Scottish Player: A Hero Club Novel

by Karen Frances

  “Oh! They’re so adorable,” Kate says. I nod with a smile as we walk toward them.

  “Hey, hope you’re ready for this,” I say as we approach them.

  “Ready as I’m going to be,” Chance says.

  “Ignore him.” Aubrey leans toward me. “He’s actually excited about this,” she whispers.

  I smile, because that makes two of us.

  “Let’s get it over with,” he says, leading the way out of the hotel. Outside in the warm air, I catch up and walk beside Chance, leaving Kate and Aubrey together. He says there’s an alley off the strip that has some incredible graffiti on the walls that might look great in today’s sunlight.

  “Chance, we haven’t even spoken about a fee.”

  He looks at me as though I’ve just said something stupid. “Sam, there will be no fee. All I ask is that I get a few of the pictures for my own personal use.”

  “That goes without saying, but are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I’m not a bad guy at heart. Just don’t tell anyone; you’ll ruin my bad boy reputation. And if you do sell any pictures, I’d like my share to go to the charity. Aubrey works at an animal shelter and I like to help out in any way I can.” He smiles, reminding me of the model he is, and with his last sentence, he shows me the love and admiration he has for Aubrey.

  As we chat, I decide now would be a good time to mention Sid’s sports brand company and ask about the possibility of them working together. Chance tells me it would be worth the two of them having a conversation, which excites me. Sid will be thrilled when I give him the news.

  “Wow,” I say as we turn a corner into the alley. “This is incredible.”

  “Told you,” Chance says. There’s bright-coloured graffiti on the walls, old rusty metal ladders leading to the apartments in the building above. You know, the sort you see in old movies that have to be pulled down in order to climb up. There are some old battered doorways that I’m already eyeing up, and an old dumpster. This is a haven for me. I can see the pictures so clearly in my head.

  “Really?”

  I turn around to see Kate pulling a face. This is not somewhere she wants to be.

  “Kate, feel free to go back to the hotel and hang by the pool. I’m sure if Logan is around, you can hang out with them.”

  “No, it’s fine,” she huffs and looks around. I imagine she’s looking for somewhere to sit down.

  “Right, where do you want me?” he asks.

  “Chance…” The warning tone comes from his wife, and I laugh. “Behave.”

  “I thought you said to have fun?” He blows her a kiss before jumping up and pulling down the ladder. Lucky for us both, I capture that image. “Hey, I’m not ready yet.”

  “Tough.” I laugh, and Kate and Aubrey join me. Chance shakes his head, trying to hide his own amusement. He’s wearing a white t-shirt, some faded blue jeans, and brown boots. “We’ll leave the dumpster until last. How about having you just in that doorway, and I want you to stand facing away from me but turn your head slightly.”

  “Easy.”

  Kate and Aubrey stand back and stay silent as I go into full on work mode. Chance falls easily into smiling and modelling. The sign of a great model is when you don’t have to give them instructions. It makes a photographer’s job so much easier. He is a complete natural. Every so often, I turn my head to see Aubrey gushing over her husband. It makes me think of Logan and Lee, because that’s exactly how they look at each other. I smile because I’m happy my brother has her in his life.

  “Earth to Sam! What next?” Chance calls out, bringing me back to here and now.

  “Strip. Well, t-shirt off.” I’m looking at Aubrey for her approval, and she gives a subtle nod.

  “It’s been a long time since another woman has told me to strip,” he jokes, his dark gaze on his wife. I suddenly feel as though I’m intruding on a very personal moment between the two.

  “Behave yourself,” she scolds him, and he winks at her as he removes his t-shirt and throws it toward her. Aubrey catches it with a shake of her head. His jeans sit low on his hips, the waistband of his underwear on display.

  “Chance, can I have you facing the ladders and stretching up.” He nods and moves himself into position while I snap away. He might not have been in front of the lens for a while, but he’s sure as hell not lost anything from the way he presents himself or his physique. I wish all my clients were so easy to work with.

