Page 32 of Caught Looking

Earlier I hadn’t been sold on having security bought by my boyfriend, but now I was glad that at least one bodyguard would be waiting for me at the end of practice.

Coach stopped us just inside the locker room. “That guy is toxic as fuck.”

“I can’t believe you dated that prick,” Jeri muttered.

Coach’s eyes bulged. “You dated him?”

“Years ago.” I tried to brush it off but she got in my face.

“How did it end?”

I blinked at her sudden closeness. “He wasn’t nice so I broke it off.”

“Have you seen him since?”

I nodded, explaining our brief but unpleasant history.

And then she stormed off without another word.

* * *

Practice was off.Coach Summer never returned. After a disastrous scrimmage they let us work on skills and endurance. I took a long shower and pulled on a pair of jeans and a tangerine tank top. There would be no pajamas tonight, unfortunately.

Janet and Rowdy, my new security detail, waited for me outside the locker room with an antsy Roscoe. They were both very nice and had that air of danger about them I’d expect from people who protected people for a living.

Janet rode with me while Rowdy followed in their sedan.

Parking spots had been arranged for us in the garage of Seth’s building. It felt weird to have two people I didn’t know go everywhere I went, but they made jokes trying to keep things light. It helped.

We strode inside the lobby of Seth’s building. A woman sat behind a large white desk. A man in a matching gray uniform leaned against it. “How can we help you?” she asked, gaze snapping between my dog, me, Janet, and Rowdy.

“Hello! My name is Annalise Ryan.” I didn’t get to finish my introduction. Clearly they’d been waiting for me.

“Miss Ryan.” The man reached out and shook my hand. “Welcome. I’m Pete and this is Denise. Mr. Butler has a key and security pass waiting for you.”

Things moved quickly. Or maybe they only felt quick since my head was spinning from all the changes. The antiseptic smell of the lobby and the too bright lights. I was surrounded by people, but all of them were strangers. I was used to either being with my teammates or alone. On top of all that, this building wasnice.It screamed “only rich people live here!” from the layers of security to the expensive wood and marble accents.

At least I had Roscoe pressing against my leg.

Denise placed an envelope on the desk, pulling out three keys and three white plastic cards. “You’ll need the card to access the elevator and you’ll also need it before unlocking the door. If you forget, the alarm will go off. Mr. Butler has authorized us to give you a password. We’ll need one for when you are safe. Like when it’s an accident. And then another for when you’re in trouble.”

Holy shit this building wassecure.I’d never lived anywhere I needed a password. But Seth lived here. All the time. I had definitely slipped down the rabbit hole. Maybe Owen wasn’t all that wrong. A jerk, but he had a point. Seth was a different level of fame than anything I’d known in my own life before.

“What kind of password is normal?”

“Usually one or two words. Something you can remember.” Denise smiled warmly.

All I could think of was food. “Okay, um, how about jalapeño?”

“Perfect. And if you’re in trouble?”

I didn’t want to think about why I’d use this word. But then Owen’s menacing glare flashed in my mind and I blurted out the most disgusting food I could think of. “Broccoli.” I hated the stuff. It looked as weird as it smelled.

“I see we have a food theme going.”

I shrugged. “I’m an athlete. Food is fuel.”

“A damn good athlete.” They both nodded once.

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