Page 52 of The Groupie

She opens her eyes and looks at me squarely. “She’s Chuck’s agent, too.”

I open my mouth, and I have no words for a full three beats, then, “Fire her fucking ass. I don’t care if she’s fucking Jerry Maguire come to life.”

“Then who do I replace her with, smart guy? I didn’t have a bevy of agents banging down my door before I had a bad ankle, and I’m counting on some kind of quick promotional deal to help pay Mamma’s medical bills.”

“I have a solution.”

“What’s that?” Skepticism oozes from her.

“I’ll call my agent and ask him to take you on. Maybe do joint promotions with you.”

Her eyes flash wide, but she says nothing, and I’m not sure if it’s shock or whether she’s calculating the consequences of working with me.

“I’ll call him now.” I stand and grab my phone.

Before I have a chance to call Jett, my phone rings. I check the caller. “Fuck.”

“Who is it?”

“Candice Montgomery, the woman who crowned me Bachelor of the Year for Boston Magazine and a fucking thorn in my side.”

Rylee laughs. Relief floods me because this is the first time I’ve heard her laugh in too long.

“I didn’t figure you for a wimp, big boy.” Challenge lights her face, prompting me to hit the green button to talk to the one woman I never want to talk to.

I stand and hold Rylee’s stare as I speak. “Hello, Candice.”

“Great news, Zak!”

“I doubt it.”

“Now, don’t be that way. I spoke to Ms. Delaney, the Brawlers—”

“I know who she is.” All my muscles tighten as if in preparation for a kick to the balls because, if there’s one thing Delaney is known for, it’s being a ball buster.

“She loves the idea of a follow-up article that follows you on a date with your new someone special. Of course, we’ll include a video for the online magazine and social media, too. That was Delaney’s idea.”

“Of course, it was.” Is it possible to feel your blood pressure rising?

“What do you think?”

“You know what I think.”

“No, really—tell me.”

I’m watching Rylee watch me as she listens. Her eyebrows lift, curiosity in those sensational eyes of hers. She licks her lips, and I lose my train of thought, distracted for a second as my gaze wanders from her mouth and slides over her naked breasts…

“Zak? You there?”

My attention snaps back to the phone. “You know I don’t want my personal life out there, that I never wanted my love life put up for speculation by the world at large.” It’s bad enough when my mom and sisters bug me about my bachelorhood, never mind every woman on the street who’s read the magazine—not to mention how the whole B.O.Y. thing has given my teammates an excuse to taunt me relentlessly.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. You’re so sensitive. It’s just one night. Besides, it’s been approved by the Brawlers, and all we need to do is determine who will join you on your date. That’s up to you, of course, but I think Rylee Flynn would be perfect.”

“No.”

“Then who?”

I close my eyes for a second, then open them and lock my gaze with Rylee. “Sheila Brown”