  “Okay, I have plenty of you,” I say after an hour or so of snapping away. “Now, Aubrey, I’d like to take some of the two of you together.”

  She stares at me before shaking her head. “No. I can’t do it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Yeah, why not?” Chance has his hand across his heart, his smile slightly down and his eyes seem so much bigger as he stalks toward his wife, hurt.

  “Because I’m no model.”

  “You are to me,” he says softly, stepping before her. Kate moves to the side and I’m already snapping away. Chance might be aware that I’m taking pictures, but Aubrey isn’t. She’s completely hypnotised by her husband. He wraps his arms around her waist, whispers something to her, and she throws her head back in laughter.

  Perfect. I snap away.

  “Fine,” she calls out. I’ll break it to her later when I show her these pictures. “What do I need to do?”

  “Follow my lead,” Chance says, using the words that were on the tip of my tongue. He leads her by the hand and they walk past me. He stops by the first door. Aubrey is standing with her back against the wall, and she wraps her arms around his waist. Chance leans toward her, his hands on the wall above her head.

  Fucking hell. The chemistry between these two is electric.

  Everything is so natural between them, as it should be. The slightest touch, each movement, tells me a story about their relationship.

  He leans down for a kiss. I capture the before shot; the desire and lust on their faces, and then I turn away, giving them their moment of privacy.

  “Well?” Kate asks as I approach her.

  “They are electric together.”

  “Yes, they are. This was worth not going to the strip show. It’s so different watching and not being the one in front of the lens. This has been fun. Sometimes for me lately, being in front of the lens hasn’t been fun. Watching Chance doing his own thing has reminded me of who I am. If that makes any sense.”

  “It makes sense to me. And you know more than most it’s not always this easy. Chance has made it fun and given me plenty to think about should he do a deal with Sid and become the face, or ass, of his brand.”

  “That would be exciting. Sid has a few things for me to work on in a few weeks and I’m presuming you’re his photographer.” I nod because Sid now refuses to work with anyone else. I know what he wants and expects from shoots. Our working relationship works for us.

  “Are we done?” Chance asks as he and Aubrey walk back toward us.

  “All done,” I say. “And thank you, both of you, for allowing me this opportunity.”

  “The pleasure was all mine,” Chance says. “Aubrey and I have a few things to do this afternoon, but how about dinner tonight in the hotel?”

  His question takes me by surprise. I look at Kate, and she smiles. “Dinner with you both would be lovely.”

  “Ladies, you all have a date with a hot man.” He fans his hand across his face.

  “Oh please, see what you’ve started,” Aubrey jokes. “Okay, hot man. Let’s go and do what we need to do.”

  He kisses her on the cheek. “Shall we say seven?”

  “See you then,” I say as they leave the alley.

  Kate looks at her watch. “Well, I think if we go back to the hotel and drop off your camera, we could still make one of the strip shows.”

  “Yeah, why not?”

  “Ah there you are. Nothing like keeping a man waiting.” Chance stands and greets Kate and me with a kiss and a warm embrace. “Gorgeous. You both look incre
dible.”

  “Thank you,” Kate says, smoothing down the front of her dress.

  “Aubrey, you look lovely,” I say, taking a seat beside her. “Before we order food, I have something to show you.”

  I had a bit of time and I transferred a few of the pictures I took onto my phone. I grab my phone from my bag and switch it on, scrolling to the first picture of both of them.

  “Oh. My. Gosh. When?” Chance smiles as his wife looks at the screen in surprise. “That’s really us?”

  “It sure is,” I say. “And there’s plenty more of those.”

  “What are you going to do with them?” she asks.

  “As soon as I have them edited, they’ll be all yours. As you can see from the first images, they are incredible. I’ll add some of the photos of Chance to my client portfolio.”

  “These look amazing. The light. The colours,” says Chance.

  “The setting and my models were perfect. I really couldn’t have asked for more. So, again, thank you.”

