by JB Heller
A moment of silence passes before he asks, “What kind of secrets?”
The concern in his voice is clear, and it causes my stomach to sink.
“A freaking huge one!” Dani gushes. “Brace yourself, mano mayor. Our manita has been dating Bates Handler.”
“No shit? I’ve been wondering when that cabrón was going to finally lock her down,” Dax declares.
My head pops up. What the what? “Are you freaking serious?” I yelp. “What are you even talking about?”
“You’re a good girl, Titi. He’d be blind and dumb not to notice,” he says.
I scoff. “You’re just saying that because you’re my big brother.”
“No, I’m not. Do you know how many of my friends have asked me to set them up with you? But back to Bates… If he doesn’t treat you right, you tell me. Now, I’ve gotta go. Talk to you soon, chicas.”
Dax ends the call, leaving me staring at the cell in Dani’s hand. That was just plain weird.
Dani, ever the drama queen, throws her arms in the air. “Am I the only one completely blown away by this news? Why are you all acting so normal? This is big. No, it’s huge.”
Our mother smiles at me then walks over to Danika and pats her shoulder. “Settle down, mija. Save your meltdown for when Tiana brings him home to meet us.”
Dani opens her mouth then closes it. Obviously, this thought hadn’t occurred to her yet. She’s been begging me for an introduction since I started working for Bates. Guess she’s finally going to get one.
Vinnie and I are chilling in my room, watching a few episodes of Schitt’s Creek when I remember Lennon had sent me a text earlier. I grab my cell off my bedside table and check her message.
LENNON: I just realized we didn’t discuss compensation today. Now, I understand what a huge thing I’m asking of you, and I want you to know I’m willing to work with you every step of the way. Anything you need, just say the word, and it’s done. How do you feel about two million? Half will be paid up front, and the other half at the end of the…uh…arrangement.
Then, an hour later, a second message was sent.
LENNON: I’m open to negotiations if you feel this isn’t a fair offer.
My eyes just about fall out of my head. She wants to give me two million dollars to marry her brother. In what universe is this my life?
I flop back on the bed and close my eyes. I have no idea how to respond. Money was the last thing on my mind when I agreed to this. But now that it’s out there, my brain is going into overdrive.
My mother wouldn’t have to work anymore. I could pay off my sister’s and my student loans. I could buy Vinnie one of those birdy mansions. But then Bates’s words from this afternoon replay in my head. What kind of asshole has to pay a woman to marry him?
And that’s when I know I won’t be taking that money.
I lift my cell and punch out a reply to Lennon.
TIA: Your offer is more than fair, Lennon. However, I can’t accept it. I’m willing to sign whatever you need me to in order to make this an official agreement. But no compensation will be necessary.
Not two minutes later, my phone rings, Lennon’s name lighting up the screen.
“Hey,” I greet.
“Dude, no. This is a business arrangement, and you have to accept compensation. I can’t, in good conscience, let you turn it down. This isn’t going to be a walk in the park. You’re going to have to put up with Bates twenty-four-seven. And not just that, but the concept of privacy is going to fly out the fucking window,” she says.
I take a breath and try to explain my decision. “Look, I may not be rolling in money, but I’m comfortable. I don’t need that kind of cash. It’s not why I said yes.”
When I agreed to this whole thing, it had nothing to do with the insinuated monetary compensation and everything to do with caring about Bates. I’ve seen him get hurt by a greedy, scheming little cleat chaser before. It was heart-wrenching watching him go through that.
As a decent human being, I couldn’t let him be put in a position to be manipulated again. At least, this way, we both know the score, and I know I won’t hurt him. How my heart will fair after all this, though, I’m not so sure.
Lennon is quiet for a moment before asking, “Then why?”
“Because I don’t want Bates to be taken advantage of. I’ve seen it happen before, and I can’t do that again. He has a big heart, and I wouldn’t feel right sitting back while some cleat chaser tried to pull one over on him when he’s in a bind. He’s my friend, and if you say this is what he needs to do to save his career, then I’m willing to step up.”
