Page 21

CHAPTER 21

ROSE

I ’m at my desk editing the wildest video of my career.

I’m sure a third party’s opinion would differ—we have actually posted some pretty incredible plays that almost seemed like Hollywood CGI. But none of those videos have attempted to murder me by embarrassment.

Of course, the social media operation started the second I got the green light from Logan. We dropped a couple of videos rehashing the greatest hits—a.k.a. Logan saving the integrity of my head and then from his overeager fans—and I could deal with that well enough.

Dave had a new idea though, and today was the first time we filmed it.

Basically, I went up to a few random players over practice to ask them: if they had a sister, which teammate would you let her date? Nothing too spicy. I even got some funny takes. And one of the guys I approached was Logan.

In the meantime, Dave was also recording from afar. The shtick is to show how the other players are all normal and friendly, whereas Logan acts different toward me.

We must be pretty good actors, actually. Even though the whole thing was orchestrated with everyone’s full knowledge, we look like two college kids flirting between classes.

In the video, I walk up to him while he’s taking a water break. The sun hits me square in the face and he notices. Grabbing my elbow, he steers me toward the shade from the stands. This part wasn’t fake, I recall genuinely thanking him just as I set my phone to record and pointed it at his face. Logan must’ve figured that was the showtime, because he leaned his arm against the fence, lowering his face so I wouldn’t have to raise my phone quite that high.

And I giggled. And tucked my hair behind my ear.

And my boss caught it all on camera.

Groaning, I drop my face on my keyboard and wish I was small enough to run and hide behind my mom.

Okay, I take it back. He is the good actor. I thought I was acting natural at the time, but now I can clearly see that I was affected. That the little kindness acts here and there, and the fact that a mouthwatering smell clings to him, were definitely affecting me.

And that’s the thing. We’ve only been doing this fake dating thing for about a week, but he’s already treated me so much nicer than Ben did even when we weren’t supposed to be fake. That it was revealed to have been a farce later is a different story—my feelings, my hopes and dreams about him, those had been real.

Ben wouldn’t even take me out in public, though. Dinner always had to be at his place, or somewhere so secluded that now I wonder if he was embarrassed about me. He never protected me from anything, not even from a crack in the sidewalk. And he always hogged the comfy side of his couch, the one with the footrest.

I can’t begin to count the amount of times that Logan Kim, a guy who doesn’t give a flying turd about me, has looked out for me. It’s actually embarrassing.

That’s it. I’m just conflating his chivalry and my desire to be treated as a princess—as Cade calls me—when really all Logan is doing is the bare minimum, and I was settling for crumbs with Ben Williams. That’s the real source of my embarrassment.

My computer chimes with an incoming instant message and I ignore it, still stewing about my performance in that video.

I have to remember that while Logan is a good actor, I am not, and that none of this is real. I’ve been burned enough by guys who act all interested at first and then toss me aside, to fall for a guy who is openly faking. I need to get it together.

Then my phone buzzes and since it’s close to my face, the vibrations are so strident that I jump in my seat. Audrey’s name appears on my screen and while we occasionally contact each other during work hours, it’s still kind of rare.

Answering the call, I greet with, “Hey, everything okay?”

“That’s my question exactly. I thought you’d jump at the chance right away.”

“What chance?” I frown at the blurry reflection of my face over the paused video on my screen.

“You didn’t see my message?”

“Uh, no. Hold on.” I press my phone between my cheek and shoulder, freeing both hands to use the keyboard shortcuts until I get to the messaging system. Audrey’s chat is at the top, unread.

Winters, Audrey [11:03]:

Guess what?? Your best roommate ever just found you an opportunity with SPORTY. Run to my office!

My heart stops.

It kickstarts with a bang.

My voice trembles as I say, “Hope would take offense to that.”

Audrey gasps. “The nerve.” But I can hear the smile in her words. “So, are you coming or not?”

“Be there in as long as my legs can carry me!” I all but shout, ending the call. I barely have enough presence of mind to lock my computer, survival kicking in even through the excitement after I was pranked by my boss when I was in my first year.

He pokes his head out of his cubicle. “Where are you running?”

“PR. Later,” I toss over my shoulder, skidding around the corner.

I haven’t the foggiest idea what this is about, but I’m sure this is life giving me a lemon—and it will go on my resume and help me make the case for a promotion.

After passing a couple of people in the corridors and excusing myself from chatting as gently as I can, I finally get to the public relations area. I make a beeline for the cubicle that looks like a little garden, with tiny potted plants and flowers hanging from the plastic walls of her mini office. But she’s not at her chair. What the heck?

