Kickin' It (Red Card #2)(9)

“Hey.” Slade’s wife, Mackenzie, put a hand on my shoulder. “You look like you’re about to be sick.”

I flinched. I hated being touched. Being touched reminded me of dark things done in dark places.

I politely stepped away from her as if she had startled me, and then shrugged. “It’s just been a really long day.”

She shook her head and tossed her caramel-colored hair. Her wide smile was so engaging it was hard not to smile back. “I have those often, so I get it. Well, I hope you stick around longer than the summer.”

I sighed as my stomach dropped. “That all depends on if I get signed with a team.”

“Signed?” Jagger butted into the conversation. “Who’s interested?”

“As of right now, nobody,” I said as Slade joined us, his penetrating gaze going right through me. I was ready to have a full-blown panic attack at the attention. It wasn’t just that he was a big deal, he was a soccer god, his fan clubs had fan clubs, so the fact that he was even overhearing the conversation was sucking the oxygen from the atmosphere.

Mackenzie must have noticed because she rolled her eyes at the men as they waited for me to say more about my nonexistent career. “Could you guys give us a little privacy?”

Slade gave her a What did I do face before walking away.

She wrapped an arm around me, again causing me to tense up, and pulled me aside. “So you had interest and now no interest? I feel like there’s more to the story, spill.”

“I don’t know you,” I blurted stupidly. I didn’t just blindly trust people, I’d learned that lesson the hard way. I’d barely even filled Willow in on everything. It gave me anxiety just thinking about it, and my chest tightened as I tried to suck in some air through my pursed lips.

“Which should make it easier.” She stared at me.

I glared right back.

She didn’t so much as flinch.

I decided I liked her. She reminded me of Willow. I liked strong women, and she seemed like one of those women.

Finally, I relaxed a fraction. “I have interest from Seattle.” I didn’t tell her that’s where I really wanted to be, as far away from him as possible. “San Diego, LA, Florida, and a new team in Dallas.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Wow, that’s quite a lot of offers.”

“Interest. Not offers,” I grumbled.

“No agent?” she guessed.

“Something like that.” It was a partial truth. The whole truth could never come out. Ever. It would only destroy what was left of me.

“Hey, Matt!” Mackenzie actually called him over. I gave her a What the hell look. No, no, no! It wasn’t supposed to happen like this! I was going to show him my stats, tapes of my playing, the normal thing! And if that wasn’t enough to convince him to represent me I would go with plan B—baking cookies and getting him drunk off his ass! I wasn’t supposed to ask for a favor three hours in! That’s not how these things work! I felt my cheeks blush a bright red when she grinned at him. “You owe me a favor.”

“So?”

“I’m calling it in.”

“I don’t recall this conversation.”

“I think I was in the shower . . . with Slade.” She tapped her chin. “Something about sexual harassment and—”

“What do you want?” he interrupted quickly.

She pointed at me with a triumphant grin. “Your new roommate needs an agent. Seattle’s shown interest as well as other teams. Let the negotiations begin!” She nodded like it was just that easy.

Matt leveled me with a glare that had me ready to back into the dessert cart behind me. He didn’t blink. His face didn’t move. Every gorgeous angle of his face was taut with tension.

Great.

Thanks, Mackenzie!

“My rate is fifteen percent of whatever you earn.”

I gulped and opened my mouth. He held up his hand.

“But since I don’t know you, I’m going to take twenty-five percent of your first contract and we’ll see where we go from there. What kind of offers were you given?”

“My coach wouldn’t share that information with me,” I whispered, trying to keep the sadness and anger out of my voice.

He rubbed his chin. “Maybe I should give him a call and—”

“No!” I blurted a little too loudly. “No, I mean . . .”

Everyone turned to look at me.

Shit.

I shouldn’t have come.

I shouldn’t have worn a tiny dress that fit Willow better than my thick thighs.

I squeezed my eyes shut and took a breath. “Can we please just leave him out of it? He’s not a nice man.”

Mackenzie elbowed Matt.

“Fine.”

I exhaled in relief.

“I’ll have Willow draw up a contract in the morning. You’ll be her guinea pig, she’ll assist me with you, and I’ll try to make you”—he eyed me up and down—“look like a world-class athlete instead of a fifteen-year-old with a tiny dress on. How’s that sound?”

“Like sexual harassment,” I chirped.

Mackenzie burst out laughing. “I have a feeling this is going to be a great relationship!”

“My. Ass,” Matt whispered under his breath and grabbed his keys. “Let’s go, girls. Bedtime.”