After a tense silence, she says, “You know why he gets so weird around pregnant women, don’t you?”
I swallow. “I do. But that’s all I’m going to say about it, okay? I won’t break his trust. If he hasn’t talked to you about it, then I’m not going to,” I tell her.
I know he hasn’t spoken to her about what happened. I’m not sure if he’s told anyone other than me—and that’s only because I was there.
“I can respect that. I’m glad he has a friend like you, Tia. He needs it.”
I’m not sure how to respond to that, so I don’t. I take us back to the topic at hand instead. “Len, I don’t want the money, okay?”
“I understand you wanting to help him, but I don’t feel right about not giving you something to show our appreciation,” she says.
“And I wouldn’t feel right taking anything from you, so can we just agree to disagree?”
She heaves a sigh. “Fine, I’ll let it go for now. But if you need anything, like anything at all, promise you’ll tell me.”
A weight lifts off my chest, and I smile to myself. “Deal.”
“Alright, can you come to my place tomorrow night, and we can go over a timeline for making this shit happen? I’ll have an NDA drawn up and ready for you too.”
“Sure, I’ll see you then.” I end the call then go back to watching my show with my feather baby.
I’m getting ready for bed when Lennon texts me.
LENNON: Be at my place tomorrow night at 8.
BATES: Why?
LENNON: We’ve got wedding plans to make... or did you forget already?
I roll my eyes, as if forgetting is even a possibility.
BATES: Did I forget that I’m about to take an involuntary vow of celibacy?
BATES: That’s pretty damn unforgettable.
LENNON: Good, see you tomorrow night then. Don’t be late.
Dropping my phone onto the bathroom counter, I pick up my toothbrush, squeeze on some paste, then get to scrubbing as I contemplate how it is that I manage to get myself into these messes. For so long I thought of nothing but baseball. How did I fuck it all up so badly that my only way out is marrying my housekeeper? My admittedly fuck-hot housekeeper, but still.
Tia is a catch, and she’s about to give up a chunk of her life to help me fix mine. She’s more than I deserve. I’ve always known it. And if I’m honest with myself, that’s probably the reason I never pursued her before. Tia Riley is too good for my player ass, and that’s a fact.
I never let myself see her as more than my housekeeper and friend. But after this afternoon, tasting her sweet lips in my pool, I’m going to have a hard time keeping my shit on lock. Now that I know just how good she feels in my arms, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to put the blinders back on.
At five minutes to eight, I knock on my sister and my best friend’s apartment door. I’ll never make the mistake of letting myself in and seeing things that shall not be repeated, ever a-fucking-gain.
The door swings open, revealing a smirking Archer. “Hey, man,” he greets as I step through.
I give him our standard man-hug, slap-on-the-back greeting as I pass him, even though we saw each other earlier today. “’Sup, bro?”
“Lenny got home late, so she’s just having a shower. I was going to order a pizza. You want?” Arch punches in his order on his cell.
; I grin. “Sure. I ate, but I can always eat again.”
“Cool. You want a beer?” he asks as I drop down onto the couch.
I glance at him over my shoulder, giving him my what-the-fuck-do-you-think look. Arch chuckles and shakes his head before pulling two beers from the fridge. When you’ve been friends as long as we have, words aren’t always necessary.
“So, Tia, huh?” Arch says, handing me a cold bottle. “Who would have thought the eternal bachelor is getting hitched.”
“Yeah,” I murmur, my forehead crinkling in a frown. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that damn kiss all day. It’s been playing on a loop in my head, and I can’t for the life of me make it go away.
We didn’t even really do anything, yet my brain has latched onto every little detail about the few minutes we spent in my pool yesterday, from the way her dark hair stuck to her mocha skin, to how her lashes fanned over her cheek when she closed her eyes. My dick stirs, and I shift in my seat. This isn’t fucking normal.