“Looking for Audrey?” one of her coworkers asks from the cubicle across from hers. “She’s in the meeting room with Logan Kim.”

I turn into a statue.

Logan Kim? Why him?

“Thanks,” I say at the same time as my brain clicks into place.

So this isn’t an opportunity for me , but for the publicity stunt we’re doing.

I walk into the meeting room in a more dignified way. Audrey sits across the table, facing the door. She’s as elegant as always, with her fancy-looking clothes that she thrifts for a fraction of their original pricing, impeccable makeup, and blonde hair in gentle waves. Opposite to her is Logan in his gym clothes, a sleeveless black shirt that clings to his torso, and blue sweatpants. The guy is too massive for the tiny conference chair, and it squeaks in a terrifying way as he turns to look at my entrance.

He has his hair tied in a bun and it annoys me. The stubble in his face and his hair partially obscuring it often make me forget how ridiculously handsome he is.

I know I’m frowning now but I don’t care. “Am I right to understand that this SPORTY opportunity is actually for Logan?” I ask.

Audrey motions at me to take the seat next to him and I do. I’m annoyed at his face, not at him.

“Actually, it’s for both of you,” she starts, lacing her fingers together above the table. “Like we expected, the internet is still buzzing with the two of you and I pitched the concept of a joint feature to SPORTY Magazine. The players and the social media managers who turn them into stars.”

She makes an arc in the air with her hands as she says the title like she’s picturing the byline already. I turn to Logan just as he’s doing the same, and we share a smirk.

“Of course,” Audrey continues. “This will have the added spin of a budding workplace romance and all that. We’ll make it tasteful.”

Logan puts a fist against his mouth, elbow on the table. For a second I suspect that he’s trying not to laugh, but when I pay closer attention he seems to be thinking about this.

“I assume you first have to call your agent to clear it, right?” I ask, offering him an out.

His eyes shift to me without him moving his head. I can’t help but feeling like he’s assessing me until finally, he mutters, “I do, actually.”

“Great.” Audrey pushes away from the table. “I understand that this is making you waste valuable training time, but if you can call him now and give me a confirmation in the next few minutes, I can get the ball rolling with the magazine before the season gets even deeper.”

Also before Logan trades to a different team, which she doesn’t know about.

It’s the main reason why I figured he needs to discuss this with his agent. It takes a hot second to arrange these promos, no matter how speedy Audrey may want to be, and Logan might be gone before the campaign is scheduled. And then I’ll also lose my chance of having a SPORTY feature under my belt.

I follow Audrey out of the meeting room, sighing, and she immediately zeroes her emerald eyes on me. “What’s up with you?”

“Hmm?” I trudge along with her to her cubicle. While she takes her chair, I lean back against her desk right beside her.

“You look bummed and I thought you’d be excited about this.” She tilts her head. “Why’s that?”

“It’s just…” I shrug, trying to play cool even as I squeeze the edge of her desk harder. “I feel kinda guilty. It would be different if this all wasn’t fake and temporary.”

“So like, you wish you were dating Logan for real?” One of her eyebrows rises.

“No!” I whisper-shout, then check to see if anyone shows signs of paying attention to this conversation. I lower my voice just in case. “What I mean is that it’s weird to be getting this opportunity on something that isn’t real. Half of the staff knows the truth but the players don’t—heck, even Hope doesn’t. It’s almost like cheating and… and you know how I feel about cheaters.”

“Wow, okay. These two things are nowhere near the same realm. Your work and the way Ben Williams treated you has nothing in common. Because that’s what this is: work.” Her eyes narrow slightly. “Unless you start to feel something for your performance partner.”

I scoff. “Please.”

“Or him for you.”

I put my paws on her head and feel around. “Did you hurt your head this morning?”

Audrey is what I consider mysterious. She’s a great person—she’s helped Hope and I out of more than one pickle—funny in her cranky way, and extremely hardworking. Out of the three of us, she’s the one who puts the longest hours without even traveling as much as Hope and I do.

But sometimes, like right now, I can tell that there’s something brewing behind her eyes that she doesn’t want to say. And every time I notice that, she gets one step ahead of me and changes the topic.

She plucks my hands away from her head. “Anyway, don’t make your pretty head hurt by worrying about things that aren’t a big deal. Let’s wait to see what Logan’s agent says and take it from there, yeah?”

Sighing, I nod, and we settle in to wait.