly walked down the hall but felt him behind me every step of the way, and when he reached for my wrist, I jerked away, wanting to slam him into the nearest table.
Polite.
I had to be polite.
Tears stung the backs of my eyes.
Why was it impossible to be polite in a world full of monsters who looked like they just walked off a magazine cover?
“What?” I pasted a smile on my face. “Did you need more toilet paper?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Something between you and Kingston?”
“My agent?” My eyebrows shot up. “Why would you think that?”
“He’s training you, he doesn’t train his athletes, not typically, and he watches you.”
“Everyone watches me,” I said in a sarcastic, angry voice. “’Cause I’m so pretty.”
“Still such a sarcastic bitch, I think that’s what I missed most . . .” He leered at me in my dress. “Nice of him to get you all pretty for us. I bet he got you ready in the way only a man like Matt Kingston can. Why is it that you’d sleep with him to get ahead and yet with me—”
“Everything okay here?” Matt saved me, saved the entire day as well as Erik’s life by showing up.
“Ah, just catching up. She was one of my favorite players, you know.” Erik grinned dumbly.
“Right.” Matt scratched the back of his head. “I punched my favorite coaches too, it’s an athlete thing, but you wouldn’t really know, though, since you were in the league, what, a day?”
I almost choked on a laugh at Erik’s purple face. “Listen, Kingston—”
“We actually have two other meetings to get to,” Matt interrupted. “So we should get back to the table before you get fired from another job, hmm, Erik?”
“I wasn’t fired.”
“Yeah, alright, our secret.” Matt winked as he led me back to the table. I sat as close to him as humanly possible and dug into the bread basket to keep myself from yelling at Erik or throwing my nearest utensil.
The other coach, who I found out was named Billy and had five grandsons, gave me another warm smile. “So, the rumor mill is filled again with talks about you, my dear. Your talent is of course incredible, and I’ve even heard from your old coach here that the whole fight incident was blown out of proportion, and now that I’ve met you, I can only agree that you aren’t that sort of person. You’re refreshing, and the stats don’t lie.”
No, but humans did.
Men did.
I felt myself sway a bit.
And that’s when Matt put his hand on my thigh and clenched it tight. Had I not known him, trained with him, trusted him, I would have lashed out. Instead, I put my hand on his and kept it there.
My anchor.
My escape.
My peace.
“Thank you, that’s so sweet,” I found myself saying. “The Seattle air has been good for me, that and just leaving a bad situation at my old school. I’m sure there are details I can fill you in on.” I leveled Erik with a glare, but all it took was a smirk from him to bat down any bravery I had found, making me want to crawl under the table in a defeated puddle.
Kickin’ It Page 10
