Game On (Fair Catch Series, Book Six)

by Christine Kersey

  “I’m, uh…between jobs right now.” Great. Now she sounded like a loser. Deciding to turn the attention away from her lack of employment, she smiled. “What about you? What do you do when you’re not hanging around parks?”

  “Today’s my day off.”

  That didn’t exactly answer her question.

  “I think Luna’s thirsty,” he said before she could dig deeper.

  Brielle removed the doggie water bottle that had been hanging on her shoulder and folded out the attached bowl before opening the spout to allow water to fill the bowl. She set the bowl in front of Luna, who lapped it up.

  “You said you’re between jobs,” Tyler said. “So, are you looking for work?”

  She straightened. “Yes.” She wanted him to know that she wasn’t a deadbeat, just unemployed.

  He rubbed the back of his neck, then chewed on his lower lip for a moment before saying, “I might have a job for you. If you’re interested.”

  A job? Her ears perked right up.

  Tyler had gotten the craziest idea. Insane really. Where had it come from? He had no idea. Wasn’t even sure he should proceed. Did he really want to do this? Really want to make this offer? Would it even work?

  His gaze went to Brielle again. She was the right age, and she didn’t seem anything like the groupies he often ran into. And he certainly found her attractive.

  Yeah. This could work. If she agreed to it.

  But would it be too weird to even ask?

  Brielle’s eyebrows rose. “What kind of job?”

  “Uh…” Now that he was about to come out and say it, it sounded pretty nuts.

  “I could…that is…I really need a job.” Then she straightened her shoulders. “I have years of experience as a receptionist. I type over ninety words per minute and I’m a fast learner.”

  Those were great qualifications, although they didn’t matter for the job he was offering.

  He ran his fingers through his short hair. “Okay.”

  When he didn’t say anything more, her shoulders slumped and she held out her hand for the leash.

  She was going to leave. His one chance to get out of the mess he’d created. “Hold on.”

  Her hands fell to her lap, but hope reappeared in her eyes.

  “I, uh…that is, I’d like to hire you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

  Chapter Three

  Brielle recoiled. “What?” This guy was out of his mind.

  “Just for a week.” His words tumbled out of his mouth. “And just in front of my family. Nothing physical, and I’ll pay you a thousand dollars.”

  She’d been about to flatly refuse. Until he named his price. She wouldn’t have to tell Cara she was moving out. In fact, a thousand dollars would keep her going for the next two weeks. Her mouth slammed shut.

  He leapt to his feet and began pacing as he ran his fingers through his hair again, then he spun around and faced her. “Forget it.”

  Brielle was kind of dumbstruck by the whole proposal, but when he seemed ready to retract his offer, she felt a moment of panic that she would lose an easy grand. Then again, maybe a job offer would materialize in the next thirty minutes and this crazy proposition wouldn’t be needed. Yeah, right. “When would this week start?”

  He stared at her for a moment like he couldn’t believe she was actually considering accepting. “Tomorrow.”

  Tomorrow?!

  “Two thousand,” she heard herself say. “And I want half up front.”

  Since when had she learned to negotiate? Go me! Unless he laughed in her face. After all, she’d just demanded two thousand dollars. Who had that kind of money lying around?

  “Are you sure?” he asked, as if the money wasn’t an issue.

  Maybe she should have asked for more.

  “I mean,” he went on, “you don’t even know me.”

  That was true, and him pointing it out gave her pause. Very deep pause. Then she pictured herself sitting down with Cara and breaking the news that she was still unemployed, that she couldn’t come up with her share of the rent. Quickly following that sad sight was a picture of her carrying her belongings into her mom’s house. Despair crashed over her. She didn’t want to be a burden to her mother, and she didn’t want to be uprooted. She liked her life. Well, except for the part where she didn’t have any money to actually live it.

