Page 15 of Reckless Kiss

“Your work stresses me out and I don’t even work here.”

“Truth.” I took a few breaths and willed my dick to return to normal workday order. “Thank you for lunch,” I waved at the takeout from Cheeseburger Hut, “but work calls.”

“Fine, fine.” He gathered up his trash. “Thanks for talking me through this. Again.”

“It’s not a problem. I’m happy to help. I put together a list of topics you might want to memorize for dinner.” I handed him the sheet of paper with my chicken scratch.

Jeffry handled it like it was an ancient relic. “Thank you. You’re the best.”

And the stupidest. Because truth be told I wasn’t doing any of this for my best friend. I was doing it all for Esme.

And I didn’t know why.

* * *

Perks of the job,I usually had seats at any game I wished. Today I was at Sunshine Stadium for the Mantas game. Right behind home plate. I knew all the players even though I only managed left fielder Seth Butler. Our agency also managed the catcher, second baseman, two of the pitchers, and four other men on the roster, not normally in starting positions.

“What is that smell?” my non-date asked, wrinkling her nose.

I sniffed the air, finding nothing unusual. Just the familiar scent of a baseball stadium. Beer, hotdogs, popcorn, cotton candy, and clay.

“I believe it’s popcorn you are smelling.” I really didn’t know what Claudia had a problem with.

And I didn’t particularly care.

Claudia and Seth had come to some kind of mutually beneficial arrangement in which she would come to games dressed like the model-turned-movie star she was, as long as his homerun streak lasted. She got good press, he got airtime, I got to spend my evenings with a woman I wouldn’t get to fuck.

Everyone won but me.

Not that Claudia was my type. I mean yes, if she came to me asking for a night I’d give it to her without question. If she let down her insecurities for long enough to be vulnerable in my bed I’d give her the night of her life, but she wasn’t here for that. Which meant she was just another celebrity looking for attention and I was bored.

I hadn’t had a date in months.

Months.

My balls were turning to stone and my dick was dying right along with it. My hand was a sad stand-in for the warmth of a real woman.

“Popcorn? Ugh. I can’t believe people actually eat that stuff,” Claudia snorted, pulling me out of my head.

I needed a date. I pulled out my phone and flipped through the recent messages but found that not one of my friends knew anyone in need of my special services. I’d struck out at the bar last night too. Maybe I’d try again tonight. A Friday evening game like this guaranteed there’d be some action at one of Rusty’s two locations.

After delivering Claudia into Seth’s eager hands after the game I made a stop at the offices, surprised to find Marie there.

“It’s a little late for you, isn’t it?”

She shrugged from behind her desk. Aside from a lamp in the corner, her computer was the only other light in the room. “This Renegades situation is making my life hell.”

“Is there something new?” I dropped into a chair and propped my feet up on her desk.

She shot me a look but didn’t ask me to remove my feet. “There’s some salary renegotiations. Brown’s not threatening anyone yet but he’s being a dick about ‘being team players with the salary cap’. Dunhill is pitching a fit so I’m spending a lot of time keeping him calm.”

“And going over every line of his contract?” Marie was meticulous like that.

She pushed away from the desk and leaned back in her plush seat. “I want to be sure I know everything so when Brown throws his curveball—and he will—I’m ready.”

“You’re so sure about this guy?” Since the sale of the team I’d done my own research but found the information on the thin side. The Brown family liked to keep out of the spotlight. Aside from their illustrious leader, Edmund, there was a son and daughter, as Marie mentioned. The son was very involved in the Brown family businesses, while the daughter was rarely mentioned at all. I practically had to track down Roselyn Esmeralda Zalenski Brown’s birth certificate.

“As sure as I live and breathe. He’s corrupt down to his DNA.”

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