“You alright, man?” Archer asks, his brows dipped in concern.
I lift my gaze to his and shrug. “This is just…” I’m struggling to find the right words for what I’m feeling, but before I can, there’s knock at the door.
She’s here.
I’m on my feet and halfway across the apartment to let her in before I know what I’m doing. What am I doing?
My fist curls around the handle as I yank the door open and come face to face with my future wife. Fuck, that sounds so weird. But I don’t hate it. And that thought has my words getting caught in my throat as I just stare at her like an idiot.
She quirks a brow and smiles at me. “Hey.”
I’ve always liked her smile, but this isn’t the usual one I’m greeted with.
I frown and tilt my head. “You okay?”
Her teeth sink into the corner of her plump bottom lip as she nods. “Yeah, I’m fine. You?”
I shrug. “I’m okay, I guess.” Fuck, this is weird. Why am I being so weird? Get your shit together, man.
I clear my throat and step back, allowing her to enter the apartment. When I close the door behind her and turn around, I’m not surprised to find Lennon and Archer watching me like I’m an escaped mental patient.
Tia hovers by me at the door, and I’m pretty sure she feels as out of sorts as I am right now. We’re both acting awkward as fuck, and I hate it. We’ve always been comfortable around each other. And now, I don’t even know what this is, but I don’t like it.
“Want a drink?” I ask in an attempt to ease the tension between us.
That fake smile lifts her lips again as she nods. “Please,” she murmurs.
I stride into the kitchen, open the fridge, then tell her, “There’s beer, OJ, or wine. What’s your poison?”
“I’m usually not much of a drinker, but I’ll go with wine. Something tells me I’m going to need it tonight.” She chuckles softly from behind me.
I grin as I grab the bottle of white from the door and turn to face her. “I know exactly what you mean. Just stay by me, and I’ll protect you,” I say, giving her a wink. “If Lenny gets to be too much, just give me a signal, and I’ll get us out of here.”
“A signal?” she asks. “Like what?”
“Umm… I don’t know. Like scratch your nose or something.”
She nods, an actual real smile curving her gorgeous lips this time. “Okay, deal. What will your signal to me be?”
I shrug then reach to grab a glass for her wine from the back of the cabinet. “Babe, I don’t need one. If I want out, I’m out. I’ll grab your hand, and we’ll bounce.”
“Okay,” she murmurs, a coy grin playing on her lips, and I want to kiss it right off her pretty face.
Jesus, what the hell is wrong with me? I shake it off then pour her drink.
“Yo, I’ll have one of those, too. Thanks,” Lennon says as she enters the open-plan living area.
I nod and go about getting another glass as Tia continues to linger in the kitchen with me. I like that she’s sticking by me, like she’s more comfortable with me than them.
“You ready for this?” I whisper to her as I hand over the wine.
The fake smile is back, then she nods. “Yeppers!”
My eyes widen. “Um, okay…” I have never, in the two-plus years I’ve known her, heard her say the word yeppers. But I let it slide. Nothing about any of this is normal for either of us. “Let’s get it over with then,” I mutter as I pick up Lennon’s drink and take it to her where she’s practically sitting on top of my bestie.
She accepts the drink from me and chirps, “Thanks.”
“Welcome,” I mumble then take a seat on the opposite end of the couch as Tia takes the armchair nearest me.
“So, I’ve pulled together a few things I figured we’ll need,” Len says, reaching for a huge freaking folder on the coffee table.
“A few things?” Tia says, her brows lifted in surprise. “That looks like a little more than a few.”
“I may have gotten a little carried away,” Len admits. “But once I started looking at all the wedding stuff out there, I was like whoa… Who knew there was so much shit involved in planning a fake wedding?” Flicking to the front page of her monstrous file, she lifts her gaze to me then to Tia. “I honestly had no idea how much work goes into planning this kind of thing. But I’m willing to do it, so don’t you worry your pretty little head about a thing,” she assures Tia.