  “No need for thanks. I had a great time. I think this is cause for a celebration. A bottle of champagne,” he says as a waiter approaches our table.

  “A celebration?” Kate questions.

  “Yes. Today was more than I expected,” Aubrey tells us, and that isn’t a surprise to me.

  We chat about today and then I remember the goat I saw them with.

  “I have to ask, what’s with the goat? I’m sure I saw you with a goat.”

  They look at each other and smile.

  “You tell the story.” Chance sits back as the waiter brings back our wine, and then we order food. “To new friends.” We all raise our glasses in a toast.

  “Okay, I’ll tell you all about Pixy.”

  Aubrey launches into the story, and I’m surprised to hear it’s the story of how they met and ended up with a pet goat. “I’ll try and give you the short version of the story. I was travelling cross-country and met him in a souvenir shop where I had an accident with a Barack Obama bobblehead. His Australian accent sent shivers down my spine. But after our encounter and me calling him an asshole, he left the store before me, and all I could think about was what a great ass he has.”

  I smile, appreciating what she’s saying because it is his fine ass that has made him money with modelling.

  “When I got back to my car, it had a flat tire and he was having a few technical problems with his Harley. He fixed my tire and I gave him a lift. I won’t get into all the details of how we managed it. I swerved, hoping to miss the goat and ended up in the embankment, not knowing if I had killed it. It was only a baby. That is the brief version of how we ended up with Pixy.”

  She goes on to tell us about the rescue centre she works at. I can hear how passionate she is about her work with the animals. Their story is incredible and sweet, but I sense there’s a part she’s keeping to herself, and that’s fine with me. Sometimes, the whole world doesn’t need to hear the private side of someone’s life.

  Dinner is filled with conversation and laughter. Chance and Aubrey ask lots of questions about Scotland. Chance tells us he’d love to come to Scotland and watch a proper football game. None of this American football, as he puts it. Aubrey sighs.

  “My brother is a goalkeeper, and he plays with one half of the old firm.”

  “No way.” I can hear the excitement in Chance’s voice.

  “He’s here in Vegas too,” Kate pipes up.

  “Well, I think I can guess what team he plays for, going by your surname. I’ve also seen Fletcher Adams around the hotel, so I guess your brother is Logan Walker?”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “I’d love to meet them.”

  “I’m sure we can arrange it.” He’s grinning like a schoolboy. Kate excuses herself to go to the bathroom, and the three of us chat until Aubrey’s phone buzzes.

  “Sorry, I need to take this,” she says, standing and leaving the table.

  Chance moves and sits in the vacant seat left by his wife. “I’m glad you took those pictures today of Aubrey and me,” he says, and I open my phone so he can look at them again.

  “Me too. For someone who doesn’t model, Aubrey looks so natural in these pictures. But she’s with her husband, relaxed and in love. That’s clear to see. I can’t wait until I can edit these properly and send you the final images.”

  “I can see you haven’t showed me the last image you took.”

  “You’re very observant.” I smile.

  “I like to think so. So, why not?”

  “Because I’d like that, along with the first image I took, to be a surprise.”

  He kisses me on the cheek. “Thanks, Sam.”

  “What the fuck?” I lift my head to see Jackson standing at the table, furious, with his fists clenched. “So, you turn me down for a date last night, and here you are, hooking up with some random guy.”

  I stare at him, my heart rate increasing with each word he has said. My fists clench together and all I can think about is that I want to hit him. Who the hell does he think he is? What gives him the right to stand there and talk to me like that?

  “No. And how dare you?”

  Chance stands. “Some random guy,” he says. “Nothing random about me.”

  “Chance, please just ignore him.”

  “Chance? What kind of poncy name is that?”

  Chance is now standing toe-to-toe with Jackson. “I don’t know who you are and I don’t care. You don’t ever insult a woman, and as for my name, I happen to like it.”

  Jackson is being a complete arse. “Samantha, come on. You can do so much better than…” His eyes glance at Chance’s hands. “This married dickhead who obviously doesn’t care about cheating with you behind his wife’s back.”