  She needed this job. Still, she had to be cautious. Who in his right mind—and who so sinfully hot—needed to hire someone to pretend to be his girlfriend? This guy could be a huge creeper. She needed to know more, because so far all she knew was that she found him beyond attractive. That, and he had some sort of magical touch with dogs—Luna was still resting right where he’d left her. Those qualities weren’t exactly enough to commit to spending a week with him. But it wasn’t a bad start.

  “You’re right,” she said. “I don’t know you. So. Tell me about yourself.”

  Tyler was kind of stunned that she was entertaining the idea of doing this. Then again, she’d said she needed a job. And demanding he double the payment… He held back a grin at her chutzpah. Then he considered her question. He wasn’t quite ready to confess that he played in the NFL—if she found out she’d probably demand ten grand at least. Not that he wouldn’t pay it, but still.

  “Uh, I live here in Sacramento. Grew up in the area, actually.” He tapped his finger against his chin. “Went to CSUS. Graduated five years ago.”

  “What’d you get your degree in?”

  “Business Management.”

  “And what do you do now?”

  This was the tricky part. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he didn’t want her to know the full truth just yet. Then he hit upon the perfect answer. Something that was totally true but wouldn’t give too much away. Plus, it would be a good test. Would she be impressed? Secretly, he hoped she would be. “I work for the Sacramento Vipers.”

  She didn’t react. At all. It was like she’d never heard of the Vipers. Was that good? Bad? He didn’t know. But he was kind of deflated. He’d half expected her to ask if he could arrange for her to meet Josh Wisner, their star quarterback. Or maybe Greg Sinclair. He’d been in the news lately with the whole thing surrounding his wife’s amnesia.

  But no. She just stared at him. Then she said, “I’d need some sort of reference. To make sure you’re legit.”

  He almost burst out laughing. Legit? Him? He was more than legit. He was Tyler Brandrick.

  When he didn’t reply, she narrowed her eyes. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  Nearly choking on his repressed laughter, he shook his head. “No. No problem.”

  Brielle frowned. This was like doing a live version of a dating app. So much easier when you could just read the profile and swipe left or right. Much harder when you had to face the candidate in person. Especially when everything in you was urging you to swipe right, to agree without conditions. But she had to be smart. She was smart. There would be conditions. Many conditions.

  She stared at him a moment. Was he for real? Did he actually work for the Vipers? Though she wasn’t into football herself, while she was growing up it didn’t feel like it was the weekend unless football was playing on the TV and her brothers were rooting for some team or another.

  If she could talk to Tyler’s boss, verify that he wasn’t some psycho, then she’d feel better about taking this job. Well, it wasn’t really a job. Unless she wanted to consider it an acting job. Because she would be pretending to be something she wasn’t. Was that even okay? Why did he need to have a pretend girlfriend? Then she stood to face him. “Why do you need a pretend girlfriend?”

  “Oh, uh…” Then his lips curved into a sheepish smile. “I kind of told my family that I have a girlfriend and that she’d come with me on this family trip.”

  Wait. This was a trip? Like, a vacation? She pictured herself lying in the sun on a pristine beach beside turquoise water while waiters served her cold drinks.

  Brielle’s interest mushroome
d.

  Then the part of her brain that tried to be reasonable, that tried to stop her from being impulsive, took over. “Hold on. Why would you tell your family that?” And what kind of family was this?

  One side of his mouth quirked up and he softly chuckled. “I guess I was tired of them hassling me about being single.”

  She could tell he was embarrassed—either about fibbing to his family or being single, she couldn’t tell. But she liked the idea that he was single. Wait. Why was he single? Hot, smart (at least he seemed smart), college graduate, good job, right touch with animals. What was wrong with him? Why was he single? And how long had he been that way? Because surely his family wouldn’t give him a hard time if he’d just come out of a relationship.

  “Why were they hassling you?”

  He stared at her a moment, then he frowned. “You know what? Just forget it. Forget the whole thing.”

  Touchy, much? On the other hand, she could understand his reluctance to get into something so personal. They’d just met, after all. And maybe he was right. This whole idea was beyond ridiculous. Who’d ever heard of paying someone to pretend to be their girlfriend?