“What about me?” I interrupt. “What about the state of my head?”
My super understanding and supportive sister snorts. “You’ll be just fine,” she says, patting my hand with the most patronizing look on her face.
I roll my eyes and knock back half my beer. For a guy who never thought he’d be in a serious relationship, let alone get married, this whole thing has my head spinning. Add to that the fact I’m suddenly all too aware of every alluring detail about my now fiancée, and I’m all kinds of fucked up.
“Where do we start?” Tia asks, gripping her wine glass so tight her fingertips are turning white.
Before I know it, I’ve placed my hand on her thigh. I want her to know I get it. That I’m as freaked out about all this as she is. Her trippy eyes meet mine, and I shoot her a wink. Her lips rise, then she takes a deep breath, and her grip on the glass relaxes.
“Okay, so there are two ways we can do the wedding part of this. Either we go big and make this a big, flashy affair that will stick in everyone’s minds for years to come, or we go small and intimate,” she says, pausing to take a sip of her wine.
“Small,” Tia blurts. “I mean, if that’s okay with everyone. I feel like that would be the best option.”
Lennon grins. “I was hoping you’d say that. How small are you thinking?”
“Is eloping a possibility?” Hope shines in Tia’s blue-and-green gaze.
I give her thigh what I hope is a reassuring little squeeze, but ever the killjoy, my sister shuts that idea down real fast.
“Afraid not. I think that lends to the idea of this being a farce. We’re better off having an actual wedding.”
“Okay, so immediate family and close friends?” Tia hedges.
Len nods. “Can do. Now, I’m thinking we do this sooner rather than later. We’ll sell it to the media that you two have been in a relationship on the downlow for a few months already and only decided to make it public, and are officially engaged, now that the season is over.”
“Okay, well, given the season is over for us, does that mean we’ll announce it straight away or…?” I ask.
This year, there was no way we were going to make it to the World Series—not with the injuries the team sustained earlier in the season. Arch and I played our last game a little over a week ago.
“I had a meeting with your GM today and told them about your engagement and that the hobby horse incident was you getting a little out of control whilst celebrating,” Lenny says, pinning me with a glare. “Now listen good, Bates, y
ou are on thin ice. Management is not happy; they were ready to drop you before today. All I’ve managed to do is buy you time to prove yourself. No more screw ups.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat as the heavy weight of dread settles in my stomach. I nod at my sister, my jaw too tight to speak. I cannot lose baseball. I just can’t.
A soft touch on the back of my hand has my gaze darting to where my palm sits on Tia’s thigh. Her delicate fingers simply rest over my big beefy ones, but it’s enough to calm me. Bringing my eyes to hers, I attempt a smile to show my gratitude for everything she’s doing for me.
She returns my smile then, leaving her hand atop mine, and shifts her focus to Len. “Alright, so we’re making the announcement, then what?”
“We plan. How do you feel about semi-joint bachelor and bachelorette weekend in Vegas?”
My eyes widen. She’s telling me I need to be on my very best behavior, then she goes and dangles Vegas in my face. What the hell?
Tia speaks up before I can, though. “Umm…I don’t know. Is Vegas really the best idea?”
“Yeah,” I throw in. “You expect me to, what, sit on my hands that whole weekend?”
“And I don’t gamble or drink much; I’m not exactly into the club scene,” Tia adds.
Lennon gives me a condescending smile. “We’ll do a spa weekend—massages, facials, get our hair and nails done. You know, all that girly shit. Maybe even a trip out to the Grand Canyon.”
“Oh, I could get on board with that,” Tia says, her eyes lighting at the suggestion. “I’ve always wanted to see the Canyon for myself. I can only imagine how incredible it would be.”
Lennon’s grin is huge as she says, “Oh, you’re going to love it. Okay, it’s set then. That’s what we’re doing.” She gives us a definitive nod.