  “Mate, I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick.”

  “I’m not your mate,” Jackson says, pushing Chance away from him. Chance stands his ground, and before I know what’s happening, the two men are fighting in the middle of the restaurant.

  “Jackson, stop!” I yell.

  “Chance!” Aubrey cries as she arrives back.

  “Aubrey, I’m sorry. This is my fault,” I say as tears slowly slide down my face. I can’t believe this is happening. Kate comes back from the bathroom, and she can’t hide the shock on her face. A waiter tries to intervene between the two, but soon realises he needs help and runs off to get it. People around us stare. Jackson needs to stop before he’s thrown out.

  “Logan!” I cry out as soon as I see my brother. “Stop him! Make him stop!”

  “Jackson, get a grip.” He pulls at Jackson, who punches out at Chance once more, but misses. Chance takes a step back and Logan holds onto Jackson. “What the fuck is going on?”

  “This married man is cheating on his wife with your sister.”

  “Oh, please,” Aubrey says as she steps in front of Chance, making sure he’s okay. Which he is, and I sigh with relief. “My husband isn’t cheating on me. We’re friends having dinner together.”

  “Oh!” Jackson’s eyes fall to the ground.

  “And even if I was enjoying the company of a man, it’s got nothing to do with you. We don’t even know each other.”

  He lifts his head and stares straight at me. I can’t make up my mind which one of us is angrier. “Sorry,” Jackson says to Chance before pulling from Logan’s hold and leaving the restaurant.

  What the hell is wrong with him?

  Chapter Five

  Who the fuck does he think he is?

  What possessed him to be a total prick? Poor Chance, although I’m certain he gave as good as he got. And the other thing is, I know Jackson punched my brother in the face when he was trying to pull him off Chance. What the hell must Chance and Aubrey think of me?

  “Where are you going?” The question from Kate stops me.

  “To see what the fuck he’s playing at.”

  Logan rushes toward me, grabbing my arm. “I don’t think so. There’s no way I’m letting you go to hi
m.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he needs to calm down, and I don’t think he’s capable of doing that around you.”

  “What the hell do you mean?”

  “I know him, and I know what he wants. You. He’d use you then toss you aside, and you deserve so much better than that. As your brother, I couldn’t stand back and watch that happen.”

  “I’m not attracted to him, not in the slightest.” It’s part lie and part truth, but Logan doesn’t know that. “Now, where will he be?” I ask my brother, anxiously waiting for an answer.

  “If I know Jackson, he’ll be away for a drink to cool down. I’m sure he’ll find someone…” My brother doesn’t continue what he’s saying. He doesn’t have to. He’ll find a willing partner to lose himself in.

  “Chance and Aubrey, I’m so sorry about this.”

  “You have nothing to apologise for,” Chance says.

  “Chance, this is my brother, Logan Walker, and this is...”

  “I know who this is,” Logan says with a smile.

  The boys talk and I turn to Aubrey and we step a little away from the others. “I’m so sorry. He had no right to do that.”

  “Boys and their egos. Chance is fine.”

  “I want to strangle him.”

  “I know, but men sometimes do the craziest of things,” she says before leaving me on my own. I glance over and Chance does look okay. Kate is right there in the middle of their conversation. No one is looking in my direction, and I take off out of the restaurant. I get into the hallway when I run straight into Fletcher.

  “God, Sam, where’s the fire?”

  “Have you seen Jackson?”

  “Yes, only a moment ago, getting into the lift.”

  “And?”

  “And he was in a foul mood, going back to his room.”

  “Was he alone?” I ask, knowing that he couldn’t possibly pick up a woman in the short time since he left.

  “Yes. Why?”

  “Room number?”

  “Samantha!”

  “You sound as bad as my brother. Just give me his bloody room number.”

  “Three-two-two, third floor.” I rush toward the lifts, pressing the button repeatedly. “Sam, don’t do anything stupid.”