  “You’re right,” Brielle said as she stood. “This is a bad idea.” She tugged on Luna’s leash. “Come on, girl. Let’s go home.”

  Chapter Four

  Wait. Is she turning me down? He ignored the fact that he’d withdrawn the offer. Why would she do that? Doesn’t she know I’m Tyler Brandrick?

  Then one side of his mouth tugged upward. Of course she didn’t. He hadn’t told her. And he wasn’t about to. Not now. What if it got out? He could see it all over social media. Tyler Brandrick so desperate for a date he paid a stranger to pretend she liked him. No, that couldn’t happen. Good thing he hadn’t told her who he was.

  But he wasn’t quite ready to tell this stranger good-bye.

  “Luna,” she said. “Get up.”

  Tyler watched Brielle tug on the dog’s leash, but evidently Luna wasn’t ready to leave.

  Brielle slid her hands under Luna’s belly and tried lifting her, but rather than stand, Luna rolled onto her back, her tongue lolling out, her body shaded by the picnic table.

  “Guess she likes the shade,” he said, working hard to hold back his grin.

  Brielle straightened and rolled her eyes. “Yeah.” Then she held out the leash. “Maybe you can get her to stand.”

  Tyler took the leash, his gaze sweeping over Brielle’s silver-blonde hair and stopping on her grass-green eyes. “I have a better idea.”

  Brielle’s head tilted and her eyes twinkled. “You wanna rent Luna to show your family you have a dog?”

  Tyler burst out laughing. “No.”

  Eyes still lit with mirth, she said, “Okay. What?”

  “Just to make your morning a little easier, why don’t I walk Luna to your car for you?” That way he could take a moment and reconsider if he wanted to extend his job offer again. Because the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to…well, to hire her. To have her be his fake girlfriend.

  What was wrong with him? He couldn’t do this. He would have to tell his family the truth.

  Then he pictured his younger brother, Rob, mercilessly needling him for having an imaginary girlfriend. It would make his favorite camping trip decidedly less fun. And every trip thereafter.

  “My car isn’t here,” Brielle said.

  His eyebrows shot up. “Did you take the bus?” Then his gaze went to the cream-colored dog. “With Luna?”

  Now she laughed, then she shook her head. “No. I live nearby.”

  Even better. He could find out where she lived. That is, if she agreed to let him walk with her and Luna.

  “Oh. Well, how about I walk you and Luna home then?”

  Did Brielle want Tyler to know where she lived? On the one hand, she’d just met him. Normally she wasn’t a fan of letting a man she’d just met have her address. On the other hand, she liked the vibe she got from him—funny, yet interesting. Sweet, yet strong.

  Too bad he’d withdrawn his job offer.

  No. It’s a good thing. Because it’s too weird. What would Cara say?

  She would definitely tell her best friend about this whole strange encounter. Strange, yet fascinating.

  “Uh, yeah,” she said. “Okay.”

  If he tried anything funny, Luna would protect her.

  Right. Tyler had Luna wrapped around his little finger. Well, it wasn’t actually little. Nothing about Tyler was little. The masculinity radiated off of the man. What did he do for the Vipers? Maybe he was a trainer. He had the build for that.

  Why is it suddenly so hot? Is it just the August afternoon? Yeah, that’s it.

  “All right,” he said as he gently tugged Luna’s leash upward. Luna leapt to her feet. “Which way?”

  Deciding to be grateful Luna obeyed at least one of them instead of annoyed that she had no control over the dog, Brielle pointed in the direction she’d come from. “That way.”

  Tyler looked at Luna. “Let’s go.” Then he started walking and Luna trotted along beside him, letting him lead.

  Still amazed by the magical way he controlled Luna, Brielle hurried to catch up. Tyler was a brisk walker—something Brielle appreciated—although she wondered if maybe he didn’t walk a little too briskly.

  “My legs aren’t quite as long as yours,” she said.

  He glanced at her as he slowed, a smile on his face. “Sorry. I forget that not everyone likes to walk as fast as I do.”

  She didn’t want him to think she was one to just stroll along. “Oh, I like to walk fast.” Then she smiled. “Just maybe not that fast.”

  He laughed. Then his face sobered. “How do you feel about hiking?”

  “Hiking?” Where had that come from? Was he going to ask her on a date? Did she want to go on a date with him?

  “I haven’t been hiking since…well, since I was a teenager.”

  “Do you like to hike?”

  Brielle thought back to her childhood. Her best friend back then, Kate, had taken Brielle camping with her and her family a few times. But only a few, because Kate’s family liked to rough-it. Like, camp where there were no campsites, which meant there were no toilets. That had gotten old pretty fast and Brielle had stopped going. But when they’d gone hiking, she enjoyed it well enough.

  “I don’t know,” she finally said. “It’s okay, I guess.”

  Tyler was quiet and Brielle wondered what he was thinking.

  Chapter Five

  She wasn’t big on hiking. How would that work if she came with him to Yellowstone? Hiking was one of his favorite activities while there. It was the best way to spot wildlife.

  Hold on. He’d rescinded his offer, so what did it matter?

  Then he remembered that he’d told his family that his “girlfriend” had never been camping before. Brielle really was perfect for this job.

  “So,” he said, kind of desperate to get this fake girlfriend thing resolved. “About that job offer.”

  She looked at him, a spark of interest in her eyes. “What about it?”

  Did that mean she was still interested?

  “Yeah, so. I really need to find someone to, uh, to play the part. In front of my family.”

  “And…I’m the only person around who’s willing.” It came out as a statement. Like she believed he’d only chosen her for the sake of convenience. Which he had, although that had nothing to do with it. He thought she was hot. And funny. And interesting. And he believed she could pull this fake girlfriend thing off.

  But what if she said no? What would he do then? He had to leave the next morning. He didn’t know anyone he could ask—not that he would ask someone he knew. He hated the idea of word getting out that he’d stooped to this level. So, yeah. He really needed to hire her.

  “I’ll pay you five grand,” he heard himself say. “Half up front.”

  Tyler really needed to gain control over this alter-ego of his that kept taking over his
mouth. How desperate did he sound anyway?

  Brielle stopped walking. Tyler stopped too.

  This had to be some kind of joke. Brielle glanced around, looking for someone filming. Who had five thousand dollars lying around that they were willing to give a stranger for going on vacation while pretending to be a fake girlfriend? Especially when he’d specifically said nothing physical was required. Yeah, it was too good to be true.

  Not wanting to be the butt of his joke, she shook her head and laughed. “Very funny.”

  Expecting him to laugh, when his forehead furrowed and worry washed across his face, she knew he was serious.

  “You’re not joking,” she said.

  “No. Why would I joke about something like this?”

  “Uh, because it’s crazy?”

  One side of his mouth slid upward. “Yeah. It is. But I’m serious.” He glanced at Luna, who had sat beside his leg when he’d stopped, then he looked at Brielle. “I, uh, I can’t show up on this trip alone. Not after I told my family I have a girlfriend. They’d never let me live it down.”

  Brielle hardly heard what he was saying. All she could think about was the five grand. Five thousand dollars! It would solve so many of her problems. Still, she had to be cautious. She took her phone out of her back pocket. “I’m gonna call the Vipers right now and make sure you’re legit.”

  He got a funny look on his face and Brielle wondered if he’d made up the fact that he worked for the Vipers. But then he smiled.

  “Okay. Ask for Jack Gilbey. But let me talk to him first.”

  Brielle’s eyebrows rose. “What for?” Was this a trick?

  Looking sheepish, Tyler said, “I don’t want my co-workers to know what I’m doing. I mean, it’s kind of embarrassing.”

  She could understand that. “All right. Fine.” She pulled a search engine up on her phone, then looked at Tyler. “Where can I find the number?”

  “Look up Sacramento Vipers executive offices.”